//------------------------------// // Cold train ride // Story: The Gunslinger who saved Christmas // by Trigger_Finger //------------------------------// Jack returned to his seat across from Luna and flopped himself down and let out an exhausted sigh. “What happened?” Luna asked curiously, looking at Jack with a slight bit of curiosity. Jack chuckled, “We had a slight disagreement over politics” Jack informed her. Luna scrunched her nose “Ohh… well it seems more like you had a large disagreement” Luna replied and Jack chuckled “Don’t worry, they promised to vote for you in the next election” Jack joked humoressly. Luna didn’t quite go along with the joke and curled up and shivered a little. Jack sighed and removed his duster coat and placed it over top of Luna. “What are you doing?” Luna asked and Jack rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to suffocate you” Jack joked sarcastically but Luna didn’t quite understand the joke and her head perked up with a look of worry. Jack hit himself in the forehead at her inability to understand sarcasm. “I’m joking… chill” Jack replied and she curled up again. “Yes we are very cold” Luna replied and Jack groaned ‘Why do I have to be stuck with a princess that doesn’t understand modern language?’ Jack asked himself as he tucked his duster coat around Luna. “What about you? Won’t you be cold?” Luna asked and Jack shrugged and sat down by himself in the seat across from her. Luna got up and sat beside him, “Here, take half, we can share the warmth” she offered. Jack held her back “No, no, no… you just… stay over there. I’ll be fine sitting here alone… just…” Jack stuttered as he tried to keep the princess from doing anything else that was rather absurd. “We apologize for our… wanting to help?” Luna apologized, a little confused by the way Jack pushed her away. “Don’t sweat it, it’s just I don’t really feel like sharing the warmth” Jack said and shuddered at his own comment. “You’re very generous but always remember that you need to take care of yourself as well” Luna replied as she cuddled up on the seat across from his. Jack grumbled to himself as he leaned his head up against the cold window, the window in front of him was broken from the gunfight and cold air now blew in his face and sent shivers down his back. Jack grunted to himself in discomfort and tried to get some sleep as the train continued on down the tracks. * * * Jack awoke as a sudden cold breeze brushed past him and sent shivers down his back. For some reason he felt warmer than he had when he passed out. As he went to get up he felt extra weight on his body and looked down to see Luna nestled up against him. ‘What the hell is she doing?’ Jack thought to himself as he tried to wake Luna up. He gave her a gentle nudge, “Hey kid… wake up” he whispered but to no avail, she was either in deep sleep or she was faking. He grumbled to himself and Luna rustled a little and rearranged herself and continued sleeping, Jack sighed as his legs began to feel numb. He body weight had cut the circulation off from his legs and they were feeling tingly. He lifted her body up off his legs and set her down beside him. He grunted as he stood up and began to walk down the aisle to stretch his legs. He walked to the back of the train and stood on the edge of train and took a deep breath and he could see his breath. Shivers went down his spine and he figured it was time to head back inside and try to get some more sleep. As he was about to sit down he noticed Luna restlessly tossing and turning. “Okay, obviously you’re faking, knock it off” Jack told her but she didn’t listen and a small smile crept up on her lips, and she let out a quiet groan of discomfort. Jack looked to the empty seat across from her and sat down, he wasn’t going to give into her stupid games or whatever the hell she was doing. He leaned his head against the window but kept his eyes slightly open and within a minute Luna perked her head up and looked to Jack. She let out a sigh of sadness and cuddled up against the cold wall of the train. She looked up to the moon and a tear trickled down her face as she watched the beautiful moon which she had brought up earlier that night. She set her head down on her hooves and began to fall asleep sadly. Jack cursed himself, somewhere deep down inside he felt sorry for the princess, though he didn’t quite know why. He grumbled to himself as he got up and sat down beside Luna. As soon as Luna felt Jack’s body presence her head perked up and she looked to his face with a curios look. “I knew you were faking” Jack muttered and she let out a small giggle as she nestled her head up against his chest. Jack let out a groan, “Do you have to be so… affectionate?” Jack asked with irritation in his voice and Luna looked up to him. “If you didn’t care for our well-being then why did you come over to comfort us?” Luna asked and Jack simply rolled his eyes. “Yeah well I guess I have a soft spot for lonely ponies on cold winter nights” Jack muttered and Luna rested her head on his lap and began to sleep. Jack grumbled to himself as Luna slept peacefully on his lap. He leaned his head back and was about to try and sleep when he remembered that the last time Luna had decided to fall asleep on his lap that she cut the circulation off in his legs. He tilted his head forward and slid his right hand under her neck and cradled her head in his arm like a newborn baby, though it looked absolutely ridiculous and he hoped that no paparazzi got a photo of this, it was a little more comfortable than her sleeping on his lap. He stroked his left hand through her mane and she cuddled up against his chest, “God I despise myself right now’ Jack thought to himself as the train continued on. Luna was sleeping peacefully as Jack cradled her in his arms and stroked her mane, it was incredibly soft and almost felt like a silky substance. Strangely enough it was like her mane had a translucent appearance and someone could almost see right through her mane. Jack started to hum a Christmas carol to himself (12 days of Christmas) as he sat there with Luna resting in his arms. Jack thought to himself as he stroked Luna’s silky mane, ‘she’s kind of cute, in a weird sort of way’. “Well at least she doesn’t drool” Jack muttered to himself. The train continued on, a large fume of black smoke coming out of the train engine’s chimney. The lone headlight on the train pierced the darkness of the night and snow was falling from the sky. It was truly a beautiful night. * * * Jack had barely gotten any sleep but that didn’t faze him. The train finally came to a stop and the engine whistle blew. “Hey kid… wake up” Jack told Luna as he gave her a gentle nudge. Luna awoke and rubbed her eyes and looked up at Jack with tired eyes., “We’re at our destination” Jack informed her and looked at his watch. “It’s 3am” Jack muttered and Luna rolled off Jack and handed him his duster coat. A wailing siren caught Jack’s attention and he looked out the train car window to see a police carriage race past towards the center of town. Jack stood up and grabbed his duster coat and flung it over his body. “We thank you for your company” Luna began but Jack ignored her and raced off the train. Luna looked out the window, then to Jack and raced after him. Jack ran up to a mare with a very light aquamarine fur coat and the cutie mark of a golden lyre. “Hey Lyra” Jack called out and Lyra looked over to him with stunned eyes. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d show up now of all times” Lyra said in a frantic voice. “Lyra what the hell is going on?” Jack asked, rather worried at the sight of all the police carriages that passed by. “Some idiot is holding a bunch of ponies hostage on the roof of the town hall” Lyra informed Jack and with that she galloped away frantically. “Where the hell are you going?” Jack asked and Lyra turned back to him “Well duh, I’m going to see what happens”