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.983Please respect copyright.PENANAgA9RDjRmKD
"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.983Please respect copyright.PENANAdXwk3tEq33
The possibility that she wandered around while he was asleep crossed his mind.983Please respect copyright.PENANAPnWHRy6Ei5
The sight made his head ache, reminding him of the situation he was in.
'Stupid Booker, stupid.'983Please respect copyright.PENANAUOPRnKjZwE
"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."983Please respect copyright.PENANA5qjJfTqCVQ
"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.983Please respect copyright.PENANAFjqerrac8S
"Why are you so annoying, Mrs. Sparkle?" he retorted.983Please respect copyright.PENANAKoxNFuaNiy
"'Miss', not 'missus', I'm not married."983Please respect copyright.PENANAxOHcpTbrmK
"Figured someone in your position would be."983Please respect copyright.PENANA5gy0uswk11
Her purple face darkened, her muzzle reddening until it was almost completely scarlet.
'Didn't know horses could blush.' he thought.983Please respect copyright.PENANAZfF0pdF91Y
"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.983Please respect copyright.PENANAxacYsvttge
"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."983Please respect copyright.PENANAKH7TLB2aZZ
"Wouldn't have guessed." Booker said, genuinely surprised.983Please respect copyright.PENANAXL5pOHsDyY
"And just what's that supposed to mean?"983Please respect copyright.PENANAqa98wCm2mA
"It's obvious you have leadership skills," Booker stated "you just don't like ordering others."983Please respect copyright.PENANAxxLxkCRcre
"What gave you that idea?"983Please respect copyright.PENANAVw5Yzw9HDb
"What happened at the fair, for one thing."983Please respect copyright.PENANA2jQUg8TnR4
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!"983Please respect copyright.PENANA4D1dUBD9R3
"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.983Please respect copyright.PENANAhDqaf0GzQd
"Shut it down! Shut down the machine!" the man shouted to the two behind him, appearing to be blackened shadows behind him.983Please respect copyright.PENANAUDMJ48jJoX
"It's becoming unstable!"983Please respect copyright.PENANALasBSeVi0K
"Shut it DOWN!" he roared, briefly yanking the fragile bundle in his arms towards himself.983Please respect copyright.PENANAsg3dquDyW6
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.983Please respect copyright.PENANA2JriNbio3S
"It's ready! You've got to pull her through!"983Please respect copyright.PENANAbGz0FGJaKw
The man gave one final tug, pulling Anna through the anomaly.983Please respect copyright.PENANAC6H9GUTNsA
"Give me back my daughter! NO!"983Please respect copyright.PENANA2p2DrvJOrw
The portal closed, Anna disappearing from his life forever.983Please respect copyright.PENANAwaYhcm6n6u
He numbly looked down, and didn't see his hands, as he'd expected.983Please respect copyright.PENANAx7LIFr7wG7
Two stumps, that was it, most of his forearms missing.983Please respect copyright.PENANA0eQbdAXkze
Blood spurted from the appendages, splattering against the dirty cobblestone.983Please respect copyright.PENANAn7PmTZBeiD
It landed wetly, dripping morbidly down the wall.983Please respect copyright.PENANALlvCU2ETl8
A cry of anguish escaped his lips, and he collapsed, his head striking the ground with such force that it too began to bleed.983Please respect copyright.PENANAoLifwHnWXX
He didn't care.983Please respect copyright.PENANA5tO6WmGJwl
Anna was gone.983Please respect copyright.PENANAE5NT0XRNXd
"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!"983Please respect copyright.PENANAjrsgCQsT7h
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.983Please respect copyright.PENANAL9OmgHtl1T
"Sonofabitch!" he shouted, holding his head.983Please respect copyright.PENANA0uEnua0zcQ
"Daddy okay?" Anna asked, toddling up to him, grabbing his free arm.983Please respect copyright.PENANArZxKptJGgj
Anna by his side, the pain in his head was quickly forgotten. Taking her hand into his, Booker sat up, mindful of the compartment.983Please respect copyright.PENANAnM9bBDzwHh
"Daddy's fine, sweetie." he said, a small smile on his face.983Please respect copyright.PENANANyw2ZmGzvg
Anna smiled, her small teeth showing.983Please respect copyright.PENANASZPnpzr20V
"'kay."983Please respect copyright.PENANAamIQ7lnCUd
She then went to embrace Fluttershy, much to the latter's surprise.983Please respect copyright.PENANA2fNnUY3bRh
"Soft." Anna murmured into the pegasus' chest.983Please respect copyright.PENANAwx0Wo5Aa0y
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?"983Please respect copyright.PENANAFcnuWrm6is
"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.'983Please respect copyright.PENANArbPWe1qXft
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...983Please respect copyright.PENANAe9BzJrAjho
'Goddamn place is going to kill us...' he thought, stepping off the train.983Please respect copyright.PENANAu13zQJ3F6Z
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.983Please respect copyright.PENANAJA2fyQZmPA
"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.'983Please respect copyright.PENANAcLmLfBP5k9