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.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszzFxUvlh5
"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.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53p4wykRro
The possibility that she wandered around while he was asleep crossed his mind.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfppmjF9tI
The sight made his head ache, reminding him of the situation he was in.
'Stupid Booker, stupid.'1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkGjMlk2DL
"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."1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM99wN1ascu
"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.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0e5GQcuqtS
"Why are you so annoying, Mrs. Sparkle?" he retorted.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPhWLha8wP
"'Miss', not 'missus', I'm not married."1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4vgrFJN5h
"Figured someone in your position would be."1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZsz8F9FEe
Her purple face darkened, her muzzle reddening until it was almost completely scarlet.
'Didn't know horses could blush.' he thought.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WbeDgNreA
"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.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIs9oiOxTvk
"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."1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWk1iYqD8B
"Wouldn't have guessed." Booker said, genuinely surprised.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YwzgCYIo8
"And just what's that supposed to mean?"1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnjDh21M0L
"It's obvious you have leadership skills," Booker stated "you just don't like ordering others."1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaTtiA5WXY
"What gave you that idea?"1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0aFjvgQr8
"What happened at the fair, for one thing."1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09WYF0C1ig
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!"1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AQsrnhHk9
"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.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzhNJkDLe7
"Shut it down! Shut down the machine!" the man shouted to the two behind him, appearing to be blackened shadows behind him.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrT8ddtsoeQ
"It's becoming unstable!"1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa829cayaoV
"Shut it DOWN!" he roared, briefly yanking the fragile bundle in his arms towards himself.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXrpl1elNj
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.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQjZCGRGkw
"It's ready! You've got to pull her through!"1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTBrnIDIje
The man gave one final tug, pulling Anna through the anomaly.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUS2dcN0jjV
"Give me back my daughter! NO!"1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoftCULPXK5
The portal closed, Anna disappearing from his life forever.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSXNILTh10
He numbly looked down, and didn't see his hands, as he'd expected.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡha2tGarQZS
Two stumps, that was it, most of his forearms missing.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwY0lULqGX0
Blood spurted from the appendages, splattering against the dirty cobblestone.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4c9iUVKy8
It landed wetly, dripping morbidly down the wall.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjloQIQPCw
A cry of anguish escaped his lips, and he collapsed, his head striking the ground with such force that it too began to bleed.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4GN3bfJBI
He didn't care.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2G9MSzxcd
Anna was gone.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVsyfSwmrS
"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!"1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPY6NCynsTR
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.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡengWBhbKkl
"Sonofabitch!" he shouted, holding his head.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1URfVd0uw
"Daddy okay?" Anna asked, toddling up to him, grabbing his free arm.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49297jbZpR
Anna by his side, the pain in his head was quickly forgotten. Taking her hand into his, Booker sat up, mindful of the compartment.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiAsib9aCt
"Daddy's fine, sweetie." he said, a small smile on his face.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIprHW5Wpw4
Anna smiled, her small teeth showing.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3wZDwlviO
"'kay."1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8NORqSdWL
She then went to embrace Fluttershy, much to the latter's surprise.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5C4tjYEtYR
"Soft." Anna murmured into the pegasus' chest.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJDFkUHhCc
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?"1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfevqJgkY2
"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.'1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2cwKs53eD
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...1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8DGjPA7sy
'Goddamn place is going to kill us...' he thought, stepping off the train.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0r11ZMH3Ep
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.1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡms3wSirIFX
"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.'1012Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsAvxHbpvx
