“Inhale…”
Moonshadow looked at the photo surrounded by the light blue aura. He wiped away the dried dirt on his cheek and tried to make the soggy photo of his marefriend, Rarity, firm once again by adjusting it--no luck today, the morning rain was too hard. He placed the photo down and unwrapped his gauntlets and placed them on his bunk.
The heat was brutal during this time of the year and didn’t help that it was humid most of the time. After he placed down his gauntlets, he pulled out a small trophy that he collected from the last charge against the enemy. He placed down half of a cracked horn that had black crystals growing on it on the impromptu shelf that he commandeered from whoever occupied this sleeping place last.
He looked towards his forehooves and saw the old bandages that were a couple of days old still wrapped around it, the blood had dried. He retrieved a small pack from his waist and began to unwrap the bandages with his magic. The bandages began to unwind before him revealing scars new, old, and those of happier times before the war. The wounds were still there from previous mishaps and failures caused by his part. As the bandages were once again wrapped with his magic.
The reason why he joined the military in the first place wasn’t to fight this slave army and protect Rarity and family at home-- no, he wanted to prove something else. He wanted to prove that he was no longer frail nor a failure; that he wasn’t a waste of air.
The picture… There was the picture of her once again in the corner of his eye, the white mare with gorgeous blue eyes and purple hair that captured his heart the very moment he laid eyes on her. How much he would give to be with her once again instead of being here, perhaps aiding her in her newly opened shop in Manehatten. He sighed once again, and his eyes darted across the palettes in the trench that he was in.
“Hey,” a generic brown coat stallion with chocolate-colored eyes and a black mane appeared out of nowhere, “lieutenant is informing us that there is to be an attack at eighteen hundred. That’s within an hour, get your stuff ready.”
Moonshadow never did get to take a breath in this place, one charge to the other. He was often short-breathed before he even got into the heat of battle. Heart throbbing at a rapid pace caused him to be short of breath-- but somehow he managed to get through the war just fine. As he placed his armor back on, he could begin to feel it throbbing once again, the anticipation of battle-- the uneasiness knowing that he may take his final breath today.
He adjusted his gauntlets and remembered when his mother would fit his gloves before he made his way off to the schoolhouse to learn about things that were seemingly useless in combat unless one had friends while fighting, friendship. He slowed down his breathing, and his heart began to slow. He always followed what the doctors always recommended to slow down the breathing, and the heart will start to slow down too.
He placed the picture of his marefriend in the front of his chest armor and donned his helmet. He grabbed the sword that was modified with technology and gear from his fallen foes. Such conduct was prohibited by command but to handicap oneself much like that would spell death for him.
He stepped out onto the palettes making a slight creak sound followed by the squishing sound of mud. The evening storm clouds were beginning to move in as he looked up towards the sky. Sheathing his weapon, the stallion finally approached where everypony else was. They were lined up and socializing with each other, trying to make the most out of the situation they were in. He rested his back against the mud wall and let a sigh as his armor crashed against it. He sat alone like usual and closed his eyes.
Fragments of memories whooshed past as he recollected his years being the squirm in school, to his supportive family, to many other memories. The mare of his life came before him sewing clothes and then suddenly sold those clothes to patrons of her store. He almost felt jealous for her lifestyle at times. He wondered what she would be doing today. He then saw her face come closer ready for a kiss…
“Gentlestallions!” He suddenly awoke with a slight gasp and looked up, seeing his commanding officer in uniform on top of the trenches. The officer would be giving another speech today about “glory and honor seeking. How they were going to win once more against this incompetent enemy.” He sighed once again and looked towards the empty, barren side just north whereas behind him laid the corpses from the previous charge. Most of them were wearing black armor and that hideous mask that they are equipped with, he never did know what they were for.
Everypony was lined up and ready to get out of the trench once more. He readied himself, and his heart began to accelerate, the anticipation of battle, the anticipation of life or death…
The world was silent with fits of coughing or sneezing interrupting it, he looked overhead and saw the pegasi flying overhead and beginning their aerial attack on the enemy trench. They swooped down from the skies and dive bomb right into the enemy lines. Their screams could be heard from above. As soon as he saw that, the officer ordered the charge with the blow of a whistle.
With a yell, everypony vaulted over the trench and into the no stallions land. He didn’t yell and simply thought that this would be another charge against the enemy. As he was charging towards the enemy, he saw a black mass in the sky flying towards them quickly. He tried to dodge out of the way. The mass was a black crystal that was launched from the back lines. It came crashing down and sent him flying…
Struggling to get up, he rubbed his eyes and saw that he only had one of four leg armor piece left but all of his other legs. He stood up slowly and looked around, the world was swaying side to side, and he couldn’t keep his balance. His ears were ringing. Looking around frantically, he couldn’t spot any of his comrades at his side and hobbled around on the battlefield. He suddenly saw a bright light and a shadowy figure coming for him, was charging right towards him.
“No, no, please don’t,” Moonshadow spoke wispfully as he fell to the ground and put up his hoof. In the corner of his eye, he spotted another figure swooping down from the sky towards him. The shadowy figure kept coming and prepared itself to attack…
“Exhale…”
