Booker snorted as he awoke, rubbing at his face as he tiredly sat up on the bench. He blearily took into account just where he was- but not before his head struck the overhead compartment above the seat. Wincing in pain, he realized it was dark outside the windows of the train car, a dark navy enveloping the landscape as pristine white stars dotted the skies.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VePJ3iUPZ
"Ow! Damn it..." he grumbled, sitting up slowly this time as he rubbed his head.
As he did so, he realized that a certain little girl was missing from his immediate reach.
"Anna?!" he cried shooting up.
His heart raced as he was immediately silenced by the purple hybrid, her horn aglow as a book rested between her hooves, a pair of red, wire-framed glasses perched on her muzzle.
"Trouble sleeping, Mr. DeWitt?" Twilight asked, turning the page.
The car jumped, forcing the occupants to bounce a bit. Not that they noticed, all of them were asleep, save Twilight and himself.
"Where's Anna?" he asked, straight to the point.
Twilight nodded over her shoulder, towards the back of the car. Booker's head swiveled to the left, and found Anna dozing peacefully, sandwiched between the yellow pegasus and the purpleand green reptile. The former of which embracing his daughter with her wings, while Spike's head lay in Anna's lap, small as it was.
'How did she get over there?' he wondered.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSXYLdq7KE
The possibility that she wandered around while he was asleep crossed his mind.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWwtrkkjdR
The sight made his head ache, reminding him of the situation he was in.
'Stupid Booker, stupid.'933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0K5BsZsWcB
"So, tell me about yourself." Twilight said, another page turning.
"Heh, don't see why I should." Booker replied, reclining in his seat.
Twilight was nonplussed by his bluntness, and instead continued reading.
"I can tell you about me, then you can tell me about you, if you'd like."933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBB6OFwHoI
"OCD, aren't you?"
The hybrid rolled her eyes as she sighed, the book closing.
"Why are you so bitter, Mr. DeWitt?" she asked simply.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYfCVELFv0
"Why are you so annoying, Mrs. Sparkle?" he retorted.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7V1nKcfmU
"'Miss', not 'missus', I'm not married."933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XgTrwuQ85
"Figured someone in your position would be."933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaDqrL2ahh
Her purple face darkened, her muzzle reddening until it was almost completely scarlet.
'Didn't know horses could blush.' he thought.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm568bjIgys
"What makes you say that?" she asked, sounding more like the yellow one.
"Well you're a princess, aren't you? You must have stallions knockin' down your door."
Her face grew redder.
"Or, y'know, giant lizards, whatever floats your boat." Booker said, nodding to Spike.
"Now wait just a minute!" she shouted.
Rainbow groaned in distress, eliciting another round of sleepy groans from the rest of the group.
The princess shrank, and realized her error, a sheepish smile splitting her muzzle.
Booker cocked an eyebrow, confused at her behavior, shooting another glance to the sleeping, gecko-like creature beside Anna.
"That's why you keep him around, isn't it? As a consort?"
Twilight took a deep breath, her chest puffing out as she calmed herself.
"Yes, I love Spike," the princess said "but it's familial love, like with you and..."
"Anna." Booker said, filling the silence.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZy4nGMGQPx
"Like you and Anna."
He nodded in understanding, taking a moment to rub his jaw as he met Twilight's gaze.
"Besides," she continued, after a short pause "I'm not much of a princess, I was just recently coronated- this was one of my first official duties as royalty."933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVBTRcQR1b
"Wouldn't have guessed." Booker said, genuinely surprised.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AHZ72Iioo
"And just what's that supposed to mean?"933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPPNupBbpK
"It's obvious you have leadership skills," Booker stated "you just don't like ordering others."933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqlhJtG6qe
"What gave you that idea?"933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOEqXO1OEj
"What happened at the fair, for one thing."933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcwV15mRFB
Her ears flipped backwards, slapping against her skull as her head ducked low. She muttered out something about someone named Celestia.
"I'm going to get some more shut-eye," Booker groaned, reclining on the bench once more "wake me when we get to the next station."
Twilight nodded.
"The tear is closing! You've got to come through now!"933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vviivuRCY
"I don't want to get caught in-between!"
"It's fine! You've got to hurry!"
"Fine? Are you mad?!"
"No! The tear is stable! You'll not get caught in-between, I promise!"
"If I get caught, it's going to be a very long time before we see each other again!"
"Hey, hey! The deal's off, you hear me? The deal's off!"
An aging man, a bundle in his arms, stepped through the ever-shifting hole in the wall.
Booker grabbed at the man, yanking his arm just as he stepped through.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsb5kYCxaEN
"Shut it down! Shut down the machine!" the man shouted to the two behind him, appearing to be blackened shadows behind him.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstou6qwhOH
"It's becoming unstable!"933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzt13EmsYWg
"Shut it DOWN!" he roared, briefly yanking the fragile bundle in his arms towards himself.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2YKLiWPeQ
Booker fought back, gritting his teeth as he tried to take back his daughter, crying out in distress as she was swiftly moved back and forth, her face tinged green.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBNTfrXpPz
"It's ready! You've got to pull her through!"933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASRrHxBJnv
The man gave one final tug, pulling Anna through the anomaly.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJ8f3nQrLm
"Give me back my daughter! NO!"933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOODF1MLC5
The portal closed, Anna disappearing from his life forever.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxZEfEl0dr
He numbly looked down, and didn't see his hands, as he'd expected.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOp86CFRW1h
Two stumps, that was it, most of his forearms missing.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUd7Gt00jB
Blood spurted from the appendages, splattering against the dirty cobblestone.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPnevezBFG
It landed wetly, dripping morbidly down the wall.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bLnyyWJUw
A cry of anguish escaped his lips, and he collapsed, his head striking the ground with such force that it too began to bleed.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgD0fks1qkV
He didn't care.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPO2MTijCLZ
Anna was gone.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSWFf2T3XA
"Mr. DeWitt! Mr. DeWitt! Please," a voice sobbed, breaking him out of his sleep "please wake up, Anna's right- right here! She's perfectly f-fine!"933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQDHZruKpc
Booker's eyes shot open, finding himself to be in the train car. Quickly sitting up, he once again, struck his head on the baggage compartment above.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTSraXu8Kz
"Sonofabitch!" he shouted, holding his head.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQmixJgJEd
"Daddy okay?" Anna asked, toddling up to him, grabbing his free arm.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5y5xe6H7u9
Anna by his side, the pain in his head was quickly forgotten. Taking her hand into his, Booker sat up, mindful of the compartment.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5Ybx5STTD
"Daddy's fine, sweetie." he said, a small smile on his face.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZvS7rcUrq
Anna smiled, her small teeth showing.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWmVNs4AvT
"'kay."933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhv7su4CoEP
She then went to embrace Fluttershy, much to the latter's surprise.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9uhhe4TQV
"Soft." Anna murmured into the pegasus' chest.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8a47QYYKi
Fluttershy blushed, her muzzle tinged red as she hesitantly let a wing drape gently over the young girl.
"Anyway..." Booker muttered "who woke me up?"933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkeU37vbuD
"None of us did, Mr. DeWitt." Twilight responded, confusion evident on her features "You were having a nightmare, I was about to wake you, when you...erm..."
He nodded, standing. He checked his belongings, then followed the purple princess out of the train car, Anna and Fluttershy close behind.
'She'd better not get too attached to her...' he thought 'I can barely feed either of us, let alone a pony.'933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnR0yLkvEO
Then again, these ponies could talk, and had trains, as well as fairs, whose to say they didn't have homes, as well? Entire cities- hell, and entire country of horses. It was like the cavalry all over again...except for the gunfire, and cannons, and wails of pain...933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCi5qLLKhj
'Goddamn place is going to kill us...' he thought, stepping off the train.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjtzA9rNXq
The car let out a squeak as a result as a relief from his weight from it, as if groaning in exhaustion from having to carry him all the way here. Wherever here was, that is.933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IxLwWhLSo
"Welcome to Ponyville!" the pink mare shouted, a party favor hanging from her mouth as she stood on her hind legs, her forehooves in the air. A wave of balloons and confetti literally fell out of nowhere, littering the station platform with the small bits.
'God damn it.'933Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdCylKqvYa
