//------------------------------//
// A Guest 
// Story: Arcadia 
// by Sir Alexander Wolfgang 
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	Through the night no body dreamed except Spike. And he dreamed enough for every one in the house. His dream brought him fear. Fear he did not know. He dreamed he was wandering through the orchards, trees stripped of any leaves, grass void of any color. The sky had an awful gleam, that reminded him of the milk he had drank at supper. And the most frightening, a low hum, occasionally violated by a shallow thud. He wanted to sit, and hold his knees close to his chest, like Fluttershy would have done. But he was not Fluttershy. He trekked past the trees that seemed more like corpses, until he found where their roots grew up, and out of the ground. 	
He turned a moment, but found that the roots behind him had sprung up, as if they had always been like that. He continued on, past the ones in front of him, being careful not to trip. He felt as if he were navigating a maze, where one path would see him tumbling another would see him past. After what felt like hours of careful maneuvering he set his eyes on a place only mere yards away, where the trees grew in a formation as if to form a tunnel. He worked his way to it, delighted by the lack of roots on the ground. 
Now the pace of his travel was going by at almost five times the rate it was seconds ago. A chill raped him of his warmth, he zipped up his jacket. After moments more of walking he emerged from the tunnel of tree's, now in a place of fields. Slowly, he scanned the horizon. This place was by far, much more appealing than the place on the other end of the trees. Before he could settle, a breeze rolled over his ears, as he heard his name spoken so softly, it was like it belonged to the breeze.
He turned around, and he found, before him not tree's. Not a tunnel. Not the splendid fields he thought were surrounding him. But Twilight. Only Twilght, was hanging off a large and wooden 'T'. She was dead. But Spike could only hope she was dead, as his eyes scanned over her body. The buzz of flies, assaulted his ear drums, while the smell of Twilghts body did his nose. Her mouth was sewn shut, and her limbs nailed to the wood in which she hung.   Maggots ate away at her eyes, and blood and innards oozed from her lacerated torso. The skin on her body was beginning to darken, and the nails on her toes seemed to have been forced upwards.
Spike awoke before he had time to react. His eyes wide, and his body sweating profusely.  He tried to calm himself, so he would not wake Fluttershy who, though he hated to admit it, looked adorable when she slept. The air felt frigid, and only more so as he inhaled. He looked outside, still dark. He lay his head back down. There was now hum. Only the tender breathing of he, and Fluttershy. It was all a dream. 
He lay there, as if asleep, but in truth too afraid to fall back in to the wrappings of slumber. For once he didn't want to sleep.





The day went by just as before, as the sun rose opposite as the way it set rays of light reaching for the farm again. The apple pickers, this time with the aid of Applejack, worked tediously around the clock only taking breaks ever so often. Applejack felt a need to thank Spike specifically for his aid. He did not want to accept. He tried his best to avoid the woman, as pretentious as it may seem. But she insisted that he deserved the hard cider, and a break that she offered him. He drank it, and he had to say it was by far the best thing an apple could be used for.  
Though reluctant to lounge in the barn with the woman he held malice for, he took a break as well. Sure she would dribble on about farm life. She did how ever, the conversation slowly bled into more interesting topics. 

"So what d'you think of dyin'?" The question came from out of no where.

"What?" Spike looked up from the patch of ground he was examining.

Applejack waited, reluctant to repeat herself. "Dying. What do think of it?"

"I don't think I know what you mean." 

"It's just that," she shifted, "I been thinkin' 'bout what happens after ye' die. What do you think happens?"

"That seems like a bit of a cryptic subject for a fifteen year old boy."

"I doubt Twilight woulda' brought you if she didn' think you was mature enough for them things."

Spike nodded. "I guess you're right." He sipped the lingering amount of cider," I don't think about it."

"Now she nodded. "Why?"

"I don't want to be disappointed." He handed the mug back to her, "Thanks for the cider by the way, and uh, don't tell Twilight."

He left her, so as to attend to the orchards apples. She was now alone, leaning against the barrels, now edging on tears again. Sadness welling up inside her like an untreated tumor. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand in a futile attempt to stop her self from crying. As soon as her hand left her face a streak of red, raced down her face, and dripped off her cheek.  



	

For dinner they were served a fine salad, prepared by the silent giant they had taken to calling Mac. Fluttershy appreciated it, probably the most, as she could feel like she was not imposing. Applejack sat still, just as the day before, barely eating. The sounds of fruit and vegetables being ground into a paste to swallow, seemed to echo all about the room. Spike's gaze wandered towards Twilight, who seemed to be in the trance she entered when she was studying. But the only thing to study was her food. 

Knock, Knock, Knock!

All four of them practically jumped in their seats. Applejack was up in an instant, off to give some guest the the treatment they had received when they had arrived. Applejack braced her self against the door, in one hand clutching the brass knob, in the other the same flint lock pistol she had a few night past. Just as she was about to slam the door in to the head of the one behind the door, a young and innocent voice rang out.

"Applejack, are you home? Any body?"

Applejack would always no that voice. It was the voice of her only sibling. She opened the door, wide eyed, and fell to her knees when she saw the ten year old girl in front of her. Spike could now recognize her too. It was the same, red haired, overall wearing, bare foot girl, he was forced to sit next to on the train.

"What's wrong AJ? Aint you glad ta' see me?" She asked sadly.

Applejack looked up at her, and hugged her. "Y-yeah baby, I-ll always be glad to see you.
What no one saw, was Applejacks eyes. Behind the hug she shared with her sibling, the white transformed in to a crimson, as she began to tear up. Experiencing the first of many heart breaks to come.