Servant of Man

by Timber Wolf


Chapter 6

For two days they tried to force their magic to follow the trail the violin had taken, but they kept being tossed out. Twilight huffed as her magic was once again thrown off of the trail. Celestia and Luna stood on either side of her. On Celestia's left stood Cadence and Shining Armor. Even with the extra power it didn't help.

"I just don't understand! There should be more than enough power for us to open a portal!"

Twilight wiped her eyes with her hoof as she sat down. Celestia and Luna both placed a comforting wing over her. The white alicorn spoke first.

"I don't think it's power that's the problem. Did any of you notice that there was more than one magical trail?"

Twilight looked up at her mentor.

"More than one? Then wouldn't that mean. . . "

"That we are being led astray by multiple forks in the path."

Shining Armor rubbed his chin in thought.

"But there aren't any other magic trails. Nopony could have done that without us noticing."

"Yes, I know."

"Tia, are thou saying what we think. . . ?"

Celestia looked down at the violin in front of them.

"Yes. The violin is not some artifact. It is alive."


The injured filly was moving even slower than before. The second day was slow, just like the first. It was three full days after Mac had been ripped from his world and dropped her, and two days since the filly had been injured. The herd stuck closer together, on edge. Big Mac quickly learned why when he saw the mountain lion laying by a shrub, just watching. The large cat was following them, waiting for his chance to take the filly.

The little black filly limped along after her mother, but soon she couldn't even put weight on the injured leg. It was swollen and red, leaking pus and blood. The herd was now in a small meadow on the side of a gentle slope. The mountain lion was sitting at the edge of the grass, just watching. It made no move to take the filly or to leave. Wild Slate just stood there, staring at the cat. The lead mare snorted and the herd grew close together, ready to move on. The filly didn't get up. She lay in the grass, head up, ears pricked, but did not move to stand.

Her mother stood over her, nudging her with her snout. The filly laid her head down. The mare looked her filly over before gently lipping at her mane. She blew on her foals face before turning and leaving. Mac watched, stunned as the mother left her foal. The mountain lion moved in. Big Mac looked over at Wild Slate, hoping he would jump in and save his own daughter. He didn't.

The mountain lion circled the filly, pawing almost gently at her side. It sniffed her and licked her neck. Then the claws ever so slightly bore down. The filly whinnied in pain and fear and tried to scoot away from the predator. Big Mac looked away as the feline leaned down to grab the filly in it's mouth. He pinned back his ears when the foal started to screech. He looked over at the mare who had left her foal. She kept glancing over her shoulder at her dieing filly, but did not step in. Mac didn't dare to look back. He didn't want to see a foal barely older than the Cake twins be slaughtered.

The crying suddenly stopped short, and Mac paused. He need to see. To make sure that she was really. . . Big Mac looked back to see the mountain lion walking away. The filly's neck was held in it's jaws. Head limp, body being dragged behind. The large cat and the dead foal disappeared into the undergrowth.

Mac wasn't the only one to stop and watch. River Leaf stood there, eyes wide as he watched his half sister being dragged away. Big Mac snorted and tugged on the teenager's mane with his teeth, turning him away. The two of them trotted to catch up to the herd.

Panic was now sitting in Macintosh's chest. What if he was never rescued? What if his fate was similar to that of the filly's?


Night had fallen and the herd stood closer together than the night before. River Leaf was already asleep, just inches from his side. Mac looked up at the night sky. Even the stars were different, and the moon just looked ever so slightly odd. Big Mac scanned the area, hoping to see a rescue group. To see his sister and her friends come and get him.

What he did see was smoke far off in the distance. Mac sure hoped that the fire wouldn't spread here.

Unknown to him, it wasn't a wild fire, but a camp fire.