The Canterlot mag-rail was calm and quiet compared to yesterday's transport tubes. That included the second ride, for which Astral, Twilight, and the prill had all been properly strapped in.
It helped that the car was empty except for the three of them. It was crowded when they got on, but quickly emptied as the train traveled farther and farther away from residential and industrial areas. The towers they needed were still one subsection of city away, and there was a distinct possibility that the train would fill up again as it entered another residential area.
But, for now, it was just them. So Astral had to wonder, why was Twilight still sleeping on his shoulder? It was understandable in the taxi. There had barely been enough room for the two of them, and she had been passed out. But that was last night.
Since then, they had used every free method of transportation they could find to make short hops back to the towers. They had even stopped for breakfast and lunch. It was free rations, but when you're hungry, you can't complain. Strike that, you can complain, and will, but you still eat it.
During that time, Twilight slept as much as she could. Most of the time, space had been limited, so she had no choice but to lean against her unwilling traveling partner. Now that there was room for them to spread out, Astral was torn. On one hoof, he was a bit annoyed that she was being so close. On the other, he didn't want to wake her, and his thoughts kept wandering back to how harmless she looked when she slept.
The prill clinging to the side of her face added to that harmless look. Midnight, as she had named it after he vetoed, 'Fuzzilicious,' was fairly attached to the alicorn by now. And Twilight seemed to be getting used to the fuzzy creature hanging on to her.
The train started slowing down, and Twilight shifted in her sleep, jabbing her horn into the pit of Astral's shoulder. The grey unicorn stifled a shout and tried to shove her away. This prompted a bout of sleepy mumbling from the alicorn. Most of it was incoherent nonsense, but he was able to make out the words, "keep it up, I'll cut you."
Astral froze in place, not sure if the words were the random mutterings of sleep, or a serious threat. "Hey," he whispered, "you are asleep, right?" A slight snore answered him. "Great." He rolled his eyes. "You're just as violent sleeping as you are when you're awake."
Twilight snuggled tighter against the stallion with a muttered, "shut up."
Astral groaned, but he couldn't push her away now. The train had stopped at a small boarding station, and three ponies were about to board. An elderly green mare with a large canvas purse, and a young unicorn couple stood at the car's open door.
The moment Astral made eye contact with them, the two unicorns both went red in the face. The young mare looked away and took a step back, and the stallion started stammering, "S-sorry! We'll um- just catch the next one."
Astral couldn’t help but turn his lip up in confusion at the reaction, and how it was directed at him. “Huh?”
The older mare just walked right in and sat in the seat next to Astral. She fussed with her bag for a moment, making sure it was securely seated next to her. A few seconds later, the doors slid shut, and the car started moving again. As the train sped up, the mare watched Astral and Twilight with a smile on her face.
Astral nervously returned a polite smile, then tried to ignore her. That proved difficult though, because she leaned over and started talking to him. "The poor dear's all tuckered out, ain't she?"
The stallion did a double take. The old mare's accent was almost identical to Mac's, probably from whatever planet the ponies of Mac's region settled on. He looked over at her and answered, "I guess so." Now that he looked at her, old wasn't quite right. The word ancient fit better. She looked to be about a hundred, wrinkled and taut,but with no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Her hair was done up in a tight bun, and she was wearing a polka-dotted scarf or bandana around her neck.
"It's a shame ya know, Ah was really hopin' ta speak to the dear." She sighed sadly as she watched the younger mare snore. "The princess needs her sleep, Ah s'pose."
Astral shifted uncomfortably. They just had to get stuck with an overly social passenger. He looked down at Twilight, and saw an opportunity. He could get out of this conversation, and reclaim his shoulder in one go. "She's been sleeping most of the day, and most of last night, too. Let me wake her up for you."
Before he could though, the elder mare had grabbed his hoof with her own. "That ain't nec'ssary. Ah knew what it was like ta be young once. Let 'er get as much rest as she can."
"Uh..." What did that even mean? Astral shook his head slowly. This was going to be a long ride.
The green mare patted his hoof softly, as if she were sitting with a young relative. "So, how long've the two a' ya been married?"
The grey stallion sighed. This was going to be a very long ride. "It's not like that, she's just-"
The old mare smacked his leg hard in reprimand, just above the hoof. "'Just,' nothin'! She's a very pretty girl, and Ah bet she's nicer'n you deserve."
Astral gritted his teeth and shook his hoof. As old as she may have been, the old mare was stronger than her frail looks suggested. "Yes, ma'am." He wasn't about to argue with her. He would just go along with it until the next station. "I didn't mean it like that. Things are just... complicated, you know?"
"Well, ya'd best sort 'things out soon. Afore she gets sore at ya." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small potted plant. "Here ya go, Young'n. An apology for smackin' ya without knowing' the whole story. Ah think she'll like it, and the kids can make do with one less plant."
Astral took it and looked it over. It was a tiny ivy in a clay pot that was fitted with a miniature hydroponics module. The whole thing was only a few centimeters tall, and although the ivy's spearhead leaves and tendrils trailed over the pot's edge, It would all fit easily in a pocket with no dirt to spill. "Uh, thanks? Are you sure you don't need it for the, um, kids?"
"Sure as sunshine, Sugarcube." She reached into the bag and pulled out another plant, this time some sort of tree sprout in the same hydroponic setup. "Ah've got about a dozen extras in here, just in case the whippersnappers need 'em."
"Are you some sort of teacher then?" Astral carefully set the pot in one of his jacket pockets. Twilight didn't even seem to notice. "Botany, or something like that?"
"Ah wish Ah was." The made let out a cackling chuckle. "Then, the pay'd be better." She nudged the canvas bag she brought with her. "Ah run a daycare. It's about the only thing Ah'm good for anymore. Course, even then they had ta cure me a' nar-ca-lepsy, and replace my hip with a fancy new ti-ta-nyum one first."
"Narcolepsy?" Astral asked. He looked down at Twilight. "Isn't that where you fall asleep at random?"
"Sort of, deary. But, Ah ain't got it no more, so Ah got no reason not ta keep busy." She pulled a business card from her bandana as the train started to slow down again. "Ah'll give ya one a' these holo-grabitz doo-jiggers Ah had made. That way, ya can git in touch." She set it down on Astral's arm rest, along with the other sprout she had taken out. The train stopped, pneumatic doors hissed open, and she stood up, checking her bag before picking it up. "Thank ya fer listenin' ta mah ramblin', but Ah've got ta be goin'. Just make sure ya treat that princess with the respect she deserves."
Astral contained the urge to scoff and roll his eyes. Instead, he nodded politely. "Don't worry, I will."
With one last smile at the two traveling ponies, the old mare exited the train car. Astral gave a small wave and, after the the doors closed, a sigh of relief. The old mare was pretty nice, but he just wanted to get back to the towers without incident, not meet every random pony on Canterlot.
With another sigh, he picked up the business card and flipped on the projector. The words, "Mrs. Smith, Professional Granny," accompanied a holocall number and a picture of her playing with a group of foals, human children, and gryphon cubs. Astral smirked. Even though he would never need it, he put the card and additional plant in one of the other jacket pockets.
The slight tug at the jacket made Twilight shift again. She pressed her cheek up against Astral's, with a hapless Midnight stuck between the two ponies. "Fla~sh," she half whispered, half whined, "you said you'd wait."
The squished prill let out a whine of its own as it tried to free itself by climbing across Astral's face.
The stallion just let out a loud sigh and let the little creature climb. "I know how you feel, girl. I know how you feel."