//------------------------------// // Worthiness of a Bill // Story: Never Ending Fears // by Faith Everlasting //------------------------------// Applejack? What are you doing out here? ... No... don't do it. Applejack, stop! No! COME BACK! WAIT! "AHH!" Spike glanced around the his room, gasping for breath and holding onto his chest. He whimpered in fright and shivered under his covers until he finally came back to consciousness. "It was only... a nightmare." He sighed happily and flopped back down onto his pillow. However, he grimaced in discomfort when he did so, soon remembering his newly grown wings. He quickly got out of bed and dashed over to his bedroom mirror to look at the spectacle one more time before going to work. What he saw staring back at him made him gasp. "They've gotten bigger!" Spike yelped as he did a quick turn around to get a better look at them. The thin purple 'veins' appeared to be the outstretched bones which were then connected by thin (yet strong) pieces of green flesh. All in all, his wings were starting to look like a water bird's webbed feet. "Dude, that's creepy." He uttered when he stroked the smooth surface of the green flesh. It felt like leather against his claw; cold and smooth. "You awake yet?" He heard Apple Bloom call. "Yes!" He quickly opened the door and shocked the poor little filly in front of him. "Good heavens, Spike! Yer wings!" She walked around him and gawked at the sight. "You don't think I know that?" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes at Spike's sarcasm, but then quickly brightened up and smiled once more. "Ya ready to go buck some apples?" "You bet!" The two friends raced excitedly down the stairs and into the kitchen to have some breakfast which Granny Smith had prepared. This morning, it was two large pieces of apple cobbler dripping with vanilla ice cream. Spike could not contain the drool from leaking out of his mouth as he shoved forkful after forkful into his jaws. "You make the best breakfasts, Granny Smith!" He complimented. "Why, thank you, Spike." She replied, but Spike noticed that something was a tad off. "I remember breakfasts with Twilight! Oh! She couldn't even make one pancake..." His voiced trailed off as he remembered those fond memories. He chuckled to himself when he envisioned the first time Twilight had attempted to cook. Long story short, it didn't end well. "Well, Granny Smith can make ya whatever ya want!" Apple Bloom chimed in as she attempted to lighten the mood, but she too noticed Granny Smith's odd behavior. She seemed more... somber. "You'd better get movin', whipper snappers! Big Mac's already out there!" Granny Smith ushered the two creatures outside, much to the complaints of Spike as he continued to lick his fingers. Apple Bloom galloped after Big Mac, but Spike remained where he was and stared back towards the house. "What's going on?" He pondered aloud. He slowly slunk back to the house and peered inside through the front window. Granny Smith was busy cleaning up the kitchen as usual, but she kept glancing towards a small pile of mail on the end table in the living room. Spike saw nothing peculiar about any of the envelopes, but the look on Granny's face made his stomach sink. Granny soon dropped the pan she was washing and crept up towards the mail. She opened the first one and smiled slightly. Spike looked and saw who it was from and smiled himself. "Uncle Apple Strudel. He's a hilarious pony!" Granny opened another one and had the same reaction. "Apple Rose, no doubt!" Granny opened another one... and her face dropped. Spike noticed that Granny was starting to cry as she continued to read the letter. Once she was finished, she folded it back up and placed it back on the table. Then she wiped the tears from her eyes and continued her work in the kitchen. "I've got to see what that is!" Spike whispered. (Cue "Mission Impossible" theme song) He slowly crept into the house, hiding in the shadows of the walls. He only moved when Granny Smith turned the water on so that his noises could be covered up. Steadily, very steadily, he moved towards the table. His claws almost had it- "Aww, tartar sauce! I fergot the dryin' rag!" Granny Smith was starting to lumber towards him! He panicked, swiped the letter, and then jumped out the front window again, racing off into the orchard. "I... don't... think... she saw me!" He wheezed. He then glanced down at the letter in his claws, leaned up against a tree, and folded the paper apart. "...Notice: You have overdue bills that need to be paid by... yadda, yadda, yadda... money... dues... foreclos-" Spike froze when he read the final word. "FORECLOSURE!" He dropped the letter onto the ground and clutched his hand to his chest again. "But... but!" He snatched the letter back up and raced back towards the house, becoming more enraged with each step he took. As soon as he got there, he slammed open the front door and made Granny Smith almost jump out of her skin. "Well, wallop my withers, Spike! Ya almost gave me a heart attack!" "What's this?!" He held the letter high into the air and saw Granny Smith lower her ears. "I said..." He approached Granny Smith and stood but a few inches from her face. "What is this?!" Granny Smith grabbed the letter from his claws and crumpled it into a tiny ball. "Nothin' ta be concerned about." She turned her back on him and continued washing the dishes. "Foreclosure is nothing to be concerned about?!" Spike hopped on top of the counter and uncrinkled the letter. He shoved it into her snout and growled. "What is going on?" "Well, with Applejack no longer workin', I knew we'd be goin' through some hard times." Granny stated bluntly. "What do you mean?" "Well, Big Mac can do a lot, but he can't do everythin'!" "What about me?" Granny Smith raised a suspicious eyebrow at Spike until he lowered his eyes to the ground. "Maybe I'm not the best farm helper." "Maybe..." Granny repeated. "Then what about Apple Bloom?" "Apple Bloom's got school ta worry about." Granny Smith's lip quivered suddenly at the very thought of it. "But will we be able to afford it now..." "I don't understand: why are you in danger of being foreclosed?" Granny slammed the dirty metal pot in the sink and glared at Spike. "Medical bills don't come cheap!" She quickly covered her mouth with her hoof once she noticed how loud she had been. She ran to the base of the stairs and looked up to see if Applejack had heard anything. After realizing that she hadn't, Granny returned to the kitchen. "With Applejack not workin', Apple Bloom in school, and Big Mac comin' home exhausted each day... we just ain't got no money to cope with these kinds of things." "Well... what about Applejack's friends? My friends? They'd be more than happy to help out!" "Everypony's dealin' with their own problems, Spike. We can deal with ours." "Stop being so stubborn and let other ponies help you!" Spike grabbed Granny's hoof until she looked him in the eyes. "Put your pride behind you and ask for help. You need it!" Granny forcefully yanked her hoof away and scoffed at the idea. "We can handle our own problems!" "For how long?! Until Apple Bloom's no longer in school? Until Big Mac is overworked? UNTIL YOU LOSE YOUR HOUSE?!" Spike snorted a few flames from his nose until he cooled down. "Let other ponies help you." "Ah said 'no', Spike, and that's final!" The dragon sighed in frustration at the old pony's rejections, but he questioned them no longer. He quietly walked out the front door and started to get to work. Little did the both of they know that Applejack had listened to the whole conversation... And it was all that she could do to keep herself from bursting out into tears.