A/N WARNING! This peice of art is a deeper one :) Because, somehow, into the hours of the early morning where I am totally not awake daydreaming... My mind likes to think of these things XD SO- If you're not in the mood for deep contemplation, you may move on :DDD But here it is!

The key to surviving in a war zone, was not the battle of the body. Sure, that was a huge part, and Rex knew the survival rates between shinies and seasoned troopers. But the true battle was in the downtime, when the mind had it's time to play.

Voices, or memories, haunting cries… they toyed, whispered, and they yanked you back and forth. They murmured things to you until millions of voices were singing in your mind.

You had to deal with that.

And it was all in how you dealt with that pain.

The pain, as another dear brother was blown into the sky, burned in Rex's chest. It swelled up like an ocean wave, churning, and crying to be released. It wanted to pool over, the agony. To pour forth to show the world its ferocity.

But that would fall into the first category of troopers. The ones who let emotion consume them, tear them apart, and slowly, or quickly, depending on who they had around them, they died. All too often he sees brother's consumed with the pain of each death. Each number on the death count dug a notch deeper into their soul. Rex knew he didn't fall into that category. But Rex also didn't go down the alternate route.

There was always the heart's desperate plea for the pain to go, to stop for just a second, and let him be. This wasn't a burn, like the pain. This was a pull. A long, long drawn out pull. It was as if it came from the centre of his chest, and it stretched on, and on, and on, and the peace was at the end. The longing was unparalleled. To stop feeling anything.

But that would fall into the second category. The ones who decided that it wasn't worth it to love, to care, to feel. Never would he stop himself from feeling. Not like Neyo, or so many other of his Vode had done. It would make it so much easier, sure. But it wasn't worth it. To shut out all love just to spare the pain. No, he could never do that.

So, when the pain comes. That agony, Rex carefully layered it. Contained it. It started in his chest, the pain, and it would rise up. Rising slowly to his throat, where it would burn and clog, before it came to his eyes, and then his mind which told him to scream bloody murder. So it was imperative that Rex not let the pain well up past his chest. After a tough battle, the agony made his chest well up, and the agony sat there, just below the surface. Because he was a captain, the clone commander of the 501st. Rex had to be strong for everyone. Kriffin EVERYONE. Whether they cared or not, he had to be. But he wasn't numb, Rex thought firmly, not without a twinge at the thought. He felt for every body that hit the floor. But it never overwhelmed him.

That was the trick to surviving.

Rex used to try and tell everyone this secret that he had found. The true way to survive. It would sound crazy to someone who wasn't a soldier, to someone who wasn't fighting a daily battle to survive against their mind. And even to some soldiers, they couldn't contain their agony, and it always pooled over. Rex never thought any less of them, but prayed that it didn't consume them. And eventually, Rex figured out that other soldiers had their own way of saving themselves from the pain.

And on the occasion that a trooper would wander into his office, begging to know how to stop the pain, Rex would tell them his little secret.

"But it's your choice how you save yourself," Rex concluded softly, turning his head to look at the shiny sitting next to him, on his couch. The Shiny was curled up, leaning against Rex, face still blotchy and tear stained as more tears pooled. They were pressed up close together. Closer than Rex would usually allow, as they were still on duty, but it was only ever so often that a shiny came to him with this question. So why not help the little one.

The Shiny, the one who still didn't have a name, who got separated from his batchmates, who he didn't even know if they were even still alive, finally spoke. The Shiny's voice shook slightly, and he still didn't meet Rex's gaze.

"I- understand."

It seemed like the Shiny was going to say more, but then an emotion that wasn't there long enough to categorize flickered across his face. And his mouth snapped shut with a clack.

"Vod'ika," Rex gently pulled his arm out from where it was pinned to his side, and slung it over the Shiny's shoulders. "I know. I know it's not fair, vod'ika. It's so unfair that it has to be this way."

Because truly, all of Kamino's teachings only really set in on the field. Nothing can compare to it. The explosions, the adrenaline, the heated fire, the bodies, the constant smell of burning flesh-

"But it is this way," Rex pulled himself out, and leaned closer into the embrace. Most of the time, all of the batchmates of the shiny squad would figure out this together. But on this occasion, it was only him that was available. So Rex would do the job of explaining, holding, and gathering the pieces.

"And I promise you that it will hurt. This war, what we were made for, is the most painful thing you could ever go through. But I know you can do it. Make it through all of this. Trooper, your brother's care. Because-"

"Loyalty is everything," The Shiny finished, sniffing.

A slight smile tugged at Rex's lips. The tears seemed to be stopping.

"That's right. All of us are brothers, unlike the rest of the galaxy. We are loyal to each other because of this. We're a family, So we stick together."

The Shiny let out a tiny giggle.

"Sir, that sounds like something off a holofilm." The Shiny said quietly, with a hint of shyness to it that would obviously come with hugging a superior officer.

Rex barked the laugh that earned him his name, looking off into the distance as he recalled.

"Just something I heard the Commander watching. It seemed like a good line! It works for us, at least."

"Mm…"

"Well, kid, I better get back. We have three hours until we are deployed again. And I need to make sure that Di'kut ARC Fives-"

Then Rex looked down to his right as a small snore filled the room. The Shiny was smiling in his sleep, his head leaning onto Rex's shoulder in the cutest possible way.

And huffing out a laugh, Rex eased himself back again.

Well, all preparation was complete. Surely, he could give it half an hour more.

A/N

Me: Hm, yes, I believe Rex IS repressing.

Rex: *Glares* You made me do this.

Me: *Pats on shoulder* Hey, you cried once. You repress. Don't deny it.

So here is my deep fic that ended up stop being so deep once I mentioned a shiny XD Never meant to go there, but it's okay! Shiny got hugs! Any idea for this Shiny's name? :DDD

Thanks for reading! 3