The Last Sunny Days of Equestria

Over the months relative peace settled back over the town. However, there would always be those who'd seek to take advantage of the situation. But with the geodes permanently bonded to the Rainbooms, they had turned to bounty hunting on occasion, basking in the adulation of the townspeople while they cleaned up messes all over and made a small fortune in return.

With the chokers around their necks they were easily able to keep in contact and respond to whatever incidents that were picked up on the radio, ever since Twilight Sparkle and Moondancer had fined-tuned the devices to act like police band scanners. Whenever they put their mind to it they were a well-coordinated unit, quickly responding to and dealing with disturbances.

With the loss of her double Sunny was forced to live a lie. Only those directly involved knew the truth; Sunset Shimmer had sacrificed herself to close a portal to a hellish dimension which had almost ruined the planet. She'd pretended to be her for sometime while also trying to build her own identity, inheriting her life and everything that came with it.

The best part? Flash Sentry, who despite his reluctance had entered a relationship with her and Sonata Dusk, assured that's what Sunset would have wanted. She sat on the bed in her little house, wearing Shimmer's old outfit down to the badgirl black boots and leather jacket. “Some habits are hard to break,” she admitted staring at a crumpled pack of cigarettes.

“How can you stand those nasty things?” Sonata's wet hair was down, wrapped up in a towel when she stepped from the shower, skin glistening under a thin sheen of moisture. “Bad enough you get shit-drunk all the time!”

“Yeah...” Sunny chuckled. She'd turned to all sorts of vices, even some milder drugs, in a self-destructive spiral when her parents had mocked and abused her. Meeting her double from Equestria had made things better and worse; she was happy she'd succeeded in some form, and lived vicariously through her, but simultaneously it reminded her what a failure she'd turned out to be. “Don't worry. I've kicked the habit. Mostly.” She fidgeting a little, reaching for a stick of gum instead.

The little abode had been rundown, but Flash had put his handyman skills to work, touching it up into something nice if still a bit plain. He strolled in from the kitchen, hands in his jean pockets while he managed a small smile. “Good morning.”

“Yo.” Sunny lazily waved and looked to the diary with Sunset's cutie mark on its cover. “Almost time for that little vacation.”

“About that.... I think we should invite our friends,” he said. “They have a stake in this, too.”

“Sure, I don't mind. Don't think they care much for me, though.” Sunny shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, I can't blame them. I took Sunset's place, not to mention I screwed with their world.”

“Hey, it could've happened to anyone.” He squeezed her shoulder.

“Besides,” reminded Sonata. “Some of us liked that dream world you created! Imagine all the fun we could've had there...” She slowly opened her towel with a smirk, exposing her wet, voluptuous body underneath, breasts so large they drooped and blue pubes moist and sticky upon her tight vulva. She batted her eyelashes. “You two up for a romp?”

“You know I'm down,” said Sunny who's clothes dematerialized to be replaced by the strange markings that denoted Sunset's geode was fused to her. “Not only does it let me fight crime...but it makes me even sexier.”

“That's hot,” admitted Flash, her skin bare save for the strategically-placed rune-like symbols.

Sunny crawled towards him on all fours to the bed's edge, breasts swaying while they hung down. With her power she, Flash, and Sonata had achieved a whole new level of intimacy. “Ready to fuck each other senseless?”

“Maybe later,” said Flash who admittedly couldn't look away. “Unfortunately, we have work to do.”

Sonata pouted. “Come on! What about you, Sunny? Just a little quickie?” She laid a hand on her thigh, running up her supple skin, raising up her skirt and letting the cute black panties below peek out. “You know I'll make you feel real good!”

Sunny laughed and squeezed her hand. “I know. But Flash has a point. We need to take care of business first.” When Sonata frowned she poked her nose. “Hey, cheer up. Twilight said we could take the soul jars with us.”

“About that,” he said. “Twilight had a condition...she wants to visit Equestria, too. So I figured it's only fair if we invite everyone else. Moondancer will look after her work here. Applejack's family can take care of their farm, same with Pinkie and her sisters, Rarity has her assistants, Tree Hugger can hold down Fluttershy's shelters.... I mean, I don't want to presume, but I think we could all use a change of scenery after all that's happened. Clear our heads, see some new stuff.”

“Sounds like a plan. I'll get right on it.” Sunny tapped her choker and tuned into the right channels. They'd decided that cellphones were for casual contact and the collars were for business. And well, even if this was an adventure, it could turn out to be quite an undertaking, couldn't it? After all, it was a journey to an unknown world to free the souls of those lost...

*****

After a short meeting was called it was agreed that the Rainbooms would travel with them to Equestria. Twilight Sparkle had rigged up a device to the portal, which now lied on the grounds of Canterlot Academy, the statue it was embedded into now depicting a troika of Celestia, Luna, and Cadance who stood back-to-back with their hands linked.

Now that Celestia, Luna, and Cadance were busy with Equestrian Suicidal Girls they'd passed the rebuilt Canterlot Academy onto someone they trusted; Cheerilee, who despite her nervousness had agreed to undertake the project.

It was evening and the skies were starting to darken, stars peeking out as the sun started to dip and the moon rose. An engine sounded when Sunny arrived on her motorbike, Sonata holding on fast to her midsection behind her when she pulled to a stop. She parked and they hopped off, a number of cars having already arrived near the lawn.

Applejack stood hand-in-hand with Rarity, who'd now made their relationship open. The former had said a teary farewell to her family, the latter the same, particularly to her little sister. A similar event had taken place with Pinkie, who knew her sisters were more than capable of looking after things without her like they always had when she was away.

Tree Hugger came to see her girlfriend off in person. “You'll be fine, babe. I will too, you know?” She tried to hide her watery eyes, not that it was easy when she was so receptive to Fluttershy's tears.

“I know.” Fluttershy forced a smile despite her sobbing. “I wish you could come, but-”

“Someone has to look after the animals, and like, you can't trust just anyone. I get it. Now,” she spun Shy around and whapped her playfully on her wide posterior to sent her forward with a chuckle. “Try not to fool around with my double too much, 'k?”

Shy's face colored, scandalized by her teasing. “I'd never! No matter how cute she is!”

“Come on, you totally have my permission. I'm sure you're curious, right? Try a little free love for a time.” She poked her bottom with an index finger from behind. “You need to find yourself before we can settle down.”

She shook her head. “You're the only one for me, Tree.”

At the same time Twilight and Moondancer were rigging up the machinery around the statues which would activate the portal. “Once we've started it will only be open a short time,” warned Moondancer. “And it will probably be some time before we can reopen it again. So make sure you've finished all your business here, because there won't be time to turn back.”

Rainbow Dash heaved her shoulders. “I don't have too many ties here.” Nevertheless Trixie and her sidekicks Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush had come to see her off anyway. “Look after the place in my absence, will ya?”

Trixie tossed back her hair with a flourish. “You can count on Trixie! With a little help from her assistants,” she added.

Pinkie zipped around the mechanisms set around the statue's base with saucer-like eyes. “Ooh, I can't wait!”

Sonata carried the soul jars that contained the spirits of Adagio and Aria in her arms, her geode still suspended by a necklace which left it hanging between her breasts, while Sunny held onto the urn which contained Inky Rose's soul.

The machine lit up and a swirling azure portal materialized at the statue's base. “Now or never,” said AJ.

Rarity exchanged a quick, tender peck with her. “I wonder what will happen to our geodes on the other side? I suppose we'll find out soon enough!” They were the first to cross over, while the rest lined up after them and followed.

Twilight adjusted Moondancer's glasses, waiting until every else had piled into shimmery nexus between worlds. “Look after the house, will you? Especially Spike. I know he can be a handful sometimes.” She laughed.

“You know I will. Take care.” She drew out a kiss between them before they parted.

With a final look back Twilight stepped in. Outside of Sonata they'd had little direct contact with Equestria and had no idea what awaited them. Their friends would take their vehicles back and look after their homes. The police could look after whatever petty crimes would happen in their absence. Perhaps they would finally have the getaway that they deserved?

*****

With a tumble the adventurers landed in the candy-colored countryside. They ended up in a pile, somehow seeming to arrive almost at the same time. They hobbled to their hooves unsteadily, adjusting to their strange new forms. Some like Pinkie, Rainbow, and AJ seemed to take almost instantly to these new shapes, reveling in their newfound freedom.

Others were far more unsteady. Flash flexed his new wings, sailing into the air, and immediately sailed into a tree trunk with a thunk. “Ouch,” he muttered looking around with red cheeks. He held down his tail, trying to obscure his unmentionables.

For some reason Sonata had emerged as an earth pony, perhaps through a combination of how her powers were lost after her banishment, and how she perceived herself since. “Don't be shy, we all let it hang out here!”

Sunny's eyes darted around, frantically searching for the soul jar, and was relieved to find it within her saddlebags. It seemed their stuff had metamorphed into similar bags neatly carried on them. She plucked out Sunset's diary and started to write to Princess Twilight, a pen held between her teeth. She'd find out where they were and meet up with her soon.

Rarity's horn glowed when she experimented with a bit of rudimentary telekinesis, lifting a few stones. “It's not so different from using a geode,” she mused. “With practice we'll master our new guises in no time, darlings!”

Sonata sniffed the fresh air. “Wish we could be by the ocean! Huh, but why were we deposited in the middle of nowhere?”

A series of long shadows fell over them when another party approached. “Forgive me,” said an imperious voice. “But Equestria's magic has fallen out of sync. I fear that extends to the nexus which links worlds.” With a shattered horn and a scar over one eye, Tempest Shadow remained as intimidating as ever despite her attempts to soften herself.

Sunny smiled and fumbled a bow. “Uh, hello there. You must be Tempest Shadow? And this is-?”

Sonata's eyes boggled. “Flash Magnus?!” Her face burned and her hooves shook.

Flash Sentry cocked an eyebrow. “You two know each other?”

“Of sorts,” said Magnus in a stoic manner. “It's ancient history now.”

Sunny's lip curled further. “Heh, I sense a history here.” Magnus tried to appear neutral but the attraction shared between he and Sonata's eyes was obvious. They were subtly trying to check one-another out even now on the sly.

“We can catch up later,” said Tempest curtly. “Isn't that so, Princess?”

The Twilight Sparkle of Equestria waltzed forward to welcome them. “Please excuse my bodyguards, they care about all these formalities!” She raised a forehoof to her mouth and tittered. She wore a tiara on her temple and a dress flowed behind her. “Of course, I do wish to do things, ahem, 'by-the-book', but I've found that sometimes has it's limitations!”

Behind her were this world's counterpart to Flash Sentry, who wore a helmet like Magnus and carried a spear, and also Spike who stood tall and slender, leather wings upon his back and his thin body lined with lithe muscles below his scales. “We tracked you here,” explained Twilight. “There was a spike of magical energy in the area, and we raced to see what was amiss. You see, there's been a lot of odd phenomena across Equestria lately. We suspect it's connected to what happened in your world.”

Gathered in a circle at the insistence of the Princess, she teleported the lot of them away to the Castle of Friendship.