To be honest, the thought that Twilight Sparkle could have defeated the seaponies with a song about the power of friendship was always ludicrous. It was always just a setup, getting ready for what would happen after—after the colorful bubbles had cleared, and the schools of silvery fish ceased their swirling patterns, and all of the hermit crabs had drifted back into their hideyholes in the coral reef, dragging behind their tiny castanets.

After the song, the seaponies looked stunned, luxuriating in the lethargy of a musical done right. That's when Twilight shot a magical signal from her horn, alerting the boats on the surface above.

The seaponies didn't even react until the light vanished, the ships casting long shadows across the seafloor. That's when a few realized something was amiss, and piscine eyes lost the dull sheen of complacency. Razor-sharp teeth were bared once again, and their Siren Queen opened her mouth, preparing yet another sonic assault meant to render Twilight and her friends immobile and defenseless.

But Tempest Storm's fleet had already begun to drop the depth charges, custom-made maximum-strength party explosives, courtesy of Gunnery Sergeant Pinkie Pie-rate. The effect of the blasts was only magnified underwater, a shattering series of crashes that sent seaponies flying in all directions and completely disrupted the Queen's vocalizations.

"The Pearl!" Twilight cried out, and Rainbow Dash took off in a blast of prismatic color, heading straight for the magical artifact. Hammerhead roared, and attempted to pursue her, only to find his way blocked by Rarity and Applejack.

"This one's for Fluttershy!" Applejack yelled out, before kicking the giant shark right in the snout.

"And this is for my dress!" Rarity chimed in, fire in her eyes as she grabbed his fin in a judo-hold, twisting it until Twilight could hear a distinct *snap*.

Twilight did her best to help in the confusion, as pirate-ponies in diving suits entered into a full-fledged melee against the seapony navy. The seaponies still had a massive numerical advantage, but they were confused and scattered, and the pirates fought dirty.

It was close. But the landponies were winning.

And then Twilight felt the razor of a fin slip close against her neck from behind. A silky voice whispered in her ear, singing a liquid song with words that she didn't know but understood. Words about how she would call off the attack. She and her friends would submit. They would return to their prison cells of cold iron, forged in chasms at the bottom of the sea. They would be prisoners forever for their Siren Queen, and be happy while doing so.

Twilight fought it, as best as she could, but she already knew that she was no match for the Siren Queen's magic. But she could hold out. She could resist just long enough to…

The sea went quiet, the depth charges suddenly ceasing. Twilight heard an intake of breath from behind her, as the Queen prepared to seize this lull and broadcast her song loudly once again to rally her troops and drive her foes into chaos.

But before she could sing out, a different set of notes pealed out, in three-part harmony. Above, a trio of silhouettes appeared, framed against the rays of sunlight that pierced through the blue-green water.

Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze descended, in their true forms once again. But now the reconstituted gems around their necks shone with the warm blue light of friendship. The day would be won by a song, after all, but it was never Twilight's place to sing this one.

"Hello, mother," Adagio said, and then they sang.