//------------------------------// // Charge Carmine, Charge. // Story: Carmine and Carmine // by PonyManne215 //------------------------------// Author's Note: I couldn't get past 5k, my bad guys. Anyway, here is the last chapter. You'll need the music near the end or else I'll get a Beserker to rape you. Enjoy it and remember that an epilogue will come soon. “What! How did you beat me two hundred and sixty nine times in a row?!” “Aww, don’t worry Benny. You’re just having a bit of bad luck.” “I call a rematch, Pinkie.” “Okie-dokie-lokie!” While Twilight Sparkle and Applejack were explaining the events of the past hours, Benjamin and Pinkie Pie were playing a game of tic-tac toe. Benjamin was lying on his stomach with his two legs dangling back and forth in the air. Pinkie had the same exact pose. If one were able to see Benjamin’s face, they would see a volcano erupting and steam coming out of his ears. He knew he should have just quit after losing for the hundredth time in a row, but he was determined. Anthony, all the while, was leaning against the wall talking with Fluttershy. Scootaloo, as always, was on his helmet. He got used to it by now and besides, in his mind, he playfully thought of Scootaloo as a bullet shield. Lyra, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were conversing amongst themselves, the former two would occasionally exchange glances at the two humans who were preoccupied. “So…um..what did you want to talk to me about? If you don’t mind me asking that is…” Fluttershy whispered. Anthony raised his voice to that of almost yelling. “That! That right there is what I wanna talk about. You talk like an old person who smoked too much. I think that you should take people by the horns because they treat you like a doormat.” The timid little cream colored pegasus winced at his tone but nodded in respect. “Oh, I know! But…you kind of do that too…” “Hey! Me doing that and other ponies doing that is a different thing. I am the shit. I seriously don’t think any other ponies are the shit. Anyway, do you think you could take me in a fight? I doubt the others could.” Anthony exclaimed with a large amount of gusto. “Okay..so what do I have to do?” “First, you gotta plant your feet…er…hooves on the ground.” Fluttershy put her hooves on the ground gently and looked up to him with those big old blue eyes. They were glittering in the sunlight. “Jeez, stop looking at me with those puppy dog eyes. I might just fall for ya, you know?” Anthony said jokingly. A pair of mint-green ears perked up and suddenly tuned into his conversation. Then, an orgasmic scream came from the trio of mares talking in the distance. “So anyway, then, you look at the person straight in the eye.” The soldier instructed. Fluttershy followed suit and looked him straight in the eye. Anthony started to sweat because for some reason, he had like a tingling feeling in his mind. It was as if someone was freezing him with their stare. Yet, the only pony staring at him was Fluttershy. Her eyes were twitching though as if she was putting will power in her gaze. He couldn’t move a muscle now. He strained to speak. “..O-okay! No staring at m-me!” He sputtered. “…Sorry..” “It’s alright. Now anyway, then you scrunch up your nose, brace yourself, and here comes the piece de résistance.” Scootaloo was paying extra close attention and Fluttershy was hanging on each of his words. “You have to grow a pair.” “Huh?” Scootaloo accidentally interrupted. “Yes, what do you mean by ‘grow a pair’?” Fluttershy inquired. “Oh wait, you’re girls..Well I have seen girls with a pair..Okay, just get brave. Or ballsy in my case. And there you have it, you are loud and proud. Let’s hear a loud cheer, Slutt- I mean Fluttershy.” Anthony chuckled awkwardly. “Yay!” “………….No.” Anthony just shook his head and walked away. He turned his head towards the disappointed pony and the little orange filly trying to calm her. He called out to them as he was getting closer to Benjamin who had lost about fifty games more in the short time span. “Yo, Fluttershy, if it makes you feel any better, I’m sorry.” Fluttershy seemed to look up from the cover of her mane and smiled at him appreciatively. Anthony was warmed by the icky lovey-dovey shit and could only think in disgust ‘Gah!’. As he turned his attention to his younger brother, he continued the rest of his apology in silence. “I’m sorry that you’re such a bitch…” Pinkie looked up and smiled from ear-to-ear at Anthony. Anthony sat down on his ass and was going to take the next turn. ‘These things gotta stop giving me those creepy smiles. So help me, I’m gonna punch the next one that does it straight in the mouth.’ He thought. “Yo Ant, you wanna take the next game? This girl is f-ing good. I don’t know how, but she’s beaten me more than three hundred times. I doubt even you could beat her.” Benjamin moved aside. Anthony changed glances from Benjamin to Pinkie. He then rubbed the chin of his helmet and contemplated a strategy. An imaginary click went off as he hatched the most brilliant idea to have ever been created. He laughed in triumph and got into his usual cocky attitude. “I bet you, my nutsuck that I’ll win. So if I lose, I will personally cut them off and hang them over Pinkie’s fireplace.” Anthony reassured. Benjamin gasped. He knew that his brother held him manhood and his two balls of steel very dearly. He treated them like a member of his family. So Benjamin sat back and watched Anthony’s incoming plan. “What do you wanna be, Anthony? X’s or O’s?” “X’s.” Anthony stated. They stared the game, and already Pinkie dominated all of the corners in O’s. Anthony had nowhere to go with his X’s and he would lose no matter what. Anthony suddenly cackled like a madman. He raised a finger to somewhere in the distance, and exclaimed quickly “Hey look, it’s a flying walrus!” Pinkie and Benjamin both turned their attention to the aforementioned spectacle before Benjamin fully registered what his older brother said. He turned his attention to his brother who was standing and waving his arms in victory. Then, Anthony started to dry hump the air. “Yeah, who’s your daddy!” Pinkie turned around and screamed when she saw the game they were playing. Benjamin had done the same. The quantity of shock and confusion from what had just transpired was so great, that one would have to measure it using Griffon Imulsion Tower as the inch scale. On the board where many games had taken place, the board in which Pinkie was hailed as champion and god, the board in which Benjamin had just lost over three hundred games in a row, was a playing field that had X’s in every single spot. “Yeah! I win bitches! How do you like me now!” Anthony humped the air with each syllable. Lyra took notice of this and ran as fast as she could to get in front of Anthony. She ran almost at the speed of light. She planted herself in position, closed her eyes, and clenched her teeth. “Go on, keep on going!” Lyra yelled ecstatically. Nothing happened. When Lyra turned to see her special someone there, she saw that Anthony was munching on some cupcakes at a table on the other side of the room. ‘Aww horseapples!’ Lyra thought to herself as her plan had been toiled once again. Anthony could not believe the taste of the cupcakes. For someone so crazy and impossible, Pinkie could sure make good food. Anthony would have to ask her for the recipes because Anthony could make a mean cake back in the day. He ate the final portions of the confection and went over to his brother. “Squirt, why is this taking so damn long? It was my nightmare and hell, I wouldn’t even take this long to explain it.” “Just shrug it off, bro. They shouldn’t take too long. And besides, you act like you want to go fight that mean mother all by yourself.” Benjamin reasoned. “Are you saying I can’t? You know that I can go up there and pop RAAM’s skull clean off with this baby.” Anthony pulled out his Gnasher and shoved it in Benjamin’s face. “Whatever dude, I’m sure the General for Queen Myrrah is gonna lose to some private who got his ass shot on the first day.” “Screw you.” Anthony raised his middle finger to emphasize his disdain. Some shuffling and clopping could be heard from behind them. The Carmines turned around and saw Twilight and Applejack coming back and they looked to be exhausted. Some small particles of sweat travelled down their manes. “Whew! That meetin’ was darn out right ridiculous. Ah never knew ponies had so many questions.” Applejack sighed. “Well, we did bring some kind of threat near Ponyville. I think it was fair for them to ask so many.” Twilight said. “Let’s just get back to the library, Twilight.” Applejack nodded in the hollowed-out tree’s direction. “Alright everypony, let’s get moving. I’m sure the Princesses are waiting for us.” Twilight directed. All of the room occupants moved out of the door and towards the library. The walk there was like a flash as it only took a matter of minutes. The walk was silent, relatively speaking. When they arrived at the door, Twilight felt a huge magical presence inside. She opened the door and immediately bowed. Everypony else bowed as well. The only living beings left standing were the Princesses, and the humans. “Rise, Elements. We’re all friends here aren’t we?” Celestia smiled at them. “Y-yes Princess Celestia.” Twilight stammered. “So, what’s up?” Anthony asked. Everyone in the room gasped at Anthony’s forwardness. No one was this informal with the Princess. Celestia still kept that gentle and royal smile on though. “Oh nothing, Anthony. Now what is this about the threat?” Anthony turned to Twilight and pointed a finger at her. “This girl.” Princess Celestia and Luna craned their heads to the nervously smiling librarian. “I never understood fully how the situation is. Please explain.” Celestia still spoke in the same calm voice. “Well, I…like in the letter, I used a spell to see Anthony’s nightmare. Something went wrong for some reason and a large monster m-” Luna raised a hoof to silence Twilight. “We know, Miss Sparkle. We mean to ask who it is.” Anthony stepped forward with a thumb arched towards his body. “I got this.” The two regal Alicorns sat down and listened to Anthony’s recollection of all facts on the general. Benjamin would cut in with some pieces of information that happened after Anthony’s death. Silence filled the air except for the voices of the brothers. The Princesses finally got up and began to pace. “This is not good. If a creature that powerful and evil is near, then we our hope and chances of winning are slim, I’m afraid.” Rainbow Dash flew to Celestia’s face. “We can do this. We got the Elements of Harmony!” “I’m afraid it isn’t that simple, Rainbow Dash. The effects and results that the Elements can bring are catastrophic. Though it has helped us in the past, and it has saved Equestria twice, I don’t think we should use it for a third. The Elements will most likely defeat the General but it can also bring harm to Anthony and Benjamin. It may just wipe out the foreign life that has arrived recently, which includes them.” Celestia’s smile turned into a solemn frown. “Oh..never mind then.” Rainbow Dash descended and bowed her head in sorrow. “We also must think of his weapons. If the fact that he has an array of small creatures of the dark are true, then Luna cannot help us in this either. That only leaves myself and the two soldiers here.” Twilight looked like she wanted to speak against the decision but was held down by Applejack and Rarity. “Don’t worry, Celesty, we can do this.” Anthony reassured. Anthony stopped calling her Celestia sometime after explaining and resorted to just calling the white-coated princess ‘Celesty’. She smiled at him and nodded in agreement. “Should we go now?” “Let’s say any final words we may have to the girls. If we don’t make it out of this, we want to at least express our feeling or thoughts to them.” Benjamin suggested. Anthony walked over to the dark princess. “Hey you. You save my life and you don’t even say anything to me? That’s some messed up shit. Anyway, I wanted to say thanks again and I want you to know, that if I ever had a girl, I would name her Luna. Well actually, Antony-ette Luna Carmine. Gotta have her first name like mine, you know.” Luna did not look at Anthony, but outlined his entire body. For some reason, she got all nervous when looking at him and was nervous because he was looking directly at her. “We are…sorry. We wish you good luck and hope you return.” Suddenly, she felt two arms around her. At first she got all tense but slowly loosened up after realizing it was Anthony. “That means a lot. Also, can I ever ride you? I wanna see what it’s like to fly in the air.” Anthony whispered in her ear. Luna blushed at the thought of him riding her. It was not only improper but it would be scandalous in the royal court. Something just made her slip a word out. “Yes.” Anthony broke the embrace and went over to Rainbow Dash, Lyra, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. He got down on one knee and looked them each in the eye. What he was about to say was surely serious. “Alright girls. I have one thing to say to you, and one thing only. I like turtles.” Anthony got up and just walked away after that, leaving Lyra and Applejack confused and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie rolling on the floor in laughter. Benjamin was speaking with Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy. “Alright ladies. Now, I think you should help and evacuate the town in case something bad happens okay? I believe that each of you has the potential to save the ponies and get to safety. Fluttershy, keep that gentle nature of yours. Twilight, keep on studying and practicing your magic. Rarity…….okay see ya.” Benjamin looked at the white unicorn and simply just walked away. Both brothers stopped at the final pony, Scootaloo. “Okay Scoots, you’re the last stop.” Anthony started. “Can I go with you?!” Scootaloo said excitedly. “No, I’m sorry but it’s too dangerous. If you go, there’s no telling what’ll happen.” Benjamin soothed. “Don’t worry kid, we’ll be back.” Anthony added. “How do you know? Princess Celestia herself said that the monster might win.” “Hey, don’t talk like that. We promise that we won’t leave you alone. We love you Scootaloo. Don’t forget that.” Anthony and Benjamin both patted her on the head and walked to the door. “In case we get killed and I won’t have the chance to say this, I love you Ant.” “Me too. I love me too. No really though same here.” The princess nodded and teleported herself and the two brothers to the Everfree Forest. The white flash blinded the girls in the room but they quickly ran out the door to see their friends off. When they walked out however, lines of guards surrounded the tree. Luna was the first to talk to them. “What is the meaning of this?” Luna asked with a hint of annoyance. “Captain Armor sent us, Princess. He insisted he help you.” “Fine, help us evacuate Ponyville and the areas surrounding the Everfree Forest such as Baltimare and Fillydelphia.” “Right away, ma’am!” The vast array of guards started to knock on homes and escort the citizens to safety. The Elements, Lyra, Scootaloo, and Luna could only look to the tree line of the treacherous forest. All they could do was hope for the best. ***** “With new enemies, comes new allies.” Benjamin said to no one in particular. “Who said that?” Celestia inquired. “I’m not sure. I heard it before though. Most likely a military writer.” The princess and the two soldiers were trudging through the forest, trying to find General RAAM. So far, the search was fruitless. No noise besides the wildlife and the plants were heard. It was starting to get boring for the brothers when a loud scream almost broke their sound barriers. “Quick, someone’s in trouble!” Benjamin said while running towards the noise. “No shit, Sherlock. What gave you that idea?” Anthony replied sarcastically. “Shut up!” They arrived at where the source of the commotion came from. Before the three was a half destroyed hut and a towering figure shrouded in darkness. A zebra was backed away in the corner of the remaining debris. “Back away, creature of the night. For here is the Princess of the light!” The zebra pointed a hoof at Princess Celestia, causing the monster to turn towards the trio. “Oh shit, that dumbass just ruined our ambush didn’t she?” “Yep.” Benjamin retorted. The monster took away from Zecora and walked towards Celestia. Celestia, in turn, used her horn to shine light on the situation. The creature used its arm to block the incoming light from its face while its shadowy shield dissipated. The absence of darkness revealed the large General RAAM who was snarling at the Gears and the one who scared his Kryll away. It moved towards the princess and was about to cut her with his large knife when he started to feel pain in his side. “YEAH MOTHERFUCKER! EAT THAT!” Anthony shouted as he emptied a clip of his Lancer into the unprotected General. RAAM laughed and pointed his finger at Anthony, who was quickly swarmed by Kryll. “Oh shit! Ah! AH! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF!” Anthony began to swat at his entire body while running in circles. Blood started to trickle all over his armor. “Princess, use the light on Anthony!” Celestia did as advised and the panicking soldier was free of his assault, leaving him open to attack the General once more. Benjamin helped as well and began to fire his Longshot at the General’s head. Celestia, who could only use light to protect and attack, did just that. Everything was going perfectly fine until RAAM reached for a weapon at his side. *KABOOM* The sound of a sawed-off echoed through the entire forest as its sloppy spray hit Celestia in the side. Not many pellets reached through Benjamin who took most of it in his armor, but Celestia began to bleed at certain spots. She could not help but scream in agony at the sharp pain in her left thigh and her right torso. “Princess, get the hell out of here. Take the other pony there with you. You can’t fight this thing. We’ll do it alone.” “But I-” “GO!” Celestia winced but reluctantly agreed. Zecora ran to Celestia’s side as she teleported them away. “I hope she isn’t hurt too bad..” Benjamin said aloud. “Get your head out of the damn clouds and help me over here! I’m not getting my shoulder cut again!” Anthony yelled furiously. Their effort so far was not helping, as the General just took the bullets without any sign of faltering. “Shit! Fall back!” Anthony and Benjamin ran for some trees and used them as cover to shoot at the slowly approaching General. They repeated this for a few minutes, although to them, it felt like hours. The General would be shot at by the retreating COGs while he sent his Kryll and shot his Elite Sawed-Off to destroy the trees they used for cover. “We can’t keep this up. At this rate, we’re gonna get ripped to shreds!” Anthony realized. “Wait a minute..I got an idea! Gimme your Lancer. Take my Gnasher and distract him.” Anthony threw his shotgun at his younger brother while he caught the Lancer. He had two Lancers now. “Just hurry!” Benjamin called out to a retreating Anthony. Anthony shouted something in response but he was too far away to be heard. Benjamin had to hold his position for now. He continued firing but RAAM just wouldn’t give up. He was running low on ammo as well. He shot the last shot of his brother’s Gnasher and pulled out his Snub Pistol. RAAM closed in on him though and threw Benjamin aside. Benjamin went flying five feet and was met with the bark of a tree. Benjamin couldn’t stop now though. He got up and ran to where his brother had gone. The sounds of the charging Kryll that were behind him made his adrenaline pulse through his body even more. He ran as fast as he could until he was face-to-face with the sun itself. He looked around and the entire patch of forest he was in was empty. All of the trees looked to be cut down. He turned to face the General when he heard the sound of Kryll burning from the rays of the light. The General had lost his shield but he was still coming. RAAM’s footsteps came closer and closer as he was almost within arm length of Benjamin. He aimed his destructive scattergun at Benjamin’s head and almost grinned at him with his bared teeth. “EAT IT BITCH!” Anthony exclaimed while firing two Lancers at the General who was about to kill his brother. Not only did he catch Benjamin by surprise, but RAAM as well. The dual damage and barrage made the General cringe in pain. The hardened Locust was furious. He was nearing death at this rate so he did the only thing that he could, he shot his Sawed-Off at Anthony, causing Anthony to fly away while bleeding from his chest. Anthony was knocked out cold while Benjamin was left alone. It was pretty ironic, seeing as how Benjamin was the one to be out cold in the last battle. Benjamin thought about this for a second before getting thrown away. His bones and body felt numb after so much force was used on it. RAAM threw him near a cliff. It seemed similar to the one Anthony and Benjamin were at when they first saw Ponyville. It was similar in the regard that not only was it steep, but it gave an amazing view. Benjamin turned from his position on his stomach to his back to look at the General above him. RAAM chuckled in a deep and evil manner while putting one of his boots on Benjamin’s chest, disabling any movement from the Gear. Final Music He moved his hand to his knife and dropped his Sawed-Off. He twisted it and turned it to admire every single curve in the serrated steel blade. The blade was as sharp as it was when he first had it. He looked to the soldier who was flailing his arms about in a panicked state. He put even more pressure on Benjamin, causing some rib bones to snap or fracture. Benjamin was now taking large breaths as it was hard and painful for him to breathe. He was searching for his Longshot which still had one bullet. If he could just get it, he could aim it up at RAAM’s head and pull the trigger. The gun was nowhere in his slowly blurring sight though. He was moving his body inch by inch towards the direction of his gun. ‘Just a little more..Ah! Just a little more….Got it!’ Benjamin felt the butt of his sniper in his grasp. He quickly, although painfully, pulled the sniper closer until he put his finger on the trigger. With as much strength that he could muster, he used his right arm and hand to pull it up to the RAAM and fire. Benjamin closed his eyes as the sound resounded through his ears. He opened his tools of vision back up to see that General RAAM was still left standing. The only thing that happened was that Benjamin shot RAAM’s chest point-blank, causing the Locust further harm but not killing him. RAAM had enough now. He brought his knife up and brought it downward. Benjamin’s life flashed before his eyes. ***** “Aww look at you! My little boy. I’ll name you…Benjamin. Say hi to your three brothers, Ben.” ----------------------- “Darling come here! He just said my name! He just said ‘Mommy’! Oh my God, his first word! ------------------------ “Come on, just a little further…that’s it! Balance yourself…that’s my boy! His first steps! Anthony, get your mother!” ------------------------- “Clayton, say grace.” “I think Benjamin should do it. There’s no bacon here!” “It’s Thanksgiving dinner, honey.” -------------------------- “That was a nice date. I had a good time. So…..yeah..Well what are you waiting for, an invitation? Kiss me, Ben.” -------------------------- “Listen, Squirt. It’s me and you now okay? They went to join the COG already. We just gotta wait a couple of years before we join them, okay?” --------------------------- “This is awesome, I got in! I can’t believe it! I’m leaving you in charge of Ma and Pops, Squirt. You’re the big man now. I’ll write you or visit whenever I can.” ---------------------------- “We are gathered here today to honor the life of Anthony Carmine. His life was cut short in his prime and it was done so while serving his nation. May he forever sleep in peace. Does anyone wish to speak some final words? If not, I say to him Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.” ----------------------------- “We love you, Ben.” ***** “NOOOOOOOOOO!” Benjamin felt like every single worry and source of misery had been lifted off of his shoulders. He could see the blur of a blue figure jump at RAAM and push the Locust off of Benjamin. His vision was too blurry for him to see anything. He turned to see that the Locust and the figure were falling off the cliff. Benjamin’s vision came back clearly as he saw the figures. Anthony was on top of RAAM while they were falling. Anthony had charged at RAAM, which would result in both of their deaths, to save Benjamin. Anthony and RAAM fell down the cliff as Benjamin hopelessly tried to save Anthony. His two hands were swaying about freely when something tugged on them. “I’m not dead, yet Squirt.” Anthony was holding onto Benjamin's hands while his body was moving left and right.They shared a laugh as Benjamin tried to pull Anthony up. Benjamin couldn’t do it. His bones were too damaged for him to muster the strength to pull his brother. Anthony could hear his brother straining to even keep him up. He realized that at this rate, he would kill Benjamin. “Let me go.” “WHAT!? I can’t!” “You have to or you’ll die.” “I can save you! You don’t have to die this time!” “We both know you can’t. I’m okay with this. Hell, I’ve died once already.” “No…” “I love you, you little bro.” Anthony began to let go of Benjamin’s left hand and could feel himself moving closer to the ground. He was embracing death. “Not this time!” Benjamin pulled even harder with the aid of his right hand. He could feel Anthony getting closer to the edge. He just needed a little more strength. What he needed the most came. He felt as if two pairs of hands were pulling him back and giving him the strength he needed to pull Anthony up. Anthony climbed over the edge, both of their hearts beating rapidly. Anthony patted his brother on the back and stood up. He then suddenly spoke. “Holy shit!” “You two?! Thanks for saving us!” “Hey man, we’re friends. Just call me Dom, Carmine.” “Yes, it appears we are no longer on Sera..with that, address me as Prescott.” Benjamin turned his head to see the Chairman in short-sleeved armor and a heavily bearded and gruff looking man that had a sort of familiarity. They helped Benjamin up and carried him on their shoulders. They stood on the edge of the cliff in which a lot had just happened. They stared at the afternoon sun that was high in the sky. The sounds of beautiful birds chirping filled the atmosphere. “Nice to see you two again.” Dom said somewhat happily. “You too, Dom.” Anthony replied. “Where are we, Private?” Prescott asked. “A new world, sir. A brave new world.” "Aww shit! I stepped in shit again!"