Humans

by unclefester84

Preface

Author's Note:

I don't own MLP.
This story is the result of a plot bunny planted in my brain after reading "The Green" by JarOfHeaths ( https://www.fimfiction.net/story/181514/the-green ) so you can go and blame him for this!
Jokes aside that is a great story and i strongly recommend it.
This is my first fanfiction, and english is not my first language so constructive criticism is welcome but please be nice. I am also looking for proofreader(s) willing to help me out, and the cover image is a temporary placeholder until i find someone to make some dedicated art for me (either under request or commission).

Preface

Greetings dear reader, my name is Dr. Wandering Quill, earth pony archeologist, linguist and, according to some, “crazy old crackpot”.
Such a flattering moniker is mainly thanks to my research into the history predating the coming of the first ponies into the world, and my theories regarding the very origin of our existence.
Now I won't bore you with the full story of my life, but some context will be needed for this all to make sense.

I was a respected historian at Canterlot University before i was kicked out (metaphorically and almost literally), for going against the accepted theories that say that intelligent life appeared on this world only a few tens of thousands of years ago, in the form of the first dragons, and that before them there had only been millions of years of boring natural evolution.
In my life of studies however, I discovered too many weird things, too many ‘coincidences’, that ultimately led me to believe that the history of civilization is much, much more ancient and complex than is ordinarily believed.
Unfortunately, the general scientific community was not open to such “outlandish and baseless assumptions” and so, after years of trying, I lost my job and position and was forced to go on an early retirement.
That was my lowest point, compounded even more when my lovely wife passed away. I thought my life had no purpose anymore, that I would spend the rest of my years being avoided by my former colleagues, friends, and also by my children, who apparently wanted nothing to do with a crazy pony like me.
Then the Foundation contacted me.

Apparently I wasn't the only one that believes our knowledge of the history of the world is vastly incomplete. This secret organization offered their help and resources to expand my studies, and in exchange I was requested to share with them, and only with them, all my findings, and to disappear from the face of the world.
I accepted their offer almost on the spot, and after they faked my death, I could finally fulfill my lifelong dream of discovering the truth of our history.
Years went by and I learned a lot about my new sponsor and its origin, which by itself would be a fascinating subject for a full PHD thesis, but much more I discovered about our mysterious past.
I was right, the Foundation had put together enough evidence to conclusively prove the existence of an ancient civilization that lived, thrived and then suddenly disappeared millions of years before even the first traces of modern complex life came to be, at least according to mainstream science.
A civilization composed entirely of Alicorns, and governed by none other than Faust, the mythological deity creator and protector of all ponykind.

If you’re gasping in surprise and disbelief I won't blame you, I reacted the same way.
Unfortunately however, this was pretty much all that could be discerned from the scattered fragments of information found around the world.
Yet there were also faint hints of something more going on during that time, something about darkness and Titans, and then a term that has been haunting the Foundation for millennia: Humans.

It is to discover more about this mysterious past that many secret expeditions have been sent all over the world, the latest of which saw myself involved as the main historian and translator, which is also the reason why I now find myself in this place.
It started ordinarily enough. We went to explore a small, unassuming cave that was recently uncovered by a glacial collapse on a mountain far beyond the northern border of Yakyakistan. Despite the remoteness of the place we reached the entrance easily enough with the help of one of our local agents, but after we finally entered inside, everything began to go wrong.
All magic failed, as if completely severed from our very being, and many, me included, felt like somepony, or something, was watching us as we made our way in. But still we pressed on until we arrived in a vast chamber with a raised platform in the middle.
After studying it, we realized that it was an extremely old teleporter, much more ancient than even the earliest Abyssinian ruins, but despite its age it seemed to be still in working condition, and in our overenthusiastic curiosity we tried to activate it.
That’s when the entire mountain fell onto our heads.
As the teleporter sprung to life the cavern began to quickly collapse, but while the rest of the team made a run for the exit, my old legs made it clear that I would never reach it, so I threw all our instruments and provisions into the magic circle, before jumping in myself.

I had just made it to the other side when the arrival teleport circle flickered and died. Apparently I got through just in time before the collapse destroyed the device, but that also meant that there won't be any going back, at least not by the same way, and so in all earnest I began to take in my surroundings.
If I had been in awe at discovering such a sophisticated device forgotten away in a mountain cave, it was nothing compared to what I felt once I realized where I arrived.
It was another vast cave, with all its interior carved like a palace, one that would put the splendor of even Canterlot Castle and the Crystal Palace combined to shame. I cannot possibly give an appropriate description of my surroundings without repeating words like ‘marvelous’, and ‘extraordinary’, and outright ‘impossible’, like a broken record, so I will try to tone it down.
The structure itself reminds me of classic architecture, with columns and sculptures and mosaics depicting natural scenes, including plants and animals that don't exist today.
There are also fountains that still spill clear and refreshing water, and the air is always clean and fresh.
There are some organic remains, potted plants that rotted away long ago, together with whatever carpet and tapestry that might have covered the floors and walls, the floor itself is smooth and yet not slippery at all, the ceiling is enchanted to cycle between day and night, alternating between a clear blue sky and a starry one, although i do not recognize any constellation, the moon looks different and even the length of the days does not match ours.
Still the magnitude of this discovery didn’t hit me until a couple of days later, when I came across a remarkably well preserved door with figures carved on it, figures of tall ponies with both wings and a horn.
Alicorns.

Nothing in my career, nothing in my life could have ever prepared me for what I found beyond that door.
It seemed like a studio of some sort, the kind that would make princess Twilight drool in envy, with bookshelves, the remains of what I assume were scrolls, books and writing supplies, together with some arcane ingredients that still resonate with magic.
At the center of the room I saw a large desk with a massive book closed on it, and behind it, still sitting on a chair, there was a figure, a skeleton.
An Alicorn skeleton.

I almost had a heart attack when i saw it, i was in the presence of the body of a creature that lived and died long before even the first dragons appeared on the world, yet despite its age it was much better preserved than any other organic material found in this place, it was still wearing its immaculate silvery robe and golden regalia, and standing as if it was simply nodding off on the chair after a long day’s work.
I could spend this entire book trying to describe what I felt at that moment. I was so overwhelmed that I almost didn’t notice the real treasure that stood in front of me: the book on the desk.
Even by itself this book is a marvel among marvels, it is quite massive and made of a material that I have never seen before, hard and apparently impervious to both damage and time, yet light and movable as if made from the highest quality paper.
Inside there were both writing and drawings, still clear as if they were inscribed yesterday, in a language matching the one that I had learned during my time with the Foundation, and as I began to translate the first sentences, I couldn't believe my eyes.
It was a history book, narrating the story of the world from its beginning, to the end of the Alicorn Kingdom, and written by someone that claimed to be related to Faust herself.

I fainted at that point, and when i woke up again i felt something in me, a drive and determination like i haven't felt in many years, it was as if i was meant to be there, as if all my life had been in preparation of this moment and was now about to reach its fulfillment.
I suddenly knew what i needed to do, i needed to translate and transcribe this book in our present language, and to add to it the history of the world following what was narrated there, as if adding a sequel to a novel, or updating a science journal.
I spent the next day carrying all my provisions to the studio. We had brought enough to feed the entire expedition for weeks, so for a single pony they should last for months and give me enough time to complete my work.
Looking in one of the drawers of the desk i then found another book of the same kind used by this alicorn, blank ready to be written on, and as i opened it on the desk, the same quill and inkpot that was used for the original animated itself in front of me, conveniently ready to write at my will, which otherwise would have been quite difficult to do without either magic or wings.
I was ready.

What follows here is a work divided in two parts, the first is the translation and adaptation to modern language of the original book, here and there annotated by myself for better context, the second part is my own original work, adding the knowledge of the subsequent time and focusing on the story and nature of the Foundation, the secret society that spent thousands of years trying to discern the truth that was revealed to me this past few days.

Comments

[TearingNose24]

Im intrigued, go on...

[Diamond Sparkle]

Interesting.

[Nilam]

About the author's note: your English is fine and the writing style is good too. The only thing that can be fixed is that the i has to be capitalized.

As for the story, this is exactly my type of thing. Looking forward to more