We quite literally slid our way down the mountain that morning under a red sky. It's gentle crimson glow was almost soothing, as the sun made its was over the hills. It peaked over the distance, hiding out of sight. It's yellow peak slipping through the sky. I looked up at that sky, the pollution from Blueblood's side of Equestria tended to sink over and leave this residue on the clouds, in turn making the sky red.

The rose pedal sky was something that got my mind off of the fighting. It was weird how that works, something so simple can pull away all of life's cruelty. We kept moving through that harsh and bitter cold that sent shivers down my spine. We hadn't heard helicopters yet so we figured we needed to take advantage of that. The good news, however, was that Canterlot was almost in sight. We marched on, the cold morning blocking all thought, killing all doubts. We moved without thinking. It was automatic. There was no thought.

I didn't think about what may await me, instead I just kept marching. I never could remember what it was really like to be a soldier again. There was no merit, no glory, just marching. We marched back from the Karkhan Province all the way down to the streets of Bakanor. Yet nothing made you feel more alive, that feeling of being a machine. I almost forget the faces of the stallions in that war. Ponies I never thought I'd ever think of again. It was weird, what marching brought you to. I remember marching just like this over the gravel, dirt, sand, mud, shit, bodies, blood, bones, gore, I almost forgot. Something had changed. I still remember the idea that I thought I was fighting for something. Hell, that'd never be true no matter how much I twisted it.

Did I even fight to protect ponies? Or did I fight for the blood? Maybe it was the adventure, the endless monologue racing in my mind was not silenced by the birds singing around us. Things wouldn't change for me, but maybe if I just understood those gentle songs I might find peace with myself, that child I killed might be swept out of my mind and instead I might be brought back out of the hell that confines me. Maybe one day I'd pick up like one and fly away. Go somewhere so far away I forget even who I am. I knew it'd never happen but I felt that I just wanted to go back.

"You ever heard the phrase 'sins of our fathers'?" Bellona wasn't used to this whole marching in silence gig, no surprise.

"Yep, something about how we're guilty for what our parents did right?"

"I don't know if that's true, I mean everypony thinks their doing good. Path to hell is paved in good intentions you know?"

"Well there's always people that just want to hurt others."

"I'm sure they had their reasons."

"Yea, sure they did."

We knew where this conversation was going, so we just kept quiet until we reached the main road that led to what was left of the gate. However this 'highway' was pretty problematic when it came to crossing into the city. Open ground and plenty of places for thieves.

"Keep off the road, it's safer that way."

She just nodded, totally defeated by the legwork we put into getting here just to be told that we can't take a hike on the only flat and decent ground. She did understand though, whether she agreed was beyond me. With that we marched into the unknown.

Author's Notes:

Yea I'm not even a brony anymore yet I still work on this. Odd right? Anyway I just figured I'd put this out there to end a wait and then keep on going with it later. Shortest chapter there will be I promise.