Alone and exhausted, I stood against the cursed army of Dark Feather while Rain was dealing with the Ursa Major that was possessed by the amulet on that griffon's neck. Celestia, Luna, and her remaining guards were safe in my Susano while I held my keyblades tightly. Hell was reigning on Canterlot while my mind raced over finding out where Cadance' daughter is at.

The cursed ponies smirked, snickered, and even snapped their flesh hanging jaws while the sky turned to a sinister red. My eyes remained focused on them, my keyblades changed to Way Unto Dawn and Ultima for it was my command. With both ultimate keyblades in my grasp, I spun them over my head and allowed the sparks to ignite from the two touching.

"James" Celestia whispered, her voice being of shock and confusion over me still being alive after so long.

I didn't acknowledge her or Luna, I only scowled at the bastards while using my Mangekyo Sharingan and Rinnegan. Dark Feather knew this was not going to be an easy fight at all, but what he didn't know was that this fight was a loss for him. I may be exhausted, but what he didn't know is that I was absorbing energy around me so that I had some chance against these monsters he freed.

His eyes locked onto me with so much hatred and fury that even I was impressed by it. He may be one of them now, but to see that such emotion is still in him made me a little nervous. Seeing that there was still life in him made this situation go from bad to worse, resulting in me resorting to breaking the one rule I put on myself as a means to keep balance of the timeline in technology within Equestria.

I never broke this rule, but knowing I needed to conserve my energy to fight him made my options go slim. I had no choice but to break this one rule in order to save the princesses and the remaining guards.

The rule was...never use guns.

Without a second thought of what I was doing, I crossed my fingers and summoned each firearm I created from the darkness I purged out of Cadance.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" I screamed, summoning four exact copies of me and levitating the specific firearms to them while Dark Feather watched in curiosity.

It was wrong to do this, so very wrong that I was disgusted with myself for creating such weapons, but the situation called for me to do this or Equestria would fall to the BAO. After summoning my clones, I sheathed my keyblades and summoned the twin hand guns, Ebony and Ivory, while my copies took their specific weapons. One of them had a Lancer from Gears of War, another had a Vulcan, the next one had a Mulcher, and the last one wielded two Plasma Pistols from Halo.

Yes it was this bad for me to summon such power, but Canterlot was destroyed and the entire city was in ruins as fire roared around us. Now we were ready for the fight to come, but what me and my clones didn't know was the Dark Feather came prepared. In less than a second I watched jagged horn, covered in tissue and muscle, sprout on the cursed ponies because of Dark Feathers necklace.

They had magic on their side now, so magic versus bullet was the playfield against these monsters.

"Do not let them pass, do not let them reach the princesses!" I ordered while taking aim at the cursed ponies.

Thankfully I enchanted them to never run out of ammunition, but now we had this battle resting on our shoulders while Rain retreated behind us. She was protecting the princesses while the Ursa Major stood behind Dark Feather. He was waiting for orders while my serpent friend roared like Godzilla, showing her dominance against the mythical beast that was already wounded from her bites and multiple constrictions.

Dark Feather was not pleased with how things changed so quickly, seeing as how we were about to battle to the death to save not only the princesses...but all of Equestria.

Rain was curled up now, making herself a barrier around my Susano while the undead griffon ordered his army. She roared again while he sent his minions at us, expressing her rage as I smirked at her.

"That's my girl" I whispered, acknowledging her bravery towards the odds in front of us.

"Finish them!" he roared, sending his army and Ursa at us.

At that moment I followed with their movements, I ran at the cursed army with my clones beside me as their newfound magic flew at us in beams and bullet fast orbs. I had to admit that Dark Feather is good, but he still has much to learn in being a good strategist.

"LET'S GOOO!" I roared furiously and followed the cursed army in power with Ebony and Ivory firing off as fast as I could pull the triggers.

My clones roared with me and unloaded their firepower on the monsters that we were charging towards. Bullet and magic collided in an explosive display while Rain took on the Ursa Major with all she made. Of course I gave her a few additions to her power since it seemed unfair for me to have all the magic. She was very prepared for such situations to happen, she had the Bijuu Bomb, Godzilla's Fire Breath, Lugia's Hyerbeam, and for good measure I gave her one ability that is not to be used unless absolutely necessary.

I gave her the ability to transform into a dragon, just like in the movie known as Dragon Wars, but in order for it to work she must devour me and allow my power to surge through her body. It's something similar to the fusion technique from Dragonball Z, but the time limit depends on how much energy I have to give. Right now I had enough to make it last for about ten minutes, but I was certain that we had no chance of using such a technique since there was so much already happening.

After colliding with the cursed army, we formed into a circle and unleashed our ammunition on the monsters. Cursed Ponies were falling like flies and not returning, which is a good thing because they come back after being absorbed into the ground, but the majority of this fight consisted of them being probably 2000 versus five males and one gigantic albino snake.

We were heavily outnumbered and exhausted, but power and strategy was on our side.

"You like that, huh, you like that!?" I heard clone one scream as he unleashed the Vulcan on them, shredding through the enemy like it was nothing while I and the other clones aimed at their heads.

Buildings were falling and crumbling around us, infernos were raging through the foundation of this cliffside as we struggled to hold off the bastards. Dark Feather was having a hayday with the sight of us standing off against them. It was bad enough to stop the BAO against other kingdoms, but for them to destroy Canterlot like this made me feel ashamed of myself.

Now I was losing focusing of the battle, slowing my triggers while my clones were taken down one by one until I was all alone. Rain was too busy fighting the Ursa Major, trying to kill it while they were now in the mountain side. For the first in my life I felt something that has never passed my mind, something that I have fought against for so long just to prove that I am the best warrior there is.

I proved it so that I could have pride and self-respect, but now I was stripped of those two things because I did one thing I never wanted to do. I failed to protect the innocent from the BAO, failed to stop them, and now Canterlot is completely destroyed.

Still I had to keep going or everything would be destroyed by them, still I had to press on if I was to see the next day with those three alicorns wondering how I am alive. If I survived through this I would be offering my hospitality to the survivors and explaining how I have not died of old age to the princesses. Things were looking bleak as we shot them down one by one, but even the smallest of chance can be the biggest threat in battle.

I kept going, I kept shooting while dodging magic and countering against those that decided to rush us. My clones and I were having a hard standoff until our weapons were taken from us and crushed instantly by whatever force grabbed them. It was until I looked up to Dark Feather that I saw his talon glowing the same black aura that crushed our guns.

Things just got really hard for us, but I have to be thankful that he destroyed them since I was going to if we survived this.

"Shit!" I screamed and drew my keyblades at the last second.

My clones were too late though and now I was alone in this fight while Rain toppled over from her wounds. She was not going to be hurt because of her size, but I could sense how weak she was from fighting the Ursa Major that is now dead. Her body was covered in cuts and bite marks, bleeding and oozing as I spun my keyblades in a tornado fashion with my body.

I was flipping all over the place like it was nothing and taking these bastards down by myself. I continued this struggle before looking back to see that Celestia and Luna were standing over a filly that was terrified. She was crying and screaming as the remainder of the castle toppled over, crashing behind them while I gasped in realization that the filly was purple and an alicorn.

I had to be sure though, I had to make sure that she is the one Cadance spoke of.

"Celestia is that Skyla, is that Cadance daughter!?" I screamed at the top of my lungs, reeling her complete attention to me while I tossed Ultima aside and switched to one hand combat.

She didn't answer for a moment, probably from the shock of everything, until I screamed it again.

Finally she answered.

"Yes it is; why do you ask?" the Solar Princess yelled back, wondering why she was so important as my brain hatched a completely idiotic idea.

Hearing that she is Skyla was all I needed to hear in order to end this fight now. Knowing the one I'm looking for is alright, I focused my energy around the princesses and their guards while deactivating my Susano. The idea in my mind was crazy, possibly insane, but it would work if I timed it just right because of us now hanging over a massive cliff that use to hold the castle.

Before the princesses or their could say anything, I used instant transmission to warp their bodies to Castle Everfree and proceeded to back away. Doing that reduced my power to almost nothing, but at least everyone was safe from the danger that is approaching me.

Dark Feather was now howling to the sky, breaking his gaze from me like the fool he is. With that one chance to stop all of this, I created a large rasen-shuriken and hurled it to the bastard while he was not paying attention. By a stroke of luck it cut one of his wings off, giving me the advantage while I transferred the remainder of my energy to my wounded friend that laying on the hillside.

She was safe from all of this, so I knew I could rely on her to take all of this down with ease.

Even if it meant taking me down.

After hearing Dark Feather howl from the agony, I stopped at the edge of the cliff and smiled at my best friend that was rising to help. It hurt to see her worry about me, but even I had no choice but to stop all of this by luring them in at the cost of my life.

I knew what was doing and to be honest I was ready for it.

With nowhere to go, I dropped my keyblades and screamed at her to do something that would test our friendship. If she truly was my friend, and practically family to me, then she would not question my orders.

I love her like a sister, but even she had to realize we were out of options.

"Rain use your Hyper Beam on the cliff; destroy the cliff!" I ordered her, knowing I would die from this as well.

Rain did not use such an attack; she only stared in compromise of what I said while the cursed ponies approached. They were all here and wanting to tear me apart, so I knew there was no need to worry about one remaining.

It was all up to her though, it was all up to Rain killing him at the cost of killing me; there was no doubt about it for I had no energy left in me to even fly, so there was only one way out of this for me.

Death.

"But...Jamesss" she questioned, her whimper being the imply to me that she had a hard time doing this as moment called for it.

It wasn't easy for me either, it was hard to let go of my best friend while she stared at me like I was some psychopath with a death wish. My life has been nothing but hard and long with my best friend being the only family I have. I do wish I could have said I am sorry to Cadance and that I do want her back, but our last moment of words consisted of me being a jackass after I purged the curse from her body.

Now my life was about to end with these monsters coming with me, but at least I can say that I am going down protecting Equestria. Rain will stop the BAO, I know she will because she grew up around me and learned to never give up even when against impossible odds.

My final act as the Sage of Imagination was screaming to Rain one last thing while Dark Feather fought his pain and rushed through the crowd. I smiled in sorrow as my final tears formed from the good memories I've had overtime, I remembered the good times with the princesses and hiccupped over them. My heart ached so much because I never got the chance to say I forgive them, but that is my fault because I fought the needs in my heart.

I was selfish and inconsiderate, and now my final sentence would be a message that Rain needs to give to the three alicorns I secretly want to forgive. Through all the pain and sorrow, I still loved them dearly and wished they would not have to know that their final thoughts about me were that I died for them.

What a way to go in this world, but god works in mysterious ways.

"Tell Celestia, Luna, and Cadance that I forgive them, tell them I am sorry that we could not catch and that I will always love them, and tell Twilight that I am sorry for being such an asshole"

"James...no"

"I'm sorry Rain, I will always love you. You always stuck by me, but it's the only way...NOW DO IT!" I screamed through my emotional choke-ups.

With my message said, I returned to glaring at Dark Feather and bracing for my death. Rain was crying for the first time while charging every bit of power into one explosion of power, but she did it while roaring the pain in her heart.

I took my last stance and readied for Dark Feather to attack as Rain unleashed the orange beam on the cliffside, causing a massive explosion that destroyed the entire cliff and launched most of the cursed into the air. As the ground crumbled beneath my feet I howled one last time while the undead griffon tackled me to our deaths. The explosion still launched us into the plummet that is hundreds of feet high and tore us apart with flying rock and fire.

My bones were broken in some places because of it, my body was covered in burns and gashes, my energy was gone, but I still entangled myself with the undead griffon in one last brawl through the air. Rain was screaming my name as his army fell to their demise with us, knowing she was about to watch me go to the afterlife with this bastard that was fighting me while we fell.

We grunted, we punched and kicked, we beat eachother senseless until our bodies started giving out. I took more blows to the face than I have in five-hundred years, but I returned the same to the overgrown chicken.

Finally he missed and I grabbed his throat, giving me the chance to say one thing to him before the world around us disappeared. With only a couple hundred feet left, I gouged his eyes with my other hand and broke his beak by head-butting it. He screamed in agony, but only for a second before I grabbed his mouth and snapped it shut so I could say my peace.

We glared at one another, but I had the last laugh of this entire fight.

"SEE YOU IN HELL!" I screamed, then kicked him away before it all ended.

With space to freefall, I looked around me for those few seconds left I have to live, I watched as the cursed ponies screeched and howled in denial of their deaths to come. I gazed around me before blacking out from exhaustion and turning around to land on my back.

My smile was serene and peaceful, but something caught my eye that was directly above me and approaching fast. It was angry and diving for me as a pair of hooves reached out to me. The angry howls that echoed were of a female and she was coming at me with speed that was quite impressive. Her body left a trail of pink, which meant she was doing a sonic rainboom while screaming and reaching to me.

Who was trying to save me, who was this mare?

My eyes could only see little before they closed unwillingly, but I saw her glaring at me as her tears fell. She was furious, determined, and almost there as my last two seconds of life ended with me blacking out from the exhaustion.

I know who you are, I know you...

...

Why do you try to save me, why?

...

...do you still love me that much?

...

...am I still your mate...Cadance?

...

Everything went black now...everything...

CHAPTER END.