Luna was dead.

Her body rested on her bed beside my own. The shock of it struck me like lightning; I should have died for I was the older one. But at the same time I was somewhat relieved knowing that she didn’t have to see me go; never in eternity would I have allowed my Luna to go through such heartbreak.

“No…” Twilight whispered through her tears. She wrapped her hooves around Luna’s body and kissed her forehead. My heart sunk to see my little girl cry so helplessly like a foal lost in the Everfree Forest.

“...Twi...light…” I said. My throat burned but I no longer had the will to tend to it. It wasn’t like it mattered anymore.

“Twilight…” I said, trying to be louder. This time she turned toward me, allowing her bloodshot eyes to enter my sight. I imagined the times where I gave her a hug— when she cried, when I was proud of her, and when I wanted her to know she was special— and scolded my weary bones for restraining me.

“Celestia,” she said as she stumbled her way over to my bed, “I don’t want you to go.” She nestled herself between my neck and chin and grasped what parts of my body she could. I felt my eyes stinging, forcing me to squeeze them.

“Y-You know I wasn’t t-think you’d die s-so soon,” she struggled to make out. Her grip tightened and her whimpering strengthened, “I’m n-not ready to rule on my own. I need you!”

As she continued crying by my side, my waist and abdomen grew numb; death was crawling its way up. I took in a breath and spoke.

“I know you are ready,” I said. I used the still-existent feeling of my upper foreleg to raise it from under the blanket and onto Twilight’s neck, “I’ve known... when my time was for a while now... and I made sure to prepare you for your destiny…within that time...”

“But…” Twilight said. She sniffled as several more tears escaped her eyes, “who w-will raise the sun...and the moon? I...don’t know how…”

I smiled and began rubbing my hoof along her back.

“On my throne, there is a container...that has both my magic and Luna’s…” My voice grew weak and my lungs tightened. I stopped talking to take a breath, enjoying the pure air entering my body, “I would like you to go there....and use an absorption spell to infuse it into your body...raising the sun and the moon will be as easy as breathing…”

My words, however, didn't slow Twilight’s crying; my body was like a lone piece of wood in the middle of the ocean, the one thing keeping her afloat.

“But...y-you never told the people...they’ll b-be devastated when news gets out…”

A tear broke free from my own eye and trailed its way down my pale, blemished cheek. I exerted every bit of effort to slide out my other foreleg and wrap it around Twilight. I was strong enough, however, to pull her in.

“W-What if…” Twilight said, “I’m n-not good enough? W-What if Equestria crumbles w-within my hooves? W-What if I-I go down as a-a...disgrace?”

She hyperventilated and dug her face into my skin. I made sure to never let her go during her time of grief. Another tear escaped me as I saw her falling apart but in a way I was calm as death drew closer.

“Twilight,” I said. Her crying grew less intense as her ear slightly jerked, “I know...you will not be a disgrace...I know you will change the world for the better...how exactly...I cannot tell you the answer…” I briefly paused to take another breath. I noticed my girl calming down, which helped put me at peace as well, “As for me...I’ve lived my life...I’ve fulfilled my destiny...and I’m ready to move on…”

I found a little strength left over, which I used to pull Twilight into the best embrace I could. I felt her pull me in tighter as well.

“I’m not afraid of passing on because I’m happy with what I’ve done...I know I have touched the lives of many ponies...including Luna’s and your’s...and all of those ponies have also touched my life…”

I smiled as my forelegs grew numb.

“I...will see you excel...even when I’m gone…”

Death accelerated its pace— my head was weightless, my eyes heavy, and the room growing dark.

“Goodbye…” I whispered before the last bit of light was replaced by tranquil darkness.