//------------------------------//
// Tired 
// Story: A Moment of Peace 
// by Templar22 
//------------------------------//

	Captain Shining Armor staggered into the deserted house. His head still rang from the incendiary blast that had claimed the majority of his squad. He struggled to get out of his smoking armor as he blundered through more than one door. Images of his burning soldiers flashed through his mind.
Damn humans, and damn this war.
The humans had first made planet fall a little less than a month before. They came from the sky like a never ending rain, leaving only destruction and devastation in their wake. Their weapons of mass destruction had found the Royal Guard woefully unprepared and hilariously outmatched. 
The remnants of the equestrian armed forces had hatched a desperate plan. Retake Canterlot, reclaim the elements, and use their power to drive the aliens back. After a week of desperate fighting street by street, the battle was starting to turn in favor of Equestria. Things were finally beginning to look up. That was until a well place incendiary round consumed Armor’s team in hellfire.
He crashed into what might have once been a modest kitchen, but now lay in ruin. The fridge was knocked over on it’s side, the area surrounding the stove blackened by fire, and there several bodies. Two equines lay dead, one in guard armor and one civilian. Leaning against a blood smeared wall, was one of the accursed humans. Shell casings strewn about him, along with his head piece, a canteen, and a weapon. The human looked dead, his face pale, and blood all around him. One hand was held in a fist over his chest, while the other lay limply at his side. 
Thinking himself safe, Shining Armor began to shrug off his still burning harness. His steaming spaulders clattered to the floor, as he began fighting with the straps of his helm. He then heard a noise that made his blood run cold. Over the sound of his helmet clattering down was the now all too familiar sound of a human weapon being readied with a loud click 
Shining Armor found himself staring down the barrel of a gun held by one of the humans that appeared to be far less dead than he had thought. Shining shut his eyes and tried to fill his mind with images of his wife and foal as he waited for the small explosion that would end him.. 
….
And he waited.
….
And waited.
….
He opened his eyes and took a better look at the alien. It was the first time he had seen one without it’s combat mask. He knew what to expect from the scientific reports taken from cadavers, but seeing that flat face up close was something else. The most striking thing was the soldier’s eyes. Shining saw in those blue eyes the same fear he had seen in countless equestrians. 
The soldier startled him when he spoke. Or at least, Shining assumed he was speaking. His language was harsh and discordant sounding to the equestrian. The soldier spoke again, louder this time. Again, Shining didn’t understand a word of it.
The soldier seemed to realize this and he began making a series of hand gestures. He pointed to himself, then to his gun, and shook his head vigorously. He then held up his free hand, fingers open, before pointing at the wounded Shining and shaking his head again. This was followed by him touching his own forehead and feigning a horn. He repeated this several times. 
It’s meaning was obvious to Shining Armor. Use magic, and he’d be shot. Though in his current state he doubted he could do much in the way of offensive magic. He realized the human was waiting for some kind of response, so he nodded his head slowly.
The human seemed relieved, but didn’t relax. Nor did he lower his weapon. A faint sizzling could be heard as Shining suddenly realized that his helmet was still burning. With a small grunt of pain, Shining heaved the offending article away from him. But he could still hear something burning. Then the human shouted something and wildly gestured at his neck.
Shining threw himself to the ground rolling over and over as he tried to extinguish the flame burning it’s way through his protective enchantments. The pain was intense. He gritted his teeth as whatever substance was in that grenade refused to be smothered. 
The human tried to stand but with a small cry slid back against the wall. He was still shouting something at Shining as he dropped his gun and reached around the back of his belt. He threw a small canteen in Shining’s direction, still shouting at him.
Shining Armor didn’t question it. He grabbed the canteen with his magic and emptied it’s contents over the flames. The half empty canteen’s bluish fluid immediately extinguished the flames and even deadened the pain. Shining nodded his thanks with a small smile to the human who was now staring at him, pistol again raised. More correctly he was staring at the canteen still floating in Shining’s purple magic. 
Understanding dawned on Shining, and he dropped his magic. The human set his gun down again and spoke. It sounded like a question. Followed by what was undoubtedly a curse as he realized again that Shining couldn’t understand him. He gestured again at Shining’s horn then to the empty canteen. He reached for the canteen but seemed unable to get up to reach it. With an apologetic smile, he put his gun away again and made a sort of “go on” gesture with his hand.
Shining decided to humor him, and picked the canteen up with his magic and slowly levitated it over to the soldier. The human’s eyes lit up in wonder as he reached out for the floating canteen. A wide smile spreading across his face as he watched it turn slowly mid air. He muttered something under his breath as his fingers grasped it. He turned the canteen over in his hand, as if inspecting it. As he did so, Shining couldn’t help but notice the piece of glossy paper he held in one hand. The soldier said something unintelligible as he put replaced the canteen on his belt before noticing Shining staring at the small picture in his hand. He gave a small laugh before handing it to him, or more correctly handing it to his magic. 
Shining pulled the blood smeared photograph closer to him. It was of two smaller humans a male and female. They both had large smiles on their faces as they reached up towards the camera. Shining looked from the photo to the soldier and back to the photo, the resemblance was unmistakable. 
“Your children?” he asked, pointing with a hoof from the photo to the soldier.
The soldier thought for a moment before smiling and nodding his head slowly. He went to speak again, before pursing his lips. A thoughtful expression written on his face.
“Ye-us” he said proudly in terribly accented equestrian. He then pointed at Shining a question in his eyes. Shining withdrew his chest plate back and removed the small photo he kept tucked away. He sent it in the direction of the soldier. It was a certain pink alicorn holding a small blue bundle of joy. The soldier wiped his hands on his uniform before taking the picture. The soldier looked at the picture for a moment as he took a shuddering breath. Then he started shaking. 
“Are you alright?” Shining knew the human didn’t understand him but the concern in his voice was evident. He took a painful step towards the human. The soldier’s hand snapped up, gun somehow in his hand. He looked up with tears in his eyes. 
“You ah Shining Amah.” The gun came level to Shining’s head. “I um sorry. Is… duty.” 
Shining stood up, teeth clenching as his burned foreleg bore weight. His horn glowed as he pulled his picture back to himself. He placed it back in under his chest piece, near to his heart.  
The gun shook slightly.
“I never got your name.” The soldier was almost startled when Shining broke the silence. Seeing the human hadn’t understood, he pointed to himself “Shining Armor” then at the human. 
“Markov.” He shook his head slowly, looking from his gun to Shining. 
A soft pink once again lighted the room as Shining used his magic one more time. A small black and white photograph hovered mid air. Two smiling faces with hands outstretched towards the cameraman. 
The gun clattered to the floor. The soldier took the picture in his now trembling hands.
“Is duty… kill. But am… tired.” He managed to say, with tears almost in his eyes.
“Well I’m tired too. I’m tired of the killing too.”
Markov silently nodded and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes.

*	                 *	         *

Captain Armor? Sarge! I think we found him!” Shining cracked his eyes open at the young pegasus guard in front of him. Who would’ve thought that he could’ve fallen asleep in the same room as a live human. The soldier extended a hoof to help him up and Shining took it gladly.
“What’s your name and rank soldier?”
“Spotter sir! Private 2nd class!” he replied in true military fashion throwing up a salute as he did so.
“At ease, how are things outside?”
“The elements were retrieved and used sir. We’ve got the humans on the run.”
Finally some good news.
Shining was about to ask for specifics when a unicorn spoke up from the other side of the room.
“Looks like you got one yourself sir!” He said excitedly as he prodded the still form of Markov.
“You will stop that at once soldier! That man requires medical attention.”
The suitably chastened unicorn checked Markov for a pulse.
“I’m sorry sir, this one’s long gone. Shall I search him? All he’s got in his hands is this little picture.”