The Last Sunny Days of Equestria

The day wore on as the human six continued to spend time with their counterparts and slowly work to master their newfound abilities. While they were well-versed by now in their humanized forms, it took quite a bit of practice before most of them started to adjust to their pony shapes. Fluttershy took to her powers rather swiftly, the runes shimmering over her as she called groups of critters from all over Ponyville. Gathered around her, she stroked them and hummed in delight. “This place is wonderful!”

“It is, isn't it?” Her Equestrian double smiled back, surrounded by her own menagerie of wildlife. “Oh, I do hope Pinkie didn't put you off.” Her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. “She kept hitting on me, and eventually I said why not?”

Hearing her name, pony Pinkie popped up between them. “Told you I could make your life more exciting!”

The other Pinkie played hopfrog over her, alight with glowing markings. “Whee,” she cried tossing up confetti which popped like fireworks as she worked her mojo. An acrid smell lingered from the tiny explosions, more akin to weak fireworks.

The pair of Rainbow Dashes were still making circles around town, stopping to kick away clouds which vanished in white puffs, the formerly human one's tattoos shining as she slowly started to catch up with her double who decided to take it a little easier.

And below them Equestrian Applejack did tricks with her lasso, while once-human AJ dove between the loops. Pretty soon the pair of Rarities exited Carousel Boutique and came to watch. “Magnificent, aren't they darling?”

“Indeed. I'm relieved they're finally taking to their abilities like ducks to water,” the once human Rarity noted. “A shame you cannot join us, but perhaps it's best if you stay here and help the Pillars protect the area?”

“Yes, not to mention my own business. I cannot leave everything to Coco and Sassy! Mmm, not to mention Sweetie Belle might rifle through my room while I'm away...” She stared fretfully at her forehooves. “I'm grateful we were able to meet.”

“Not to worry. We'll visit again soon, I'm certain. We could be in Equestria for a few months, even?” She hoped their friends could hold down all their responsibilities back home. “Thank you for welcoming us.”

“Of course! I'd like you to do the same should we ever come to your world.”

Twilight trotted their way, balancing the glasses on her snout tip. Her double had told her she likely had the potential to cast all the same spells she did, but they would take lots of time and practice to learn, and so she'd focused mostly on what she was already comfortable with; basic telekinesis. “Hey, everyone, er, I mean everypony! Can I have your attention?”

Her friends collected around her, both Dashes hovering in place with beating wings. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Anyhow, Princess Twilight's discovered where the lost souls went. Unfortunately Adagio and Aria went to one area, while Inky was pulled down to Tartarus, so we'll have to split up to tackle this problem.”

The Equestrian Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “You sure we shouldn't team up?”

“I'd rather not take you away from here if it isn't necessary,” explained Twilight. “Plus, the Princess said I was free to borrow some of her entourage. Not to mention we'll have Sunny, Flash, and Sonata with us. I think we'll be fine!”

“Dangerous words sugarcube,” said the once human Applejack.. “Hope ya don't regret 'em.”

*****

A pirate ship sailed across the seas, its flag billowing in the wind as Sunny peered over the side of the swaying boat, her face discolored as she felt like her stomach contents were about to be loosed. “Wonder if Sunset got seasick too...”

The waves rolled below, splashing against the weathered sides, the scent of salt carried by the breeze while gulls cried above. A small crew ran the vessel, captained by Celaeno, who was at the wheel, taking short glances at the map and a compass as she steered, making certain they stayed the course.

"Kinda surprised you've got a ship like this." Sonata stated as she inhaled deeply, enjoying the salty air. "RD told me you guys were sky Pirates."

"Technically we are…" Celaeno replied. "...but sometimes it pays to have more than one means of transport, the winds of the sea can get mighty treacherous, so air travel isn't the best option of the moment...."

Seeing her point, Sonata nodded and went back to exploring the ship.

Meanwhile, the once human Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack had decided to play pirate, joining Sunny's group on their quest to locate the missing souls of the Dazzlings. At the moment those who weren't busy involved themselves in a casual game of cards, not that it didn't stop Pinkie and Rainbow from teaming up to cheat. Poor Applejack proved that no incarnation of her had any poker face.

At the bow Sonata stood at the tip, studying the figurehead of a siren at the front. “Good likeness! Wonder if she's based on a real ancestor?” She shivered in anticipation, ready to track down Adagio and Aria. She hadn't planned beyond that.

“Careful Sonata,” called Sunny. “Remember, you're an earth pony now. We don't need a mare overboard!”

“Yes, mother!” Sonata rolled her eyes. “How you holding up, Flash?”

“Fine,” he replied more curtly than intended. He and his Equestrian counterpart flew beside the ship helping keep a lookout. The Princess had insisted some of her entourage came along, and Equestria's Flash Sentry alongside Flash Magnus had volunteered. They'd wanted a chance to get to know him better, but so far he'd done his best to interact with them as little as possible.

“Hey bro,” said the other Sentry. “She's cute, isn't she?” He joined him in staring at Sunny.

“Touch her and I'll...” He sucked in a breath, trying to calm down. “Let's just say it won't be pretty.” Was he more afraid his double would break Sunny's heart if he decided to move in? Or that maybe he'd be able to charm her away? No, she wasn't like that! Besides, it's not like she was the jealous type, allowing him to sleep with Sonata, too. Was he being an unfair hypocrite?

“Come on, let's be friends!” He was garbed in shiny, golden armor which reflected glints of sunlight. “Why do you dislike me so much? We've hardly even met, yet you've been given me and Magnus the cold shoulder this whole time!”

“It's...I don't like how you treat mares. Like they're nothing but pieces of meat to you!”

“Ouch. That's never been my intention. I have broken a few hearts in my time, I'll admit, but most of the mares I've been with were out for the same sort of fun I am. Granted, I really screwed up with Nurse Redheart...” He winced at that bitter memory. “I don't like going into detail on that… but it was one heck of a wake up call… I'm just glad cleaned up my act before I met Twilight... mostly anyway.”

For a moment neither spoke. They watched the ocean stir, Rainbow swooping about alongside Flash Magnus.

Heading further into the Sparkling Seas, the skies started to darken. Celaeno called, “A storm's brewing! Prepare yourselves!” Gray clouds swirled and the wind started to howl. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed. A tidal wave suddenly struck the ship, nearly capsizing it. “Below deck, everyone! Move!” She shouted while the ship violently rocked about.

"Yikes!” Sonata yelped as she teetered on the edge and toppled into the ocean.

Sunny's eyes went wide. “Pony overboard!” She peered over the side, searching the darkness below.

Magnus, Rainbow, and both Sentries formed a search party, diving about the area where she'd been lost. At the same time Applejack prepared her lasso, while Pinkie lifted up a lifesaver, everypony looking desperately for their lost comrade.

The surface broke. Sonata's ponytail had fallen loose when she popped up, playfully lifting her snout and spitting out a stream of seawater. She cheerily laughed and shook her face, flecks of water tossed about. “Don't worry, I'm fine! Look!” She leapt into the air like a dolphin, revealing she'd turned into a seapony. “Just add water!” She winked and wiggled fins on her hooves.

“You jerk...” Sunny chuckled with her, nibbling on a daisy to calm her nerves.

Sonata swam ahead and waved. “Come on, follow me! I know exactly where they'd go!” Fearlessly she raced ahead despite the weather, until the graveyard of wrecked ships came into view. Entire fleets that had been sunk by the Dazzlings when they waged war on Equestria, Adagio determined to take revenge on all the males who'd taken advantage of their kind.

But she also blamed the females who stood by their enemies, Celestia and Luna for denying her plan to control all males, pretty soon they were at odds with nearly all the major races across the world. It was a time of strife that left thousands dead.

An eerie calm settled over the sector once they were in the midst of it. The winds and waters suddenly stilled. A ghostly miasma swept over them. A particularly massive vessel had drifted into the center, halfway submerged. “That's the one!” Sonata made circles near the wreckage, bugs skittering across the rotted wood. “Adagio and Aria are probably inside.”

Flash Magnus scoffed. “I smell a trap. I don't trust her, not even a little.”

“I do.” Sunny hopped onto his back. “Now, are you with us or what?” He grumbled under his breath but raced ahead.

Flash Sentry readied his spear, armor gleaming. “You ready, bro?”

The once human Flash said, “Yeah. Suppose I am.” He looked back at their friends. “Keep watch, will you?”

“No problem!” Rainbow saluted him. “Maybe I'll have a real chance to test these powers!”

“I'd rather not,” said AJ. “We need lots more practice!”

“Speak for yourself!” Pinkie skipped a shiny stone across the ocean, which then exploded into a small fiery cloud of powder.

Shaking his head, Flash followed his armored double onto the downed ship. The surface rocked with a drawn out creak, the deck slick and hole-eaten. Sonata swung below, all the way into the drowned portion. Sunny lit her horn, illuminating the darkness while she went below, thankful that such a spell was easy to learn and cast. They fanned out, scouring the ship.

Droplets fell from above. Seaweed hung suspended and draped along the water-logged floor. Suddenly a pair of glowing spheres arose from the depths, drifting up, one a bright yellow and the other a shimmering purple. Sunny made a dive for them with a flask provided by Starswirl, as did Flash Sentry, but the obs zipped out of the way and broke to the deck.

“Sisters, wait!” Sonata shook away the seawater, taking on her pony legs again and clambering back up. She climbed the bent mast with its tattered flag, hanging onto the edge as she raised a forehoof outwards. “Adagio, Aria, please!”

She barely hopped away in time when a bolt of lightning rippled out from a stray cloud, the destructive force smashing wood and sending chunks everywhere. She landed back in the ocean, taking back her seapony form.

Flash Magnus snarled at the colored spheres that whipped about. “They even betray each other!?”

“No, it wasn't them!” Sonata's eyes watered. “Look!”

A serpentine beast broke the bubbly waters. Reddish-orange, the water dragon-like creature was covered in fins. Its yellow eyes darted about, its mouth twisted into a malicious smile. It barreled towards the wreckage, the fliers scooping up the grounded ponies just in time before it crashed full-force and demolished the vessel.

Celaeno's ship closed the distance, just to the point where the cannons were in range, and she waved her cutlass, a signal to cut loose. Her crew lit the fuses, aided by Pinkie, AJ, and Rainbow, cannonballs erupting and crashing into the monster with thunderous booms. It reeled under the explosions as gunsmoke filled the air. “Next round! Don't let up, you scurvies!”

The Equestrian Sentry darted at the dragon, pricking it with stabs of his spear. “What an ugly beast!”

“I'm no mere beast,” announced the serpent. “I am Squirk, Titan of Water!”

Flash Magnus tossed a javelin at the creature's eye, only to have it swatted away by a fin. “Why does that sound familiar...?”

It rang a bell with Sonata too, and she wished she'd paid more attention to her sisters' lessons. “Celaeno, pull back!” The ship turned, still firing upon the Titan and doing surface damage as black marks covered its body. Concentrating, Squirk summoned a whirlpool right underneath the pirate ship, which started to crumple while it fought the tide, being dragged into the vortex.

“Aw, crap!” Rainbow groaned as she scooped up Pinkie. “Abandon ship!”

Celaeno caught AJ's lasso loop when she took flight and carried the cowpony. She was relieved a number of her crew could fly, who picked up the less fortunate and ferried them away. "Aw crap, there goes another one...”

Rainbow smirked. “Sooo, you and the Rainbow here-”

“Later. Got to focus on the task at claw, hoof, whatever.” A flurry of soldiers darted around Squirk to little effect. They could do little more than poke at the Titan, who's snaps came closer-and-closer, covered in tiny pinpricks from where he'd been struck.

The formerly human Flash Sentry tried to keep his distance while providing support, but he could tell it was a losing battle. “Maybe we should get out of here, seek some help! We'll need some heavy-hitters to deal with this!”

“No way,” called his counterpart. “We can't risk letting this monster run loose!” A tail suddenly swatted at them. “Look out!” Aware his double couldn't fly fast enough to evade in time, he knocked him out of the way, a crack sounding when Squirk knocked him from the air. The Equestrian Sentry was tossed about at rapid speeds and slammed with a crunch into a rock.

“No!” He rushed to his side and saw the broken body upon the stones sticking out of the sea. “Please, be okay!”

The spheres started to take shape and formed into Adagio and Aria who were little more than spectral forms. They had taken pony shapes too, the former a unicorn and the latter a pegasus, their ethereal forms swirling about. “Sisters,” whispered Sonata whose physique lit up with runes. She'd fused with Chrysalis' geode once crossing to Equestria, but had kept that a secret, in fear the others would distrust her. Now she and her sisters started to sing in harmony, a beautiful, ghostly wail.

The storms stilled. Everypony paused, entranced. Even the Titan hesitated, paralyzed by the serene music, which moved several of them to tears.

“This isn't over,” The Titan swore before diving into the Sparkling Seas with a splash and vanishing into the depths....

Flash Sentry cradled his limp twin. A forehoof wrapped around his shoulder, Sunny settled next to him, while he watched the blood leak between the pony's closed eyes. Without a way back they would have to seek out whatever land was near to buckle down. Calaeno was already at work, looking between the downed ships, hopeful that she might be able to get one up-and-running.

At the same time Adagio and Aria continued to hover around Sonata, almost like they were tethered to her. “I don't trust 'em either,” said AJ who spat into the ocean while she watched the Dazzlings. “What'll we do if they slide back into old habits?”

“We'll deal with that when it comes. If it comes,” said Sunny curtly. “I mean, I changed, didn't I? Why can't they?”

“Their crimes were a lot worse,” reminded AJ darkly. “Still, I see your point, I suppose.”

“I rigged a vessel up. Not seaworthy yet but give us a couple hours,” said Calaeno who directed them to land on a drifting hull. “Heck, given time and resources we could probably convert it into another sky ship, maybe have some pegasi or dragons help drag it along...” She was starry eyed, reminiscing about older times. She wrapped a wing around Rainbow. “You up for it, Dashie?”

“You betcha! With enough speed I could probably pull the ship by myself! And don't call me Dashie.” She borrowed a telescope. “I'll scout ahead, see if I can't find us some land! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starved!” She hurtled skyward and peered about. "Hey, I think I see something!"

*****

The depths of Tartarus were a shadowy dimension. An eerie drone echoed throughout a series of caverns. Within it a duo overlooked a map of Equestria. Which displayed a large number of Titans being sent through each of the portals in preparation for their attack ... and one of them making hasty retreat.

“Squirk acted too fast and on his own. The fool. Perhaps I should reduce him to his core components!” He growled in anger, slamming his hoof on the rocks below.

A female figure floated next to him with a curious look. “Why not have them all simply attack Canterlot and Ponyville at once?”

“Because I don't want to alert our enemies that the Titans are under someone's control." He started firmly. "If they attack random areas at once, they'll simply assume the monsters are rampaging blindly, and allow us to continue without risk of being found out.”

The mare beside him nodded in understanding before turning to take her leave through the nexus… only to pause when he called out to her. “And by the way… make sure to gather as many souls as possible for the ritual.”

" Of course…" She nodded. “The souls of the two sirens managed to evade me, but I at least managed to seize the third one... Inky Rose, I believe her name is… she seems to have some sort of connection to our adversaries."

"Hmm, keep a close eye on that one, it may prove useful in the long run…" He started. Once she exited the mastermind turned his attention to what appeared to be some sort of large cocoon made up of black and white flames…

"Soon… very soon you will play your part as well…"