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.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKeOLVicd3
"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.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbv6Y7iofsK
The possibility that she wandered around while he was asleep crossed his mind.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM2zf5zR30
The sight made his head ache, reminding him of the situation he was in.
'Stupid Booker, stupid.'945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzxOzweya7
"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."945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLk23F5q7dR
"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.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvsESAP9wJ
"Why are you so annoying, Mrs. Sparkle?" he retorted.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXPHVAMw8x
"'Miss', not 'missus', I'm not married."945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkNrS1Al8T
"Figured someone in your position would be."945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijMYXAbjRw
Her purple face darkened, her muzzle reddening until it was almost completely scarlet.
'Didn't know horses could blush.' he thought.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXSBC77Rx7
"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.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTXY1PWKiL
"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."945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTK68pV1G3z
"Wouldn't have guessed." Booker said, genuinely surprised.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aKqTFwIhK
"And just what's that supposed to mean?"945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRTlh7odjA
"It's obvious you have leadership skills," Booker stated "you just don't like ordering others."945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREaXiNgCV1
"What gave you that idea?"945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgwxsgD7On
"What happened at the fair, for one thing."945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPLvwiLSqO
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!"945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Zw6Ah5muQ
"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.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHcG86bnBJ
"Shut it down! Shut down the machine!" the man shouted to the two behind him, appearing to be blackened shadows behind him.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jddF2AhwA
"It's becoming unstable!"945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JC3aetiHv
"Shut it DOWN!" he roared, briefly yanking the fragile bundle in his arms towards himself.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYETmzuJyGf
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.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSt79iqhsf
"It's ready! You've got to pull her through!"945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQboUSkMO2
The man gave one final tug, pulling Anna through the anomaly.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0gnKdlEt9
"Give me back my daughter! NO!"945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3sJdvTpLW
The portal closed, Anna disappearing from his life forever.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmJcXFHefo
He numbly looked down, and didn't see his hands, as he'd expected.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBHWKDJz58
Two stumps, that was it, most of his forearms missing.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAvmWEVQ82
Blood spurted from the appendages, splattering against the dirty cobblestone.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkx5iz4kUBs
It landed wetly, dripping morbidly down the wall.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LCMi5REBe
A cry of anguish escaped his lips, and he collapsed, his head striking the ground with such force that it too began to bleed.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTKuFB0KuG
He didn't care.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQwaNyvst2
Anna was gone.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZ1QQjpsGU
"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!"945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnY0KCzRZWh
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.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5sMB56mDz
"Sonofabitch!" he shouted, holding his head.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvmzlgyeHP
"Daddy okay?" Anna asked, toddling up to him, grabbing his free arm.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSpFYbAsIs
Anna by his side, the pain in his head was quickly forgotten. Taking her hand into his, Booker sat up, mindful of the compartment.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99BUDFn1rJ
"Daddy's fine, sweetie." he said, a small smile on his face.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3y77aPFhB
Anna smiled, her small teeth showing.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYVDpBX5sO
"'kay."945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zUn1dWJ2e
She then went to embrace Fluttershy, much to the latter's surprise.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcO1HjvGNf7
"Soft." Anna murmured into the pegasus' chest.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCX2CiD03W
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?"945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWG1Mkh2kko
"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.'945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv985zEHlkf
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...945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFW7FNgEeP
'Goddamn place is going to kill us...' he thought, stepping off the train.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdXo9mt3ai
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.945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgzh6Agnq2
"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.'945Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCIAv1xLux
