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.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cRZGVt4lZ
"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.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXJEEzVf4d
The possibility that she wandered around while he was asleep crossed his mind.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjAJ2VIUk4
The sight made his head ache, reminding him of the situation he was in.
'Stupid Booker, stupid.'852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCG2KJ5lJWg
"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."852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9hQ4nyGZ7
"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.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFobGeNnZM
"Why are you so annoying, Mrs. Sparkle?" he retorted.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnwY3kOdDJ
"'Miss', not 'missus', I'm not married."852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8yWfTr8q2
"Figured someone in your position would be."852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvvTW1FpjF
Her purple face darkened, her muzzle reddening until it was almost completely scarlet.
'Didn't know horses could blush.' he thought.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OgCdJYTft
"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.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuvweXMuxw
"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."852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYzNKmi0nj
"Wouldn't have guessed." Booker said, genuinely surprised.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTakz7XFbwE
"And just what's that supposed to mean?"852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjAtbomDQS
"It's obvious you have leadership skills," Booker stated "you just don't like ordering others."852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdzCNEiWTQ
"What gave you that idea?"852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawK09Xb9zt
"What happened at the fair, for one thing."852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVzD3kUud6
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!"852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1qsDqOSNm
"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.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9D06yWJji
"Shut it down! Shut down the machine!" the man shouted to the two behind him, appearing to be blackened shadows behind him.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDbUwxqo7j
"It's becoming unstable!"852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXkBjRoVCH
"Shut it DOWN!" he roared, briefly yanking the fragile bundle in his arms towards himself.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuW7NgNifk
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.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrPpzNfo1b
"It's ready! You've got to pull her through!"852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGY1Dzgr5iz
The man gave one final tug, pulling Anna through the anomaly.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUHOErOXVe
"Give me back my daughter! NO!"852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqU0qOyh4U0
The portal closed, Anna disappearing from his life forever.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPUgFV7ETB
He numbly looked down, and didn't see his hands, as he'd expected.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60IkTeRJ8j
Two stumps, that was it, most of his forearms missing.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1SxEaprQr
Blood spurted from the appendages, splattering against the dirty cobblestone.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7G5yNihmX
It landed wetly, dripping morbidly down the wall.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hbsdDrBAy
A cry of anguish escaped his lips, and he collapsed, his head striking the ground with such force that it too began to bleed.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aOat1qcd1
He didn't care.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6M3WfGJry
Anna was gone.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrz9M45pyv
"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!"852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7CmTVF4fs
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.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAssL5oJFjv
"Sonofabitch!" he shouted, holding his head.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasuigmvpow
"Daddy okay?" Anna asked, toddling up to him, grabbing his free arm.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ufJ5k0EeJ
Anna by his side, the pain in his head was quickly forgotten. Taking her hand into his, Booker sat up, mindful of the compartment.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytkiRQi0wQ
"Daddy's fine, sweetie." he said, a small smile on his face.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJvyJ4uHwn
Anna smiled, her small teeth showing.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUujP3jcmX
"'kay."852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rV46FuBys
She then went to embrace Fluttershy, much to the latter's surprise.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyKqaXsZIx
"Soft." Anna murmured into the pegasus' chest.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoCcjTBmC7
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?"852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4RTcAIlEo
"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.'852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Al6CyZNg7
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...852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMTXvvZ1Gl
'Goddamn place is going to kill us...' he thought, stepping off the train.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxOa5MxwRJ
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.852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rPNUNJUsS
"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.'852Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1SEanQRKg
