Mankind still stands

Chapter 7 A old tale

POV none

---Status of corridor team---

---Data received---

Remaining

Death’s corps: 6

Combat personnel: 2

Commanders: 1

Misc./Ponies: 6

---Combat data and video upload complete---

---going into standby---

Jacob ejected the USB from the computer putting it away and going back into the other room where everyone was resting.

“Ma’am data upload complete as requested.”

“Thank you, Jacob you can rest with the others.”

“Negative I got watch.” Azure looked at him before nodding.

“Azure you sure about this.” Ed said looking up from the cot he was laying on.

“If there is one thing, I’ve learned about him during this venture is that he is stubborn as hell just like his father.” Ed said nothing more before laying back down.

POV Jacob fidelis

Looking up at the sky the halfway point of the corridor was always so peaceful the stars shone bright here at this point where the sun never shined.

“Cold out here aint it.” The pony applejack came out.

“Not really plus.” I pounded the plate armor that I had put on. It resembled old knight armor if anything, but it only covered the torso and upper thighs. The helmet was gone but I had a spare combat helmet stored up here along with old HUD uplink glasses old tech but still functional.

“Pretty aint it.” She said looking up at the sky

She sat next to me as I moved my new rifle to accommodate her.

“Yea the sun never shines from the ¼ to the ¾ point of the corridor. And here we are essentially above most of the hills and mountains. The sight is always beautiful it never gets old.”

“Huh, I wonder why that is.”

“I can tell you. But it’s a sad tale.” We both looked at the doorway to see azure standing there.

“Indeed, it is.” I said solemnly. ‘Having explored the corridor as well as guided men and women through it the evidence of the struggles humankind made haven’t really shown up yet, but I hope and pray that the corridor shelters us from them. Especially for the pony’s sake.’ I thought a prayer on my mind.

“I would be interested in this story plus I can take notes to share with celestia.” I saw a look of anger cross azures face for a moment before it disappeared.

“Well then I’d be happy to share twilight ill check your notes later, so you have a full recount.” Twilight sparkle and azure talked for a bit as I went back to watching the night sky.

POV Azure

I cleared my throat before speaking.

“Tell me twilight what do you think happened for humanity and us dragon kin to come this far north?” ‘Maybe I can gauge just how much this scholar knows.’ I thought quietly.

“I Actually have very little idea other than the great war most events are blank or unfilled.” I was about to get angry, but twilight offered up a nugget of information.

“Although Luna showed me before sending me here for you evidence of humankinds existence underneath Canterlot castle. What little information I do know is recent and I know nothing but the outcome of the great war.

‘Right celestial would be ashamed of this after all she was not the fighter of the two sisters. She also kept her people out of the war as long as possible.’

“Well Im glad Celestia didn’t destroy the museum of Camelot fortress.” I saw twilight about to speak but spoke first.

“Yes, it was a museum you saw as well as the guard’s armory and I would prefer you kept it secret as well same goes for you applejack.” I said looking at applejack who nodded.

“I understand I won’t say word to anypony.”

“Thanks, I won’t go over the events of the war although I was there. To retell it would take about forty years. All you need to know is that I was an active participant in the war, and I was the keeper of history in the corridor.

“The corridor project started five years before the final battle. Just about the time when Luna turned into nightmare moon.” I said thinking back to a time long past.

“I remember the first things to be sent north were all of the records and histories entrusted to us from when humanity woke up all the way to their previous records from when they alone were the only intelligent species walking the earth. I won’t bore you with the details of how I oversaw and managed to secure not most but all of humanities records knowledge and history and move it in secret to the entrance of the corridor.”

“For the last five years humanity was split into two groups ones that would be sent north to survive and ones that would have to stay behind… This was determined by lottery.” I Remembered the crying children and sad faces of wives and their loved ones who weren’t selected.

“The lottery I will say is something I must say a few words on before moving on it was incredible cruel, but it had to be done. Anyone over the age of forty was disqualified and certain branches were disqualified. The very sick and the mentally ill were also disqualified. Even then a few of my sisters stayed behind giving their spots to others. Out of the twenty thousand that we were initially today only fourteen thousand remained as this was determined to be the bare minimum of those who had to go north.” Twilight spoke up after this.

“How could you abandon so many ponies… people to die? This is ludicrous there had to be other options something else.” She said angry and I couldn’t blame her I had already made peace with it but twilight being an alicorn a freshly made alicorn hasn’t really come to terms with the fact she will live an incredibly long time.

“What option should we have considered twilight we were surrounded by enemies our last allies the ponies turned on us it would have been a matter of time before they crushed us had we stayed behind.” ‘She probably is gonna ask about suing for peace.’

“You could have surrendered made peace.”

“Do you know the terms of surrender that were given when humanity was at the table for the final year?” Twilight shut up.

“The terms were basically slavery and destruction of human way of life. The terms were and I quote.” The memory returned along with my anger.

---one thousand years prior---

POV azure

“The terms of human surrender are as follows.

One: Humanity will turn over their weapons and research of all kinds and types they will also not be allowed to maintain an army of any size.

Two: Humanity will pay reparations to all nations in the price of one billion bits to each race here. Should they be unable to pay this every year they will surrender a thousand of their children five years of age to be given to each race as collateral till such a time as the reparations are paid off.

Three: Humanity must turn over fifty percent of all mined ore and all farmed crops for the next twenty years. And twenty percent of all ore afterwards for another period of one hundred years.

Four: Humanity will no longer be allowed to make any settlements larger than five thousand men women and children. If they go over this amount they will be dealt with by way of the sword.

Five: Humans will no longer have a seat at the table to make any form of complaint or demand to the assembled races.

My blood boiled as the terms were listed. ‘The human representative sitting at the table was remarkably calm all things considering.’

“Six: The dragonkin are part human as such they are required to abide by these terms as well.”

To my surprise the dragon king roared in anger his head was the only thing that fit in the room, but his roar knocked everyone off their chairs as papers flew everywhere.

“INSOLENT CREATURES IF YOU SO MUCH AS LAY A FINGER ON MY FELLOW KIN THE DRAGONS WILL GO TO WAR AGAINST ALL OF YOU!” His anger could be felt throughout the room as the rest of the races looked at the griffin presenting the terms with a look of complete and abject terror.

“The dragons are the only race here that is neutral and unlike the rest of you completely fresh and I assure you if this war continues, they will easily kill all of you should this war go one more year.” The human said coldly. He picked up the paper of terms and lit match under the paper.

“I general Jacob representative of humanity promise you this as god is my witness. If you continue down this path with us, we as a race will give you such a nasty black eye for so long that your races will take more than a millennium to fully recover and, in some ways, never will. The technology you seek will be lost because there will be nothing to recover. The resources you so covet will be tainted with the blood of all the races here. The land you so seek will be so covered in death that you will not settle for two hundred years. There will be. NOTHING! For you to recover if our race will not receive a fair deal then this is where it stands.”

Jacob stood up and walked to the door.

“The second I leave this room is the last time we come to this table to discuss terms till either you sue for peace or next year when we all meet again.” No race said anything no race stopped him as he walked across the room and through the door.

“You have doomed yourselves I pray you come to your senses before this goes to far.” The dragon king said pulling his head back out of the wall and leaving.

---the present---

“That day humankind made their stand so to speak. Any race could have stopped him they could have come up with new terms but what has happened, happened.” I said reminiscing of that fateful day.

“The reason for the night sky though is something that Luna and Celestia have no control over. Five years was enough to dig to this point. Past this point it got easier because we no longer dug in secret. The day mankind abandoned the south, when the final human came past the corridor threshold the sun set here for the final time.” I said looking up the stars.

“I remember watching the sun set here close to this spot for the last time. So, we dug with whatever light we had left. Some died of hopelessness, hunger, the elements a few months later. The dead could no longer be buried south of the corridor so trucks would be filled with dead bodies and abandoned till we could come back and properly bury them.” I said a mix of emotions running through me.

“The dark of night even today is something humans find comforting because under that night they dug through the corridor. Under the night in their old homeland rest could be all but guaranteed. Under the night sky they were relatively safe.”

“That is just horrible I don’t know what I would do if me and my family forced away from our homes or be for all intents and purposes slaves.” Applejack said taking her Stetson off.

“Humans are a hardy race they survive adapt and overcome its in their DNA. Im still surprised by humans today sure there are times when humankind becomes weak, but a conflict of some sort breaks out forcing humanity to get stronger again. It’s a cycle and well humankind is resilient whatever comes its way it adapts and thrives or at bare minimum survives. Its why the dragonking had such high respect in regards towards humans as a race they stood their ground and would not be moved. The entire world was against them, yet they stayed their course every minute they fought in those final hours was another minute that he wished he would have sided with humans.” I Said looking at the two ponies.

“The dragon king will never admit it, but humans are the one race he considers equal to his own. Sure, they are soft and squishy and not magical really in the slightest but their ability to survive pretty much anything that comes their way. Well, that has always been a high mark that he gives the squishy flesh bags.”

“So, the stars have been here since humans abandoned the south.” Twilight spoke more to herself.

“Twilight im going to ask you a question why do you think the corridor tries to actively kill us as we travel back through?” Jacob asked.

I kept my eyes on twilight sparkle for her response as she thought deeply.

“I don’t know.” Twilight sparkle finally answered.

“How about you; applejack care to guess?”

“I don’t know either sugarcube.”

“It’s to protect the species down south aka you. If it weren’t for this corridor mankind would have gone back hundreds of years ago.” Jacob responded.

“Wait didn’t you say there was a second corridor?” Twilight sparkle said.

I looked at jacob giving him my biggest what the F*** look I could give.

“True but to get to the mainland we would have to launch a massive naval invasion and to be quite frank the sea ponies are nice neighbors, so we promised not to do that unless all other courses are exhausted.”

“Captain sometimes you both surprise and astonish me.” I said to jacob. He shrugged.

“What can I say I’ve been through the corridor more than enough times to figure out its purpose. Besides most races would freeze to death before ever reaching the first combat line.”

“So let me get this straight the whole reason were being bombarded by enemies as were trying to make our way back home is because the corridor is protecting us from you?” Twilight said dumbfounded.

“It’s as the captain says it’s in fact now one of the only reasons why mankind hasn’t marched south to seek vengeance.” I answered.

We sat in silence as we watched the night sky in all its beauty.

“Head inside you three its almost time to move again get some sleep.”

POV Cpt. Jacob Fidelis

I was about to respond before the general gave me a look of “Don’t argue with me.”

“Fine but I don’t need to rest.” I said stubbornly heading inside where I was met by ed lounging on one of the old couches.

“So how was lookout?” Ed said thumbing through an old book.

“Nothing exciting.” I said sitting against a wall.

“She finally sent you in to get some sleep huh.”

“I don’t sleep well these days Ed wake me up when it’s time to go.” I said taking my helmet off.

“Can do captain.” Ed said as I closed my eyes.

“Please let this final leg be easy and not full of death traps.” I prayed silently before nodding off into a light sleep.