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.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOUqMlblyY
"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.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEQfmOa0mT
The possibility that she wandered around while he was asleep crossed his mind.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zxNstIkWO
The sight made his head ache, reminding him of the situation he was in.
'Stupid Booker, stupid.'984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakvnJzFaRK
"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."984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpdMciwNzo
"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.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDgyCcdpjI
"Why are you so annoying, Mrs. Sparkle?" he retorted.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88YIulI2Se
"'Miss', not 'missus', I'm not married."984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5P4gf71Tb5
"Figured someone in your position would be."984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXhohwKirp
Her purple face darkened, her muzzle reddening until it was almost completely scarlet.
'Didn't know horses could blush.' he thought.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yqgf7MgTa
"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.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IOoLcXsba
"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."984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7KfMiCMMv
"Wouldn't have guessed." Booker said, genuinely surprised.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawJVkAJ59I
"And just what's that supposed to mean?"984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41Z9p9vAXR
"It's obvious you have leadership skills," Booker stated "you just don't like ordering others."984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VYQGxdFgn
"What gave you that idea?"984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhsoYsO5bd
"What happened at the fair, for one thing."984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlNh2sNWVA
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!"984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotbUswGpHi
"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.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4hUP9LoDI
"Shut it down! Shut down the machine!" the man shouted to the two behind him, appearing to be blackened shadows behind him.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPajXdNHkGl
"It's becoming unstable!"984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSFKQTRMVA
"Shut it DOWN!" he roared, briefly yanking the fragile bundle in his arms towards himself.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyPRU1vS3M
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.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6SXwHBNkp
"It's ready! You've got to pull her through!"984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFl8drbuFNy
The man gave one final tug, pulling Anna through the anomaly.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrycRo3HHG
"Give me back my daughter! NO!"984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkkYtvP0kh
The portal closed, Anna disappearing from his life forever.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDMW9AEaa8
He numbly looked down, and didn't see his hands, as he'd expected.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkDRKciwvC
Two stumps, that was it, most of his forearms missing.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRKrGiQ7Pr
Blood spurted from the appendages, splattering against the dirty cobblestone.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYPa9ahCDM
It landed wetly, dripping morbidly down the wall.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ENHjWNydT
A cry of anguish escaped his lips, and he collapsed, his head striking the ground with such force that it too began to bleed.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqNY6yUlEk
He didn't care.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpONwATkwDQ
Anna was gone.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfF90zHea8L
"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!"984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJ2WbMPrqu
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.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFiRdboLzM
"Sonofabitch!" he shouted, holding his head.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GM8qicEVt
"Daddy okay?" Anna asked, toddling up to him, grabbing his free arm.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTOGOwbI6v
Anna by his side, the pain in his head was quickly forgotten. Taking her hand into his, Booker sat up, mindful of the compartment.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54iAtUBWri
"Daddy's fine, sweetie." he said, a small smile on his face.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVfUpD2vBV
Anna smiled, her small teeth showing.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOh01u9ibh
"'kay."984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPn3H0N6n3F
She then went to embrace Fluttershy, much to the latter's surprise.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxle4e97Dv
"Soft." Anna murmured into the pegasus' chest.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfu009y8drd
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?"984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFykCQQrFx9
"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.'984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4O2gnn9mOF
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...984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHrUQffumq
'Goddamn place is going to kill us...' he thought, stepping off the train.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpQoDFBCe7
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.984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3toVyxoGxC
"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.'984Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCz12bQA1M9
