//------------------------------// // Chapter 5:Fort Sun Guard // Story: The Unicorn Wars: Equestria // by Constellation //------------------------------// My eyes stung from the smoke produced from the weapon in my magical grasp, but slowly it started to clear. The Earth Ponies were in full retreat, but not before they had made it to the four ponies in front of us and killed them. But they never made it to us, we held the gap, maybe even saved the town. When the smoke finished clearing I found myself slowly walking toward the carnage, in my mind I wanted to turn back, but I knew I had to keep going, I had to see what I had done. Body's of mutilated corpses lay strewn across the small battle field, twenty, maybe thirty dead eyes staring blankly, it almost felt like they were staring at me, but I knew they weren't, they were all dead. I turned my gaze toward the four solders we had tried to save, but they to were gone, taken by primitive stone spears and maces that the Earth Ponies used. Their faces were the same, both earth ponies and unicorns, they were filled with fear. Then I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat as I looked at the faces of shocked civilians that were now flooding the streets, what if I hadn't been here and killed these earth ponies, what would they have done to all of them. My heart finely slowed its adrenalin fed pounding and my breath followed suit, the battle was won, and we were the winners. My eyes shifted to my best friend standing beside me, he didn't look good, nether did the rest of my squad, but I imagined I didn't look much better. I extended my hoof and nudged him with it just to make sure he was ok, his eyes slowly drifted toward me before stopping, looking directly into mine, they told me that he wanted to know the same thing as me, but he was the first to ask. "Why?"He asked sadly. "I don't know."Was all I could say, the reason still escaped me. A second later there were more unicorns coming into the street carrying stretchers, and then started carrying off the mutilated body's from both sides. Then we all turned and left, we just went straight back to the barracks and climbed into our bunks, no pony said anything, nor moved, but I am pretty sure that no pony got any sleep. I know I didn't. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The hot sun pounded down on us as we went along our way toward the fort, we were all still silent, even Fire Ball and the six ponies from the Blazing Hooves were quiet. The forest we traveled through even seemed unnaturally quiet, the birds rarely sang and no wild animals were to be found, just the clanking of mettle and the stretching of leather, produced from the marching ponies, broke the deathly silence. I felt like I was walking through a grave yard, or more like I was walking on a grave, the faces still hung in my mind, constantly reminding me that I had ended some ponies life, but I wasn't going to show it though, no pony was, they all looked like they had nothing wrong in their lives, but the perfectness of their faces betrayed the feeling they were trying to hide. On we marched, the day lengthening and coming to an end, my mind still tormenting me with the pictures that it had made against my will, of the broken body's from yesterday. Suddenly I felt like throwing up, I swallowed hard to keep my stomach acid from coming out, and continued down the road with the rest of my squad, things were not going to get easier, but it was to late to get out now. As that last thought finished we marched around a bend and there it was on a hill, Fort Sun Guard, from the road we were on it looked like it was in front of the sun, guarding it from any how would dare attack. Next we were marching up the hill, it kept getting steeper and steeper as we got closer to the huge wooden gate, that was currently open. "Halt!"The order was barked from a guard standing near the entrance."I will have to see your orders, Sirs."He finished, addressing the Sargent's. Sargent Steel Hoof presented the stallion with our orders, which were taken and swiftly gone through, then the Private gave them back to the Sarge. "Everything checks out,"He started."just follow the road and turn right, at the second right and you will see the main office." "Thank you private."The Sarge said, as we started moving toward the main office. "I will need to see your papers as well."I heard the private say to the squad behind us. Then the noise of the fort was all I could hear, the pounding of a blacksmiths hammer roared from deeper in the fort as we passed the armory. As I looked at all the ponies in the fort it was painful obvious that they had seen a lot of combat, the rundown and damaged walls proclaimed the same thing, that this was as front line as it got. After a minute we were all standing in front of the main office, it, like the rest of the fort looked old and rundown, the right side had clearly been burnt, and the windows were all broken. Ignoring the looks of the building, the Sarge led us through the door and inside, on the inside it wasn't that bad, the wood didn't look so worn, and the furnishings looked like they were in decent shape, chairs lined the far wall of the room, and there was a counter from the door to the other side as well, with one tired looking old mare behind it. "What can I do for you?"She asked as we came in. "We are the reinforcements from Manehatten,"The Sarge responded."we just need some orders." "Ha,"The mare laughed."only pony who gives orders around here is the captain,"She said "he's up on the battlements." "Thank you."The Sarge said as he turned and led us out the door past Blazing Hooves squad who were on their way in. The Sarge spotted the ramp that went up to the top of the wall, and we were all moving toward it in a instant, when we made it to the top I could see the captains uniform just a little ways down the wall, with our cores set we made our way over to him and all saluted. "Captain Bronze Sword,"The Sarge said saluting."I am Sargent Steel Hoof leader of Hail Storm squad, here on orders to reinforce this fort, Sir." "At ease,"Captain Bronze Sword said returning the salute."have you all been assigned to a barracks?" "No Sir."The sarge answered. "Very well,"The captain continued."The private will show you to barracks three." "Yes Sir,"The Private said stepping forward."If you would follow me."He finished and started toward the ramp. He led us to the far south side of the fort were there was two barracks, barracks three and four, we were left there with no further orders so we just unpacked and went to sleep, all of us to tired to even eat supper.