Arcadia

by Sir Alexander Wolfgang

Why?

A shadow roamed a large wooden cages perimeter, stalking, and waiting. Inside the pen were several broken people. People forced to do things no one should have to do. Bloodied and battered. Hardly more than corpses. She scanned, spotting a man acting as a guard. His face was covered my a menacing bronze helmet, and his right hand he held a spear, and covering his other arm was a crimson cloak. The end of the spear was coated in blood, as red as the cape.

He stood next to the only entrance, stoically. The shadow stared at him, but he did not see her. She was behind him, now climbing the cage to the top. When she got there, she balanced her self, only briefly she stood erect with the moon behind her, then stroad to the edge where she looked down, and saw the man, still and unmoving like a statue. She stood up, full height again, ends of the wraps the covered her body billowing in the wind, along with her straight pink hair.

She withdrew from a sheath on her back, a straight spatha style sword. She lowered herself off the edge, hanging from the ledge. She readied herself. And she dropped herself, the sword piercing straight through his neck. Even as he went down, he remained stoic, unmoving. No scream, only a silent gurgle.

With deft hands she picked up the spear, jammed it between the door and the rest of the cage, applied leverage, and that was it. The door broke off, a loud snap waking the sleeping enslaved seeking respite on their old, bloody mats. They saw the woman enter, they backed away, until they saw that she was not here to injure them, or their pride any further. They scurried away, through the open gate, splitting around the shadow and close to the cage walls, on the final doubt that she would harm them.

The shadow looked around. There was no one in here anymore. Not the person she searched for. Not the person who had left her alone in Equestria to go on military escapades in far away distant lands. No. Not the reason she threw away everything in her life to find. No one was here. She sank to her knees. So sad. Tears ripped themselves from her eyes, drawing streaks in the sand that covered her face. She weep. Only weep. Sad and pathetic. A shadow of her former self A shadow with out the one she sought.

---

Applejack sat on the edge of her bed, her sister lay covered mere feet away. She held her head, elbows resting on her knees. Pathetically sobbing. She wiped a tear away, the first to free its self from her eyes. Faintly she could tell it to be red, thought there was no light by which she could tell. She shook her head. More tears fell. She knew it to be futile to wipe them away.

She felt her shirt tugged. She turned, "Yeah, sweetie?"

"Are you okay?" Applebloom said, her voice in a concerned tone.

Applejacks heart skipped a beat, "Y-yeah. Baby what makes you think I wasn't?" Applejack hoped she could not see the blood dripping from her eyes.

"You been acting weird is all. And you suppose to be asleep too."

"Don't worry baby, I-I'm okay." Iit hurt her to lie to her sibling.

Applebloom reached her small arms around the other, hoping to hug.

Applejack complied to her unspoken request. She hugged her tightly, holding tighter to the tears that wanted to come out. She laid the little girl down, breaking away from the embrace. "I gotta go ta' the out house, you go to sleep now."

"O-okay, Applejack. I love you." She squeezed her sister a little tighter before letting go.

"I love you too, Appleboom."

"Ya' will always?"

"Always."

"You'll never leave?"

Applejack opened her mouth, but no words came out. She stayed like that until forcing out, "N-never, not in a m-million years." She hugged her sister once more before leaving the room.

Outside her room, the farmer slid down her door, weeping the entire way. She felt like the weakest person in existence. She wished she could find the strength to tell her sister she was going to die soon, but she could not. That would be a luxury, and in these troubled times it would be foolish to ask for luxuries.

---

For Spike the week went by as normal as one could ask, save for Fluttershy sleeping in his bed. Better, when you consider his lack of nightmares. Wake up, eat, work, try to avoid an awkward conversation, (which means he usually spent a lot of time around Mac) eat dinner, wash up,go to bed, and repeat. It was a simple life. He couldn't stand it. How could anyone? Back in Equestria he worked, and lived, in a library with Twilight, but even that seemed to outshine this. At least there he could go to Canterlot, and enjoy himself when he willed.

He enacted the first part of his daily schedule, trying to rub his eyes with his arm, only to find it pinned beneath Fluttershy. He slid his hand out from under her, feeling dirty knowing he had held her like that. He rubbed the sleep away, then nudged Fluttershy. She woke up, repeating the same actions Spike had just been through. She looked over to him. He motioned, curtly, with his hands to get up. She did so quickly.

They dressed themselves. Spike walked to the window. He was surprised to find that the sun was higher above, than on usual days. He brushed this off. If Applejack wasn't in a rush, than neither was he. He looked at Fluttershy, she was buttoning the last button that she would on her shirt. She approached him. She reached a hand up to his face, then higher to his hair. She pulled back single, yellow, feather. He looked at it, she smiled. She pushed it into his chest, lightly. He took it, and she turned. Spike examined it. He shrugged, and put it in his jacket pocket.

Down stairs they were met with Applejack. She smiled. She rarely did so lately. "We're goin' ta' town ta' drop off the apples again. Ya'll can stay or go, which ever ye like."

Fluttershy, bit her lip. Her decision would be the same as Spikes, and she hoped that he would stay.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm goin' with." Spike said.

"An' you?" Applejack asked, now facing Fluttershy.

"Y-yeah, I'll go too." Fluttershy's words were fleeting.

Applejack nodded, and turned back to Twilight who was making vain attempts to speak with the giant.

Fluttershy wanted so badly to stay. The first time she went to "town," she was fearful that she wouldn't come back. She wasn't sure if she could manage going a second time.

Spike on the other hand was glad to be leaving the house again, despite only going to a bazaar. A bazaar full of less than reputable people. He glanced at Fluttershy. She obviously didn't want to go. Not my problem, he reasoned.

---

Their journey was much the same as last. The occasional, mindless, banter, and Spike taking his coma like nap. He dreamed just like the last time as well. And just like last time he could only recall fragments, the most prominent of which being purple haired woman, bathing in a stream.

Twilight noticed how dearly Applebloom clung to Applejack. As if she were fearful of losing her beloved sister. The older one slowly stroked the youngers hair. She seemed distant, in another world almost. Like if she were to die here, she would remain elsewhere. Like mind and body had been parted. Funny. Twilight knew a spell for that.

She looked at Fluttershy. She was doing her usual Fluttershy thing. Looking off into the nature, humming to herself not too loudly, for fear of bothering someone. Finally, her eyes settled in the book she had brought, hoping to read. She had been reluctant to open a book for the first time in her life. And she had no idea why.

Upon their arrival, they did not leave each other as they did last time, for they hadn't the opportunity. Two men awaited them. The same two that had last contacted Applejack.

"These three, not with you when you were last here."

"Yeah, they were. We jus' seperated for a spell." Applejack said, annoyed, "and I aint lettin' my sister go, jus' so we're clear."

"What? We have promised three would come." He glanced at the young girl, "We need three to come."

Applejack simply shrugged.

"What of those three, can one not come?" The younger man suggested.

"If one wants ta'."

"Well ask them, find out."

Applejack turned to face the three in question. None answered. She was about to turn back to the native, when Spike opened his mouth to speak. "Yeah, I'll go."

Twilight mouthed something in his direction.

He nodded, an annoyed look on his face.

Fluttershy was surprised. And now, slightly afraid. The one person she felt could protect her, was leaving. Probably not too long, but he was leaving.

"Alright, you got three." Applejack spoke again, "Now when are we comin' back?"

"We will discuss that upon our arrival at-"

"When?" The blonde interrupted.

"You will be gone more than a week, but I assure you-"

"You never said-"

"And I never will, if you do not stop interrupting me." The man cleared his throat, "As I was saying, I assure you it will be beneficial to do as we ask. Because if you do, we will no longer expect apples from you. However, if you refuse, you and you friends will be wiped from Gaia. I would see to that, personally."

"Fuck you," the words came involuntarily, from the womans mouth.

"Yes, well, are you coming or not? I don't really care for your disposition towards me."

"I don't really have an option."

"No, you don't." The man smirked.

"Well, can you give me a minute?"

"Yes. But be fleet, we need go soon."

The blonde turned back to the three who came from afar, Twilight and Spike bickered, Fluttershy stood awkwardly. She took Appleblooms hand in her own, and approached.

"T-twilight, can you watch 'Bloom?"

Twilght looked away from Spike, "Yeah, why?"

"Because, I don't trust them bastards with her. An' I need ye to watch after the orachord too. Can ya' manage?"

"Yes, and just so you know, I don't exactly trust them with Spike."

"Don't think I do. They are scum."

"Why can't I go? You said you wouldn't leave me." Applebloom inserted herself into the conversation.

Applejack kneeled to face her, "Sugar, I gotta go. Those are bad people. If I don' go, they'll hurt us. Bad." Her eyes stung from the tears forming.

Applebloom hugged her sister. Why did she have to go?

Applejack hugged back, "I'm sorry sugar. I'm so sorry."

---

An hour passes, and time slowly shifts. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applebloom walked through the bazaar, looking at the various things sold. Some was food, some was odd trinkets. And on the seedier side, you could of course purchase other people. It seemed that in this place, you could buy anything.

The three walked past a cage atop a cart, inside lay corpse of a little girl, no older than the one in Twilights care. A man clutched her body, weeping for his lost. The only ones that stopped for them laughed. Something deep, and monstrous compelled them to laugh. Something that made some small part of Twilight die. She held her hand in front of Appleblooms face, while Fluttershy avoided looking at the seen. She wished to pretend it did not happen.

Walking, and walking. They left that part of the bazaar. They felt dirty when they did. Off in the far distance they saw a formation. Logs jutting from the earth. They began to approach, when Fluttershy stopped them. She looked Twilight in her eyes, and simply shook her head. They went in another direction. They avoided that sight entirely.

---

Inside of the arena, slaves were pitted against each other. Or more realistically, forced to die by the hands of one that had rose above the rest. One that wanted so very much to be free again. One that would die happy, if she died free.

A bearded, tall man shouted words to the crowd. They bet all their money for hopes of easy splendor. Most who bet on the Rainbow haired girl, would find it. But that's not what one searched for. She searched for the girl in the arens, the one who was forced to kill others, for the sake of her own. She brushed her long, pink hair out of her eyes, and sat legs crossed, eyes glued to the fighting.

A slave stood before the young fighter. He raised his arm to strike. He swung. He missed. He felt a fist plunge into his side, leave, and then come back. He stepped away, but tripped on a foot, not his own. He looked up. He saw a bare heel, headed for his face. He rolled out of the way, then slammed his elbow in to his adversaries knee. They fell, but their other knee landed on the mans stomach.

The woman grabbed the others throat. She pushed her thumb into it, blood began to climb out of him. She began listened to his last pleas. She slammed her free arm into his face, repeatedly, until he was gone. Until he had breathed the last breath he ever would.

She fell back, off of his body. She breathed a sigh of relief, looking up, eyes closed. Those around her cheered. She chose to ignore them. She could not bear to listen to them. A man begins shouting. From his voice, it's something the people would want ot here. She did not.

The pink haired woman listened intently. She knew his language. She also knew this man was a blight to humanity. But he possessed information, she needed. What he said roughly translated to " They will be facing one of their own in the arena of the fallen. Be sure to save your money, it will truly be a spectacle."

The Pink haired woman grew ecstatic. She knew she could free the woman now. But not alone. She rushed off, as silent as the shadow of a ghost.

Author's Note:

Well. Hope ya' like it.

Comments

[UltiXevoz]

PINKIEEEEEEEEEEEE

[spike-ify it]

thanks, i had fun with this and would like to know if this minotaur is iron will or some random beast cuz its humanized but ya never know

[Sir Alexander Wolfgang]

2501752 More or less, he'll be eluded to. Really just a random beast.