//------------------------------//
// 9. Battlefield Heroics 
// Story: Guardians of the Elements of Harmony 
// by mcb893 
//------------------------------//

Night Fall...

Moore awoke in the bed, for a minute unsure where he was. Then he remembered that he was in Ponyville. He looked out of a window, seeing it was night time. Stretching he grabbed his gear. "John! John!" He hears from the lobby, grabbing his berretta, he puts it to his side and brings his assault rifle to his front. He opens the door, seeing a panic stricken Twilight. "John... there's... it's a..." "Calm down Twilight, what's the matter?" "There's... 5 hordes coming this way!" She said while trying to get ponies in the door. Moore nods and charges out.

Coming from the forest, he sees a swarm of Chaos Bringers charge, how many there are, he can't be sure. But one thing he does know, is that they're not gonna lay a finger on any of the ponies. He won't let them. "Human! Over here!" Moore turns to see a group of what looked like royal guards setting up a blockade. Sliding over, he fires a clip into the horde. "We have a blockade set up, but we don't know if it will hold." He said. Moore reloaded and peaked over the barrier, seeing multiple hostiles. "What are you thinking?" The stallion next to him asked. Turning his head, Moore tells him to grab six other guards, hide in two buildings next to the blockade and wait for a signal. "What will the signal be?" "I'll fire this into the air, when I do, leap from the buildings and ambush them. Got it?" "Certainly." Moore nods and pats him on the back. Popping back up, he places three rounds into the a creature and ducked back down.

"You're going to listen to him?" The Commander shouted at the Sergeant. "Sir, we are out of options, this creature has seen warfare on a scale none of us have, and we've never faced a horde of this size. "I still don't know, can we trust him?" A private asked. The Commander looked at the human, grabbing a young filly that had gotten separated from it's parents. He used his body to shield it, and got it to a pair of crying pegasai. "Ok, I'll admit, he has a strong heart." He thought. Sighing, he answered the Private. "What choice do we have? He's our best shot at getting out of this with no casualties. Men! Three of you hide in this building on the right. Another three on the left." The guards saluted and launched themselves to get to position. "You'd better know what you're doing human..." The commander thought to himself.

Moore released the crying child from his arm to her parents. "Thank you so much stranger!" The father replied embracing his child. Moore dived back over to the barricade, watching as the commander of the guards gave orders. "Please let him listen to me..." He thought. Once again he popped up, firing five rounds into three targets. Flying over to him the Commander asked him what he was trying to accomplish with this tactic. "It's called an ambush, being attacked from seemingly out of nowhere causes the enemy forces to panic, and they don't fight as well." He explained. "If even a single one of my men gets killed in the idea of yours..." "They won't! Now listen, I need you to order a frontal assault with the rest of your troops, I'll accompany you." The commander eyed him and nodded.

Twilight looked out her window, watching as John leaped over the barricade with the commander. "Twilight, we have a pegasus that has serious slashing wounds in his wings. He needs healing!" Spike shouted from behind. Twilight quickly rushed over to attend to the hurting pony. "Please... somepony help me!" He shouted in agony, a light magenta colored pegasus stood crying by his side. Twilight calmed him and told him to stay calm. She began he healing spell and hoped that John could stop any more injuries like this.

"Hostile behind you!" Moore shouted as he fired his weapon. A clicking noise sounded, signaling that he was out of ammo. He dropped the clip in his weapon and reached to reload. "Anytime now human!" The Commander shouted, who was kicking several of the creatures in the face. Moore shouted his war cry and fired his pistol into the air. The ambush began and the six guards rushed out from the buildings. Reactions from the creatures were just as he had hoped, they screeched and roared, not in anger, but fear and confusion.

"NOW! Give em' everything you got!" Moore shouts as he takes a grenade and pulls the pin. Throwing it into the crowd of Chaos Bringers. The shrapnel blasted through them, causing them to burst into dark smoke. Raising his rifle, he fires a clip into them, the stallions continue to bash them. He sees the Commander get surrounded, and rushes over to him. He takes his knife and slashes two. The remaining three leap onto him, one slashing his arm. Kicking it, he stabs one to the right in it's chest and gets back up.

"I've got you Commander, hang on!" He hears. Slowly reopening his eyes, he sees blood staining his white coat, as more slowly pours out. "Give me some cover, the Commander is down!" He hears. Looking up, he sees the human dragging him away, pressing it's hand against a wound on the commander's gut. "Look at me, you're gonna be alright!" He shouts as he raises one arm to fire his large weapon. "Why... are you... doing this..." He asked, out of breath. "Why do think? I'm a guardian, and you're just as much of a pony as anyone else." "Just leave me..." "Don't even think about it! We're in this together!"

Moore dragged the commander to a hospital, placing him on a couch and continuing to hold his wound. "Medic!" He shouts. A white pony comes out and gasps. "Commander! I need a team stat! Move!" Rushing out, Moore sees the stallions forcing the creatures back. "Keep it up!" He shouts as he rushes over. "They're retreating, keep pushing!" A stallion shouts. Moore takes his pistol and aims, firing on the Chaos Bringers. Hearing a cry of pain, he looks to his right. A unicorn is bleeding badly, it's yellow coat is drenched in red. "Hold on, I'm gonna get you some help!" Moore shouts as he lifts the injured pony over his shoulder. "You... you're the... the human... the... guardian..." It says out of clenched teeth. "Not now, save your energy." He says. Carrying the pony into the building Pinkie showed him, he gently sets it down on a soft place and rushes back out.

The creatures are all but gone, and the stallions have almost gotten them back to the forest. With one final war cry, Moore fires and kills every last one. A clicking noise sounds and the Staff Sergeant breathes heavily. The stallions surround and shower him with praise, but he quickly shoves it away. "I'm just doing what I thought was the right thing to do." "But that was the fastest we've ever pushed them out of town, you have to show us more of those tactics!" One shouts. Moore chuckles and promises to do so.

Twilight hears a knocking on the door. She groaned in annoyment. When would ponies learn they could come in whenever they wanted to? It's not like the library was private property. She opened the door and was surprised to see a dirt covered Moore at the door. His arm was bleeding again, so she assumed that he had been attacked there again. He smiled and said; "You can come out now." Twilight was taken aback by this. The creatures had just started their attack, how had they already been pushed back? "What? But... How?" She asked. "Human tactics, apparently they are extremely effective on these monsters." Twilight smiled and nodded. "You know, if you don't mind I would like to study your mind set in the morning." She said.

"By all means." He replied. Looking down at his arm, he chuckled and asked if she had a band-aid. Twilight giggled and closed her eyes, once again her horn illuminated a white glow. The cooling sensation filled his muscles, and the blood vanished, as did the wound. "I saw you carry the Commander and that other unicorn to safety. You really are a hero." Twilight said as she invited him back inside. "I'm just following my heart. Protecting people...or um... ponies is what I live for. To protect those who can't do it themselves." Twilight nodded. John may not have thought so, but Twilight believed that he was a savior.