Humani Victoria

Chapter 15- Hope

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

                                                                                                  -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jason opened his eyes, roused from his slumber by the sunlight streaming in from the window above his head. Sitting up Jason explored his surroundings, he was in a small room with pale blue paint job, a closet empty of cloths lay to his left and in front of him an empty bookshelf lay against the wall.

Jason recognized the room although from where and why was absent from his memory. The reason for the empty closet and bookshelf also seemed justified but the exact details escaped him.

Seemingly of their own accord, Jason's legs swung off the bed he had been lying in and brought him to the door and through it. On the other side was a staircase and his seemingly self-controlled legs brought him down the steps and around the corner, into the kitchen. In the kitchen stood a women, her mere presence made Jason feel better as if a weight had been lifted off of him, although he couldn't remember why.

"Mom." He breathed, she didn't say anything. Merely sat motionless at the table, it was then that Jason noticed that he couldn't see his mothers face, it wasn't as if it was blurred out more like he couldn't focus on it completely. Every time he tried his eyes simply slipped away.

They sat for a few minutes, not in an awkward silence but certainly not a peaceful one. There was a sort of building tension that was leading up to something but exactly what escaped him. There was a series of heavy crisp knocks at the door that caused Jason's mother to look up, get up and open the door revealing the man behind it.

This man Jason recognized instantly, his sharp jaw, short light brown hair, and silver eyes. Dressed in a Canadian army dress uniform that was pressed, polished, and cleaned. A spitting image of Jason himself.

His parents exchanged curt words before his father switched his gaze to Jason, bearing no look of friendliness towards his only child. The man jerked his head, commanding Jason to come with him, obediently the boys legs moved him past his mother and outside to join his father. The sun blinding him with its harsh unrelenting light.

                                                                     ~~*~~

Sorting Block B72

The Sorting Block consisted of a large, high-roofed cavern. There were several entrances where the adult slaves would wheel in large carts full of assorted gems and crystals. The carts would then by emptied and sorted by type, colour, size, and shininess.

Naturally the sorting was performed by scores of small children.

By chance, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom found themselves sorting gems into the metal carts side by side to each other. Scoots gathering red rubies, Sweetie and Applebloom gathering green ones.

As Scootaloo poured a bucket of rubies into her cart, she glanced to Sweetie Belle and immediately noticed the silent tears running down her face.

"Hey.." The Pegasus said, placing a comforting hoof over her friends back "What's the matter?" Sweetie let go a small sob, tears continuing to flow.

"We aren't going to get out of here are we?" She said hopelessly "We're going to be down here forever."

"Hey, don't talk like that." Applebloom said from the other side of Sweetie Belle "We'll be just fine, we'll find Dinky and get out of here sooner than you think."

"But how?" The Unicorn asked "We can't escape by ourselves and nopony knows we're here." Scootaloo and Applebloom both felt a pang of doubt at her words, it was true. Nopony knew that they had been captured nor did they even know these caverns existed, so how could they hope for rescue?

The trio lapsed into silence, sorting their gems as they had been tasked. All three of them weighed down with the realization go their hopeless situation.

"If it makes a difference." Scootaloo suddenly said "If we're going to be down here forever, I'm at least glad it's with you guys." The other two fillies stared in astonishment at the Pegasus's heartfelt words.

"Don't tell anypony I said that, especially Rainbow Dash." This brought a round of giggles from the other two fillies.

                                                                ~~*~~

The Royal Palace, Canterlot, Equestria, Wednesday 10th of April, 8:53 am, 2205 AC

Celestia sat in her office, behind her desk. Carefully looking over the days pile of documents in the few hours of respite between the day court sessions, there was nothing remarkable really. Increase taxation on farmers, reduce taxation on farmers, funding for architectural restorations, a request for armed escorts for the southern trade routes. So on, so forth.

The Princess put down the last document and removed her small delicate reading spectacles via her magic, rubbing her snout she sighed and levitated the nearby teacup to her mouth only to find it empty.

Sighing again she placed the cup down and was about to call for some more when she felt the presence of familiar magic and she smiled as the scroll swirled into physical existence in a flash of green dragons fire.

The Princess broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. Almost immediately she noticed that the words were not of her faithful students careful cursive writing but rather in a bland practical print.

Princess Celestia

Due to an unforeseen mishap, Jason our resident Human crashed on the far east side if the Everfree forest along with Miss Rainbow Dash. Upon reaching the crash site I, Miss Twilight Sparkle, and her companions discovered that both Human and Pony were missing from the area and I discovered prominent Diamond Dog tracks leading away from the site.

Taking this into account, I have derived that there is a Diamond Dog mining operation nearby. One that utilizes slaves as a work force as has been known to be a common trait among Dog colonies, it is because of this that I request a small force of Royal Guards to assist in the search and rescue of Jason and Miss Dash.

Makers Fire,

A thousand emotions, reactions, and thoughts ran through the Alicorns mind all at once. Fear, worry, concern, anger, and resolution as to what she was to do.

"Guards!" The Sun Princess called and immediately the Stallions that had been standing guard outside burst inside.

"What is it Princess?" They said in union

"Prepare a small detachment of guards and prepare my carriage, we are headed to Ponyville." The guards exchanged glances.

"If I may... Why your majesty?"

"It appears we did not drive out the Diamond Dog slavers as extensively as we had thought, now make haste."

                                                                     ~~*~~

East Side of the Everfree Forest, Equestria, Wednesday 10th of April, 9:05 am, 2205 AC

Twilight paced back and forth, her Dragon companion following closely trying-And failing-to calm the Unicorn down. Her four friends and Derpy stood around the crash-site in wait, Makers Fire shifted through the twisted wreck of the plane in search of salvageable parts.

Twilight stopped pacing and sat down with and exasperated huff, Spike bumped into her on accident but she didn't seem to notice rather the purple Unicorn stared at Makers Fire as he pulled out a piece of the plane. What looked to be a large metal spring, but it was twisted and deformed from the crash, Maker sighed and tossed the spring behind him it clanging against the stony ground.

"How did you and Jason make this thing anyway?" Twilight said to the smith "It's more complex than anything I've ever seen before."

"It was Jason's initial idea." The red Unicorn's voice echoed from inside the twisted chassis "He came to me requesting a sword and after that he explained that he wanted my help in some sort of project, to build something called a 'aeroplane'"

Twilight felt recognition at the word and after a moment of thought she placed the memory.

"I remember Jason mentioning something similar but they way he described them I thought they were suppose to be much larger and made completely of metal."

"He told me much the same thing but as he explained it, we had naught the materials nor the knowledge to built such a construct. It occurred to him early on that he had no idea how they worked, he did however understand the basic principles of flight like lift, thrust, and aerodynamics. I too understood these from my time constructing airships for the crown and between us we were able to half-build half-invent what Jason called 'a crude version of a real aeroplane'"

The purple Pony absorbed this info "Crude or not, it's more advanced than any Pony technology. Do you think you could recreate it?" Maker pulled his head out of the wreck, levitating a twisted piece of plate metal, he examined it for a moment before answering.

"No, I helped build most of it but a lot of the more intricate parts of the mechanism Jason built himself and I didn't see hide or tail of them." The smith examined the metal more closely before gesturing to it in frustration "What in Tartarus is this anyway?" Before magically throwing the part behind him.

"Still, if we could get the design behind it and adapt it slightly than we could revolutionize travel for Earth-Ponies and Unicorns who can't teleport long distance." Twilight tried hard to keep to this train of thought, it helped to calm her while they waited for the Princess.

"Well you can go ahead and ask Jason when he gets back but don't hold your breath. I questioned him about the same thing and he danced around it very deliberately, I don't think he wants us knowing such things." Maker sat back from the wreck of a plane "Still, you have a point. If this was just a crude example of Human technology imagine what other masterpieces they could be hiding?"

Twilight was about to say something but a shadow literally passed over her, the purple Unicorn looked up to see a familiar golden chariot soaring through the sky and being pulled by two white Pegasi in golden armour, it was followed closely by a carriage of more rustic design. They both circled around the area twice before coming in for a landing a few meters away the Pegasi unlatched themselves and the carriage emptied to reveal six more guards carrying halberds, the Pegasi were handed there own weapons. Princess Celestia stepped out of her chariot and walked purposefully towards the crash site.

Twilight bounded forth "Princess! I'm so glad you here!" The Sun Alicorn walked right past her student without a word, her eyes locked on a certain red Unicorn "Princess?" Twilight said.

Makers Fire heard that all-too-familiar sound of metal-encased hooves on stone and sighed "It is an honour to be in your presence yet again your majesty." He said before turning to face the Princess.

"Makers Fire." She said, the look in her eye bordering on contempt.

"Princess Celestia." The smith said back, a wry smile coming to his lips. The Sun Alicorn looked at the twisted shell of a plane that sat behind Maker and a flash of recognition crossed her face, as fast as it came it was gone but Maker noticed it.

"You know what this is then?" He said, the Princess looked back at the red Unicorn.

"Where are these tracks that you mentioned in your letter?" She asked.

"Other side of this wreck, they lead to the north-east." He said, Celestia looked to her guards "follow the trail, I shall follow soon afterwords." The Guards saluted and marched passed the crashed plane and towards the north-eastern mountains and where the Diamond Dogs were supposedly hiding.

Celestia let out a sigh and turned around to face her student, who was looking at her with slight confusion.

"I'm glad you and your friends are unhurt, Twilight." The Sun Alicorn said in a much softer voice.

"We're fine Princess but I wish I could say that about all of my friends..." Celestia took a step forward and gently pushed her students chin up with her wing tip.

"Fret not Twilight, we will bring them home soon enough." The Princess looked up to see the rest of the Ponies gathered in front of her. Celestia was about to say something but a large slab of metal clanked obnoxiously to the Alicorn's left.

"I enjoy a good pep talk as much as the next Stallion but we have places to be and a stubborn Human to rescue, if you will all follow me I shall bring us down to what I expect to be a very unpleasant sight."

                                                                    ~~*~~

Containment Block 42, Cell 24

Jason jolted awake, cold sweat matted his brow and his heart beat at twice it's normal rate, his brain registered three things. He was in a new cave, multiple parts of his body hurt like hell, and finally his ears were picking up a sound.

"Have pleasant dreams, freak?" Jason's head snapped to the left, a bad idea as his head thumped painfully and his vision swam. It took a moment to re-focus but eventually Jason could make out a group of five Ponies huddled in the corner, all glaring at him in suspicion.

"Well?" The closest one-A Pegasus-asked "I asked you a question, freak." It took a few moments for Jason's brain to process a response.

"No." He said "I didn't sleep well" the Humans gaze hardened "And don't call me a freak."

"Sure thing, freak." The Pegasus said nastily, earning a glare from Jason.

"Aww, don't look so mad. It's not your fault your a blatant freak of nature."

"I ain't a freak of nature, my name is Jason and I'm a Human."

"Whatever you say." Jason sighed heavily and looked around, this cell was identical to the other ones he had been in.

"Where am I anyway?" He asked and the Pegasus chuckled.

"Containment Block 42, it's where they put the... Troublemakers." There was a pause "That begs the question, how did you come to be thrown in with us 'Trouble-Ponies' then?"

"The 'Master' has a grudge against me, ever since I have him a nasty scar." Another one of the Ponies, a deep-voiced yet soft-spoken Earth Pony, spoke up.

"Don't call him 'Master' no one rules you, try to remember that down here." Jason raised his eyebrows in surprise at the words, before the Pegasus from before spoke again.

"So your the one who gave the mutt a scratch, not bad. That shows you can fight and fight well." Jason raised an eyebrow.

"What's it matter?"

"Well, as you can tell. We are not exactly fans of our forceful employers and recently we've been planning on an escape and you might be useful to us." At first Jason felt a spark of hope at the possible chance to leave the mine, but that spark was quickly engulfed by a familiar burning sensation on his back.

"Better to accept the unchangeable reality, than to give yourself a false hope of a better one.

"There's no point." Jason said bitterly "with my help or not, there's no getting out of this mine."

"Suit your self, but I for one want to see Celestia's shining sun again before I die." The Pegasus turned back to his companions and they began speaking in hushed conspiratorial voices. Jason sat silently and wondered where in these vast tunnels and caves Rainbow Dash could be, and if she was unharmed, and if she was scared.

The image of Rainbow locked in a cell, staring at the floor. Her colourful mane and powerful wings coated in a layer of dust, muting her colours to a dull grey. She was hunched hopelessly on the stony floor, never again able to fly freely.

A searing anger burned through Jason's body, replacing the pain and hopelessness. The Human looked back and the group of Ponies who were still speaking, perhaps escape didn't harbour much chance, maybe it would just leave Jason buried under the rubble forever, but the thought of leaving Rainbow Dash, free spirited, flight-addicted, Rainbow Dash. To waste away in these tunnels was painful at best and infuriating at worst.

"What's this plan of yours anyway?" Jason suddenly asked.

"Suddenly interested in freedom huh? Well take a seat and we'll fill you in."

                                                                   ~~*~~

The Diamond Dog rapped heavily on the bars, getting the attention of the five Ponies and one Human inside.

"Get a-moving, Slave-things! You all are working in the round-mine!" The cage door opened and the group inside got up and walked without complaint, with Jason in the lead. The group of five Ponies- three Earth Ponies and two Pegasi -in tow, most of them hadn't given their names but the Pegasi that had first spoken to Jason called himself Wind Rider.

They were lead through twisting tunnels when they arrived at a large rounded cavern, all around slaves pounded away at the rock, piles of assorted gemstones lay behind them and occasionally a filly or colt would come through, struggling to push a heavy cart and then loaded the heavy cargo before inching away again.

Without pause, pickaxes were handed out and the six of them spread out to different ends of the rotunda and began working, Jason swung his own pick at where the gems were allegedly hiding and recalled the detailed plan that Wind Rider had layer out in the confines of the cell.

Wind Rider sat back from the sketch he had drawn in the dirt "You see? It's a simple seven step process, anypony could remember them and we've been spreading the word for months now."

Jason sat silently for a moment "It's a plan, better than nothing. But your putting a lot of hope into momentum and surprise, what if the Dogs organize quickly? Set up a blockade or just collapse the tunnel? It's a huge risk and if you fail... We would all pay the price." Rider scowled.

"Look, if you've given up that's fine. But personally? I'd rather go down fighting for my freedom than live my life as a slave." The words rung familiar to Jason on multiple levels, in memory and on a base level.

"...You... You sound like a Human..." Wind Rider looked confused for a moment before speaking again.

"Is that so?" He said "Then maybe you should start acting more like a Human and help us escape from this Celestia-forsaken place."

The Human was awoken from his thoughts by movement in the corner of his eye, a cart was being pushed in to be filled. A small grey Unicorn filly with golden-blond hair and eyes, a tang of recognition ran though Jason's mind. He knew this filly, perhaps passed her when walking by the school in Ponyville or otherwise in the town.

He watched as she struggled to push the iron cart, the exertion and pain written clearly on her face. Jason frowned and he saw a small girl with that same pain-struck face, her auburn hair pulled back in two separate ponytails and her yellow dress spattered with mud from the ground and her own blood...

Jason blinked and shook his head, and focused back on the filly who had managed to move the cart into place and was beginning to fill it with assorted gemstones with great difficulty, it went well until she took more that she could handle and spilled jewels onto the ground, several of them rolling in different directions.

Quick as a flash an armoured Diamond Dog appeared and began berating her, brandishing a whip. Jason couldn't hear the words over the sounds of mining but it was clear the words were hurtful because tears filled the child's golden eyes as she pleaded with the guard, her begging proved in vain as the Dog yelled again and smacked the filly in the snout hard with the metal stud on the butt of his whip. Tears now freely fell from her eyes and joined the spattered blood that flowed from her nose and mouth....

Wham!" almost as if Jason had been hit, he blinked and looked back up.

The girl looked up at the three boys, her backside and dress drenched in mud from the puddle she had fell into, her nose gushing blood and her teeth stained with the same red juice.

"That's for your lip, bitch. Now why don't you clean yourself up and come home with me? I'll make it up to you." Anger surged through Jason's body and drove his voice.

"Hey! Dickheads!" He called "You know I hear they stab women abusers in jail!" The bully's angry face turned to intimidate him but faded away

The Diamond Dog was still yelling at the filly as she held her nose and cried, the Dog was brandishing the whip as if to hit the child again. Jason's pickaxe dropped to the ground and he took a step forward, but something else caught his eye. On the other side of the cave he spotted a Pony who was staring at him, it took a moment but Jason recognized him as the first slave he met down here. Even from a distance the Human could make out the look of disappointment and angry disapproval that filled the Earth Pony's eyes.

Jason stared up at his fathers cold, disapproving eyes. His face and chest still hurt from the brief struggle with the boys before.

"What have I told you?" He said, no malice or anger was in his voice. Only disappointment in the extreme which somehow hurt even more that his bruises.

"To never get into a fight unless you know you can win." Jason recited, the dogma had been drilled into his head hundreds of times.

"And it was clear that you could never win that fight wasn't it?" His father stated.

"Yes, but.."

"But nothing! You got yourself hurt and for what? The entertainment of some future jail fodder."

"But there was a girl! And they were hurting her! I couldn't just stand by and see her hurt!"

"What does it matter if she was being harmed of not!? You intervening didn't change her fate, only got you hurt. Your actions were pointless, it's better to just accept an inevitable future than to waste time hoping for a better one."

"I would rather get hurt defending someone than just standby and let it happen!" Jason's father shook his head.

"That's like sacrificing hundreds of men to defend people who are dead already, that's not how soldiers do things."

"I'm not a soldier!" Jason yelled.

"Your right, your not" His father said harshly "But you will be, if I have anything to do with it."

Jason felt lightheaded, he swayed back an forth on the spot before he shook his head and tore his eyes away from the accusing gaze of the slave. He refocused on the Dog and Pony show that was transpiring, the guard was slowly raising his whip to lash the offending slave and teach her a lesson.

The pain in his back, the thumping in his head, his fathers harsh voice crushing him, the accusing and disapproving glare of the Slave. His mind flooded with excess information, reality took second pilot and without a driver to take control. Instincts and sub-consciousness had to fill the gap.

Jason legs moved fast and automatically, in a moment he was right behind the Diamond Dog as his arm reached the peak of its ascension. Just as the guard tensed his muscles to deliver the blow he discovered that he couldn't move his arm and there was a pressure on his wrist that was blocking his blood flow.

Jason pulled the Dog's arm back painfully and nearly dragging him backwards across the ground to meet his outstretched leg, as the Guard tripped the Human twisted his wrist painfully and forced him to release his grip on the whip, relinquishing the weapon to Jason.

The Dog spiralled into the dirt but quickly recovered and lunged at Jason, knocking him to the ground and the whip out of his hand. The Dog wasted no time and delivered quick blows to the Humans chest, but was quickly knocked off as a certain Pegasus knocked him off. Wind Strider didn't keep the advantage long though as the Dog pushed him off and rained blows down on the Pony as he attempted to block the worst of them.

Jason had regained his breath and spotted one of the many gemstones that had been spilt to the ground, an chuck of Amethyst the size of an orange. Jason grabbed it and looked to where the Dog still held power over Wind Rider, that quickly changed when the Human cracked his fist-full of Amethyst on his temple. Shards of the stone cracked off from the force of the blow and the Dog slumped to the ground, blood trickling from his mouth and temple.

Jason dropped the gemstone and offered a hand to Wind Rider who placed his hoof in it and was hulled up. There eyes met and Rider offered his first smile, before spitting out some blood. The Pegasus trotted over to the dead Dog and relieved him of his wring of keys, Wind Rider's smile widened.

"Every journey begins with a single step..." The Pegasus brandished the keys "THIS. IS. STEP. ONE!" All the slaves around the cave chorused as one, their voices echoed through the tunnels. Signalling hope for hundreds of captives.

"SECURE THE KEY'S!" Wind Rider's face lite up with the enthusiasm.

"NOW WE SHALL ESCAPE LUPA!" With Rider in the lead the slaves charged down the far right tunnel, brandishing pickaxes, shovels, and with bloodlust written all over their faces.

Jason lagged behind, he walked over to where the small grey filly cowered next to the cart. He knelt down next to her.

"Hey, you alright?" He said softly, the filly's golden eyes glowed out from under her hooves.

"No." She said, Jason smiled.

"Yeah, I thought so. You took a really bad hit there, but you'll be okay." Jason held out his hand "My names Jason, what's yours?" The filly came out from behind her hooves and placed one in the Humans hand.

"Dinky" she squeaked, Jason nodded.

"Nice to meet you Dinky." He said "Now I have to ask, do you want to go home?" Tears welled in Dinky's eyes.

"Yes" Jason smiled kindly.

"Then I'll take you home. Stay close to me, we have a ways to go."

                                                                  ~~*~~

East Side of the Everfree Forest, Near Rambling Rock Ridge, Equestria, Wednesday 10th of April, 9:25 am, 2205 AC

With Makers Fire in the lead and the four Ponies, Princess, and Dragon in tow they headed in a north-easterly direction along a trail of distinct canine pawprints.

Twilight and the Princess hanged back with each other, both shared a desire to talk so it was only natural.

"How have things been, Twilight?" The Sun Alicorn asked, the lavender Unicorn paused. How had things been? She recalled the many conversations with Jason concerning both of their homes and races, she remember feeling awe and wonder at the giant graceful machines built by Human hands and minds that Jason described. Twilight remembered the same look in Jason's eyes as she lectured him on the the possibilities of magic.

"It's been... Interesting." The Unicorn said "Jason and I have learned so much from each other, he seems very interested in magic and it's applications and I am amazed at all the things Humans have accomplished." Celestia nodded.

"Yes, but... Has Jason been.. Happy?" Twilight had to think about it, she found that there wasn't much evidence in either direction. Her Human friend didn't smile much but did that mean he wasn't happy? The poor soul had been ripped from all he called home for Celestia's sake! She was surprised he hadn't broken down at this point and yet... Twilight doubted his well being.

"I don't know." She answered "He seems to be adjusting well but I can't shake the feeling that there's something he's not telling us, I mean you mentioned before how there are still Human settlements spread out across the world but Jason hasn't brought it up again he hasn't done any research or expressed a desire to go looking, a bit odd don't you think?" Celestia nodded on the outside, but on the inside her mind was working overdrive, had Twilight figured it out? Had she begun to make conclusions?... No, not even Twilight could guess such a catastrophic truth. The Princess hid her inner thoughts behind her placid smile.

"There's probably a very simple explanation, Twilight." She said "Jason is probably just appreciative about searching for the remaining Humans, he probably doesn't want to be disappointed about how far the've fallen." The lavender Unicorn thought about this.

"I guess that makes sense" she finally said "I would be worried too if I didn't know what Equestria had become over several billion years." Celestia let out a mental sigh and was about to change the subject when a Royal Guard stepped out from behind a sizeable rock to the side of the trail.

"Princess Celestia" he said, bowing low "We have located a large cavern that the tracks lead into, allow me to lead you and your party there with haste." The Princess nodded and the guard set off at fast trot, monarch and friends in tow.

                                                                     ~~*~~

"STEP TWO!"

"ACEND FROM DARKNESS!" Dinky, who was trying her best to keep pace with the swifter Human. Looked around at the call.

"What does that mean?" The small filly had to yell over the constant sound of drumming hoofbeats and war cries that echoed through the tunnels.

"It's a move order." Jason explained "It's telling everyone on the lower levels to move closer to the surface, to where the Diamond Dogs live."

"That's means us too, right?" The grey Unicorn asked.

"Yeah, come one." Keeping close together they followed the tide of slaves through twisting tunnels until they came to a series of inclines that brought them higher. The tide continued to take them until they arrived at a familiar scene, the dome that the 'Master' had made his speech, there scores of Diamond Dog guards awaited them with swords, axes, maces and whips. The slaves held no fear and charged right in, swinging wildly with there mining implements, carving a path to the stage-like formation where several Dogs struggled to load the ballistae.

The slaves pushed through and ran to the old artillery implement, it already abandoned by the fleeing guards.

"STEP THREE!"

"RAIN FIRE!" The slaves loaded the ballistae and aimed it, a hundred or so Diamond Dogs remained trapped by the condensed crowed. The ballistae was sighted in and...

"Come on." Jason said, picking up Dinky and slinging her over his shoulder, he attempted to make his way to the far exit. But the crowd was too condensed, all thoughts of mobility and escape forgotten as the slaves watched their former masters get their just desserts.

"What's happening?" Dinky asked as the ballistae was fired and it's string rang it's death song.

"Nothing, we need to get out of here, it's too crowded." Jason said, but a cry rang through the crowd again.

"STEP FOUR!"

"UNLEASH THE HORDE!" Jason shook his head

"What's Wind Rider thinking? The plan was to keep moving, not cram everyone in one room." Jason's outward thoughts fell on deaf ears as the tunnels rumbled and a crowded room became a moshpit when hundreds of fillies and colts via adult escort entered the dome. It didn't take long for Jason to spot his three fillies.

Shoving through the crowd and calling their names, Jason made his way to them. Applebloom heard his cries and alerted her friends, the fillies closed the gap quickly and nearly pushed Jason over with their hugs, all of them crying into his pants.

"Hush, it's okay." Jason said, patting each of them on their heads "We're going to get out of here, I just need to find Rainbow Da-"

The Humans words of comfort were cut off by an unearthly screech that echoed into the dome, Jason barely had time to look up before Scrat the ugly Bat came flying in and easily scooped up the couple slaves operating the ballistae. Landing on a nearby alcove to stuff their screaming heads into his mouth.

Right on cue the call came,

"STEP FIVE!"

"SCEWER THE WINGED BEAST!" More slaves charged to the ballistae and attempted to fire at the Dire Bat, they didn't last long as the shot flat out missed and the creature swooped down to pick up its McBatty meal. Inspired by the Masters favourite pet, scores of Dog Guards rushed in and began beating back the horde, clearing a path to the precious child cargo.

Jason watched another group of slaves be carried away before they could even get their shot off, no one had the courage to try and kill the beast now. The Human turned to the fillies clinging to him, and put down Dinky with them.

"I'm going to go over there for a moment okay? Stay here and don't go anywhere, I'll be right back." Alas, Dinky clung to his leg.

"Please don't go." She's pleaded with wide scared eyes.

"I'll be back in a jiffy, I promise." The grip loosened and Jason pulled free, taking one look at the group of scared fillies before braising the crowd. With his shoulder taking the brunt of the force, the Human shoved anyone who got in his way. He made decent headway to the stage when everyone ducked, the Dire Bat made a sweep and attempted to snatch anything he could. Eventually coming up with a lone Earth Pony slave who screamed for mercy before his head was bitten off.

Jason made it to the small ramp and sprinted up, no one remained up there and the ballistae remained loaded. The Human jumped behind it and slowly swung the weapon to face the giant freak of nature.

Its just a Crossbow. Jason thought Only bigger

The bat had noticed him and was swooping in for the kill, of course it didn't get it's meal. A giant bolt in your chest tends to stop one from flying effectively.

The dead symbol of the night dropped right in the middle of where the fighting was worst, the Dogs took one look at their dead mascot and turned tail. The Slaves charging after them.

"STEP SIX!"

"WIELD A HOOF OF IRON!"

Jason sprinted down to the quickly emptying room and to his Pony charges, Dinky hugged him instantly before the Human put her back down and beckoned them to follow him. They passed by the carcass of the bat when Jason noticed something; a small black uniform mark on its neck.

"Hold on a second.." He said and approached the body.

"Be careful!" Sweetie Belle's voice came from behind him.

The Human looked closely at the mark, it took a moment to identify it but Jason's breath caught in his throat when he read the numbers burned into the Dire Bat's flesh.

No. 647-8942-DB

Jason's breath came in fast and ragged. Numbers. Human numbers, how was it possible? What was going on? Jason felt a pressure on his leg and looked down to see Dinky's worried face looking up at him.

"Are you alright?" The Human took a deep breath and mentally buried what he had just saw, it was for later and for much older ears.

"Yeah, let's get moving. Everyone's headed to the armoury." With the CMC and Dinky in tow they flowed with the tide of Slaves through more twisting and turning tunnels, and without meeting much resistance they came to their destination; a natural opening in the caves that was the biggest room the've been in so far.

Lining the straight walls were large amounts of assorted weaponry, swords and axes mostly and the Slaves waisted no time in arming themselves. Jason ignored them and moved to exited, wanting nothing to do with anyone down there anymore. The exit tunnel lead upwards again and to another large cavern with several an extremely large exit tunnel of its own.

"A breeze!" Scootaloo said suddenly "It's coming from there! It must be the exit!"

"Then let's get the hell out of here." Jason took nay a step before Dinky gasped in surprise, said gasp was followed quickly by Jason being tackled to the ground.

"YOU RUINED MY MINE PONY-FRIEND-THING!" Pinning Jason with his knees the Dog Master pulled out an all-too-familiar combat knife and attempted to drive it into the Humans heart. Jason grabbed onto the Dogs wrists and it came down to a test of strength as the Human struggled to keep from being stabbed by his own knife.

As the blade slowly inched towards Jason's chest and sweat beaded down his face, his arms were quickly tiring, his back was in pain yet again and his head was thumping madly.

His vision swam and he began doubting a good end to this fight, that wasn't so bad right? The last Human, dying down here in the dark fighting for his own freedom, seems rather fitting doesn't it?

It's better to just accept an inevitable future than to waste time hoping for a better one

Better to accept the unchangeable reality, than to give yourself a false hope of a better one

The knife pierced his shirt and Jason closed his eyes.

I'd rather go down fighting for my freedom than live my life as a slave.. the Human eyes snapped open again and the knife retreated from his shirt, the Diamond Dog grunting with effort.

"You... You sound like a Human.."

"Then maybe you should start acting more like a Human" the weapon was pushed back so the hilt nearly touched the Dog's chest.

Act more like a Human to Jason's side the four fillies watched with fear at the scene before them.

Act Human Twilight... She was worried sick about him, not just him but Rainbow Dash as well.

Rainbow Dash... The image of her sitting in a dark cave, her wings covered in dust from long-term neglect.

ACT HUMAN! Jason yelled and pushed the Dog Master off of him, kneeing the canine in the stomach and forcing the air out. Jason twisted his enemies wrist and forced him to relinquish the blade to Jason.

Pinning the canine under his own knees the Human looked the Dog in the eye.

Then he stabbed the Dog in the eye.

Jason took a few moments to catch his breath, removing his Combat Knife's sheath from the dead pooch rather possessively. Wiping the blood on the dogs fur and sheathing the blade, the Human got up and looked to the terrified fillies. He smiled pleasantly.

"It's alright." He said "It's over now.." Jason walked towards them but Dinky switched that fear-retched look to the Human and took a cautionary step back, Jason frowned.

"Dinky it's..."

"STEP SEVEN!"

"FREEDOM!" Jason barely had time to sprint over to the fillies and get them moving towards the exit of the caverns with the tide of free spirits joined them in the escape.

                                                                 ~~*~~

Rambling Rock Ridge, Equestria, Wednesday 10th of April, 9:25 am, 2205 AC

The Guard led them to the west side of where Rambling Rock Ridge began, there a large cavernous opening dug into the side of a small hill awaited, flanked by Celestia's guards. Scores of paw prints and other clear marks of movement leading into the cave.

They stopped just short of it.

"This is where the tracks lead your Highness." The Guards said, Celestia nodded.

"Thank you, await my orders." The Stallion saluted and stepped away, allowing Twilight to speak up.

"That must be where Jason and the girls are, we should head in right away."

"Hold on Twilight, we mustn't go charging in without a plan. Now first we must..." Whatever the Sun Alicorn was trying to say wasn't heard as violent rumbling shook the ground around them.

"W-w-what's happening?" Twilight yelled.

"E-e-e-e-e-earth-q-q-q-q-q-q-q-quake!" Pinkie offered.

"No!" Celestia called "Hoofbeats, but....."

"FREEDOM!" Hundreds of starved stallions, mares, fillies, and colts. Charged out of the cavern some just kept running, others collapsed on the spot from exhaustion, most stayed around and begun cheering cry's of freedom and victory. Twilight looked to Celestia for guidance but found the Princess's eyes locked on something with an extreme intensity, the Unicorn followed her gaze and spotted the point of interest, her jaw dropping.

Jason walked slowly out of the cave, slightly dragging his booted feet in the dirt. Four fillies in tow, upon seeing their sisters/mother each of them cried and ran into the awaiting arms of their family. Jason just kept his pace a found himself right in front of the Goddess of the Sun, the look in his eyes-a dead and downtrodden look-was all to familiar to the Alicorn. She also could help but notice the heavy bruises on the Humans face and arms.

"By the way." Jason finally said "The plane didn't work." With that spout of wisdom, Jason passed out.