Chapter 11: Of Cards, Dancing, and Yak Cakes
“Ya know,” Smolder commented, looking around, “if I didn’t know that this was supposed to be the reception for a wedding, I would have mistaken it for a fair.”
It had been hours after the wedding, Sandbar and Gallus had already signed their names away. They are now an official, married couple. The two of them had to force to endure the endless parade of pictures taken by Sandbar’s family that tested their patience. Fortunately, they were set free like everyone else towards the old castle grounds. There was a carnival-like atmosphere with its many tents and shaded booths, bouncy castle, and games that string about like a web. Here a game of ring toss, there a cotton candy machine.
“Gallus and I thought that we wanted our reception to stand out.” Sandbar explained. “We didn’t exactly want to be just ponies doing nothing for hours at a table, listening to somepony making a long speech and then watch them eat a slice of cake without them getting a bite.”
“Yeah,” Gallus nodded, “we just wanna have some fun, ya know?”
“This is the best wedding ever!” Silverstream exclaimed, carrying with her a giant teddy bear on her back. “I entered into a ladder-climbing game and they give me this! Look at its button eyes!”
“I’ll have to admit,” Ocellus said, flying up to the fuzzy face of the oversized toy, “it is rather cute.”
“Has anyone seen Yona anywhere?” Smolder asked.
“Last time I’ve heard,” Sandbar answered, “Mom told me that she was helping out with the feast tonight – like she promised.”
“Feast coming along fine.” The students turned to find Yona, out of the dress and partly covered in flour. “Yona taking break. Yaks continue on until perfect.”
“So what is the feast?” Gallus inquired. “All I know that it’s gonna be Yak style, whatever that means.”
She shook her head. “Yona keeping feast secret. No one can know until later. For now, let Yona and friends have fun.”
“Sounds good to me,” Smolder said, taking to the air. “So what do you guys wanna do?”
As they looked around, the young stallion’s eye caught a particular booth that had a mare with an orange bandana on her head and a hoop earring shuffling a deck of cards. “Is that…?” He walked forward a little. “Guys! I think my aunt’s here!” He galloped towards the booth with his friends and husband following. “Aunt Fortuna!”
The mare looked up from her cards and her smile went wide. “Sandy! Long time no see!” She got up from behind her table to hug him. “Look at you! All grown up and married! How’s my nephew?”
“It’s been a long day.” He said, waving a hoof towards his friends. “Aunt Fortuna, these are my friends and my, well, husband.”
“Ah,” she went up to them, shaking each hoof and claw, “in all of my travels, it’s very rare to have so many creatures to be here in one place. My name is Fortuna, or Madame Fortune as I go by now.”
“What pony do?” Yona asked.
“I’m a Tarot card reader and part-time Gypsy. I roam the lands freely and would give readings to anyone who could spare a coin. But, as this the wedding of my nephew, today only, I’ll be giving my reading for free.”
“Tarot card?” Ocellus tilted her head, “I’m afraid I don’t quite know what that is. What is it?”
“In the most basic of explanations,” Fortuna explained as she got back behind the table, “ponies often times refer to them as ‘fortune telling cards’ but they have many uses. Not just about foretelling the future or the past, but even identifying one’s own innermost conflicts. I use different methods depending upon what exactly those who seek me wish to hear.”
“Oh! Oh! Can I try?” Silverstream thrust herself at the table. “I’ve never seen anyone reading fortunes before.”
“Very well,” the mare smiled, “what do you wish to know?”
The hippogriff gave some thought to this question. “How about… if you can read fortunes, why not tell me about myself.”
“This should be interesting,” Smolder commented, “as I’m pretty sure none of us (except for Sandbar) have ever met you before. Let’s see how accurate you are.”
“In that case.” She took out her deck of cards and scattered it on her table. “How about I tell you of your past, present and future?” Silverstream nodded. Fortuna then reorganized the cards before spreading them out to her, face down. “Pick three, and we shall see what fate has in store for you.”
Silverstream did so, picking each at random and the part-time Gypsy organized the cards before her, setting up the cards up in a row. The first card she overturned showed a wheel that had a griffon, a fish, and an eagle spinning. “Interesting…” Fortuna muttered. “The Wheel of Fortune. This tells me that in your past, there has been a new, unexpected good fortune that was the beginning of a new cycle in your life. Something I can imagine as quite eventful for either you or your species as a whole.”
“The defeat of the Storm King.” Silverstream nodded. “Yeah! That was the great change for us to come out of hiding under the sea and back onto land again. That, and the fact that I was chosen to attend Twilight’s School.”
The fortune teller turned over the next card. An upside-down picture of a stallion in a jester’s costume and jingling cap, walking down the road with a nap-sack over his shoulder. “The inverted Fool…” Fortuna rubbed her chin. “Seems to suggest that at the present, you most likely have been seen as naïve or foolish.”
“She’s got the naïve part down.” Gallus muttered to Smolder who both of them chuckle.
“Ah! I wouldn’t be so sure on that.” The mare said after she turned over the last card – a picture of an alicorn, complete with a crown and a shield. “Apparently, in her future, she shall experience growth and creativity. The marks of one who is capable of becoming wise, naturally.”
“Do you hear that guys!” Silverstream exclaimed in excitement. “I’m gonna be smart!”
Gallus rolled his eyes. “That’s nice lady, but am I the only one who finds it a little bit suspicious in how vague your readings were?”
The fortune teller only smirked. “Is that so? Perhaps you’d like a reading that’s more in detail? Very well! I’ll do one better! How about I read your and my nephew’s fortune?”
After Sandbar had insisted, Gallus begrudgingly agrees. Fortuna let her cards be tossed on the table, jumbled up before she told them for each to pick out seven cards. After they did so, she cleared away the table before asking for them back.
“First, let us see what the current moods and circumstance you two have now.” First, she picked up a card from her nephew’s deck and flipped it on the table for all to see. It was a stone tower that was on fire. “It would seem, Sandbar, that you are undergoing a radical change to something new that looks like you’re welcoming it.” Then she flipped over the card in Gallus’s deck, a picture of the sun with its rays. “The symbol of satisfaction and contentment because of an achievement of a personal goal.”
Sandbar nodded, “Seems pretty accurate so far.”
His husband frowned. “Well, that’s just luck.”
“Is that so?” the fortuneteller raised an eyebrow. “Then let us see what the cards say about what kind of mask you put forward. Starting with you.” She pulled out one of his cards – it had an image of an empty chariot. “You want to give the world the impression that regardless of the situation you’re bridling disparate wills in order to get ahead. Only doing what is necessary to move on forward, ever forward. But, underneath that mask.” She pulled out another card, paused, and smirked before placing it on the table. It showed two hearts being pierced by an arrow. “You are stricken by affairs of the heart while reflecting on your inner harmony.”
“A-Affairs of the heart?” Gallus’s eyes shifted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Basically, what she’s saying,” Smolder pointed out, “That you may appear to be begrudgingly going through this wedding thing, but deep down, there’s a part of you that wants it to happen.”
“Y-You’re just making this up!” The griffon said defensively, his cheeks turning pink.
“Enough teasing,” Aunt Fortuna spoke up as it was Sandbar’s turn. “Let’s see…” She picked up a card from her nephew’s deck, a stallion that was hanging by his hindleg by a rope. “Sandbar, this tells me that although you are giving up the impression that you are doing this out of self-sacrifice…” she turned over another card, this time it was a picture of a stallion in sacred robes, lifting a hoof up as if giving a blessing, “inside, this event has brought peace and harmony of mind to you. Which is interesting, it’s as if the cards are saying that while you’re showing your different reasons for this event, that whether you’re aware of it or not, you both wanted this to happen.”
Now both newly-weds avoided each other’s gaze while the girls giggled.
“Let’s move on to what exactly both of you want in life.” She picked up Gallus’s cards first and flipped it over to an upside-down image of Discord, holding a chain in a claw with two other miserable ponies connected to it. At first, those who looked on it were worried, but Fortuna raised a hoof. “Ah! No fear, this is a good sign! As this is upside-down, it means that what the griffon greatest goal in life is to be released from what is binding him. But how exactly do you feel about it?” She flipped over another card, this one has an old griffon holding up a lit lantern. “Interesting… While you want to be free, you deep down feel that you should cross-examine yourself to make sure that you’re making the right decisions and are willing to seek advice.”
Gallus went quiet for a very long moment, “How in Tartarus did you know that?”
“Apart of you saying it, the cards did.” Now she turned to Sandbar as the image got an immediate reaction from the students. It showed the picture of a pony skeleton with a reaping sieve. “No no, this is not what you think it means.” She said quickly. “This is actually fascinating. This card means that Sandbar’s goals in life are a transformation, to get rid of something old to make way for the new. But what’s his feelings on the subject?” The next card she turned was that of a magician in a wide-brim hat, and a table that has a verity of swords, cups, and coins. “You feel confident in that ability to achieve your goal.”
“Well…” Sandbar nodded, “You’re not totally wrong.”
“Ah, but let’s get to what we’re really here for. Your future, or at least, what will be soon to come.” She picked up another card from her nephew’s deck and frowned before placing it face up. There was an upside-down image of a mare pouring a picture of water in a stream while above her are many, glittering stars. “Oh… Bad news I’m afraid, in the future I see, it is filled with self-doubt and unfulfilled dreams. As if there will come an event that will bring your confidence to ruin.” She flipped over his final card. This one having a Pegasus blowing into a trumpet. “Huh… Now, this is interesting.”
“What is?” Sandbar leaned forward.
“This final card says that how this event will mean to you, is that you’ll be able to accept what will happen and have the ability to let it go.”
“What does that mean?”
She shrugged. “How would I know, I’m a card reader, not a psychic. But anyway, let’s see what’s in your husband’s future…” She turned over a card that on it has a wheel where three different creatures, a griffon, a fish, and an eagle are caught on it. “Oh…” She shook her head. “This is not a good sign.”
Gallus paled, “What are you talking about?”
“This card,” she tapped on it, “is the Wheel of Fortune, and what’s concerning is that it’s upside-down. Meaning that in your foreseeable future, you will experience an unforeseen change, but for the worst.” The final card she pulled out from Gallus’s deck was the picture of a crescent moon and sighed in relief. “However, there is good news. As this card is upside-down, it means that regardless of what will happen, things will turn out well in the end.”
Ocellus, after listening to all of this, tilted her head. “Is it me, or do some of these readings between you two seem rather… connected.”
“Changeling right.” Yona nodded. “Almost as if Pony reading one fortune, not two.”
“I know.” Silverstream agreed. “It’s almost as of those card things are shipping them.”
Both husbands left immediately with a groan.
It had been several hours, and the sun had finally gone down to where the grape lights lit up the space. By now, family and friends have gathered near the center of this caravel like reception towards where a dance floor was set up, along with the tables for them to have dinner. Much to Yona’s promise, there was indeed a feast that was held – of course, all provided with some help. Yona for the occasion of the wedding had asked to summon Yakyakistan’s finest chefs to show these ponies what a traditional Yak Wedding feast looked like. For many, they were trying flavors and foods that they didn’t know existed from baked sweet onions to cloud soup, from rose beats to thousand-grain bread.
At this feast, right before the dance floor was the table that the newly-weds and Sandbar’s parents ate. Behind them was another table that was piled with wedding gifts for the couple. In front were the plates and bowls that most still had some traces of the food that they only have taken a couple of bites from. Besides an all-around was chatter on top of the music that’s been playing out by the DJ.
But after the sun had disappeared beyond the mountains, Yona, still covered in flour, weaved her way through the tables and ponies up to Sandbar’s father and whispered something in his ear. He stood up, put a hoof in his mouth and let out a loud whistle. “Everypony! Can I get your attention?”
It took a while for them to quiet down enough for him to continue. “Due to the cake not exactly ready yet, we’re gonna have my son and his husband have their slow dance as our chefs make the final preparations.”
Gallus and Sandbar looked at one another as the air became lively with seeing them dance. The young stallion leaned over to his dad. “Just to be clear, it’s gonna be a slow dance – right?”
“Don’t worry,” he told him, “None of us are expecting for you to be professionals, just go out there, and go at it at your guys’ pace.”
Looking at one another, the griffon raised his claw, pointing towards the dance floor. “You ready to go?”
“I… I guess so.” He said getting up before adding to him, “Did you practice?”
“Eh… a little. At least, I have some idea what to do.” The newlyweds walked out the wooden floor. “Here, I’ll take the lead. So stand up on your hind legs.” They did so, and Gallus raised his right arm. “Take hold of this. Good. Now put your other hoof on my shoulder. No, lower than that. Right. And let me put my claw here…” With his left claw, he placed it near Sandbar’s waste.
“Okay so…” the pony asked, “now what?”
Then over the speakers, a waltz began to play out its dream-like rhythm on a piano. Not knowing what to do, they let their senses take over as they began to sway back and forth. Gallus put his right leg forward, gently pushing Sandbar’s left back. Eventually, the two of them found a workable rhythm as they slowly turned. But even so, they weren’t paying attention to the steps they took, but on the other’s face.
“Gallus,” Sandbar began, “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“It’s something that Aunt Fortuna said. Especially with those cards, she brought up.”
“Oh, c’mon Sand, you can’t believe everything anyone says just by a deck of cards.”
“That’s just the thing… What she said, she wasn’t wrong about me.”
“Huh?”
“I didn’t bring this up because I didn’t know how you’ll feel about it but…” Sandbar bit the inside of his cheek. “I uh… may or may not have wanted this to happen.”
“What are you talking about?”
The young stallion took in a deep breath. “Gallus… do you think that it might be possible to… well…”
“Spit it out, what is it?”
“Is it possible that given what happened last night, that we might, actually, love each other?”
Gallus blushed. “W-What brought this up?”
“I… I don’t know dude. I mean, forget that we’re actually married and all. Just… do you think that it might be possible that you could start develop feelings for me or vise-versa?”
Once again, that warm blood that the griffon’s heart returned. “Sandbar…” he said, “I uh… I don’t know if this is the right time and place to…”
“Yeah?”
He took in a deep breath. “What if, for the sake of augmenting, that over the past couple of months, give or take, that I uh… um… Gods! Why is this so hard?!” He muttered to himself.
Sandbar stopped the dance. “Gallus, are you saying what I… think you’re saying?”
“That depends on how you’d react to it.”
“Dude, we’re already hitched.” He deadpanned. “And while I think I might have an idea what’s going on in your head, I want you to say it.”
Gallus looked around. “What? Here? In front of everyone?”
“You know what? Yeah. I’m listening.”
Sighing, the griffon had them resume the dance. “Sandbar… This isn’t easy for me to say this… But… what if I told you… that I might be…” His cheeks deepen into a scarlet color. “I think I have a crush on you…”
Now it was Sandbar’s turn to blush. “Then I would say that I wouldn’t be that surprised.”
“What?”
“Well… what if I told you that I think… I could be in the same boat as you?”
Gallus blinked. “Then I’ll say that we’re pretty much stuck up here without a paddle.”
Sandbar laughed. “I mean, my Aunt was right, there’s a part of me that’s overjoyed that we actually did it but…”
“…. This is going a little too fast.” His husband nodded. “It’s kinda pointless for me to lie now, but yeah, while I think I have feelings for you, I want to take this slow. One step at a time, ya know? And yeah, it’s obvious that it’s seriously way too late to ask you this but… After all of this, do you wanna… go out with me?”
His husband gave a gentle smile. “Actually, yeah. I would like that.”
Before they knew it, the music had ended and there was applause from those who saw it.
A couple of minutes after they returned to their seats, Yona returned. “It has taken long,” she told them, “but Yaks have finally done it! We have traditional wedding cake for Pony and Griffon.”
“About time,” Gallus rubbed his talons, “I’m in the mood of having something sweet.”
With a proud grin, Yona told them to wait here while she and the other Yak chefs to go fetch the cake. After she left, the newlyweds had an expectation of the cake they were going to see. The white cake that had taken hours with its complex icing alone that had on the top two little dolls that look like them.
However, what was brought in… was enough for the adults to cover the eyes of the foals there. Upon several Yaks, there was a towering brown cake that, although there was a complicated design of white icing on this towering behemoth, the shape of it was rather… phallic in design. As gently as possible, the yaks placed the cake right before their table.
“Uh…” Sandbar asked, “What’s that?”
“This,” Yona waved a hoof proudly, “traditional wedding cake. Good luck charm of fertility. But go ahead,” she grinned wider, “touch it.”
Hesitantly, the two of them reached their appendages out to this dirty cake, and with a slight poke, the very top of it started to pulsate a foamy, white liquid.
The only thing for the newlyweds could do, was laughing in horrific embarrassment.
“Ya know,” Sandbar’s mother said after she took the last bite of her slice of phallic cake, “despite looking like something out of the most pretentious artsy clop film, this stuff isn’t half bad.”
Autumn Wave looked around. It was late in the evening and by now a good chunk of the family have either left or are still cleaning up. The cake, despite having a… controversial introduction, there was a consensus once pieces of it were passed around that it was surprisingly good – much to the pride of the Yaks who made it. “Still, today was a good day.”
“It was a lot of work,” Gallus admitted, “but I’d say that overall, it was actually fun. Right Sand?” But when there was no response, the Griffon looked over to see his husband, asleep in his chair.
“Aww, he’s all tuckered out.” Spring Tide said. “I mean, who could blame him for the day we all have.”
As Sandbar softly snored, Gallus got up, “Maybe I should take him back to the school. Back to his bed.”
Autumn put a hoof on his shoulder. “You go do that; we’ll clean up things here. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss further on that coming of age ritual that needs to be done.”
“Thanks, sir.”
He shook his head. “Just for now, call me dad.”
Gallus was stuck into silence, but as he picked up the sleeping Sandbar in his arms, he bid them goodnight before taking to the air towards the school. It took him longer to get there as he didn’t want anything to disturb his husband’s slumber. But when he got to the open draw-bridge of the school, he walked down its hallways, through courtyards, and into their dorm rooms. He had to maneuver his talons just to open the doorknob, but once had the door to be loose, he gently kicked it and carried Sandbar over to his bed.
From there, he undressed him, taking off his suit, tie, vest and shirt before laying him down in his bed. The sheets and covers were pulled over him, but before Gallus left the room, he paused. Looking back at his husband, his crush, he felt that it wouldn’t be fair that after all they’ve done for today, it wouldn’t be fair to let him wake up in the morning without him being there. So, peeking his head out, looking this way and that, he closed the door and got up on the lower end of the bed. Like a cat, he circled around that spot before laying himself down, letting his tired eyes to close.
“Goodnight Sandbar.” He muttered softly before drifting to sleep.
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Wow, I was half-expecting them to keep their feeling for each other under wraps until they practically had the divorce papers in their hooves/talons. Thank Celestia I was wrong.
Nice chapter. This is getting really cute ;P
...Oh god, that cake...
Well, at least everything's out in the open now...
Now I got an idea for the cake at my friends wedding.
AAAAAAAAWWWW! their admitting that they love each other was the CUTEST part of this story so far... I guess the weight of the wedding as well as sandbar's aunt basically saying they were meant for each other is solidifying a bond that is meant to be
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I never once said that they're in love, but only had them reveal that they have a crush and want to take this slow. Besides, we're about halfway through this story. Don't worry, while the Aunt has given them some grim foreshadowing, I can promise that regardless of what happens, justice will be done.
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Believe it or not, that cake actually did exist. An ancient Roman recipe where the cakes are placed in front of the guests and they basically... ejaculate upon the slightest touch.
In recent history, a celebrity chef in Britain has actually recreated the squarting cakes.
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Oh dear lord... That is just wrong in so many ways, and yet so friggin' hilarious.
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I wasn't implying that you did, I just saw that they were developing feelings for each other and was hoping that they didn't put off talking to each other about it for an agonizingly long time. And they didn't. Bravo.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN??
But how is one only part-time Romami?
This is an interesting conversation to just now have at your wedding reception, but go off
Extremely concerned about those fortunes!!!!!
Hijo de la lunaaasAAA. I know that guckin song since I was a little kid. me cagen Mecano ,Ana Torroja y los gays XD
...Your already married. XD