//------------------------------// // Chapter One // Story: The Lumberjack // by Type Two Civilization //------------------------------// Chapter One Rainbow Dash made her way through the jumping crowd, almost losing herself to the music as the countless others have. The room she was in was larger, enough to fit maybe a hundred and a half ponies. A platform against the far wall and a deep blue curtain along the back side of the platform. The stereos set up were gigantic and if Rainbow had her say, totally awesome. The bass booming, the lights and magic whizzing above her head, she knew this was the place to be. She bobbed her head to the music enjoying the sick beats PON-3 was putting out. She found a spot she enjoyed close to the platform the DJ was on, the bass making her rainbow hair move from sound. Eventually the piece had come to its end. I was just starting to enjoy that, she thought sadly. "Hey everypony! Get ready for the next piece! But first, let me introduce you to the two who are going to help me complete it!" The DJ's voice boomed form the speakers. Rainbow's interest was piqued, after all, who could be good enough to work along side PON-3, let alone in a live performance? "Give some wild applause for Missing Link and his partner, Slash!" The two entered from the blue curtain, a male unicorn with a shorter rusty colored mane, and a griffin respectively. The song started off with what Rainbow could only be reminded of the few raindrops that plop to the ground before a storm hits. The two continued to the middle of the stage, the griffin with a microphone in his right claw and the unicorn with his in his magic. "This song is dedicated to the Everfree's resident Lumberjack." Rainbow's blood froze. Of course, she thought, the Everfree's must notorious monster. She heard him a few times flying around the outskirts of Ponyville and occasionally pushing into the Everfree aerospace to stop rogue clouds. Always chopping. Even once she saw a tree a good distance into the Everfree fall, and with it a pause before more chopping. Apparently somepony even saw him chop a tree that would've taken a team of earth ponies a week to take care of - in a few minutes. The song continued, sounding remarkably like she was in a forest, with the howl of timberwolves. And as the beat dropped, so did Missing Link. "L-L-L-L-Lost.." The echo was creepy as well "I heard this story's past, Now I'm headed down this path," The magic in the air, laid against the ceiling. It gave a show of entering the Everfree, birds flitting through the trees. It was so real looking Rainbow thought she got lost for a moment. "They say that once you enter you ain't ever coming back. That once you take a step inside, you'll surely wake the Lumberjack," As the perspective moved along the trail, it turned a corner to find a huge tree had fallen across the path. The perspective hesitated before moving into the forest to get around the tree. It didn't notice what Rainbow did. And what rainbow noticed gave her chill bumps. Two glowing red eyes, watching the perspective. "You could run and hide, but it'll do no good, he'll trace your tracks. You've got no chance, he's onto you and this is not your last," This time it showed the perspective running wildly through the forest. Rainbow was starting to feel her heart beat faster (unbeknownst to her she was bobbing her head and stamping her hooves to the beat). "Lost inside the thicket, Lumberjack he's comin' axe in hand. Blood is drippin' from the blade, you ain't the only life he'll bend, Now you stuck in his domain, abruptly comin' to an end." The scene showed the perspective tripping, and a beast shrouded with shadows, yet the ax it was carrying was very clear. There was blood on it. It was bipedal with two arms, but those were the only features she could make out. "Now you lost inside the thicket, You step in his domain and you ain't leavin', now you finished. Now you lost inside the thicket Where the Lumberjack lay his ax, the land of the diminished." This time it was a different scene. It was a meadow in the Everfree, an ax laid against a stump, with the shadowed figure sitting on the stump. Even though the scene showed it was daytime, the figure was still clocked in shadows, almost like ink in water. But the grass? It was dead. Everything was dead. Rainbow had stopped moving to the beat, completely engrossed in the show above her head. "Now you lost inside the thicket, Where the sun don't shine and the fog feels thicker." And now, the meadow was starting to become engulfed in a fog so think the perspective could barely see five hooflengths in front of itself. It was dark, it was night time suddenly. "You lost inside the thicket, Where your fears come to life, in the shadow stands a figure." And in the fog, stood a figure with red eyes glowing. Rainbow Dash, normally brazen and brave, flinched before the apparition. Only one thought in her head. Predator. She adverted her gaze to the platform, which Slash was looking directly at her, a questioning eyebrow raised. Rainbow pulled herself together stood proud. He simply smiled, then raised the mic to his beak, golden eyes right at her, pointing back to the ceiling to the show. She looked despite her better judgement, but she couldn't show weakness now! Not with Slash looking at her! "This is my domain, I promise you will not escape And you are not the first, nor the last soul I fate to take." The scene that welcomed her was what she could only picture war looked like. Trees were shattered, some chopped, ash was falling form the sky with fire encircling the perspective and the beast. And as slash spoke, so did it. In the darkness that was Lumberjack, the mouth was a white line with no defining features besides being white. "For I am Lumberjack! Where the ash will fall upon my place, All who went to won't return and so, of course, you seal your fate." The figure was walking closer to the perspective, the ax moving up into a striking position. The perspective you could see was struggling to get away, but had somehow injured itself because it was on the ground it seemed. "This ain't a game, your life's involved Blackened thorns, they feel like walls" Thorns now, as Link spoke the creature spoke as well. Thorns behind the perspective and making a barrier between itself and the fire... yet open to The Lumberjack. "Ashes turn the day to night And when I cut you down you'll crawl. The air is cold as ice, my shadow's got you feelin' small, Condemned to death and like another tree your soul will fall." The Lumberjack took the swing, and Rainbow cringed. The perspective cut short before the final blow to lights as the sounds of the song hit hard. Rainbow looked back to Slash, a smile on his face, giving Rainbow a wink. She gave a shaky smile before quickly fighting the crowd to make it outside, and even then she could faintly hear the beat and rest of the song. The loud applause afterward made her feel guilty about not staying to the end. She shivered in the brisk night air, rustling her wings. Predator, she thought, it's a predator.