Chapter 31

THE LAST BATTLE

January 2nd

50 miles north of Bastogne

0733 hours

It had always snowed the day before which makes the white forest more beautiful. The silence of the forest lingers on until the sound of a rumbling convoy could be heard from a paved road in the middle of the forest.

Trucks and tanks are all in single file as they move slowly on the road while foot soldiers spread out on either side of them. Their destination is unknown as elements of the 1st Tank Battalion of the 2nd Armored Division and a company of the 101st Airborne was mixed together and was sent out on a recon to locate a portal that the Moratins been using to get into Equestria. The end of the war drew close as excitement grew after Trixie told the Army Intelligence in Bastogne the location of this portal and who actually brought the war here.

A few tanks and a company of paratroopers is not a lot of firepower for this mission but there should be plenty of supports once the fight gets too heavy. There are other combat units in the area and best yet, the sky is clear of cloud so the assault force can call in air support at any time. As the tanks keep rolling along and the sound of the paratroopers humming their favorite tunes, many of them listen to the horizon and realized that there are no more sounding of the booming artilleries in the distance. Since New Year, the Allies had finally cleared the rest of the world, including the human world, free from Moratin control, which means that this is truly the final battle of this war.

Sitting in Venda with Ace driving, Red sat in the passenger seat and examines the forest around him. But he is usually into deep thoughts. He hadn't talked to his squad that much during New Year. Many of them are still in shock after they learned the truth of Allen's and Garnett's. Every time they're in a room or place and they were talking about something and as Red walked into the room they're in, they stopped talking. All Red could get is silence and the harsh glare from Applejack. As soon as he left the room, he could hear them talking again, this time quietly.

Maybe they stop considering him as a friend since they lost their trust completely to him. Red wanted to do something to bring them back but how?

While thinking, he spotted a tree on his right that has a single flower blooming on a branch. For the first time in this world, Red thought about home.

And his dad.

Red places his hoof on the handle of his dad pistol that is safely strapped in his shoulder holster. He thought of all the people who had taken hold of its and had died from it, like the curse.

He took his hoof off the handle and look behind him to see Pinkie and Rarity sleeping.

Last night patrol must have overtaken them as Red turn back to the front and said to Ace next to him, "Hey Ace?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't we still find it shocking that it was actually him that brought the war here?"

Ace doesn't need an explanation for this. He already knows what he's talking about. He and Red had been finding the man who brought the war for nearly two years. He was pretty much the reason why Ace gone evil and tried to take over Equestria.

"Yeah." Ace replied without taking his eyes off the road. He was about to say something when a tank that was leading the convoy exploded, following by two trucks right behind it.

The shout of ponies and the cries of the wounded fill the air as tank rounds exploded all around them, follow by mortar shells.

When the first explosion happened, Ace and Red covered their eyes from the blast and immediately jump out from the jeep, same goes for Pinkie and Rarity when they woke up and dive out to their side.

"Over there!" a pony shouted, pointing across a clearing at a group of Moratin tanks, plus machine gun nests.

Many of the surviving Allied tanks in the convoy went into formation to make a counterattack but the result end in a failure as all of them erupted into flames when 88mm shells ripped into them like paper.

"Get your asses moving!" Colonel Sink yelled at a group of nearby soldiers that are taking cover in a ditch. "There ain't no point for retreating now! Get up and take care of those bastards!" When he got the line moving, Sink turn and spotted Ace directing the surviving tanks and soldiers into a flank attack.

After he got his attention by waving and shouting, Sink waited as Ace got close to him. "Captain Ace," Sink began as he pointed at the line of Moratin tanks. "I need you to take out their defenses and whatever the hell they have over there. If they're here, then we must be close to their portal by now."

"Yes sir." Ace response with a nod but before he could move, Sink said again, "2nd Armored are sending their tanks east from here and we need to clear a way for them."

When he said this, an Abram tank drove in front of them and it fired it bow gun at a trench full of Moratin infantry.

Ace watches this then said to Sink, "Any word for air supports?"

"Ain't know what they're up to or if I do, I don't give a damn." Sink replied clearly with his southern accent. "If there are any means for contact, find them and get them to the front now!"

"Yes sir." Ace said and went to collect a few of his men then lead them direction of a dug-out trench on the left side of the clearing. They're nearly halfway across when the Moratins launch a massive counterattack with tanks and infantry. Ace and his men jump into the trench without haste then meet up with Red and squad who were having a brief firefight with a group of Moratins inside a bunker.

"Applejack! I need suppressive fire now!" Red shouted as he issued the command. While Applejack and Pinkie are suppressing, Red spotted Ace coming to him and waved him over with a word, "What's up?"

"You got a radio operator? Mine dead." Ace told him as soon as he reaches him.

Red replied back with a cocked eyebrow. "Does it look like I have one? The last time I have a radio operator, she got shot by a sniper."

"What a coincidence. Well, who the hell have one?" Ace said in a frustrated voice.

Red thought for a moment then said to him, "You got to check in with Twilight. She got Paige."

"Where the hell is she?"

"Beats me." Red said then turns to and asked Rarity nest to him. "Rarity, where's Twilight?"

"I believe she's on the right side of the clearing." Rarity answered back with Ace yelling, "Are you fucking kidding me? I was there just a minute ago!"

"Excuse me! She was to be everything on the right!" Rarity said with a smile, "Get it? 'Everything on the right'?"

"Boo! Hiss!" Pinkie bellowed behind her as she and Applejack are busy reloading the machine gun then resume firing on the bunker.

"Well, there you have it." Red said to Ace. "Anything else?"

Ace shook his head. "Nope, that's all." He gesture his men behind him to follow and together got out of the trench into the open. As he is doing so, Red ordered his Assault team to charge and destroy the bunker under covering fire. When that been issued, Rarity, Discord, Spike and Jasper charged toward either side of the bunker and, when reaches there toss their grenades through the opening, letting the inside explode into dust.

After that was settled, Red brought up his machine gun team and, altogether with his squad, repeat the same procedures with the next bunker, slowly as they advanced but were getting closer to their objective at every second as the Allies repeal the Moratin counterattack.

During Red's squad attack on the bunker, Ace and his two men were dashing across the clearing again when one of the men was shot through the side of his chest.

When that happened, Ace fired at the direction of the shot then yelled at his remaining comrade to get moving, who was busy checking his buddy. When he realized that he's dead, he got up, only to get shot in the side of the head by rifle fire.

Ace didn't say anything as he look at his two dead men then pressed forward toward Twilight's squad who are moving along the edge of the clearing while ducking behind covers.

On the way there, Ace asked himself, why every time I go into combat, I always get my men killed? Why couldn't I be more like Red? Usually, Red always stays with his squad and uses fire and maneuver as a team while Ace doesn't care and uses run-and-gun tactic.

When he got to Twilight's position, he found her crouching on the ground so he literally dolphin dive next to her, causing the snow to splash up around him.

"Was that really necessary?" Twilight asked as she wiped snow from her face.

"Doesn't matter. Where's Paige?" Ace asked.

"He got separated during the ambush." Twilight started to explain when an explosion nearly knocks her helmet off. She redirects it back into place as she continues on, "But I think he's somewhere out there." They quickly press their heads against the ground when machine gun bullets kicked up mound of snow around them, soon follow by a mortar round.

After it stops, Ace turn to Twilight and said to her, "Well find him and get him over here!"

When he finish, he got up then retreated back to where he came from. Twilight watches him go then yelled at her squad, "Let's go!" then advance towards a group of trees. While moving, Corrion patted her in the shoulder then pointed, "Sarge! There's Paige!"

Twilight follow his gaze and soon saw Paige seeking shelter inside a bomb crater not far from there, but it on the middle of the battlefield.

When she spotted him, Twilight ordered her squad to find covers and keep firing while she go and get Paige. When the order was given, her squad found some covers and fire at a trench full of Moratins. Twilight ran to the side toward Paige.

"Paige!" she yelled as she run toward him, keeping her head low as well as jumping over dead bodies and craters.

Paige heard her calling and waved at her. When Twilight was feet away from him, a mortar shell hit squarely on his position, sending up dust and snow high into the air.

The concussion almost knock Twilight off her hooves but she quickly regain her balance and jump into the crater where Paige once been.

Paige's lower half has been torn into two pieces but miraculously, the radio survived unscathed. Twilight, overcame with guilt and despair as she lost her fellow man, picked up the radio phone and begin to speak into it, "5-2, 5-2, this is Easy 3, do you read over?"

As she is waiting for a response from her call-sign, Twilight dared to look out of the crater and notice three Moratin tanks coming at her.

The radio responds with a crackle. "Easy 3, this is Darkshadow 4, what is your situation?"

"Requesting for some air support, mainly tank busters, over." Twilight replied quickly in a rapid tone, noticeably because of the advancing tanks.

"Roger that. Can see you on visual. Coming in low." Out from the sky, a P-51 Mustang flew over and dropped two bombs on the tanks, destroying them.

"Stand by while we clear out the rest." When she heard this, Twilight saw two F-22 fighter jets swoop over the Moratin lines, dropping napalms on their positions.

When the air strike is over, Twilight cheered when her radio picked up again. "All enemy neutralized. You are clear on a go, Easy-3. Be advised that two AC-130s are heading to your way."

"Thanks for the assistance, Darkshadow. Over and out." Twilight turn the radio off then say farewell to Paige and jump out of the crater to regroup with her squad.

With the line cleared, the Allies soldiers can now advance toward a hill that seem to have a spiral tower overhead, supposedly that the thing the Moratins was using for their portal. But overtime, the closer the Allied soldiers get to the hill, the more resistances that they have to face.

While running, Rarity tripped over something that she thought was a small tree stump but discovered it was actually frozen hoof, sticking out of the snow as if trying to reach to the sky above. Rarity got up and scanned the area around her, noticing gray bodies that were nearly stacked under the snow.

Most of them are decomposed as their white gaping faces were looking at the living, wishing for them to join the dead.

In the middle of the field, Red jumped over low-laying barbed wires with discarded bodies in them. He didn't realized what he's running through when he got around a huge black crater, a mortar shell landed in front of him, its concussion sent him flaying backward into the crater. He was slammed hard to the bottom of the crater.

With his back aching, he moans a bit then rolled to his side when he was looking eye-to-eye with Grim, lying dead next to him. His bloody face is still the same as his molten gut is spread out of his stomach onto the ground.

This horrifying experience still brought Red back to Knight Wood, where Grim first died.

Red snapped out of his flashback and quickly got back up to his hooves, when he did so, he realized that he's in a crater filled with dead bodies.

Each of the dead bodies is the one that died with him; Risnerv, Allen and Garnett, Angel, Marsh and LaRoach. He even sees Peter and Rainbow among, dead because he failed to protect them. A promise that he failed to carry out when the war get the best that led to the first man to die.

No, not now, he thought as he push the images away from his mind and eventually started to crawl to the top of the crater, I got to keep moving.

Next to him, Twilight landed to his side and greeted him. When she did so, she looks around the crater and saw what inside the crater.

"They must have been here before we did." Twilight finally said when she focuses back to Red. "Those poor ponies."

Red didn't say anything. He looks back at the corpses and noticed that they don't have the faces of those he'd lost. Instead, their faces were strangers to him. He look at their patches and discovered they were from the 29th Infantry Division, the unit that were nearly destroyed when the offensive first begin back in December. But how did they get here?

"I'm betting they were here either they were pushing forward or got lost." Twilight said as she looks as the corpses again. "They shouldn't have died like that."

"We'll avenge them" Red said as he got up and made a dash out onto the field along with other ponies, passing craters, barbed wires and more bodies.

The funny thing that occurred to Red is that the battle that is taking place in the field reminds him of all the other places that he and the other charge in like Purple Heart Hill, the Son bridge, the Crystal City and Knight Wood. Out of all the places he'd been, there's nothing more to do than to run and hope for the best that you won't get hot by bullets and mortars.

The Allied soldiers are halfway there to the hill where the portal is but the only thing that stands between them is more trenches, bunkers, anti-tank guns, machine gun emplacements and other that could stop the incoming attackers.

Overhead, there is an ariel dogfight taking place in the sky where Allied planes are keeping the Moratin Air Force at bay and are preventing them from bombing the infantry below.

As the Allied soldiers are getting past the defenses, their numbers of their attacking force is decreasing rapidly and they will soon don't have enough ponies to continue any further.

Taking cover behind a concrete wall with half of her squad, Twilight quickly noticed that there are not enough ponies to in the assault force. The company is getting cut up bad.

Twilight looks in front of her and was trying to figure out what she could do next when Red stumble next to her, exhausted from all the running.

"When are we going to get more reinforcement? We're getting chewed up here!" Twilight asked once Red sat down to catch his breath.

"Don't know." Red panted as he is trying to cool himself down. "But I do hear that there are other companies attacking from the other side of the hill. How far do we need to go before we reach the hill?"

Twilight look over the cover, examine the clearing between her and the hill before turning back to report to Red, "We got like 700 yards to go. By the way, you stink."

"Like hell." Red nodded in agreement then his eyes went wide when he saw Ace coming at them, half of his body drenched in blood.

Twilight gasped when she saw him and saw to him, "Oh my Celestia! What happened to you?"

"You don't want to know." Ace said, wiping his eyes from dried blood with his sleeve. "Do we have enough guys to storm the hill?"

"Not fairly, no. We won't be able make it." Twilight was beginning to say when she was interrupted when the ground shaken under them by the rumbling sound of tanks.

When he look around, Corrion cried out, "Panzers!"

The wall that they were using as cover exploded into dust as a tank round hit it which also knocks those behind it to the ground.

Amazingly, they all survived the blast but the wall they were using was completely gone. Behind the cloud of dust, all they could see is the shadow of a Panzer tank approaching them.

Ear ringing, Red forced himself to get back up but he could sense if the world went dizzy for a moment when he heard Ace to get moving.

He saw a group of soldiers charged at the tank column when one of them exploded, his helmet sailed high into the air while his body transform into a cloud of blood.

His buddies, however, scurry away as fast as they can when their buddy exploded.

The tanks fan out, attacking the rest of them as one of the tanks erupted into a heap of flames as another suffered the same fate. The Moratin tanks started to retreat back when one of them reverse onto a trench and got stuck along with the trapped and terrified Moratins inside the trench. Of course, when the tank gets hit, the rest will die.

Taken by surprise, Red turn to his side and found a handful of Sherman Firefly, M1 Abram and tank destroyers, including more infantry units putting up their flanks. Not only that, one of the tanks look familiar to him so Red ran over there and was delighted when he meet the tank commander who just came out of his hatch.

"Richardson!"

"Ah, Red! It's good to see you again! Been saving your asses once more haven't I?"

"Damn right you did!" Red look at the hill then back at Richardson, "We could use some backup right now."

Richardson nodded at first then smile. "Glad we're on the same side."

For the first time, Red smiled a bit as he replied, "Let's roll." Then was about to move when the tank commander called out his name.

Red turn to see Richardson not smiling anymore. Instead, he fined him showing sadness on his face.

"Uh…Red?" Richardson began almost in a low voice but was clearly audible. "Sorry about your lad Peter."

Red smiled faded away at the name of Peter. He looks at the ground then at Richardson. Without saying anything, he turned from and walked away.

Richardson knows who Red feels about losing his comrades. It must of hurt a lot when you lost someone that you've consider as a family. Richardson crawl back inside his tank and ordered the tank forward, following the paratrooper into combat.

Thanks to additional support, the Allied can now keep moving and push the Moratins back. Fighting alongside with Richardson tank, 3rd squad are expertly taking out Moratins faster than ever more, but their onslaught came to an halt when a rocket slammed itself to the front armor of the tank, causing it to stop.

"Why Richardson's tank stopped?" Red asked then turns to his squad. "Give me some covering fire now!"

When Red ran to the disable tank, Applejack was setting up her machine gun when she spotted a Moratin aiming a bazooka at the tank.

"Red!" she screamed when the Moratin fired. The rocket hit the side of the tank where the fuel is, setting it aflame.

When he saw it gets hit, Red screamed and rush at the tank. When he got there, the top hatch burst open and out came Richardson with his whole body on fire as he jumped for the snow below. Beside him screaming, Red could hear the screams of the dying crewmates as they burned to death inside the flaming tank.

Red quickly reaches Richardson side and started patted him with snows as Red cried out, "Fluttershy!"

Half of Richardson's face is blacken by the flame and so were his uniform. His skin was redden in blisters and when Red tried to move Richardson legs, the skins came right of the legs, showing meat.

Red was horrified as Fluttershy reaches his side and reaches into her medical bag to pulls out substances to help Richardson.

Richardson was gasping for air as he looks at Red and muttered, "Avenge my brothers…" then his eyes drooped and it was close.

Red was about to ask Fluttershy if he's dead but much to his relief, she shook her head. "No." she replied firmly as she pour sulfur powder on Richardson wound. "He'll be okay. I just got to get him out of here." She then places her hoof on Red shoulder and said to him in a clear voice, which is somewhat fills with emotion. "You got to keep moving Red. Keep going and don't give up. You just need to remember what Richardson said."

Red looks at both of his friends and nodded slightly. He got back up, regroup his squad and join the other tanks and soldiers that are advancing towards the hill.

While moving, Applejack jumped on the ground behind a log when she noticed Rarity next to her picking off tiny bits of sticks that got stuck on her hair bun.

"You just got to be serious!" Applejack shouted angrily when a mortar blast in front of the log. "Now the time to be playing dillydallies with your hair again?"

"That's nonsense!" Rarity replied by dusting dirt off her shoulder. "I'd always been busy cleaning myself every-time we go into battle. A good soldier got to look fabulous when we claim a victory."

"Well then, hurry up and get moving!"

"Don't rush me!" Rarity said as she took out her hair and started brushing her hair. "Can't you see I'm brushing?"

Applejack groaned. Moments later, Discord landed next to Rarity and put on a confused look. "Well, I suppose that to keep moving, you've got to put a little finishing touch like this." He scoops up a handful of snow and dirt and slams it on Rarity now-cleaned hair.

"Discord!" Rarity screamed and leaps at him. Discord avoided her and let her chase him as he led her toward the hill while laughing the whole way.

Jasper landed next to Applejack and watches Rarity chasing Discord. He made a remark after they took off, "Well, that one hell of a way to get moving and saving energy."

"That's what friends are for." Applejack replied as she and Jasper got up and continues moving.

As far as an average pony eye could see, the hill is covered with trees and the slope is steep, impossible for the tanks to go up. The trees will makes it difficult for the foot soldiers to climbs but the only access to get to the top is a small path that lead upwards. But that too is covered with more bunkers and anti-tanks guns.

When the Allied soldiers got near the hill, they first noticed the defenses and have to halt in front of it. The Moratins were about to pull their triggers when, from the air, came 20mm, 55mm, and 105mm shells crashed into them, destroying concrete and metal, as well as ripping through flesh and bone.

When the barrage lifted, Ace was stunned then she shouted out, "What the fuck was that?!" then look up and spotted two AC-130s circling overhead, patting themselves for destroying those defenses.

While Ace was looking at the sky, Twilight came over and whispered to him, "Yeah, I forgot to tell you that friendly AC-130s were coming over."

"Well, thanks for the info." Ace says as he still looks at the sky. "I was about to charge them."

In front of them, Red waved and shouted at them. "What the hell are you waiting for? Let's keep going!"

Since the tanks can't proceed to the top of the hill, all they could do is take out any remaining Moratin units on the ground while the infantry takes care of the rest.

With Red, Ace and Twilight leading, the Allied storm to the top of the hill, dodging bullets and shells, using trees as cover and killing any Moratins that step in their way.

While the spiral tower getting closer, all Red could think of is all the men and women that had serve and died in this world, including those in his squad. Those who all gave their lives so this world can be free from evil.

Red and the others reach the top of the hill without haste and found a bunker with the tower on top of it. Next to him, Ace was about to issue an order when Moratins jump form their conceal trenches and fired at them.

Having to dash through their defenses to get to the door of the bunker, Ace got to the side of the door, fire at a Moratin who's huddled behind a sandbag then shouted at those to follow him.

Accompanied by Red and Twilight, Ace went through and, right as they went through the door, it shut behind them by a huge metal plate.

"Shit." Ace cursed under his breath when the door closes. "Look like we're on our own."

Before they could go down a stair that will led them to the darkness, Twilight, with fear growing inside her, said to those around her, "I got a bad feeling about this."

While the firefight goes on outside, Applejack saw the door close and said to Rarity next to her, "We got to help Twilight!" she begin to get up and flop back down when bullets passes over her, misses her by inches.

"Maybe we should finish the fight first." Rarity suggested after Applejack got back down.

Applejack nodded in agreement. "Uh huh."

By reaching the bottommost part of the stair and open a door in front of it, Red, Ace and Twilight enter a huge room with guns raised where a generator is creating electrical charges that is causing a vortex of a portal. The portal stands before them with light circling around it and dark orbs are floating in the center of the portal.

Twilight, amazed at this, wondered aloud, "I wonder what kind of magic does it takes to create something as powerful as this."

"It's not magic." Said a deep voice behind them. Hoofsteps could be heard as the three ponies looks behind them and saw a dark shadowy form of a pony, approaching them. When it step into the light provided by the portal, its show a dark-coated stallion with scars crossing his face. His dark and greened eyes are looking at them, fill with hatred and curiosity. He wears a full-outfit of a Nazi officer and wearing a Nazi beret.

"It's engineering." He finally said, switching eyes from the ponies to the portal. "It had took a considerable amount of time to fit an entire army through here but this is the last gateway to this world."

"General von Ermelle." Ace growled as he lower his gun to look at the battle-harden officer. His nemesis. "How nice it is to see you again."

"Ah, it's a pleasure to see you again. Of course, the pleasure is all mines, Captain Scott Mitchell or should I say 'Ace'."

Ace eyes were widen and was about to say something as Ermelle continue, this time to Red. "Wonderful! This time you've actually brought your little brother. It's been awhile since we last met at Genosis, isn't that right Matthew?"

Not only that Red was shocked, but Twilight is too who had now discovered her friends real name for the first time of her life.

"So that means," she stammered as she lower her rifle, "the pistol…"

Without allowing her to finish, Red interrupted her with excitement. "Now not the time to talk about it."

Ermelle face was lit up with delight when he looks at the shocked princess. "Is that Princess Twilight, I presume?." The look from Ermelle gave Twilight a chill as he continue, "Here she is, the Princess of Friendship fighting side-by-side with two of the most vicious criminals the universe had ever known. How surprising that one of the princesses of Equestria is in the battlefield even though she should be out spreading the magic of friendship. After all, Matthew here had put all of your friends into harm's way." Matthew scowls at him as Ermelle circle them to stand in front of the portal. "Your friends will soon hate each other after all the experiences they'd been through together."

Not wanting to listen to this anymore, Twilight took a step forward toward Ermelle as she spoke, "You're wrong. You don't know anything about me or my friends. We may have gone through everything that we've considered hellish but out friendship will be forever strong and there will be nothing that could stop us nor break us apart, even from some lowly pistol that we all thought was cursed."

When she said this, Red and Ace looks at each other then back at Twilight who continue by raising her voice, "Even if we die together, our friendship will be remember forevermore. You will never underestimate the power of friendship that we hold dears into us."

Not even taken aback by the princess speech, Ermelle murmured silently to himself then shook his head as he said to Twilight, "I may never estimate your friendship to others but you have forgotten that all of your friends are not here to help you, or to save you. You are alone, you are weak which could lead that you are helpless without your magic."

Outside of the bunker, the firefight ceased with the Allied as the victor. The only problem they still have to face is to figure out how to get inside the bunker.

After many conclusions, Jasper got an idea. They'll blow the door with all the explosives that they have. After putting the last wire in place, Jasper hold up a detonator in his hoof and waited for all the ponies to clear out the blast zone.

While waiting, Applejack patted Jasper shoulder and said to him in a curious voice. "Are ye sure ah this gonna work?"

"Of course!" Jasper exclaimed by pointing at the door. "With all the grenades, shells and rockets, I'm as hell that the damn door will go down."

"What if it didn't work as exactly as planned?"

"Then we're fucked." Jasper sighed with a sad face.

With everyone out of the blast zone and safely into cover, Jasper shouted before hitting the charges, "Fire in the hole!" then presses the button.

At first, nothing happened. Then, as if it was a nuke that hit the bunker, the ground shook and a huge explosion occur then black rises up form the bunker.

When it's cleared, the soldiers look up and were amazed that behind the cloud of dirt, the door was still intact!

"What the fuck!" Jasper shouted angrily when he noticed that the explosion didn't even make a dent of that door. "What the hell is that goddamn thing even made of?!"

"Uh, steel? Duh." Pinkie said matter-of-factly.

Jasper let out a yell then turns around and said as he walks away, "Where did I put my Stelia at?"

Inside the bunker when the explosion occurred, Red, Ace and Twilight felt the rumble as Ermelle chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Red asked him after Ermelle made his laugh.

Ermelle replied with a soft sigh. "Oh nothing. Your people will never know what they're up against. Attempting to break down the strongest metal in the known universe!"

"What do you want from this world?" Ace asked, firmly pressing against his gun as Ermelle look down at the ground. "That is an excellence question, Scott." He said as he looks back up at the three soldiers standing before him.

Something usual about his eyes though. It's not green anymore. It's now dark red and yellow as he said in a deep distrust voice, "Everything." He pushes out his right hoof at Red and he flew back against a wall behind him.

Without hesitating, Ace aim his L85 rifle at Ermelle but was a second too late when Ermelle lash out his left hoof, sending out bolt of lighting at Ace.

Ace took the hit and fell to the floor hard, twitching and turning as electric shocks flow through him.

As she watch this unfold, Twilight aim her gun at the general but her rifle flew out of her robotic hands and smash against a wall, breaking into pieces. After seeing her rifle shattered, Twilight turn her head and see Ermelle looking at her, smiling as he last out his right hoof at her, forcing Twilight backward.

Twilight scream as she slams against a wall and fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Twilight!" Red screams. He tried to get up but was brought back down by Ermelle hoof. While he was pinning him, Ermelle also zap Ace with his other hoof.

He sounded delighted as he attacks his captors. "Ah! You never know how much powerful I've become!" he let his hooves up, taking off the pressure on Red's body and the lighting on Ace.

Red was coughing with his back aching and Ace is breathing heavily as Ermelle continue, "The power… these energy were the one I have gotten at Genosis which allowed me to transform into full Sith. But if it wasn't for your commanding officer to take away your powers, then we've have another epic battle."

Red and Ace are now looking at him as Ermelle paced back and forth. "You see," he begins by tapping his chin, "I came to this world because it has so many energies that I could get and use it as a weapon. But the only error to this plan is you two. This world would be easy to conquer if it weren't for you to tell these diabolical to put up such a fight."

When Ermelle wasn't looking, Red let out a grunt as he use his horn to fire a beam at Ermelle but, with great reflexes, the general quickly turn and deflected it with his hoof as he said in a great voice, "Your magic is worthless compare to my superior being. Of course, here I am standing before you, my fateful companions, as I deliver a blow that could marks the beginning of the end. You will hear each other scream as you suffer." Right when he finish, Ermelle directed his hooves over their heads and flex it, which makes Red and Ace to press against their ears and scream in agony as if a sound is killing them from the inside.

While Ermelle is laughing manically, Twilight woke to the sounding of her comrades screaming in pain. She grunted and rubs the spot where her head hit the wall then open her eyes to see Red and Ace dying.

"No!" she screamed out then fought to get up to help them. With her body aching from all the pain she went through, Twilight thought of all the ponies that had died in this war. She thought those she had fought with; Allen, Garnett, Two-Bit, Risnerv, Grim, Angel, Marsh, Paige, LaRoach, Friar and Peter. And finally, she thought of all of her friends and what they all meant to her.

"No!" she screamed again, this time a light erupted from her broken horn.

Ermelle looks up to see Twilight floating with stars circling around her. Taken aback by this newfound power, Ermelle let go of his attack on Red and Ace and watches Twilight land on the ground, gently with purple beams shooting out from her new horn.

With fire in her eyes, Twilight announced as she aims her horn at him, "Now, you will feel the power of life!"

Ermelle smile a bit, spread his arm out and said to her, "Come and get me."

When she put her body into position, Twilight charge her horn so powerful that sparks started to shoot out form it and she fired a huge white beam straight at Ermelle.

At first, Ermelle tried to deflect the beam when he realized he couldn't and push against it so he won't fly back into the portal.

The powerful beam made Ermelle slides back a couple of inches toward the portal.

When it done, Twilight panted then fell to her knees, her horn is still sparkling from all the power she just shot at him.

Breathing heavily, Ermelle stood up then said to Twilight, impressed. "You have done well, my fair princess, for that I have underestimated you for being so powerful. For that, you have won and so does for this war." He turn around, facing toward the portal then he glance over his shoulder for the final time, "As for the brothers, we shall meet again soon in another world." Then, without anymore word, walk into the portal and disappeared. And so does the portal.

When it disappeared, the generator started making a screeching sound and smoke soon begin to come out of it as it is ready to explode.

Twilight got up and ran over to Red and Ace side to see if they're okay. Luckily, Red was starting to wake up and, when he opens his eyes, all he sees first is Twilight horn.

"Holy crap," he exclaimed as he got up. "Twilight, your horn!"

"Don't worry about that," says Twilight as she help Red to his hooves, "This place is gonna blow if we don't get out of here!"

They grab Ace body and started to make a run for the door when the generator exploded behind them.

Back outside, none of the Allied soldiers have any other ideas in mind when Pinkie had an idea.

"Open you stupid door!" she yell as she toss Boneless at the door. Right when the rubber chicken hit the door, the top of the bunker exploded, causing the tower to crumble to the ground, sending dirt and snow everywhere.

When the dust settled, Applejack cough then asked as she opens her eyes. "What the hay just happened?"

"Boneless did it!" Pinkie stated as everyone got up and examine the ground around them.

Peering into the cloud, Discord saw something and shouted, "Look like someone is coming!"

Everyone trained their guns at the shadowy form of two ponies dragging another pony. When the cloud gave way, Applejack realized who she is looking at.

"It's them!" she happily exclaimed, "They're alive!" she went to help Twilight and Red to put Ace on the ground and asked what happened.

"It's over," says Red as he look at Applejack, looking exhausted, "We've won."

When he heard this, Corrion who is standing next to them turn around and yelled out loud for everyone to hear, "You heard the man! It's over! We won!"

Everyone around them burst into cheer and patted each other in the back for completing their mission.

During the cheering, Ace sprung up and shouted, "What the fuck is going on?"

"We won, Scott. It's finally over." Red said then Ace punch him in the shoulder and replied back with an angry face. "I'd told you not to use my name!" he then shook and asked as he looks around, "Where's Ermelle?"

Red twitches as he answered with a shrug, "Looks like we have to fight another day again."

Twilight hugs her friends in a tearful moment and was glad all of her friends are alive, safe and sound. After the embrace, she walked over to Red and Ace. "We finally did it!" she exclaimed."

"Yeah, we did." Ace nodded.

Twilight then lend over and whisper loud enough for them to hear, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

Red and Ace couldn't help but smile as Twilight continue, "We have finally restore peace and harmony to this world."

"Yeah," Red said as his smile faded and he looks out at the horizon. "Finally."

AN: I really have nothing to say but I am really happy that the war is over. Sadly, this amazing story [not to you anyway] is finally coming to a close.

This mission was actually base off against from the final mission of Medal of Honor: European Assault. It was difficult trying to get everything together but alas, I've made it. Sorry to those who liked Richardson but he did survived so don't worry.

On top of that, this is seriously the longest and most battle-filled chapter I've written and it took me exactly 8 hours to put in on Microsoft Word.

Anyway, this is NOT the last chapter however, but we shall see the sad ending of the story real soon. I promise you that it not as long as this one. So brace yourself. I shall thanks everyone for encouraging me to keep going [mainly my little brother] and finish this war.

See you on the other side!