I was yanked from my restless dreams by a pair of hooves pushing frantically on my chest. "Shining! Shining! Quick, you have to wake up!"

The urgency in her voice sent my heart vibrating like I'd just done a line of moon sugar off a hummingbird feeder. I shot up from my burlap pile, ready to fight an unknown threat.

Twilight pushed her face into mine, her horn glowing purple, just bright enough to illuminate our two floating visages in the dark "Shining, I have an idea! Maybe I can just make you an alicorn and then the two of us-"

"Tell me about it tomorrow, Twili," I groaned, laying back down. "Go to bed. You need sleep."

"But I can research now and have it all figured out when you wake up in the morning," she countered manically.

"I'm serious. Go to sleep. Don't even set an alarm. Just wake when you feel rested."

"Not setting an alarm?" she gasped in horror. "That's completely irresponsible." She shook me again. "Equestria is crying! We have to-"

"Equestria's been getting ravaged for years. It can handle a few more hours. We're not doing any missions unless we're both rested and in the right frame of mind."

"I'll just research a little bit before going to bed," she proposed unconvincingly as she departed from my cell.

In the morning, Twilight woke me up like a crazed science zombie which implied that she did none of the things I'd suggested when she came to me in the night. My watch said it was a quarter past seven but I guess time of day doesn't really matter much in here. Not even I felt rested but I'd slept on a scratchy fabric pile and, come to think of it, I had only been on one real bed in the past few nights.

I grudgingly obliged her unwelcome wakeup call and shambled into the kitchen where she had two bowls of oats and a groggy Spike at the breakfast crate.

I rubbed my eyes and beheld the near tasteless offering before digging in with the same spoon I'd used yesterday.

"You said something about making me an alicorn… or was that a weird dream? Can you really do that?" I admit that the thought of ascension filled me with trepidation, especially if I didn't even earn it. That was a surprising detail to get hung up on. It almost felt like a muffled protest from Shining Armor, wherever he was.

"No, I can't actually do that," she lamented, as she stuffed her face. "Just forget about that. Only natural Alicorns can grant Alicornhood. Made Alicorns like me can't. But I have an idea that might even be better. I can give you my alicorn powers just like Luna and Celestia did for me when they imbued an amulet with their powers."

I scratched my chin as my eyes widened with understanding. "So… alicorn amulet against alicorn amulet."

"Exactly!" She pounded the table with excited emphasis.

I screwed up my face. "But you're already an alicorn. Can't I just give you my power as a boost?"

She shook her head and floated one of Celestia's old spell books up to thump on it. "It's an alicorn only enchantment. Believe me, if it worked the other way around, I would have already panhandled enough magic from friends to take out Sombra a long time ago. I can only pick one pony to receive my power and you're the obvious best candidate in Equestria."

"Okay," I exhaled thoughtfully.

Twilight downed the rest of her oats and began to gesticulate. "We need a piece of jewelry to enchant with my power though and I don't have any in here. We could search the castle-"

"I have my wedding band with me," I suggested eagerly.

"That's perfect," she gasped.

I floated the ring out of my pack and set the piece on her upturned hoof, the little necklace strap I'd given it, dangled down. She beheld the symbol of my fidelity with an emotional sort of reverence, setting it carefully on a dish she drew to her from atop another crate near her rack of stay awake potions.

I rubbed my hooves together anxiously. "Okay, what's next?"

Twilight stared down at the shiny metal band and swallowed. "Let's do something fun now," she replied out of nowhere.

"Something fun?" I blinked. "A few hours ago you were ready to go fight Sombra in your pajamas."

"Let's go watch the sunrise," she proposed. "I haven't been above ground in a while."

"Okay?" I shrugged. Though a little bewildered, I wasn't about to stop her from getting out of the house finally.

"Yes," Spike celebrated with a fist pump.

The three of us exited the dungeon through the hollow tree portal into the early morning mist. Twilight teleported us straight to the top of a tower in the old crumbling castle. We gathered around a big window where the stucco on the frame had worn away, revealing naked stone. Spike crawled up to straddle the sill and we all looked out upon an ocean of trees just as the golden sun began to pierce the horizon and set fire to the sky.

"You're not getting cold hooves are you?" I muttered. "You know I'll give your power right back when I'm done."

"Yeah, I know… Wow," she sighed, resting her forelegs on the sill. "Haven't seen one of these in a while. Haven't seen the sun in a while, for that matter."

I presumptuously pulled my last cigarette from behind my ear. "Mind if I smoke while we're having fun?"

She looked bemusedly at the cigarette and then up at me. "You quit."

"I unquit," I sighed.

"Oh… go ahead," she mumbled, turning back to the gold bump growing behind the trees. "Do you remember when I was born?" she asked abruptly.

"Of course," I scoffed, flicking the lighter shut. "I was around the same age that you were when you hatched Spike."

"I know, I guess what I mean is, do you remember it fondly? What did you really think about getting a sibling? Be honest." She suddenly seemed somber but also more lucid and articulate like she'd been rejuvenated by the natural light or perhaps it was just that she felt like she finally had a handle on the situation.

"I was excited at first because I don't think I really understood what that all meant." I admitted slowly. "Then, when the reality hit and I was getting a lot less attention from our parents, I was a lot less excited… for a little while anyway. I guess I've been chasing to get that missing attention back ever since."

Twilight laughed weakly. "I never felt that way when Spike was born."

"You were never an only foal," I argued dismissively. "And you were like his third parent. Doesn't matter. I conceded your victory on your coronation day." I flicked ash over the edge.

She snapped her eyes to me. "Hey, it's not fair to pit our paths against each other. They're both good, just different. I became an alicorn princess but I never got married or started a family."

Whatever her intention was with that line, it felt like I'd been bucked in the stomach. "If we're being completely honest, neither of us have any of those things anymore," I countered bluntly.

An awkward silence passed between us which we both used to regret our stupid words.

"You still have plenty of time for that, Twili," I finally said.

She just gazed wistfully into the intense glow overtaking the treetops. Looking at her, I formed the misconception that she was carefully ruminating on her next words.

"Can I try your cigarette?" she asked, still staring out the window.

My older sibling instinct immediately dictated shock and apprehension at the question. I couldn't let her do that; it would be irresponsible. We weren't foals anymore but it was still image-shattering and so unlike her.

"Not much left but you can have the rest." I floated it to her, upright till she caught it with her own magic.

She took a modest drag and choked out a puff of smoke. "I don't like it," she croaked, eyes watering.

I smirked back at her. "I don't think either of us thought you would."

She examined the ash tip closely before flicking it off as if it were all part of an experiment. "Remember when I caught you?" she murmured absently.

I stared vacantly into the wind, trying to parse through every traumatic memory that fit Twilight's vague theme.

"Smoking," she clarified flatly. "And I didn't tell mom because you were supposed to go to the water park and we knew you'd be grounded if our parents found out?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why bring that up? Are you finally collecting on that IOU?"

She returned a look befitting the absurdity of my comment. "What? No. They found out a few months later anyway so what good was it?"

"Right, they were always going to find out eventually but the important thing is that I got to go to the water park. So it wasn't for nothing."

She snorted and then chortled at that. "You're right. You know, that was the first instance I can remember rebelling, even if it was mostly by proxy. I was more afraid of ruining your trip than I was of not adhering to the rules. Traditionally I've been a straightedge and a square my whole life but I did have a few moments."

"You chose them well," I nodded, patting her nest of squirrely mane.

Twilight finished the cigarette and coughed again before letting it drop to the stone floor. She glanced up at me almost as if wanting approval on her form before she stamped it out with a twist of her hoof.

"Alright, I'm ready. Thanks for humoring me."

"Everyone wave bye to Celestia," said Spike, waving to the sun.

We both waved a sad but hopeful hoof. Hope you don't mind us squatting in your old castle.

Twilight brought us down to the old tree and soon we were back in her laboratory bedroom at a most dismal and primitive setup.

"Here we go," she exhaled, standing before the plate. The tip of her horn glowed ultraviolet. Then she looked at both of us individually. "I love you guys."

My face fell in sudden concern at her strangely timed remark. "Uh… Twili?"

My words were drowned out as a blast of focused energy burst from Twilight's horn and converged on my wedding band. There came a gale of wind that ruffled my mane. The look on her face was strained and the light was so intense that I had to look away. The spell didn't take long. It ended suddenly when I heard a thud. As the wind subsided elegantly, I looked back to find my sister on the floor motionless.

"Twi," exclaimed Spike.

"Twilight?" I rushed over to her and rolled her over to check. "Oh, shit, she's not breathing," I cried. "What happened?"

"Check the spell book," Spike squealed in panic.

I scrambled over to where Twilight had set the old tome aside and quickly opened it to the bookmark, hoping desperately that it marked the spell she'd used. My eyes landed on the name.

Grand Transference Enchantment: Imbue a metallic effect with the enchanter's alicorn magic. Magnified potency spell requires enchanter's lifeforce.

My blood ran cold. "No," I breathed. I brushed the large bookmark out of the way and realized that there were actually two. No… they weren't bookmarks; they were something more, two pieces of paper folded neatly in thirds and inscribed with a name: one read 'Spike' and the other, 'Shining.'

My throat closed up. I couldn't breathe. I felt sick. I felt like I was plummeting off of a cliff. This couldn't be true.

"What is it?" begged Spike urgently, kneeling at Twilight's head.

"She's gone," I whimpered. "She wrote us both letters." I floated Spike's letter to him and his jaw dropped in horror.

For a few moments, he just stared at it apprehensively as if rejecting it might bring her back. When he finally did grab it, he shook his head slowly at me. "I can't," he quivered, tears pooling in his eyes.

"She wrote it for you," I sniffed. "This is really important." I couldn't deal. I'd exited my body and was watching myself unfold my letter from across the room.

Dear Shining,

If you are reading this, it means I'm with mom and dad. Please understand that it was an entirely intentional sacrifice and not an accident or calculated risk… And it is not reversible. I'm sorry for omitting this critical detail but had I told you, you would have tried to stop me and steer us toward a plan with a significantly less probability of success.

I deeply regret leaving you like this so soon after getting you back and after everything that's happened. It also feels selfish to yoke the fate of the nation squarely on your shoulders but I know you love Equestria as much as I do and believe me when I say that you are Her best and last chance at salvation.

I know you are in your element in a head on fight. With the power I'm entrusting to you by this modified transference enchantment, you will have the edge in that fight.

I don't know how everything pans out from here but I do know that you will be the benevolent ruler that the Crystal Empire or Even Equestria deserves.

I'm so very tired…

Thank you for always being there for me. No one could ask for a better big brother. Good luck.

With all the love, your B.L.S.F.F., Twili

I set the paper down, shaking like a leaf. My whole face was tight, aching with pent up sorrow behind a dam that was about to crumble. "I'm going to need to step outside," I managed to choke out. "Spike?"

Spike gasped between sobs as he struggled through his own letter but wandered into the hall to help. He opened the portal for me and I hurried through, unable to contain myself a moment longer. I collapsed pathetically to the forest floor, heaving. I pounded my hooves in the dirt and screamed curses to the sky above.

Author's Note

Well, this chapter got away from me. After reevaluating what I still need to do, I'm going to try to wrap this up in three more instalments.