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.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1xJSElbE7
"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.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBstLXu59T
The possibility that she wandered around while he was asleep crossed his mind.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfguakAFGWT
The sight made his head ache, reminding him of the situation he was in.
'Stupid Booker, stupid.'825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDi6LEh2d3e
"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."825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEdDmnUJn9
"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.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2hanmlb0h
"Why are you so annoying, Mrs. Sparkle?" he retorted.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPwnXSkspI
"'Miss', not 'missus', I'm not married."825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jsexb7hwL
"Figured someone in your position would be."825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYKq8w6RYq
Her purple face darkened, her muzzle reddening until it was almost completely scarlet.
'Didn't know horses could blush.' he thought.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmOjbLm4MC
"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.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54lS1me6CD
"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."825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHDZMFohRO
"Wouldn't have guessed." Booker said, genuinely surprised.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqp6na7XgzR
"And just what's that supposed to mean?"825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ317i17cOpw
"It's obvious you have leadership skills," Booker stated "you just don't like ordering others."825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9F2eeiMna
"What gave you that idea?"825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsfBhPkk8M
"What happened at the fair, for one thing."825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwYg0lchMG
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!"825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vFDuAbgcy
"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.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqhv9ciLSU
"Shut it down! Shut down the machine!" the man shouted to the two behind him, appearing to be blackened shadows behind him.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmepozl5KX
"It's becoming unstable!"825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaH37dp890d
"Shut it DOWN!" he roared, briefly yanking the fragile bundle in his arms towards himself.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3pHIzlC1m
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.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9f5Rkb1Vn
"It's ready! You've got to pull her through!"825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05CRhDBxV8
The man gave one final tug, pulling Anna through the anomaly.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdD9OqBI2Dt
"Give me back my daughter! NO!"825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQULlZMo1uZ
The portal closed, Anna disappearing from his life forever.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbI8R7ej3d
He numbly looked down, and didn't see his hands, as he'd expected.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYJfbxqt8F
Two stumps, that was it, most of his forearms missing.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisf8Atvm01
Blood spurted from the appendages, splattering against the dirty cobblestone.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOvqVFpxFX
It landed wetly, dripping morbidly down the wall.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCXXTgmOv6
A cry of anguish escaped his lips, and he collapsed, his head striking the ground with such force that it too began to bleed.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY16xxE55du
He didn't care.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAae8c6aJZ
Anna was gone.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmo04cFx3e6
"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!"825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDaIw09s8R
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.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlS1HR0zIFU
"Sonofabitch!" he shouted, holding his head.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRH6CVNcYz9
"Daddy okay?" Anna asked, toddling up to him, grabbing his free arm.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKtsFYyPy5
Anna by his side, the pain in his head was quickly forgotten. Taking her hand into his, Booker sat up, mindful of the compartment.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyigGFuNCVj
"Daddy's fine, sweetie." he said, a small smile on his face.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXG3iIXRuj
Anna smiled, her small teeth showing.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMMu5eclfE
"'kay."825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQXmDAwghm
She then went to embrace Fluttershy, much to the latter's surprise.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOANgxh6xyT
"Soft." Anna murmured into the pegasus' chest.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7NqGpROyG
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?"825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtc6flJMkk
"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.'825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJpCfBYNND
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...825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLeNy13xbR
'Goddamn place is going to kill us...' he thought, stepping off the train.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPOYQEdk7P
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.825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADv5iPcRUd
"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.'825Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98dUUA2Gtl
