"Chug! Chug! Chug!" Shogun, Jaws, Fridge, Security and Coyote cheered.

The bar was packed today. Word had spread of what was going on with Sunset, and morale needed a boost, which usually meant the bar.

Engineers and scientists on break talked and mingled while the center table was taken over by the combined might of Dragon and Wolf. While some of them cheered, the others watched with amused interest as Deadwood and Ember drank their fifth pint of beer and put the empty glass to the left, before grabbing the next one.

The stakes were high, with the loser team paying for the winners.

"I'm going to—burp—drink you under the table, Ember," Kiba growled. "It'll be so bad you'll be buying me drinks until you're old and gray."

Ember grinned viciously. "Says Mr. Burp. I'm just getting started. By the time I'm done with you, pup, you'll—"

The lights in the bar flickered for a moment, and everyone looked around with a bit of worry. It was not a good sign for the lights to turn off however briefly while you were inside of a flying tank. If they hadn't been currently landed, it could have created a real problem.

"Well, that was a thing…" Kiba muttered. "Now—"

"FUCK OFF!" Sunset shouted from the TV screen above the bar. Whatever Deadwood had been about to say was immediately forgotten by all present as their attention turned to the screen, where an older-looking Sunset Shimmer was screaming her lungs out at the sky.

"FUCK OFF!"

The room was dark, save for the single monitor that had turned on for no apparent reason.

Jane cringed. Drawing her legs up to herself and wrapping her bed sheets around her as her blood-shot eyes studied the images flashing across the screen.

Before the first words of the song flooded their ears, she was again leaning over the edge, her sight on the same Sectopod she had shot originally. It shook when Irvine took his own shot at it, and she could already see smoke coming out of the machine.

"...I'll say it anyway..." Sunset whisper-sang under her breath, her shot piercing through the lenses of the mechanical monstrosity. It crackled and shook, more smoke coming out, but it didn't explode.

Immediately, two small machines flew out, energy gathering as they whizzed around the damaged sectopod, their systems repairing the damaged areas.

"Drones!" Irvine called, diving behind cover as the second sectopod concentrated on him, shooting two full blasts of energy.

"I've got it!" Elaine shouted, running around the building.

"No!" Sunset hollered, "there's no cover!"

Elaine was fast. She ran in, dodging at the last second the shot from the third Sectopod, she knelt just before the one Sunset and Irvine had damaged.

The assault trooper shot the creature with her scatter gun at point blank, making the machine snap back as its armor was pierced and the bullets tore through its innards. It staggered forth, taking half a single step towards Elaine before she shot it again.

Sunset's eyes went wide when the machine shook, taking another step right next to Elaine before it blew up into pieces. She didn't have time to check on her friend, as another angry, red flash burned through her cover. She barely managed to avoid damage, rolling on her back away from the edge, her armor smoking.

She heard a familiar noise of servos hissing. She didn't have time. She dashed to the opposite edge of the structure she was on, hopping over the edge and holding on for just one second before letting go.

The top of the structure was enveloped in plasma and fire as the missiles from one of the sectopods they were fighting crashed with tremendous force on it and exploded. If she'd stayed…

Sunset controlled her fall as best as she could, falling hard and rolling to a painful stop, her impact turning off her player prematurely. Still… better that than staying up there. Disoriented, she turned around, looking at the opposite tower, where Irvine had been…

...only to see it similarly lighting the other side of the Temple Ship.

"Can you move?" Lionel asked, kneeling next to her.

Sunset nodded, then winced as her leg throbbed in pain. "What the fuck just happened?! Why did Elaine—"

Lionel shook his head, motioning over his shoulder, where a badly battered and burnt Elaine smirked, giving Sunset a painful-looking thumbs up.

"Idiot!" Sunset growled. "Irvine?"

Lionel shook his head once more, but the smile faded. He set up to bandaging Sunset's leg and applying medication and stimulants.

"Where's Zhang?"

A loud explosion seemed to be the answer. Several pieces of alien alloy flew from the open area between structures, followed by a bleeding Zhang, who pressed his back against the middle one.

"Have you idiots forgotten your training?" Sunset snapped, forcing herself to her knees.

"That's one less drone." Zhang shrugged. "There's still another left… but I couldn't see it." A pause. "There are still two sectopods left."

"I can clear a path… just let me go ahead and—"

"Can you do that and still fight a bunch of ethereals?" Lionel asked softly.

Sunset bit her lip and closed her eyes, feeling his hand press her shoulder consolingly.

The ship shuddered.

Sunset's mind was suddenly awash with images of the world spiraling slowly into the air. Cars, crumbling buildings, trees, birds, people were being sucked into the air as red clouds with angry lightning wreaked havoc on the ground below.

The ethereal's voice echoed in her mind. "This is your end, the end of your species as you know it. You are too late, chosen one, to change their fate. You are too late to regret and beg. You are too late to stop us."

"What's happening?" Lionel asked, his voice almost drowned by the heavy thuds of an approaching sectopod.

"The aliens are beginning their last attack… it'll cripple the cities, kill millions… destroy any defenses we might have… they'll breed us like cattle." She covered her face. "We don't have time."

Zhang shook his head, his fists closing in anger. "You must reach the next room."

"But—"

Zhang wasn't listening, he was already climbing up the middle structure.

"Zhang! What—"

"Sunset…"

She turned to face Elaine, who gave her a tired smile. "We're not getting out, remember? What's past us?"

Sunset concentrated. Not accounting for mechanical enemies she couldn't sense… outside of a couple of sectoids and mutons left, there was nothing else left between her… and the ethereals.

She looked at up at Lionel, who gave her a brief hug. "Only you can do this. You're strong enough, Sunset. We're here just to open the path for you."

"It was an honor, Sunset Shimmer," Zhang's voice came on the radio. "My only wish was that my daughter would live to see a free world. And thanks to you, she will have that chance."

"I don't know who'll follow in our footsteps," Elaine said, raising up and leaning to take a peek around the corner. "But they'll have large shoes to fill."

"We'll get you through," Lionel said, smiling as he patted Sunset's shoulder. "We are your knights, after all. You need a few seconds for the stimulants to take effect."

Sunset licked her lips and closed her eyes taking a deep breath before standing up. "I'll see you all soon."

She could hear the smile on Zhang's reply. "We know."

Ember's grip on the pint tightened as she watched her father. He climbed fast and efficiently and pulled himself over the edge of the structure he was standing on.

"It was an honor, Sunset Shimmer," Zhang's voice came on the radio. "My only wish was that my daughter would live to see a free world. And thanks to you, she will have that chance."

The glass cracked under the force of her hand. The bar was deathly silent, all eyes on the monitors. Everyone could all hear the conversations... and the music.

She shook her head, eyes wide as her father smiled at Sunset's words. She had only seen him smile a few times. It was a sad smile. "We know."

He took off, running across the top of the structure, then planting one foot firmly on the rail, pushed forth, looking for all the world like he was flying. His heavy laser weapon started whirring as he shouted a long defiant cry, hundreds of short blasts of laser crashing onto the sectopod below him.

He landed on the mechanical nightmare, digging the ends of this weapon onto the optical visor, still shooting. Without pause, he threw his remaining plasma grenades at the other sectopod, which stomped over to them, ignoring the explosives for the chance to shoot him down.

Jane watched quietly, knees drawn against her chest, arms tight.

The sectopod stumbled back, unsure on how to deal with this new form of attack. It didn't last long, shaking and exploding a few seconds later along with both grenades and severely damaging the other sectopod which was then finished off by two shots from Sunset's teammates.

Of Zhang, there was no sign.

Lionel and Elaine ran out of the space between the structure, not even stopping to look at the remains, concentrating instead on the living bogies.

Lionel's weapon flashed, hitting a sectoid on the shoulder, spinning it in place and dropping it right there, just as another of his shots blew up another's chest. He didn't get far before a heavily armored muton stopped him short, emerging from the smoke, charred and dripping blood. It used its heavy plasma weapon like a bat, hitting the soldier square in the chest, and dropping him painfully on his back, before stabbing him with a sickening crunch.

Lionel spat blood, groaning in pain as he was gored by the weapon. Just as the muton leaned down to finish him off, Lionel spat at it. The creature seemed to take offense, and picked Lionel up by the neck, roaring in anger straight at his face.

Lionel smirked, using the last of his strength to stuff a plasma grenade into the creature's mouth.

Jane looked down and closed her eyes when the screen flashed green.

In the Skyranger, Elena and Rainbow Dash watched Elaine blow a muton's head off, then take a shot the moment another got close to her. Her third shot took down a Sectoid Commander straight in the face, a fourth shot injured a muton on the leg, dropping the creature and allowing her to finish it.

She stopped for a second to reload, but had to roll out of the way of a plasma blast, only to land next to a grenade. Cursing, she rolled away just as it exploded, burning her and almost ripping her arm appart. She coughed, forcing herself to stand and looking around wildly, trying to see where it had come from, but it seemed she had taken down its owner just as it was about to throw the grenade. Just her luck to land there.

She sensed movement behind her, and she turned, fast as lightning to shoot—and miss—the drone that had crept behind her.

"Fuck."

Rainbow Dash hit the wall of the cockpit with her fist as Elaine's badly burnt body hit the deck of the ship, still smoking.

"A drone?!" she gasped, tears of frustration threatening to fall down her cheeks. "A stupid drone! Really Elaine?! A drone? Fucking XCOM luck!"

Elena for her part shook her head, her eyes glued to the screen as the last standing member of Stardust ran out of the smoke and fire.

Sirens.

Drums.

Guitar.

Sunset pushed past the debris, hopping over pieces of metal and bodies, holding her breath as she ran through the smoke, eyes focused ahead—even if her peripheral vision was enough to get the tears flowing and her anger rising. A single standing muton raised its weapon at her, but she didn't even stop, projecting her anger and frustration at him, lashing out with her mind.

Although invisible to most, her inner eye saw the whip-like ethereal energy that snapped the creature's brain like a twig. A minor effort at this stage.

There was no one else, nothing else. Just her and the aliens behind the last door.

She pressed her hand against the force-field, feeling it dissipate.

"And so you have arrived, Chosen."

Sunset looked at the tallest ethereal she had ever seen. It carried itself with confidence, and she could feel why-his power was staggering.

"Now you see us, the last and greatest failure… doomed to prey on the strengths of lesser species… until now. Now, thanks to you, we can be complete. We can destroy—"

"Oh, shut up already," Sunset shouted. "I've seen what you want to do. I've peered into your contemptuous little mind. You will lose today."

The ethereal didn't respond, simply whipping out its thin, long arms. Several clouds of black-purple energy formed around the room, and Sunset quickly recognized them as the same teleportation technique that had gotten Bors killed.

"Not this time!" Sunset growled, whipping out her hand and making a fist as she forced her will through the room. The clouds imploded, one of them just in time for the severed arm of an elite muton to flop out and roll, spattering yellow-green blood on the deck.

She could feel the ire of the uber-ethereal before her like a physical force, trying to push her back, and only her own power was barely strong enough to keep it in check. She fought back, her will against its own.

The air between them crackled and snapped with random crystal-like fractures appearing between them. The lights dimmed, clouds of dark energy spiraled threateningly around the whole room, making the entire place shake.

"You are too late, chosen. Earth will suffer, and what remains will be ours."

Sunset didn't know what clued her in. Maybe it was a shift in the air. A sound, possibly. Perhaps just a slight tilt of the ethereal's head. She dove to the side, but not quick enough. Sunset screamed as a plasma bolt designed to fuse alien alloys together seared through her, burning her skin into the armor she was wearing, courtesy of a drone that had survived Stardust's advance.

She collapsed, slamming her fists on the ground and screaming as the smell of ozone and burnt flesh mixed with the sizzling sounds. She twisted and turned, not daring to touch the wounded area, spit dribbling down her chin and mixing with blood as she bit down on her lip.

"Foolish child. You were never to win this battle. Much less the war."

The uber-ethereal turned around, gliding towards a dark, pulsating sphere behind it. "Now die."

She watched with horror as the drone floated over to her and started charging another blast…

Shen covered her mouth when Sunset went down. She was on her feet, hands grasping the side of the table as she stared down at what was happening.

The sacrifices of the people she had known had torn her heart, but she had held hope as Sunset pushed through and started fighting the ethereal on equal footing—a feat no living human had achieved since.

For her to die from a drone's backstabbing attack…

Next to her, Central watched, face pale. The ghostly music of the song a contrast to the impending doom. None of them had known how things had ended. Could Sunset have possibly lost?

Central slammed his fist on the table, making Dr. Luna, Tygan and Shen jump. "Get up, Sunset!" he ordered, almost angry as he glared at the scene.

"GET UP!" Ember shouted. "Get the fuck up! My father died to get you there! You're finishing this, Sunset!"

She wasn't the only one shouting either. Scientists, soldiers, engineers… a chorus of shouts to get up slowly rose across the bar.

"Come on, Sunny," Rainbow Dash whispered, "Get up!"

Jane looked up, eyes fixed on the screen. Fists clenched.

"Get up. I can get up too... if you can."

She could hear them. Voices... Chrysalis. Central. Others. It was all in her head.

"Get up!"

"I—" Sunset gasped, holding herself in place with her right hand firmly on the floor as she twisted to get her legs under her.

"Get up!"

"I hear you!" She gasped, throwing herself back and up, stumbling backwards and losing her balance until she slammed on the wall to the side of the entrance. Smoke spiraled up from the scorch mark where she had been mere seconds before, and the drone was wobbling a little, as if it too was surprised by this turn of events.

"Insufferable!" the uber-ethereal snarled telepathically, its will pressing against Sunset. She couldn't concentrate on him, not while there was still—

The drone exploded, a single laser shot going through it to burn the floor across from where it had been hovering. The ethereal's attack ceased as both it and Sunset turned to look at the lone figure standing at the edge of a platform in the room behind her.

Irvine smirked. His trench-coat was little more than a rag, and his face was dark and burn. From where she was she could see a clear limp as he readjusted, aiming again, this time at the uber-ethereal and taking his shot.

"Foolish."

The laser smashed and compressed against the forehead of the uber-ethereal—then was immediately redirected back. Irvine didn't even get a chance to move before the laser had burned through his chest.

He staggered, eyes wide, dropping his rifle. He opened and closed his mouth, and looked at Sunset. He smiled just as a trickle of blood ran down from the edge of his mouth and nodded, tilting his hat in her direction... then fell off the platform.

"No!" Sunset shouted, turning her glare to the ethereal. "You motherfucker!"

Drawing power from deep within, far deeper than any time before, she jumped. One second she was at the base level of the ethereal's sanctum, the next, she was behind it, between it and the black sphere of energy.

The alien didn't hesitate for a second, slamming her with his full power, sending her damaged body flying to smash against one of the columns… or it would have, if Sunset hadn't retaliated with a blast of her own.

The air between them compressed and exploded, buffeting both of them as their minds sought to demolish each other.

Behind Sunset the sphere twisted and gyrated in place, gathering power.

She knew she didn't have much time. The ethereal pressed on, extending all four of its arms, projecting its psychic energy through every pore of its being, with Sunset fighting back in kind.

Her mind staggered under the assault, but she fought, feeding off of memories and visions and promises. She was now in the perfect position to see the others, or what remained of them. With an angry roar, she pushed back, her psionic powers snapping the ethereal's arms like they were toothpicks.

"You don't know what you're doing!"

"I know exactly what I'm doing!" Sunset shouted back. The power of the ethereal and her own power spiralled around her, cutting her, cutting it. Equipment exploded, the sphere flashed angrily… "I'm getting rid of a tumor."

Crunch!

BOOM!

The moment the uber-ethereal died a burst of energy shook the entire ship. Cries of actual anguish reached her as if suddenly aliens were allowed to feel pain. But she couldn't do anything else now.

She slumped, falling on her butt, her back hitting the base of the device controlling the ship. She gasped for breath, feeling as if there was a tank pressing down on her. Slow droplets of blood slid from somewhere, splashing on her legs.

She gingerly touched the edge of her head, felt the pool of blood slowly trickling down from her ear.

"You really did it."

Sunset tiredly looked up, blinking at the ethereal figure of light emerging from the mists of her mind to take an approving pose in front of her. "Is that all a girl's gotta do for a girl to talk to her?" she chuckled softly.

"Easy there, tiger," the figure said, its deep voice fading away to a more gentle, higher one. "How did you know?"

Sunset chuckled. "Your manly voice was nice… but you know… I can sort of see you. I can't see your face… but… you look pretty."

The figure of light was quiet for a moment, then, "...thank you."

"Aww," Sunset chuckled, coughing up blood. "Don't cry. We both knew this is where I was going to…" she grimaced. "I just… never knew it was going to be that painful."

"You're still not done, Sunset."

Sunset, who had started to drift away, snapped her head up. "I'm awake!"

"Of course you are."

"Who is she talking to?" Shen asked, looking confused at Sunset Shimmer, slumped, bloody and dying, talking to thin air. "Did she go crazy?"

Tygan narrowed his eyes, then glanced over at Annette, who had her eyes glued to the scene, wide and mouth open. "Annette? Do you know something?"

"Right, right." Sunset tried to get up and failed, so instead, she twisted in place and held on to the platform, pulling herself up and crying out as her burnt torso was stretched.

"Sunset…"

"I'm… not okay. But… I can do this."

"Of course."

"You know," Sunset said once she had managed to plant her feet as firmly as she could. "You never told me your name. In the twenty seven years I've known you, you never said it once."

"I have many nam—"

"Your real name." Sunset didn't look over her shoulder at the ghostly figure. "If you ever were my friend."

She couldn't see it, or even hear it. But it felt like the ghost swallowed. "More than a friend. A sister. If you were like me, I think you'd also have a lovely name."

"Sister, huh." Sunset smirked. "I think Sunset Shimmer is an awesome name, if on the hippie side."

"I-there's something you should know."

"Your name?"

"No. She's watching. Chrysalis. They're all watching."

"Me too?"

The ghost paused. "Yes. Sort of."

Sunset groaned, receiving a mental backlash from the machine. "How?"

"Thanks to your powers and my… unique situation. But you have only a few seconds at best now."

Sunset nodded. She forced her will into the ship, making it release it's gravitational hold, disengage the various devices and weapons trained on Earth, intending to make it weaker. She started moving up. She saw in her mind as they left the planet behind, soon, even the moon.

She felt as the whole ship shuddered, and then she felt a warm embrace. "Adagio. My name is Adagio. And you'll forever be my sister."

Sunset smiled. "Can they still hear me, Adagio?"

"Yes."

"Chryssy." Sunset said, closing her eyes as her body was shocked by the psychic backlash one last time. "Chryssy. I love you. Goodbye, Adagio."

"Goodbye, sister."