He never ran this fast before but it was all worth it as he stood outside the train station seeing the last off-coming passengers leave the cart happily with their families or friends. The ticket booth's line was empty, just the way he liked it. Controlling his breath he trotted over tilting his head up at the very high ticket box where the unicorn inside was neatly sorting golden tickets into piles in deep concentration.

"Where's the next train heading?"

Startled, the white unicorn's head shoot up only to see nothing. He looked left to right but still couldn't find anypony. Thinking somepony was pulling a fast one over him.

"Down here."

Leaning over the edge, he saw a black colt standing there with a flat look on his face. Before he could ask anything he looked closer and had to blink hard at the confusing sight of a horn and wings on a single colt before it dawned on him who he was looking at. It was always hilarious to see the faces of pony's go from confusion to sudden realization, now wasn't the time to be idle, he had places to go.

"Where is the next train going?" He asked again this time more firmly.

Taking a moment to compose himself the unicorn's brain finally rebooted, "Oh! Uh..Fillydelphia, Sir." He added the 'sir' quickly just to be safe.

"Ok, I'll take a one-way please."

"D-don't you have an adult with you, young Prince?" The unicorn asked hesitantly which he soon regretted from the plastic look on the young Prince's face that slowly turned into a sweetly smile, "I'm big enough to ride a train by myself. Unless you think there's a problem with that, do you?" He asked the ticket master in a low voice that danced between friendly and threatening.

The unicorn quickly stamped a golden ticket and shakily handed them over the small intimidating Alicorn.

"Th-that'll be ten bits, Sir!" He added this time more fearfully.

He didn't look up from the ticket, giddy with joy, "Forward it to the Royal Treasury, my good stallion."

"You h-have a wonderful evening, Your Highness!"

Lucifer looked up long enough to give him a tense smile before moving on.

He gave the ticket to the confused stallion outside without pausing like he wasn't worth the time. The empty compartments gave him plenty of options to pick for the best spot which would be a nightmare when other ponies begin to board. He was always the type closest to the door from all the times he's been alone so that he could always be the first one to get off.

Too bad he didn't have any bits on him to buy any refreshments from the trolley, he didn't want to bully the poor steward into giving him snacks either so he decided he could hold off his hunger for the time being.

Too bad, all that running he done his hunger was getting at him. But if he got that desperate he could always drink from the bathroom sink.

As he was pondering over his choices he heard a throat being cleared from behind him. The first thing he noticed before he turned was the smell of burnt wood which was the first thing he forgot when he looked up and up at a very tall yellow earth pony standing over him wearing stained overalls with a striped black and white cap on top of his shortly cut orange mane.

"Am ah's gone senile, or are ya's that new Alley-corn theys' keep talk about?" A very deep voice came from the mountain of a pony echoing a bit from him like a cave with an accent so thick it could break the language barrier (literally) as he stared down at the small foal, pawing one huge hoof at his head in confusion.

Lucifer didn't stop the words tumbling out of his mouth, "Maybe you finally are, maybe I'm just a figment of your withered old imagination." He said bluntly as he rocked back and forth on his hooves like an impatient foal waiting in line.

The old stallion let out a hearty 'gwuff' from the throat that shook the small colt even from a distance, "A lit' spitfire ya sure are'! Reminds me of wee lass, sharp tongue like whips the both of ya's!" He said merrily as thundered past him towards the caboose likely to do some inspections, he didn't brother him any further which was fine.

Lucifer inspected around him still debating to find a more smaller compartment since if anypony were to board with him sitting out in the open without a disguise all they would do is just stare and gossip at him while he pretended that it didn't bother him. He mentally kicked himself for the short sightless for not getting a first class or renting out a cart to himself.

'Too late now.'

Well, there was one other place he could lay low.

"Where's the bathroom?"

Glancing back the old train conductor gave him tilt of his head, "This way laddie." He chuckled under his breath like he just heard a funny joke, "Say ther' my fake friend! Ye's wouldn't mind compan' me to the rear?"

Geeze and he thought he had trouble with words, this stallion accent was all over the place it made it hard to pinpoint where exactly.

Just as he hoped they were going to the rear which the bathrooms were as the old stallion talked adamantly about...something, "-and so's we are to relie' on control of the foreign' tradin' overseas that wouldn't be commercializin' our buisness' for logistic's reasoning because you's took loans to start business and it becomes a legal tender jargon for those smucks way yonder! Who thinks they's kow' better than ya's!" Something was happening and it was the gears in his head beginning to strain from the massive flux of trying to understand this whirly tongued stallion.

"Self-reliant is what this nation was built on but now's we can't even buy a dinnerware set without askin' for the proper silverwear for the tiny soup spoons for tea times!"

Wait! When did they move onto spoons!?!

"...and ah's say if we's keep livin' like so, terribl' things will happen unless we do somethin' about it!" He said finishing passionately as the 'please hold' Alicorn rebooted, he blinked rapidly as his mind failed decipher the twangs and slangs that came form the creatures mouth.

"...Huh." Was all he would say.

"Exactly me point!" He said happily that he understood, "Ah, we're here."

The bathroom stood off to the side shut closed, just a little further ahead was the last door on the train that held the all the passages baggage. He could hear passengers board the train chatting with each other as they took to their seats. His hooves began tapping again more aggressively as he noticed the locked above the door handle read 'occupied' as the pony inside audibly washed their hooves.

"Best wait for the fello' inside to finish his business." The old conductor told him as he opened the last door peeking inside, "Yoohoo!! No stowaways about?!" He yelled inside, "Can't have ya vagabonds taking over mah livelihood!" He joked making Lucifer crack a grin at the silliness of the old pony.

Water shutting off was heard as the pony inside finished up, a white pegasi with a golden mane came out not even glancing at either of them as he passed by. Walking inside the bathroom he heard some mumbling from the old stallion that sounded like, "That was not open before-"

'Whoooooooooo!!!'

A loud whistle distracted them as they felt the train shifting along the tracks. Lucifer felt the tensing in his chest lift as the locomotive pulled away from the station.

"Bout' time we movin', sorry lad but duty calls."

With a nod the conductor left, lazily closing the door but before it could click shut he telekinetically stopped it and as silent as a mouse the prince slipped behind him as he passed. In a swift but carefully movement he shut the door behind him, pressing his back against the door he let out a relived breath as he slide to the ground. A small genuine smile stretched across his face as he realized he was completely alone for the first time. It was a long time since he had this much space and now he was on the way out of that city without guards unaware of his location.

He looked out the open widow seeing the sun setting behind the mountains surprising him how much time had passed. He could've stayed in the same spot until the ride was over but he didn't want to risk getting caught by some passing pony. So with great mental encouragement he got up from the ground and looked around.

The cargo hold was smaller than he imagined, almost filled up but if he pushed around some luggage he could find the right spot for him to lie down his head-

"Not going somewhere?"

He didn't have a chance to yelp as teeth picked him off the ground by the scruff of his neck and out the open window.

"LET ME GO!!" He thrashed around frantically trying his best to make Sergeant Wing Blade drop him as his last chance chugged away in the opposite direction. He craned his head around and saw with growing despair the train leaving him as they flew back to the station. His body stopped moving going numb seeing the hunk of metal disappear behind some hills, his lips trembled as his mind tried to cope with just how close he was to leaving. So close to getting away.

'I was right there-right there.'

Wing Blade gilded back to the platform which was cleared of all creatures seeing as it was the last train for the day, dropping the colt before she touched ground. He didn't care as his body landed harshly still looking in the same direction with wide eyes.

"I can't believe this, I've been through so many things before I met you." She began as the angry Guards mare faced away from the black prince seemingly walking away before turning around showing a twisted snare on her face, "But Never! Have I had to find the pony. I! was suppose to protect!" She enunciated with shouts like an angry mother scolding her foal.

He didn't blink when he looked to the ground as he thought back to earlier. Something began to burn as the first tear fell to the ground, it wormed up its way to his hooves causing them to quake inadvertently or even purposely causing his shoulders to shudder. His teeth gnashed together grinding against each other painfully as a second tear ran its way down his fury cheek. His eyes narrowed into slits as the color of his eyes glowed ruby red like blood diamonds from the fire that worked its way up. The white noise clogged up his ears as he grew lightheaded from the lack of oxygen he wasn't getting from him holding in his breath. When he thought it was going to pass he heard something from the ranting pegasi that caused him to snap.

"-Celestia will hear of this, if she hasn't already and this time you will be in so much trouble when we get back! I hope she tears your hide a new on-"

"I said leave me Alone! You! Bucking! Stupid! CUCKOO BIRD!!!" He turned around barking at the winged pegasi with such volume veins were popping out his neck from exertion unknowingly causing his horn to spark black and purple electricity.

Wing Blade took a step back, flinching from the violent outburst like she was physically struck. It shocked her from the level of hatred he spat towards her like she was in the wrong, the fire in his eyes pierced her like a sword running through her chest. Those same eyes that always seem to hate everything around them pointed at her for a moment caused her to freeze in place gluing her to the platform like some scared filly. A small tense gulp threatened to expose her fears until her subconscious told her to swallow that fear just like she taught herself to do in her overseas touring.

She knew he was always angry but never this level.

Even when they were first assigned to him that hate never died out from the early days hearing him yelling at them. But this, she had never seen before coming from him an 8 year old no less. It didn't show but she felt a small ball of worry gnaw at her stomach from all this....rage he held inside him.

No colt his age should be this angry without a good reason, he should be doing dumb things with friends his age like any normal growing pony would do. Even if he's special that shouldn't make him exempt from the rules, but Celestia has her reasons and she wasn't in any position to ask why.

Withholding her anger, she masked her face with a neural look as he slowed down his breathing with some techniques she's seen given to him by his councilor. She wasn't a veteran Royal Brat Babysitter (still pending for title) for nothing. "Name calling? What next, going to make fun of my eye?"

She watched as his breathing turned into exhaustion but he still held on to his angry, "If you bring it up, I will." He seethed in quiet rage as he folded up his wing that popped open.

Just then Mr. Chivalry and his groom rounded a corner making the Ticket Master's eyes lit up in alarm as they passed by knocking the papers he was still sorting out to the ground.

"--Ha-haa-haha-w-we're-*gulp*-here!" He gasped as they both tried to catch their breath from all the running they've been doing.

He didn't let them rest as he passed them by, "Some guards you are." Lucifer said snidely, Wing Blade hovering behind him.

"Some Prince your turning out to be." She countered.

"I guess we're both disappointed then." He looked at her damp fur, "Took a little bird bath on the job?"

They both looked at each other at the same moment in silent understanding as they watched them head back there way to the castle, "Dude, I am not having any foals if they turn out like this." The earth pony said as they trudged along.

"Me too Style's...me too."

Author's Note

Progress, such a fickle thing. This will get dark, like really dark. If you didn't see the updated tags then consider this one of the many warnings to come.

!Omak!
Something fishy going on, and it ain't me.

"-that what I's been sayin' Steel Head! The Prince was here just as I'm stadin' right here with ya!"

"Merry, you say many things some of them I can agree with since I've seen it with my own two eyes, but there is no way Royalty would ever board this train, like why would they? They got chariots, zeppelins, and stuff."

"But that the thing Steely like Ah ben' sayin'! If we become dependent those things then we would mindlessly consume their goods none to wear about the consequences!"

"-not this again-"

"-Our nation as a whole will be indebted to those warmongers because of their disgraceful labor laws and poor pay! They'll become our new lords in a few years!"

"National Debt? Now that's just crazy talk."

P.P.S.(I'd like to do these from time to time, not to be taken seriously)