Warning: spoilers for Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks in the description and story.
After the events of Rainbow Rocks, Sunset grows concerned about what might happen as Senior Prom approaches; Canterlot High doesn't have the best track record when it comes to big events, and she's afraid that, like the last two, this one will also be accompanied by atrocity. Her friends claim that she should relax as there's nothing to worry about, but Sunset retains a nagging fear in her gut that catastrophe is about to strike - again.
However, after she encounters an interesting individual - one that she didn't even know she'd see again - working at Canterlot High, she finds herself with an even bigger problem: figuring out how to, by some miracle, have a date at Senior Prom not go horribly wrong.
This story is a one-shot-kill.
Okay, several things!
First of all, the concept of Star Swirl sending the Sirens to another time as well as another world is fascinating! It also makes the relationships with the Mane Six and the Sirens...less creepy. (I don't know how to put it into words! XD)
Aria...I've shipped her with Discord, Sonata, Trixie...now I have to ship her with Rainbow! :P
Poor Adagio! XD
It's good and was cleverly written, but the story went so many places at once that its main premise was lost.
Thanks for the feedback! Even a little bit helps when it comes down to things
5214219 I was afraid of that. I started this when I was already tired, and it took about seven hours, so by the end of it I could barely stay awake. Yeah, not exactly the smartest idea. I'm going to look over the story over the course of the next few days to see where I can improve its execution, especially when dealing with those pesky repeated words - just Ctrl-F "sigh" and you'll see what I'm talking about. Way too many sighs in there. I want this story to flow, and it doesn't quite do that well enough...
I may also have to change the description a bit - the main premise that I had written was the original idea that started the fic, but it's not exactly the premise I ended up going with.
5214158 Thanks! I figured that the Sirens seemed somewhat unaccustomed to the human world in parts of Rainbow Rocks, which is outright absurd if they've been there for thousands of years. I like to imagine that they were shot forward to a few years before the events of Equestria Girls - far enough to become at least somewhat adjusted to the world, but not enough time that they've grown entirely used to it.
One question that I can't answer though, is this: while I get that they wanted to make parallels for Luna and Celestia, the pony versions of themselves are several-thousand-year-old ageless beings, while their human counterparts seem to be... Regular humans. How, exactly, does that work? Are they ageless too and the human world just accepts it? Do they reincarnate every time they die? Or were their human counterparts only recently born for some reason?
Heh, when I was brainstorming this (sort of), I wanted a plot twist with Aria. Brain went "ship her with Rainbow!" I went "ok" and did it.
Also, interestingly enough, I had originally planned something darker with Adagio, involving her being on the streets. Brain went "no, that's a huge missed opportunity. Rock farm!" So, once again, I just went "ok" and did it.
I hereby dub this ship "Sunata"!
I am a proud crew member of the S.S. Sunata.
I really did like this, but I think it moved too fast.
Still, keep up the good work.
Ultimately, it will ALWAYS suck to be Adagio.
5215606 All aboard the S.S. Sunata! This ship cannot sink!
5215748 I know it moved to fast, because it was supposed to
This was a silly one-shot made on a whim. I am currently revising the story to make it less choppy and flow better, but other than that, I generally like how it turned out, so I intend to keep the story as is.
However, I am also currently working on a much, much larger story that will have a noticeably slower pacing - it might take a bit for me to release it, though, as I don't want to jump into the project until I can be certain it has a fairly decent quality.
And yes, it will always suck to be Adagio
Still, thank you for the comments! I appreciate the feedback!
This was a good story. I happy that Sunset and Sonata ended up together and how Adagio ended up
That was super cute. A new ship has sailed
This was one of the most adorable shipfics i have ever seen.
It makes me want to squee.
5215887 Hehe, thanks. Adagio's fate was one of my favorite parts to write, due to a certain callback
5216011 All aboard the S.S. Sunata!
5216087 Do it! Just let it all out... It's what the ponies would do
I'm so glad you got to use this wonderful cover art!
This is the exact moment I knew I would love this story.
The HuMane 6 interaction was fantastic - you hit the perfect note in the initial cafeteria scene. Heartwarming and exasperating... just as it should be!
Bwaaahahaha!
I know you've been over my story with a fine-toothed comb, so forgive me laughing at the fact that you know quite a bit about me and how ironic it is that I micromanaged dresses for the girls, and you immediately put Sunset Shimmer in a suit! It completely fit, though and I love it.
That nearly sent part of an adult beverage across the room.
The apartment scene was heartwarming, funny, and pretty damn sexy. The best part is that I can't believe you pulled this off in 30-plus sleepless hours! Bravo and I look forward to more!
I keep thinking of this while reading the story:
5216217 Oh crap. I just realized - I'm currently revising the story, to weed out small things and make things progress smoother - and I accidentally canned the "rainbow laser line" without thinking about it. However, through the power of the scroll bar, I'm going back and rewriting a few lines... just a moment... and done. The rainbow laser beam line is now back in the story.
Fortunately, I kept pretty much all of the other lines in the story, so I don't think anything else should have been lost like that.
The downside? After my revision is posted, I will no longer be able to claim that the story was done after going 30 hours without sleep, as I've gotten rest now.
5216315 Huh. That is an interesting parallel - but I've neither seen that video before, nor even heard of it, so I can't claim any relation to it
That's pretty coincidental.
I could only find one flaw: that it ended. OK, thats not true, but it is close. Reading the fic, it seemed like something should have passed between the time Sonata asked Shimmer out. Only in retrospect does anything seem out of place. I just find myself thinking about the "date" they went on, but then realizing it didn't happen. I guess that it almost seems implied that they spent time together over the course of the week, but then I look back and wonder if anything did. Anyhow, maybe I'm just a bit crazy or I missed something. Iriguardless , that was the best Sonata fix I've read yet.
5216530 You've nailed one of the main flaws that I'm addressing in my revisions as we speak.
The "date" was, in fact, the prom itself, as you could probably deduce. However, it was supposed to be implied that Sonata hung out with the others between the school scene and the prom - but I had left that out, so it just ended up as a jarring jump from barely knowing them to being familiar with them. I'm currently adding a scene in between those two events where she's doing exactly that - hanging out and bonding with them. Hopefully it'll bridge the gap a little and make things flow together a little better.
Thank you for the comment - it reinforced my opinion that I'm doing something right by making such a scene - I was having doubts about adding it out of fear that it'll be out of place. I appreciate the feedback
Huh. This is cute all through, but I can't shake the feeling it's... meandering? You're continuing from where the movie left off, and it's all reasonably plausible, yet I'm having trouble perceiving it all as a single unified narrative. Flash doesn't seem to accomplish anything. The brief scene of Sonata showing up at Rarity's is cute but unnecessary. Twilight and Sunset's early discussion of further monsters to worry about makes sense, and it feeds into Sunset's worry that something will go wrong at the prom, only it turns out to be her, which is a nice twist and feels like it should be a big problem for her, but then a paragraph later it disappears. I was expecting Sunset to run away crying or something and Sonata would have to come tell her it wasn't such a big deal, but after the thread ran through the whole story, nothing. Or rather it does get mentioned again, but by that time Vinyl has already broken the dance a lot worse than Sunset did. So that doesn't end up being a big conflict.
The other big potential source of conflict was, well, Sonata's a girl. Sunset's not had a "real" date before, let alone thought of herself as someone who might date girls. This felt like the reason that Pinkie was dating Fluttershy, and Rainbow Aria, and Applejack Rarity (ish), and maybe Twilight by implication (lack of gendered pronouns). Well, the in-story reason, not just lesbians are neato. Sunset would initially have various issues with the idea, but be convinced through a combination of seeing all her friends do it and just basic attraction to Sonata. But she doesn't. All her friends come to like Sonata pretty quickly, so there's no trouble there, and Sunset doesn't have any trouble admitting to herself that she's attracted.
I guess what I'm saying nobody ever seems to be especially unhappy. On the other hand, if I was expecting those things--plot sequence A folding into plot sequence B, melodrama and so on--maybe it's just as well they didn't actually happen. The story reads as a list of things you think would happen next, without too much concern for what's most important (not Flash) or what the arc would be. There's a surprising amount of words going on after what I'd identify as the climax, with Vinyl (who can talk now) and Rainbow and Aria and none of that seems to contribute anything in particular to Sunset and Sonata's relationship, which is already all solidified and happy. So yeah. Everyone has a good time and everyone has sex and Vinyl gets detention and it's all for the best. It's not what I was expecting, but I don't want to say that makes it wrong.
And hey! Poor Sonata, always worried about people throwing rainbows at her.
Hyper-adorable!
The part where Sonata wordlessly clings to Sunset's side as the prom begins rings pretty true. She speaks when spoken to, or when prompted by Sunset, or when she's near someone she's already familiar with, like Aria.
Loved the part where Sonata admitted she missed the water. And the parts where Sonata did anything. And the other parts.
So. Much. Cuteness.
Finally! Someone made a fanfic about these two! And, I really liked it! The S.S Sunata ship won't be sinking for a long time. Also, thank you for using my sketch for this wonderful story's cover art! It's just awesome. ^^
5217474
I wish this ship would become more popular...
I would make a group for it, but this is the only story I'm aware of.
5217474 Oh my!
The artist! 
Thank you for the comments everyone! As always, I appreciate the feedback!
5217039 First of all, thank you so much for this comment; this is exactly the kind of feedback I need. This is my first time writing romance, and also the first fanfic that I've posted, so I need someone to point out any potential flaws in my writing
Reading your comment and looking back at my story helped me to identify one of the main issues that I didn't see before: the various conflicts that I forgot to resolve. The thing is, I wasn't even thinking about it because they weren't supposed to be there. This story was intended to be fluffy and light-hearted, but the dark story writer in me kept subconsciously adding serious undertones.
Another thing is that it is meandering. This was originally just a prom scene, that was fluffier and less hectic, and about 1500 words or so. But, my brain spewed out several ideas that, while good on their own, became a mess when I tried to tie them together.
I'm now considering revising the story for a second time - this time I'll likely be both making things fluffier, and also taking my time in doing so. This was rushed. The initial revision, about 8900 words, was done in 7 hours. The current revision, where I changed some things and added a scene, was done in like 4 hours. These things usually take time, and since this is also my first story... You get the idea.
I'm also considering taking the serious undertones of the story (Sunset's inner conflicts, for one), and stretching them into a longer, separate story that gives things time to develop.
I'm also going to have to study up some romantic and friendly terminology. If this were a dark story, I could sling phrases like it were nothing, but I get stumped so quickly when it comes to romance. I had so many issues coming up with terms for blushing, sighing (too many sighs), and various facial expressions. I also had issues with the dialogue, such as thinking of little actions people make without thinking about it (body language).
5217163 Writing characters that lacked initiative proved to be a bit of an issue for me actually - there were instances in which I forgot that they were there, so I had to go back to make sure they were included
I loved writing the parts where Sonata missed the water. And where she did anything. And existed.
5217474 Thanks! I won't say this ship cannot sink, because when you say things like that, things immediately go wrong. Unless it's a super-powered, indestructible star-ship of doom. Then it really cannot sink.
Thank me for using your sketch? Thank you for making it! I love all your stuff; it's super cute. The pic that I used for cover art was what inspired this fic in the first place; sure, I got distracted and went in a thousand directions due to my ADD, but it was still based off of it.
5218636 It's not going to stay the only story, not if I have anything to say about it! Might take some time though. This story was rushed. I want to make something of higher quality, and to do that, I need to take my time doing so.
I also hope to see this ship become more popular. Most other ships drive themselves, but I get the feeling this one needs a push or two. Usually this fandom is faster, so when weeks later there still wasn't a Sunata fanfic, I went "this needs to happen. Now."
5218859 Yes! The artist! It's pretty awesome that he showed up here.
5218984 You are dead. Not big surprise.
Alcohol, courtesy of Applejack. It backfired fast.
So they made the best prom ever by ruining the prom? Sweet.
5221076 Yep. Rainbow totally didn't collaborate with Vinyl on that one.
Omg, I love it!
That running gag with the punch getting spiked repeatedly cracked me up.
And I think I'm really starting to ship Sunset/Sonata...they're just so adorable together here! (I'm also interested in Rainbow/Aria now...)
But anyway, I really loved this story. ;)
5221606 I actually wanted to take the "punch getting spiked" a little further, but of the characters that I had planned to show up and interact in the prom scene, those four (Pinkie, Rainbow, Aria, and Vinyl) were the only ones that really fit...
... Actually, now that I think about it, I did have a missed opportunity in that regard. I had Sonata mention that she likes mixing drinks; it might've been funny if I had her list an alcoholic drink as one of her main ingredients; Tequila, perhaps?
Oh, you're starting to ship Sunset/Sonata now, are you...?
Relax... Just let go...
Become one of us...
Let your feelings flow...
There's need to fuss...
Feel the shipping grow...
This one's just a link...
*Chuckles deviously*
Also, Rainbow/Aria... I don't know where I got the idea for that... But it does sort of fit...
Anyway, thanks for the read, and comment, and the fave, and the stuff. Especially the stuff. I love stuff!
I would like to see more with Sunset X Sonata, Rainbow x Aria and Fluttershy x Pinkie. You do a good job writing them.
5223435 Thanks! Don't worry, I do have more writings in the works - they're just longer stories that require more planning, so it may take a bit of time for me to start releasing chapters
I was on the fence about this ship for sometime. Then I saw this gif and
38.media.tumblr.com/079e9b6fb33c5ad0280a3df0c1bec4b3/tumblr_ndyru0XDPv1sm7s87o1_400.gif
I was like "****."
Also the Aria and Rainbow pairing? Hmmm I could see it working but I'd have to read or see more before I board that ship.
All that aside however this was definitely a good read.
5225648 Yeah, that .gif threw my "D'aww" meter through the roof
Another person converted to the
cultglory of this amazing ship!The Rainbow/Aria pairing was pretty much a crack-pairing: as I was writing this, I was thinking "I need a plot twist for the prom scene..." my brain went "ship Rainbow with Aria!" I went "Yeah!!" and then there was Rainbow/Aria shipping. The end.
I might do more with it though... It definitely works, in a way...
Thanks for the read, comment, like, fave, blah blah blah. I appreciate the feedback!
5223761 Will therr be a sequel? Also I noticed:
Luna shouldn't be saying taht right? Just thought I'd point it out.
5226438 I currently don't have a sequel to this planned, but I might write one in the future. I do have a couple longer stories in the works, but while they aren't related to this one, they will have similar pairings in them for the most part.
*Facepalm* How am I supposed to claim to be adept at spelling and grammar when I'm doing that?
Found and fixed, thank you.
Cute, but I kind of wish the story wouldn't stop here.
As a one-shot it worked really well. The romance was quick, but then I wouldn't quite call it diving into the deep end so to speak. Could easily be explained by teenage hormones. It reads like the first date that went very well. Which I suppose it was, so mission successful.
It had a lot of cute ships, FlutterPie in the background, implied one-way RariJack through the aid of alcohol, and AriaDash which is one I haven't considered before. Not to mention Sunata which is quickly becoming one of my more favorite ships.
Would love to see more, but I am satisfied with what is here.
5247051 Just between you and me... *looks to the right then left* ... there is a sequel planned, I just haven't gotten around to working on it quite yet; it's on the back burner until I get a separate story going.
I'm not quite sure where the AriaDash came from, myself, but now that I've made it exist, I'm tempted to do more with that as well.
5247057 Your secret is safe with me... and anyone else who reads that comment.
I eagerly await the next installment then. I hope it is a longer form story but I would gladly take another one shot.
AriaDash has potential of being really cute, especially if the "grumpy but a big softy" angle sticks with Aria.
So she could either be a bartender, chemist, or possibly an alchemist.
5247261 Why not bo- erm, all three?
That was intended as a little reference to how she was apparently the one who mixed the fruit punch in the movie, but the original idea had stemmed from the possibility of her being an alchemist - not quite sure where I got that one, but I like it.
5247089
That, my friend, is what we call a "Tsundere."
5247290 I love the idea of alchemy (:
Good Story.
I don't relay have a lot to say, except that i like to think it was Fluttershy that Twilight got together with back in Equestria.
Relay enjoyed this story you did a good job and helped me find a good ship for Sunset and Sonata.
And the numbers are coming in at 4/5 Not perfection but it was damn good.
~Tobben
5271409 Hehehe, thanks
Now, normally a 4/5 would indicate that I did something wrong, and I'd try to find out what it is and implement it better. But this was never intended for perfection. This was a spur-of-the-moment fic written in a single day as a sort of "signal" for fanfic writers to get off their butts and start writing! Seriously, at the time I would search the site and none of the fanfics had any Sunata shipping (aside from a clopfic featuring Aria and Sonata seducing Sunset... not really the same). A month after the movie came out. Really, fandom, I thought you were faster than this.
Not to be confused with fics with both Sunset and Sonata in them. There were plenty of those. Just no shipfics.
Also, the little quip about Twilight was meant to be left open to interpretation, so if you want to believe that it was Fluttershy, then it was.
5271519
My numbers have no meaning it is just a thing i like to do from time to time. But if you want to know what i did not like very much as funny as it was, it was when Sonata and Sunset got back to the apartment with Aria and RD. Funny yes but i just don't see that being part of RD character.
Clopfics are bound to appear faster then real shipfics (specially when dealing with sirens) i recon in about 2 more months we got hopefully some good SonataShimmer fics out there.
~Tobben
5271580 Oh, I see. I had a character that I intended to write onto Aria, but as I wrote the scene my writing backfired and the character somehow got thrown onto RD instead. It seemed to work to me for the most part, so I just went with it.
Mine isn't the only Sunata fic anymore, it just was at the time of writing. Though I only know of one other that's hitting any significant quality (and, in my opinion, far superior to my own writing): The Evening Sonata.
Everything is incomplete, though, so we'll have to wait to see where it goes.
5300189 Yep, pretty much
OKAY I READ THIS BEFORE BUT AFTER THE REVISION I JUST
NNNGH
IT GOT EVEN CUTER LIKE HOW
(And Vinyl tho...
)
5337198
It got even cuter because I... Uh... Hmm......
................................................................Magic?
(Yeah, I just had to do that with her
)
*shuffles closer*
*shuffle*
*shuffle shuffle*
So... Um... I really liked this and thought it was cute. And I just wanted... I mean, I.
*throws arms around you*
I LOVE YOU!
well, while i feel that the story could have been split in many chapters, maybe a chapter for each day, one for the prom and another one for what happened after it (you know, to put more detail in each thing so it didn't feel as rushed), i can't say that i disliked it. sometimes it felt like things were being rushed, but you knew how to keep me interested. also, the brick joke with the spiked punch was awesome.
en resumen, could be better, but that doesn't mean its not good. 'cause it is.
5393444
Well, that's what happens when 9k words are written in one sitting.
This was mostly an experiment to re-introduce myself to writing, and see where I'm at when it comes to this kind of thing (I used to write, but it's been a few years). The feedback has really helped me figure out what I should be doing to keep up the quality in my future writing.
Either way, I'm glad you enjoyed it.