Chapter 6...

It’s been a good fours hours now the fire fight in the marketplace is still raging on, becoming a full on battle, between Praying Mantis and the Rebels. Dashy had fallen asleep in my arms when I had rested against a wall on the second story of the building we were hiding in. Me however, I couldn’t sleep. I kept on seeing that soldier I choked out in my mind. Everytime I closed my eyes, he would be their, staring back at me, his eyes forever glaring at me as tears flowed painfully from his burning lungs and then being soaked up by the face mask. My body tenses up each time I stare long enough.

But, for some reason, I kept on imagining myself going one step further, and playing god. I see myself pulling the gun on the man in his unconscious state, stare at him for about a second or two as the dust settles around me…

… and then pulling the trigger. And every time the shot rings out I hear the ghostly cries of men dying on the battlefield, countless souls forever lingering in my mind.

‘How many people have I killed?' I asked myself, I got no answer. ‘Why, why is this world so war hungry Why does everyone like the thought of war?’ I asked myself. Again no answers.

“When will this end?” I whispered out loud into the dusty dark room. Gun shots kept on raining from outside the window, taunting my question. Making fun of me. Ignoring me.

But as all the other questions came, one stood out.

‘Why didn’t I pull the trigger?’ This question came from nowhere. I couldn't find out why it came up, or why I would ask myself something like that. But unlike the others, this question had an answer to it. And it lay on my lap snoring away.

Next Day...

When morning came, we left the market and pushed on, I didn’t want to linger in that place anymore. After making our way out of the market area, we headed down the road Snake had told me to travel when we left the market place. Remembering his words I kept my eyes peeled for a fountain.

Dashy was wide awake now, she gotten startled by a mortar shot that came just a little too close to the house, forcing us to leave. Dash seemed much heavier from when we first meet outside my base. Shes grown about maybe three inches and shes gotten much heavier. She was now akin to a normal sized foal.

We had to have walked for at least a good two miles before something stopped us, as if the battlefield never wanted me to leave. We had gotten to a intersection, abandoned cars crowded the sides of the street as they rusted. A small dust storm had picked up a few second prior to me arriving here. The wind whipped the sand up into my face, blurring my vision. The wind was loud, but still quiet enough to hear my foot steps.

I attempted to look down both streets, but of course, I couldn’t see much, but it was worth the effort. When I saw nothing, I began to cross. Half way across the road, I heard a familiar sound. The sound of roaring engines, it wasn’t just one this time, but four. I quickly whipped my head around towards the direction of the market place. And as I did, I saw headlights peering through the sand.

“Strykers…” I said under my breath. Turning my head back around I Quickly darted across the street and flew into nearest alleyway just as the iron beasts hit the intersection. I heard they’re engines halt as they hissed and creaked with the breaks.

I had positioned myself against the wall of the building to my left, and peered out back towards the street as I heard the strykers moving about. All four of the strykers had lined up and blocked the road I was on. But, upon closer analysis of the strykers, I ducked back behind the wall with my eyes closed in disbelief. Two of the beasts were from the infantry division, each held 12 soldiers inside, or  three fire teams, or a squad.  Each vehicle had a 50 cal. machine gun mounted on the top, it’s remote controlled from inside.

But, the other two strykers were different. They were from the mobile armour division, the MGS types. Instead of the machine guns on top, it was mounted with a 105mm cannon that could fire any round a tank could fire. The outside of it’s hull was covered by a protective layer of mesh. Normally they move in groups of three to make a full squad, but I guess this was an exception.

As I opened my eyes, I could feel my bag rustle about. Rainbow Dashes head popped up and rested on my shoulder. I turn to my right and smile as she gives me a look of reassuring happiness. Then through the wind I could hear the sound of gates dropping to the ground. I whipped my head around with Dashy following and looked back at the platoon of soldiers. The back of the infantry strykers had opened up and soldiers began to march out of the sandy wall. They emerged from in between the vehicles and marched in two columns of 12. In front of the column nearest to me, was a different looking soldier. He was a sergeant, I could tell because instead of a helmet, he wore our standard patrol cap instead. Plus, he had the biggest radio. They’re common, I’ve seen billions.

However on the right column, the front soldier was clearly different. He didn’t wear a patrol cap, or helmet. He wore a beret. It was tan, with a black leather brim, and the symbol on the top part was our companies logo. After I saw the beret, I knew what he was. He was a lieutenant, the front man of the platoon following behind on foot, the strykers were only their for support from a different platoon. They marched slowly, as the soldiers behind the two figure heads shifted about with their rifles in hand, checking balconies, and windows next to them.

But as I looked closer at the soldiers, my heart refused to pump blood as I froze in shock. Through their goggles and face masks, I saw their eyes. They weren’t soldier’s eyes, they weren’t killer’s eyes either. Those eyes looked looked innocent. They looked like children's eyes. From the way those soldiers walked, the way they held their guns, to their overall height. They couldn’t have been more than 16 years old. They weren’t meant to be here, they had lives to live for, not hiding behind bullet proof vests.  

I pull myself behind cover once again, and fall back to a safer location, behind a dumpster as Dashes head bounced about. I watch as the soldiers march out in front of the alleyway. The first few soldiers passed without problem, but as the first soldier in the second fire team came into view, the world stopped. His head was turned towards me and his goggles were up, my eyes and his eyes connected, he saw me.

His eyes widened as I was just about to turn start running when a crack cut the air around us. I watch as if in slow motion a high caliber round fly in from down the road and slam right into the soldiers chest. His eyes grew larger as he screamed in agony. His vest ripped open as his rifle hit the ground and blood flew into the air like a mist. The soldiers around him quickly drew to arms and charged down the street weapons blaring as the strykers followed close behind kicking up a large amount of sand, leaving the child in the dust riving in agony. He was now belly up as his legs kicked try to get him to move, but it was to no use. His right arm grabbed the wound as the other tried to push him up. I watched in horror as tears welled up in my eyes.

Through the gunfire and the cannons, I heard him speak in a slurred and garggly voice.

"M-medic…” He was lung shot for as he spoke blood spewed from behind his mask. His hand covering his wound quickly turned from yellow and black, to red. I turned around to see Dash with her mouth wide open, and her eyes wide with shock. Tears had formed underneath her lids and they fell into her fur.

I knew what had to be done. I quickly took Dash off from my back and rested her down on the sand. I began to walk towards the soldier, but she followed.

“Dash, please, let me deal with it.” Dash stopped as her ears fell. She sat back down and watched me. I turned back towards the soldier as I quickly approached him as he still tried to get up and fight. I stopped inches from a pool of blood beneath him as again with the same sound of speech he spoke,

“I… I don’t w-want to die… some help me please…” He said as he tried to push himself up again. I knelt down as the blood reached my pants, the fabric soaked it up. I placed my trembling hand on his shoulder. His head weakly turned to me as we made eye contact again. He young innocent blue eyes looked at me for an answer. Tears fell from my eyes and into the blood as his mouth pooled trying to make words. His left hand grabbed my vest, leaving a print of a bloody glove underneath.

His eyes became bloodshot as hot tear fell from them into the mask as he shook.

“Please, I-I don’t have much time left… if you ever m-make it out of this al-live, tell my mother I died in my sleep in a mortar raid.” He said as his blood was pushed out of his mouth.  

I couldn't help him. He had lost too much blood, and his lungs were shot to shit. I nodded to his request as the gunfire echoed off further down the road. I reached down towards my leg slowly, regretting my choice. I didn't want him to suffer any more. I drew out my GSR, and flicked off the safety making a sickening click. I pointed the gun down at the soldier as I closed one of my eyes and aimed down the sights at him. His eyes closed as tears were forced out.

The sand around us had settled from the sand storm as I closed my eyes. I pulled my finger off the ring and placed it on the trigger. This was it. I choked up as I squeezed it slowly hearing the mechanisms turning, counting down the last second to his tormented life.

Then it fired. The gun echoed off the walls and out into the air of the Battlefield. I opened my eyes and looked at the soldier. His hand dropped from my vest and to the ground making a thud as he feel backwards and hit the sand as well. I dropped the gun as I stiffened in horror at what I had just done. His life taken from him at such a young age due to the tides of war. He didn’t deserve any of this.

I collapse on top of him as I let loose with the tears as they hiccuped with my breathing. I hated myself, could I have done more? Why did it have to be him, why not me, why did he have to come here? Why? Why? WHY?

“WHY WHY WHY WHY!?” I screamed at the top of my lungs slamming my hands down into the sand. My lungs burned me for air as I cry into his vest. I pull up into a kneel and pick him up into my arms. I pull his head up towards me as I stare into his dead lifeless eyes. My hands tighten as I slam my head down into him as I hug him.

“I’m sorry, so so sorry.” I said as loud as I could. I stay like this for over a minute, suddenly I feel a soft mass come up from behind me and grapple to my back. I look up and back towards the feeling, it was Dash nuzzling her head into me. She has tears of her own as she weeps softly.

Then through the gunfire, the explosions, the  wind,,and my own tears, I hear a voice. It as soft and innocent like a child speaking for the first time.

“Don’t be sad, be happy.” It came from close behind me. I turn around to see Dash looking up at me with tears in her eyes and a smile across her face. I rest the soldier back down and turn around to the pegasus with my mouth wide open in shock. I quickly grab Dash and embrace her in a hug. I feel her hoof wrap around my neck as we embrace each other for what seemed like an eternity.

---

After I had hugged Dashy, I returned to the soldier and rested him up against the wall. I picked up his rifle and unloaded the mag and placed it on his lap. I kneel in an close his eyes lids with my right hand. His blue lifeless eyes closing for the last time. I stand up and look at him. I had place his hands so that they interlocked with each other over his rifle. I slap my legs together and salute him as Dashy stands next to me.

“You were taken to soon kid… I will not let your words die with you.” In my left hand curled up in my fist was his tags.