Chapter 5

Authors note to viewers

This chapter is likely to be broken up into pieces and going to be proof red like four more times with further edits and stuff done at later date as im just busy at the moment.

pov none

Letter to Senior command staff of the Scout Zone of Control or S. Z. C.

To whom it may concern

I Azuregus AKA Azure having investigated my son Jacob Semper Fidelis. Have been entangled in a matter of utmost urgence involving equestria and the lands south of the corridor. A team of Emissaries known as the elements of harmony have come north in search of a package left in my care by a Luna -Redacted-. As such Im required to deliver the package in person. As my son was the first contact, he will under article 23.A be my honor guard for this mission.

Orders entailed while im absent.

My second in command will be dragonkin Sliverionere AKA Silver or sliver. I Have Trained her personally and she has been around longer than most of you have been alive. Her words are to be treated as my own till I come back.

Replace scout one with a new scout. Jacob Semper Fidelis will now fall under foxtrot call sign designation Foxtrot-10315. He will be your point of direct contact between me and silver.

Emergency callsigns and further orders are enclosed inside read them carefully I also won’t have any mutinous actions. I will clean house if I find anyone abusing their positions or tarnishing the scouts name and purpose for any reason... even under orders.

Final orders for my staff.

I expect to be gone for a minimum one month to six months should it exceed this, and the emergency call has not been announced. Assume everything went wrong and begin investigations into our whereabouts. Contact the dragon king in the dragon lands we keep in touch he will be your primary contact in the case that we are both dead or captured.

YOU ARE ORDERED TO CONTACT THE REST OF THE DRAGONKIN AND ALEART THEM AS PER EMERGENCY PROTOCOL 25.Alpha.

Sincerely yours.

Azuregus
Scout Command Leader

POV Jacob S, Fidelis

Callsign Scout 1… Updating… Complete.

Callsign Foxtrot-10315 AKA Fox-315

Scout zone 1

“Ghost you know I can’t keep you with me.”

Ghost whinnied in annoyance.

“Look I know you would be a great help but seriously I can’t have you come with me as per my own orders.” I answered back patting the white horse.

“Captain is this your companion?” My mother/ commanding officer asked.

“Yes ma’am.” I answered curtly as I pet my companions mane.

The horse whinnied in challenge. Roughly translated though she said. “Keep him safe I’ve been watching him for the past sixteen years and he is something important to me.” My CO snorted. And replied in dragon thuume.

“I’ll keep my eye on him I may be harsh, but I am his mother.” Dragons thuumes being words of immense magical power of the literal meaning can be destructive. However, because of her immense knowledge and control of her power that the words didn’t do something at all is testament to her control over herself.

Ghost whinnied lowered her head as if bowing to my CO. Then she looked at me nuzzled my shoulder and disappeared into the snow-covered landscape.

“Well, I’ll be!” I heard applejack yell her new Winter jacket and shoes covering her body.

“Ooh I have to write this down!” I saw twilight come out with a notepad, quill and ink. Also wearing new snow gear.

“Where is your team?” I asked checking the storage cubes that stored everything that I kept in that mountain minus the steel doors.

“Miss fancy pants is making a fuss over the designs. Says something along the lines of “they didn’t match our personalities.” Me and twigh got out before she went redecorating us I don’t know about the rest of them.” I groaned and faced palmed. Putting my helmet on and lifting the hood over my head.

“I’ll deal with it.” My mother said.

“Ma’am were going to be heading to corridor HQ once we get moving.” She nodded and my mother/commanding officer went inside the cave I used to call home. The sun shone brightly on the fresh snow thankfully ghost made sure that we would not have to trek in neck deep snow, as she had moved much of out and away.

“Thanks ghost I really appreciate it.” I said quietly I heard a whinny in the distance and silently chuckled to myself.

I heard talking behind me as I looked at the now six ponies and one dragonkin.

“Ready to move captain.” she asked.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good lead the way.” I started walking twilight being right behind me and my commanding officer picking up the rear.

-I listened to the ponies talking about lord knows what for the trek to the corridor entrance-

Corridor entrance

POV none

“Well, here we are the entrance to hell.” Jacob Said solemnly.

He walked over to a wall and entered a combination. A few creaks later a portion of the wall moved to the left showing a massive cache of weapons equipment and suits.

“So, uh Sir?!” Pinkie pie said loudly before being cut off.

“It’s Jacob in the corridor, everyone is on a first name basis as there is about a ten percent chance you will die, get lost in a time trap, or get kidnapped by something worse than the ghosts that roam this hell.” Jacob said warmly as he walked into the cache and started rummaging around the many crates stocked full of ammunition, tools, and spare arms and armors, etc. Azure looked around the walls for a bit before taking her cloak off and arming herself as well.

“Not to be rude guys but what are we supposed to do?” Rainbow dash asked.

“Stay grounded, don’t wander and keep your mouth shut.” Azure said her tone however was not as warm as Jacobs. They heard noise not soon after they started prepping.

“Scout shout out!” they heard a booming voice call out. Azure went outside and dealt with the proper procedures and pleasantries as jacob continuing packing gear, food, water, and medical supplies. He also handled the ponies’ saddlebags. Jacob really should have taken that call personally.

POV Jacob S, Fidelis

“Captain Jacob get your ass out here now!” I heard my CO yell it was my mother’s im in deep shit voice.

“ON MY WAY MA’AM!” I yelled back.

“You guys should stay in here this could be uncomfortable to witness.”

“Yer jokin right?” Applejack said bemused I shook my head.

“Don’t say anything you guys im serious this is Scout business.” With that I went outside keeping my knife ready just in case.

“Oh, hey Scout one or should I say Foxtrot congrats on the promotion.” I saw who it was, and we went and hugged each other like we were old friends… which we were.

“Well nice to see you too how marriage is going for you Ed.” As we stopped and gave each other a good look. Ed was shorter than me about six feet flat a buck eighty-nine and his armor was more old school being just a flak armor that covered his torso and parts of his arms.

“Well doing alright already got a kid on the way.”

“If you two are done can someone, explain why you’re here?”

“It’s the monthly death corps march.” Ed said a bit of fear in his voice.

“Okay but what does it have to do with my son?” my mother asked her voice ice cold.

“Well, uh you see.” He said even though he had a visor and balaclava I knew Ed was scared.

‘I won’t let him take any heat for my decisions.’

“Mom for the past eighteen years I’ve been a death corps guide. I have an extremely high survival rate only lost three in my eighteen years. These murders and criminals have gone on to better lives after I got them through this hell. Only about twenty have gone back to crime and were dealt with. Every three months for the past eighteen years mom. You should have gotten my reports…” I stopped and looked to ed for conformation.

“Uhh how do I say this we didn’t name you, but we had you listed by your call sign on the paperwork.” I groaned. ‘Idiot my mom is overprotective as hell but lying is going to get you killed with her.

“What’s to stop me from demoting you here Edward Gibson?”

“Me.” I spoke up.

“I didn’t know about all this but ed is a good scout and better solider he did what he thought was best and to be honest if you convened other scouts, they would cover for him as well.” My mother put her hand to her chin in thought.

“Edward Im not demoting but you’re going to lose pay for the next three months and you’re restricted to command central after this run understood?” We sighed in relief her punishment was not too bad. ‘Well, he could have been shot.’

“You however aren’t off the hook.” ‘There it is.’

“I stand by my decisions ma’am. The death corps set many of these men straight.”

“Pardon the intrusion darlings but what is this death corps it sounds dreadful.” I looked at the white unicorn and shook my head hoping she would drop it.

“Why don’t you ask one of them?” Azure said coldly she looked at the thirty or so men all wearing winter fatigues. They were issued no armor, but the clothing would keep them plenty warm they each shouldered an antique M16 rifle with five magazines each. A side arm with one bullet for themselves should they decide it’s too much. Other than that they had no further gear.

She walked down the line and pulled a young man about twenty years of age out. And brought him forward.

“Name, crime and sentence?” My mother said in a cold tone.

“Ma’am I know they committed crimes, but this attitude is not how we.” She held a hand up.

“I know the rules Captain Fidelis I was there when they were written, and I helped write them.” Her tone contained warning. Which I heeded.

“State it.”

“Name is Harry Stevonson. Crime four counts of murder in the first degree found guilty. Sentence death by hanging or death corps.”

“Why did you pick death corps?” she asked.

The solider was crying now as he literally dropped to his knees.

“I.. I… I Killed my wife who had cheated on me with another man. She was having small party and I took a gun… AND! I shot them okay I fucking shot them. Looking back on it I ended their lives without thought only anger!” The soldier said sobbing. Me and ed gave each other a look before looking at the solider.

“You didn’t answer why the death corps?” I asked. My tone warmer but it still held authority.

“I… I Joined because I didn’t want to die maybe if I live, I can make it up to their families if I die well, I paid the piper.” He said holding gloved hands in front of him.

“Im a sorry excuse for a human being anyway. I… I.” He stopped and pulled out the side arm and aimed at his head to quickly for me or ed to make a move, but azure did nothing. A loud bang filled the air as blood splattered the snow.

I moved first taking my time to get a tarp out of my pocket as ed took the ammunition and weapon off the corpse.

“What a waste he had an honest shot at redemption” ed said sadly I only nodded in agreement.

‘Shit the ponies.’ I looked to them. They were all horrified.

“Well at least it was quick.” I said to them as their eyes all looked to me. Im glad I had a visor because honestly, I don’t think I could have looked them in the eye at the moment.

“What. The. Buck!” Applejack and Rainbowdash yelled in unison.

Rarity fainted.

Fluttershy was frozen her face had a look of horror that I could not describe.

Pinkie pies hair drooped, and she went melancholy.

Twilight sparkle had the worst reaction.

She was still for a few moments before approaching the corpse. The other death corps men got out of her way as she looked at the tarp that now covered the dead solider. We couldn’t wait forever.

“Ed, you handle the death corps I got a mission with azure down south of the corridor. Meet us with men along the way.” Ed nodded.

“Any disagreement ma’am?” I asked my superior officer.

“None let’s move.” I nodded as we got the ponies ready, and sensible enough to march.
“Hold on!” Applejack yelled.

“We can’t just leave him there.” Applejack said.

“He will be picked up on the way back by ed and any surviving death corps members,” I said curtly.
“That aint right I tell ya the dead need ta be buried ya hear.”

“It’s the least we can do for him even though he was a criminal.” Twilight sparkle said using her magic to lift the body and wrap the tarp tightly around him.

“It would be a waste of time. Besides its so cold this far north that his body won’t decompose he will be the same as when we left him when they get back.” Azure answered.

“Not a waste ma’am but there is simply no room we are standing on a mountain of bodies we ran out of room hundreds of years ago.” I said trying to give empathy to the situation.

“Are humans so heartless? That they won’t at least say a few words?” Fluttershy asked quietly.

“Out here? Like I said earlier we are all statistics numbers on board. The death corps serve the purpose of bringing back identification of dead soldiers in the corridor. Many go insane. Some get captured. The rest well.” I looked to the tarp. “Most death corps members come home straight because they know the consequences of their actions.”

“You will see the corridor its merciless it has a memory of the world and all manner of fell things inhabit it.” I said as I walked past them. “And some good.” I said to myself.

“Stick close to me and you will survive, and I guarantee with a ninety six percent certainty that you will get home unscathed… relatively.

I looked up and noticed it getting dark.

“We move in thirty minutes we don’t stop for camp until we reach the end or were forced to. Boss I’ll take point as I know the corridor better and if it throws up an unknown route, I have a better idea of what to do.” I saw azure nod, but she gave few words before leaving our presence.

“I’ll accept you as an authority here, but we need to talk after this is over.” She said as she walked past me. “Understood.” With that I prepped a guide rope for later use should we need it and Ed got the remaining death corps ready checking their gear one more time before lining up behind ed.

Merry Christmas lads and lasses

Author's Note

Alright lads and lasses this chapter is kind of rough but it's just ballooned in size and as stated earlier I am likely going to break it apart into a few chapters and further proof reading and edit it later. The Christmas season is upon us.

Changelog as of 17:00 12/25/2021
Changed some details.
Fixed some errors.
cut chapter in half expect that in the next week or so better polished.

Any questions comment or criticisms feel free to leave behind until later peace.