“In this time of sacrifice, we offer the Beast of the Earth another child that he may grant us eternal power.”

Mac woke up, tied to a stake, hay surrounded him. The drum beat had stopped, and the shadows bore a great number of eyes and teeth. The closest one, his face obscured by moonlight, but his gaze ever piercing, approached Mac. His words were as silk, his tone musical, and his speech immaculate.

“So, we are awake, young one? Do not be alarmed, for you have been chosen. Chosen to be the torch that leads us into our rightful place!” the figure said, smiling.

“W-what are you talking about? Who is ‘us’? Who are you?” Mac sputtered out.

“We are ones who understand. We have seen your heart, Macintosh Apple.”

“How do you know my name? What are you?!”

“We are the same. We, like you, have been discredited for our race. We are brothers in this time, Macintosh.”

The figure motioned to the crowd around him, and they pulled off their hoods. They all had the same smile, their eyes unwavering, and one by one, the cloaks were removed completely. Each crowd member was an equine, with scars on their bodies, rites to the Beast of the Earth.

“You are not alone young Apple. We wish only for the best of our kind. The Earthen ones. Like you, we wish for a better place for our families. Don’t you want a better place for your sister?”

Mac hesitated. He wanted his sister to grow up, happy and not afraid of others. Before he could speak, the figure cut him off.

“Maybe you are not convinced that I am here for earth ponies. Then, for your last sight before you go, I will reveal myself!”

The figure pulls his cloak away, and the clouds part from the moon, and it shines on him. The figure reared his legs high, having no signs of a horn nor wings. He spoke:

“I, too, am a ‘mudhoof’, he who walks the ground, and tills it for the other tribes.” He spoke angrily, “They don’t understand us, Mac. We grow their food, and for what? To be ridiculed? To be treated as less than the Earth itself? NO LONGER.”

“No longer.” the crowd responded.

“Yes, they will learn. They will learn of what their actions caused. Be grateful, Apple, for you will be our stepping stone towards our rule!”

The figure stomped away from Mac, and picked up a matchbook. He smiled, and lit a match.

“No longer will we be made fun of. The Beast of the Earth will be sure of that. We will raise him from his slumber, and make those who laugh at Earth ponies know true despair!”

The figure threw the match at Mac. The Figure hooded himself again and the crowd began to chant in unison.

“E lawe mai i ka mea nana e hooponopono i ka honua ma ko kakou ano like, i ahaaina ai kakou i ka poe e hoomaewaewa mai ia kakou”

Mac struggled against his ties, as the flame from the match caught the first straw of hay on fire. He struggled, and struggled, but soon he was surrounded in flames. The crowd’s chant got louder and louder, faster and faster. The leader shouted over them.

“Thank you for your noble service, Macintosh Apple! Your soul will be consumed for the greater good of Earthen ones everywhere!”

“E lawe mai i ka mea nana e hooponopono i ka honua ma ko kakou ano like, i ahaaina ai kakou i ka poe e hoomaewaewa mai ia kakou, E lawe mai i ka mea nana e hooponopono i ka honua ma ko kakou ano like, i ahaaina ai kakou i ka poe e hoomaewaewa mai ia kakou, E lawe mai i ka mea nana e hooponopono i ka honua ma ko kakou ano like, i ahaaina ai kakou i ka poe e hoomaewaewa mai ia kakou!”

Mac prayed to Celestia, that he may be saved. His final thoughts were of home, and his sister.

“I just wish, I could protect her…”

The ground shook. The sound of great stones rumbling filled the air. Birds flew from their nests in a panic. Small animals left their homes in an instant. A manticore picked his head up from his nap, yawned, and went back to sleep… only to be woken up again by his mate growling at him for not understanding the danger. (One might say that the act was universal, between the males and female of all races, but that is neither here nor there.) Mac felt the stake cracking behind him…

Mac awaited his demise that would never come. The rumbling, as quickly as it had began, had stopped. There was an eerie silence that swept the forest. Popping one eye open, he looked at the Leader, and immediately regretted it. The pony who once held Mac captive...was now encased in stone...However, the look in his eyes told a different story. The heat coming off of the now statue, was intense. Mac turned from the leader, and looked to the rest of the cultists...only to find them tied by vines, impaled by branches, and one with an ice pick lobotomy. He moved his hoof to his mouth to stop the vomit that was trying to force itself up…

“Wait a minute…” He thought to himself…

He was tied to a stake...how can he move his hoof? He looked down to realize his ropes were cut, and the fire out.

“ I’m free… I’M FREE!” He quickly got on his hooves again, and ran to the titan statue… only to trip and slam his face into it. As Mac’s vision faded, he swore he heard somepony speak…

“Thank the Stars above, VALRIS IS BACK, BITCHES!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“By the Moon and Sun, I’ve been freed! Finally! Now I can go back to…!”, Valris started to say, before coughing up dust. Luna knows how long he’s been there without a drink.

The titan flexed his muscles, and cracked his neck. Centuries of being stone was not fun.

“Being rock hard for it all was though…” the titan said to himself, before throwing his head back in boisterous laughter. His laugh echoed in the labyrinth.

He dropped his warhammer to the ground, and inspected the area around him. The titan was surprised he still had influence while he was encased. He looked down, to find his charge, the one he called to him. Valris nudged the Earth pony with his hand, poking him in the face a couple of times.

“Hey little one, wake up. We’ve gotta get you home.” Valris spoke, continuing to poke the red colt.

“Hmm..? Whazat? Why?” the colt mumbled before opening his eyes.

In front of him, was the titan, the one from Little Mac’s dreams. His eyes grew wide.

“AHA! YOU AWAKEN!” the titan yelled before picking up the colt and putting him into a headlock, “I WAS AFRAID I’D HAVE TO FIND A NEW CHARGE! I AM DELIGHTED YOU ARE ALRIGHT!”

The red pony, struggling to breathe, tapped out. The titan put him down, and smiled widely. He was going to have a soldier again. A comrade, a friend, and this one’s blood ran deep.

“Now, little one, let’s get you out of here. I’m sure your guardians would not like you out so late.” Valris said, picking up his hammer and throwing it over his shoulder.

“But…,” the colt started,” Weren’t you the one to call me out here?”

Valris froze. He looked down, then up, then back down again, then back up. His eyes shifted from left to right a couple of times. Then he laughed.

“I guess you are correct! Now come, let us not wait time. You probably have stuff to do in the morning!” Valris stated, laughing as he walked away.

The colt couldn’t argue with that. He followed the titan, less afraid now than when he came into the forest....

Miles away, a young unicorn is having problems with his spells, while his sister seems to be able to do anything...

Author's Note

Back again with that late shit know'msayin. But seriously, it took me way too long to pick this back up.