“You all understand what we’re doing correct?” J questioned as he tied his boot.

“Yes sir!” Private said.

“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t.” Sarge said.

“Mmhmm.” Corps said.

“Of course.” Lieutenant said.

“Good… let’s get this show on the road.” J said as he picked up an assault rifle. “You all know the plan right?”

All of them looked at J.

“Okay… I’ll run you all through it one more time…” J said.

------------------------------------------

“Sarge you're with me. Corps, Lieutenant you two head down the right tunnel. Private, Captain, and Major you three head down the center tunnel. Let’s hit them from every side.” J said.

Everyone broke and moved to their locations.

J moved up against a wall of dirt. He motioned for Sarge to move up with him.

Sarge moved up. “What now?” He asked.

“We go in guns blazing.” J said as he shouldered his gun and jumped over the dirt wall, he opened fire on the enemy as soon as he saw them.

----------------------------------------

The last shot was fired. J’s entire team was dead, as was the enemy.

J looked over the cover he was behind to see if anything was still alive.

After he confirmed that everything was dead he stood up.

“Looks like… I’m going home…” J said quietly as he moved for a tunnel.

“N… not… s… so fast… ‘king’...” A changeling hissed as it fired at J hitting him in the side.

J aimed and fired tearing the changeling to shreds.

“Fuck…” J swore under his breath as he gripped his side. Blood rushed out of the wound and slipped between his fingers. He dropped his gun and stumbled back into a wall. He leaned against it for support. He weakly walked forward slipping and falling on occasion.

On the wall and floor he left a small trail of blood.

“Oh… god…” He groaned.

----------------------

After a few minutes of stumbling around J slid back against a wall. He gripped his side tightly.

“God… damn it…” He muttered.

“Hello J…” Cadence said.

J looked up, “H… how did… y… you get down here? A… and why… would you bring Alexa… to this hell?” He asked.

“Well I just thought it would be nice to say goodbye.” Cadence said.

“I… I’m not… dead yet… help me up… I… I can make it…” J said weakly reaching an arm out.

“But you are J… To me.” Cadence said.

“What… w… why?” J stammered, his arm falling back down.

“I don’t want you around Alexa anymore… It’s only a matter of time before something sparks your anger again.” She said.

“I.. I’d n… nev-” J was interrupted.

“Sure you say you won’t hurt her, or me… But you’ve already hurt us. You’re a ticking timebomb. First it was Applejack… When you branded her, scarred her. Then Rainbow Dash… And now Chrysalis.” She said.

“Bu-” He was interrupted again.

“You know it’s funny how much pity you can gather up before it becomes too much for everyone to care about anymore. You say you’re sorry… But you keep doing it. And I can’t be around to see it anymore. That’s why I’m taking Alexa and leaving for the Crystal Empire.” She said.

“D…” He mumbled, “N… not… here…”

“Say goodbye to your father Alexa… It’ll be the last time you see him.” Cadence said quietly.

Alexa looked at J and started crying. “I know you’re scared of him… Let’s go.” Cadence said and turned around.

“N… not… d… dying… here…” J mumbled. He grabbed the canteen he had and drank a little from it, he weakly pushed himself off the ground. When he looked back to where Cadence and Alexa were they were gone. He leaned against the wall and limped forward for another few feet before falling to the ground again. “D… damn it…” He muttered.

“What’s wrong J? You don’t look so good.” Applejack said.

“W… wha… p… please… h… help me… stand…” J said weakly, looking up at her.

“Why would we help you… You can’t even help yourself.” Emile said.

“B… blood… loss… m… muscles… tired…” J stammered, “P… please…”

“Kind of funny how he begs isn’t it mom?” Emile said.

“I remember begging awhile ago… And how that turned out.” Applejack said, motioning to the branding on her.

J’s head fell back to the ground, “I… I s… said…” He started.

“Ya you said a few things. But words don’t mean much, especially when they’re backed up with more lies.” Applejack said.

“I…” He said before closing his mouth a few tears slid down his face.

“Why did I have to come?” Emile asked, “Why couldn’t I stay with Ethan. He didn’t have to…”

“Because I figured it would mean something if at least one of his kids didn’t hate his guts entirely. But I guess it’s too late for that.” Applejack said.

“A… at least… we still… have… something… in common…” J said quietly.

“Can we go now?” Emile asked.

“Yeah, let’s get out of here.” Applejack said, the two of them turning around and walking away.

“I… I finally know… what… my life… is written in…” J said quietly.

“And what would that be?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Sand…” J said quietly.

“I guess it fits…” She said.

“T… the last… light I had… is gone… th… there’s no… point… in asking… you for help…” J said.

“I… I see.” Dash said sounding a little hurt. “I guess… You really don’t care about me.”

A few more tears slid down his face, “Y… you wouldn’t… be able… to get me back… before… I cross over…” He said.

“You’re right… But I understand now. The ‘last’ light is gone. Now I see I never meant anything to you. I was just some cheap whore right? That’s all I’ll ever be…” She said, starting to cry.

“N… no… I… I love you… I… always have…” J said quietly.

“Yeah… I bet you did.” Dash said, running away in tears.

“Wait… Please!” J shouted weakly. “I’m… I’m sorry… Please don’t… Don’t leave me…”

Silence flooded the room as the last of Dash’s sobs faded from it, disappearing through the tunnel.

“N… now… I… die for those… that hate me… I’ll… just be forgotten… anyway… I’ll… just die here… lost… and finally… alone… just… like it started…” J said as he laid his head down in defeat. “I… may… be a monster… but at least… I know that I died… to save lives…” He blinked slowly and saw Star standing in front of him staring down at him, “J… just leave me… I don’t… belong here anymore…”

Star stood there, silently staring at him.

“L… let me die in peace…” J said weakly.

“Maybe some day.” Star said.

J laughed weakly, “I’ve… got nothing left… the rest of them hate me… w… why n… not you?” He asked.

“I guess I just lost the ability to do that...” Star said.

“I… I’ll just make… make them hate you… j… just leave me…” J said.

“Well that’s not your choice to make. Can you walk?” Star asked.

“I… I don’t know… n… no one… else tried… to h… help me up…” J said, “I… just… laid here… t… to wait for death…”

“You know J… Before I met you, and I was with Kit… Beck… And the others. We had a saying.” Star said, a few tears falling from his face.

J laughed weakly, “When you can’t run… You crawl. When… When you can’t crawl…” J said quietly, tears coming down his face in full force. He looked up and saw Star holding a hand out, a smile on his face.

“You find someone to carry you.” Star said.

“T… they may… hate me… but… h… home is where t… the heart is… and… y… you have my heart…” J said weakly reaching up to grab Star’s hand.

“And I’ll never break it.” Star said grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet.

------------------------------------------

“Do you think they’re okay?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m… sure they are…” Chrysalis said, “At least… I’m sure Star will be… I… I can’t make contact with J anymore…”

“S… so… h… he’s…” Cadence stammered.

“No… it could just mean he doesn’t want to be found… but…” Chrysalis said weakly.

“Don’t… Talk like that.” Fluttershy said.

“Y… you’re right… we shouldn’t be…” Chrysalis said.

Cadence covered her face with her hands and started crying.

Tears started to slide down Fluttershy’s face as she hugged Cadence.

“I… I k…” Chrysalis stopped as she started crying too she hugged the two of them tightly.

“Why the tears?” Star said, walking in with J around his shoulder.

J gave a few deep breaths, “Y… yeah… I didn’t… c… come in yet…” He said with a weak smile.

“J?” Chrysalis said looking up.

“Joe Joe?” Cadence said as she looked up too.

“I’m okay too by the way.” Star joked.

“Course… you are…” J laughed weakly.

“A little help here?” Star said, motioning to J’s wounds as he set him down on the couch.

---------------------------

J’s eyes opened up slowly, the first thing he felt was someone holding his hand, he looked over to see that it was Star. He weakly smiled.

“Hey.” Star smiled, squeezing his hand tighter.

“H… hey…” J said quietly.

“You feeling okay?” Star asked.

“Y… yeah…” J said. “I’m… not dying… anymore… that’s a plus…”

“Yeah… Not dying is usually good.” Star joked.

J looked around the room seeing everyone gathered in the room. His demeanor changed when he saw Twilight. His grip on Star’s hand tightened as much as he could.

“Hey J.” Twilight said.

“Hey…” J said quietly.

“About what I said earlier… I’m sorry.” Twilight said.

J kept quiet and he laid his head back down on the pillow.

“They aren’t mad at you J.” Star said.

J sighed a little bit, “You… don’t need to… apologize…” He said, “It’s… not like… what you said… wasn’t true…” He paused for a few moments taking in a deep breath, “But… I… I intend… to make… sure that… it doesn’t… remain true…”

“I’ll be there with you all the way.” Star said.

“We’ll be with you.” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah…” Cadence nodded.

“W… when I was down there… the entire time… I could… only think… of all of you…” J said quietly, “And… I believed… I was going to die…”

“J…” Star said.

“But… now… that I’m not…” J said with a little smile, “I’m… happy that… I… have another chance…”

“You act like you did something wrong.” Star smiled.

“I did… I almost died…” J said as his smile widened a little bit more.

“Woulda been a real shame… Considering we still have the rest of our lives together.” Star said.

“Yeah… we’ve got… a long time left.” J said in agreement, “And… I now… intend to see it all through…” He paused, “Not… like I didn’t before…”

“You got that right.” Twilight said.

“Hi dad…” Ethan and Emile said, walking in the room.

“Hey you two…” J said with a smile.

The two of them ran up and hugged J. “I’m so glad you’re okay…” Emile said.

J smiled a little more, “I am too…” He said nuzzling himself against the two of them. “I’m really happy that everyone decided to come see me.”

Star raised an eyebrow and nudged J, pointing to one of the shadows shifting around the room.

J nodded and smiled a little more.

“You can come out Nightmare.” Star said.

“Nightmare?” Dash questioned.

“I… am sorry… but I can’t.” Nightmare’s voice said from under the bed.

“Why not?” Star asked.

“She really only trusts you and me right now.” J said quietly. “And… I do know why… but it’s kind of hard to help change what is keeping her from coming out.”

Star looked up at everyone. “Why don’t you guys leave us alone for a bit. When J get’s better I’ll get him home don’t worry.” He said.

“No… it’s fine… if they stay… I just… won’t come out… It’s selfish to keep them from seeing him just so I can.” Nightmare said this time from behind Star.

“It’s fine really… We understand.” Twilight said.

“N… no I can wait my turn… I’m always with him… remember?” Nightmare said from underneath a chair at the back of the room.

“Alright.” Star shrugged.

“So… how is everyone?” J asked.

------------------------------------------

J yawned a little bit, “Thanks for being here.” He said as he waved at everyone as they left.

He laid his head down and felt something wispy over his one hand.

“I’m here still…” Nightmare said quietly.

Star peeked into the room. “Am I interrupting?” He asked.

“No…” Nightmare said. “You may come in.”

“Oh? May I?” Star joked, walking in and sitting down next to the bed.

Nightmare laughed a little bit.

“Nightmare… I wanted to ask… if you knew… that…” J started.

“I was trying to stop them from happening… I just couldn’t… I didn’t have the power to… I… I felt so tired and… I was fighting to keep awake.” Nightmare said quietly.

“So… was I.” J said. “Too bad… I can’t even hold your hand without worrying that you’ll just vanish.”

“What’s this ‘them’ you’re talking about?” Star asked.

“I was hallucinating… but unlike before… I know it was natural… I was losing a lot of blood.” J said quietly.

“That seems to happen a lot.” Star laughed.

“Yeah… it does.” J said.

“Anything you want to talk about?” Star asked, grabbing J’s hand again.

“Y… yeah… I wanted to ask… what made you decide to go get me?” J asked.

“Well at first… I didn’t really care. But then Fluttershy shined some light on me and… Well… You’re really the only thing I could see for miles.” Star said.

“I guess… where I thought one light died… someone else got a shining beacon.” J said with a smile, “If it isn’t all that clear… thanks for coming for me. And… thanks for not leaving me when I wanted you to…”

“Joel don’t you know me by now? I wouldn’t leave even if you wanted me to.” Star smiled, nuzzling himself against J.

“And that’s what I’m really grateful for…” J said hugging Star.

“Oh…” Nightmare said quietly.

“Hey… Get in here.” Star said to Nightmare.

“Uh… I… I wish I could…” Nightmare said quietly.

“Nightmare… please?” J said.

Nightmare sighed, “Okay… if you insist…” She said trying to feign displeasure.

Both J and Star felt a warmth drape around their entire bodies.

“Doesn’t that feel better?” Star smiled.

“Yes… it does…” Nightmare said with a content sigh.

“So what did you two want to do when we get outta here?” Star asked.

“What do you… oh… you…” Nightmare mumbled.

“Your opinion matters too Nightmare. Why don’t you choose a place? Let’s relax for a bit.” Star said.

“Um… I… really can’t… do anything… I need… dim lighting… or darkness… to keep a form up right now… and… that usually doesn’t last to long…” Nightmare said.

“You don’t need one silly…” Star laughed. “Just being with us is good enough.”

“Um… well thank you…” Nightmare said.

“That’s the spirit… hey maybe we could invite someone else along… maybe we can break your fear of the girls.” J said with a smile.

“Hm… How about Pinkie?” Star said.

“That sounds great!” J said.

“Yes… great…” Nightmare said quietly.