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.699Please respect copyright.PENANAR2Zbm5KnM3
"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.699Please respect copyright.PENANAJLNy6divRo
The possibility that she wandered around while he was asleep crossed his mind.699Please respect copyright.PENANAeBtEx0J1Yf
The sight made his head ache, reminding him of the situation he was in.
'Stupid Booker, stupid.'699Please respect copyright.PENANAgwoqTACrMg
"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."699Please respect copyright.PENANA4cX7IwIXXA
"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.699Please respect copyright.PENANAv4DZgfYzp1
"Why are you so annoying, Mrs. Sparkle?" he retorted.699Please respect copyright.PENANAtb6Z4MkXGG
"'Miss', not 'missus', I'm not married."699Please respect copyright.PENANAYY7BYe7cBE
"Figured someone in your position would be."699Please respect copyright.PENANAPCyb5pNWLb
Her purple face darkened, her muzzle reddening until it was almost completely scarlet.
'Didn't know horses could blush.' he thought.699Please respect copyright.PENANA6IYIxOIqcY
"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.699Please respect copyright.PENANALKm2Wq5dHE
"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."699Please respect copyright.PENANAqgFs4nWd8q
"Wouldn't have guessed." Booker said, genuinely surprised.699Please respect copyright.PENANAhtKK8GJrlZ
"And just what's that supposed to mean?"699Please respect copyright.PENANATnRAN10oBQ
"It's obvious you have leadership skills," Booker stated "you just don't like ordering others."699Please respect copyright.PENANAf77CLKwBDL
"What gave you that idea?"699Please respect copyright.PENANAvtuSmatdVn
"What happened at the fair, for one thing."699Please respect copyright.PENANAMvqUMOjcqj
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!"699Please respect copyright.PENANAm22x9TJDfA
"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.699Please respect copyright.PENANAznvVdTOwgj
"Shut it down! Shut down the machine!" the man shouted to the two behind him, appearing to be blackened shadows behind him.699Please respect copyright.PENANAzUEsD8odzt
"It's becoming unstable!"699Please respect copyright.PENANAYCALn6H8pN
"Shut it DOWN!" he roared, briefly yanking the fragile bundle in his arms towards himself.699Please respect copyright.PENANA2xbvwJhrMi
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.699Please respect copyright.PENANArk4c1w2MTF
"It's ready! You've got to pull her through!"699Please respect copyright.PENANAUp2mmuYaal
The man gave one final tug, pulling Anna through the anomaly.699Please respect copyright.PENANASAdShSewGz
"Give me back my daughter! NO!"699Please respect copyright.PENANAhn8czC2B6j
The portal closed, Anna disappearing from his life forever.699Please respect copyright.PENANACMfJjzyu5V
He numbly looked down, and didn't see his hands, as he'd expected.699Please respect copyright.PENANAre8qxHQzMl
Two stumps, that was it, most of his forearms missing.699Please respect copyright.PENANAbvzzHe36vi
Blood spurted from the appendages, splattering against the dirty cobblestone.699Please respect copyright.PENANAl5F788FE3V
It landed wetly, dripping morbidly down the wall.699Please respect copyright.PENANAkxtMwC4Rap
A cry of anguish escaped his lips, and he collapsed, his head striking the ground with such force that it too began to bleed.699Please respect copyright.PENANAugqFtZkaYy
He didn't care.699Please respect copyright.PENANARKuiHlWUj0
Anna was gone.699Please respect copyright.PENANAL3Ctk1PmUb
"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!"699Please respect copyright.PENANAGSjNZsPM8H
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.699Please respect copyright.PENANAgTGR8zfGXo
"Sonofabitch!" he shouted, holding his head.699Please respect copyright.PENANAFCMrEk56QV
"Daddy okay?" Anna asked, toddling up to him, grabbing his free arm.699Please respect copyright.PENANAJVf3INXjmo
Anna by his side, the pain in his head was quickly forgotten. Taking her hand into his, Booker sat up, mindful of the compartment.699Please respect copyright.PENANAGrNlqhnOkd
"Daddy's fine, sweetie." he said, a small smile on his face.699Please respect copyright.PENANAronmL7R9yy
Anna smiled, her small teeth showing.699Please respect copyright.PENANALcI2eulgaH
"'kay."699Please respect copyright.PENANA0PUIX6MnNZ
She then went to embrace Fluttershy, much to the latter's surprise.699Please respect copyright.PENANAxo4X0tTPEV
"Soft." Anna murmured into the pegasus' chest.699Please respect copyright.PENANACbttzsgpOj
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?"699Please respect copyright.PENANAiSruTlhh4P
"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.'699Please respect copyright.PENANAhnEoI6x3cz
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...699Please respect copyright.PENANACzLXpBok7A
'Goddamn place is going to kill us...' he thought, stepping off the train.699Please respect copyright.PENANAn75qiTHL8f
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.699Please respect copyright.PENANAVPeikBq5Bl
"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.'699Please respect copyright.PENANAI9AdlxvTTp