It was a bright and sunny day... but everyone was indoors so that didn't matter. Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and the rest were all strolling down the halls of Canterlot High, engaged in casual conversation, albeit with a few variations in their antics. Pinkie Pie was skipping as opposed to walking, Sunset Shimmer's focus was split from an internal debate, Fluttershy had little engagement in the actual conversation, and Rainbow Dash wasn't listening at all.
"So, senior prom~!" Rarity sang out, her eyes sparkling and her hands clasped together as she quivered with excitement. "Only two days left! I think I speak for everyone when I say I couldn't more excited!"
"I don't know, Rarity," Sunset replied, a worried expression on her face. "Considering how things have been going lately, I get this feeling the dance isn't going to turn out all that well. Between the fact that the Fall Formal was crashed by, well, me, and the Musical Showcase was turned into a nightmare of a competition by those Sirens, I'm pretty sure something is going to happen to the Senior Prom that'll make it end just as badly."
Rarity waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, nonsense darling! I doubt we're going to have a third school event turn into such a disaster! What are the chances that there are even any other villains from Equestria that could be hanging about to cause trouble?"
Sunset's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Considering that the Sirens were sent here thousands of years ago, the chances could be quite high! Who knows what other horrors might be lurking from such times, waiting to strike?"
Rarity placed her hands on Sunset's shoulders, looking the girl in the eyes. "You do bring up a good point, darling, but just because things have gone wrong before doesn't mean they always will! You already sent a message to Twilight on the matter; I'm sure she'll have an answer for you in no time!"
Sunset chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. "I guess you're right. I mean, Princess Twilight did figure out what the Siren's were pretty quickly - she probably already thought of that and has a list prepared for anything that might happen."
"Of course she does!" Pinkie exclaimed cheerfully as she popped up between the two. "Princess Smartypants probably has everything all figured out twice! Besides, if there were any meaniepantses waiting to strike, wouldn't they already have attacked us? That's what I would have done!" She paused for a brief moment, then gasped dramatically. "Unless... that was their plan the whole time!" Pinkie ducked her head, her eyes darting back and forth suspiciously as she backed away slowly. "Keep an eye out - they could be anywhere!"
The group of friends stared at her for a few seconds, before Rarity sighed and wrapped an arm around Sunset's shoulders. "Well, I, for one, think we should focus on something a little more pleasant! Senior Prom is coming up, after all! It's the biggest event in high-school before graduation! No, bigger than graduation! We need to be prepared; you all at least have dates, right?" Rarity turned towards the others expectantly, her grin slowly morphing into a grimace as each of her friends failed to respond. "I... really? N-none of you have dates?!"
Rarity let out a slight grunt as Rainbow Dash suddenly leaned against her, a large smirk on her face as she spun a soccer ball on her finger. "Actually, I've got some sweet plans for the dance. It's going to be awesome!" With that, she dropped the ball on the ground and posed dramatically with one leg upon it.
Rarity gave her a look of horror, then sputtered briefly before crying out, "O-only *Rainbow Dash** has a date?!"*
"Well, I didn't say tha-"
"Oh! Of all the things that could happen, this is the-"
"-'worst possible thing', yeah we know." Applejack interjected in a deadpan tone, quirking an eyebrow at the frantic fashionista. "Why, exactly, do we even need dates, Rare?"
"Because it's Senior Prom!"
"Uh huh, and what about that is stopping us from just going as a group of friends and enjoying ourselves like we normally would?"
"It's Senior Prom!"
"Yeah, I got that."
"But it's Senior Prom, Applejack!" The farm girl recoiled as this time the yell came from Pinkie Pie, who had jumped right in front of her to do it.
"Uh..."
Rarity let out a short breath of exasperation. "I mean, really, even Rainbow Dash prepared for this, and she never prepares for anything!"
"Hey!"
"That alone should tell you how important this event is!"
Applejack fixated her with a deadpan expression. "Yes, because Rainbow Dash is obviously the best example of someone who knows what's most important."
"Heck yeah I- hey!"
Sunset sighed and inserted herself between the two bickering friends; turning towards Rarity, she placed a hand on her shoulder and gave the fashionista a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry Rarity, but I'm going to have to agree with Applejack here; I just don't see why it's so important to have a date for the Prom. If anything, it could end up ruining the experience if the date goes wrong, but if we just attend and friends and enjoy ourselves, certainly that would be fine?" Sunset paused as she glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who had checked out of the conversation to fist-bump Vinyl Scratch and exchange a few words as the DJ passed, the techno tones from her headset audible to everyone nearby.
Rarity hummed in consideration. "I suppose I will concede that you are right, in that regard... still, it doesn't hurt to be prepared! So! What kind of outfits will you girls be wearing?" As she glanced around, a pained expression formed on her face and one of her eyes began to twitch as she once more got no response save for a few meek expression. "I-I can't believe this. None of you have dresses for Senior Prom?!"
Sunset pulled away and fidgeted with her fingers. "Well, I guess I was just going to pick one up the day before. I mean, it can't be that hard to-"
"No! This is a travesty!" Rarity pointed at each of her friends in succession, punctuating the gesture with a glare. "All of you, and I mean all of you, will - this is not up for debate!" She practically screamed as Rainbow opened her mouth to argue. "All of you will stop by the Boutique so that I can tailor each of you special outfits for the occasion! No exceptions!"
Applejack shrugged. "In all honesty, Rare, I thought you would've already made us all dresses for the event - like you usually do."
Rarity scoffed. "Well, I thought that all of you would have considered Senior Prom to be important enough for you to make your own preparations - but it seems this was not the case! Now!" Rarity straightened out her posture in an attempt to brush off her previous loss of graciousness. "I do believe we should be heading the other way. Lunch has already started, and we passed the cafeteria a couple minutes ago."
As Rarity turned and stalked off in the opposite direction, the group of friends glanced around to notice that they had, indeed, reached the other end of the building as they conversed. While the others followed Rarity towards the mess hall, Rainbow lingered behind for a few moments as she crossed her arms and grumbled, "... but I already had a dress..."
Sunset stopped and glanced at the disgruntled athlete. "If you already had a dress, why didn't you say anything when Rarity first asked?"
Rainbow let out an indignant scoff and gestured in the direction of the fashionista. "Because look how well it turned out for me last time!" She glared in Rarity's direction for a few seconds, before her expression turned sheepish as she rubbed the back of her head. "Also, I, uh... kinda wasn't really paying attention at the time."
Sunset chuckled, then beckoned in the direction of the cafeteria. "Well, it's all water under the bridge. Come on, let's-" Her statement was cut short by a sudden vibration emanating from her bag. "Oh! Sorry Rainbow, I have to take this - I've been waiting for her response all day. You go on ahead - I'll catch up later." As Rainbow shrugged and dashed off to the cafeteria, Sunset pulled the journal out of her bag and opened it to Twilight's latest response.
Dear Sunset Shimmer,
I apologize for not responding sooner; considering all that's happened there over the past several months, you have every reason to be concerned about the possibility of another attack. I read through several history books involving various magical creatures and enemies of the past, but I couldn't find anything else that might have been banished to that world.
However, that doesn't mean something else won't cause a problem. For example, just yesterday our Pinkie threw a large party, but upon starting it, we found that all the drinks were replaced with alcoholic chocolate milk, the pastries had become rubberized (yet it was the frosting that bounced everywhere for some reason), the chairs defied gravity and the speakers released a shower of snowflakes with every beat.
(Discord is playing innocent, but I know he's behind this.)
The point is, you don't necessarily need an enemy in order for things to go wrong; anything can happen, so I suggest you keep an eye out! It never hurts to be prepared.
Oh, also, can you, uh... say hi to Flash for me?
Your friend, Twilight Sparkle.
Sunset chuckled at her friend's last little quip, but her mirth quickly died down as the feeling of unease she had before settled back in. Nothing? She found... nothing? Somehow, that's more unsettling that I imagine it would be if she had found something. She pulled a pen out of her bag and began scribbling a reply.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I'm about to head to lunch, so I don't have much time to write. Thank you for researching all that, however... as nice as the idea is that there won't be another power-hungry maniac wreaking havoc - again - the fact that you didn't find anything somehow doesn't comfort me - I mean, we're talking millenia in which something else could have come here. I suppose, if nothing else, I just keep a sharp eye out.
Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.
As soon as she finished writing, Sunset placed all her things into her bag and rushed off to the cafeteria, hoping to save as much time as she can since lunch was already ten minutes in. As she arrived and grabbed a tray, she wasn't surprised to see there was no longer a line to get a meal. As she briefly examined what was left to eat, a slightly-raspy but cheerful voice rang out, "Hi! What would you like!" Sunset glanced up to find herself face to face with an all-too-familiar cyan Siren.
"You!" Sunset exclaimed, a glare forming as she pointed at the startled girl. "What are you doing here?!"
Sonata's eyes nervously darted back and forth briefly, before locking onto Sunset. After studying her for a second, the Siren perked up and greeted her in an even more cheerful voice. "Oh, hey, it's you! I think I know you, you're um... Oh yeah, Twilight Sparkle!"
"My name is Sunset Shimmer!"
Sonata shrugged. "Eh, they're the same thing."
"No they're no-" Sunset paused as she briefly thought about it. Actually, they kind of are... freaky. "Whatever. That still doesn't explain why you're here."
"Oh." Sonata gazed down, her expression softening. "Well, the people in charge here said that if we do work around here, they won't call the police. Adagio says that we're above such things, but I don't think it's a good idea. Usually we just sing and they let us go, but we can't sing anymore." Sonata thought about that for a few seconds. "Hey, what if I just learn how to sing again!?"
Sunset gave her a blank stare. "I'm pretty sure that wouldn't-"
"Hey, can you hurry up and move?!" Sunset turned to her left, coming face to face with with another cyan girl, this one much more irate than the former enemy serving lunch. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is hungry, and you're holding up the line!"
Sunset quirked an eyebrow and looked behind Trixie, confirming that there was indeed no one else at all waiting. Regardless, she quickly grabbed a salad before moving on, throwing one last glance back at Sonata, who was already distracted with serving Trixie. She swiftly located her friends' table and walked over to join them on the benches; she could hear Rainbow's voice crying out in anger before she was even halfway there.
"What is she doing here?! You'd think they'd get the idea after we defeated them at the Battle of the Bands!" Rainbow crossed her arms and glared at her food, seething.
"Indeed!" Rarity added. "They should get the hint that the kind of people that use powerful magic, of all things, to crash school events and mind control everyone are generally not wanted around here!" A second after she stated that, Rarity froze and turned to Sunset, her eyes wide. "Uh, no offense, darling."
Sunset chuckled, bemused. "None taken. Really, don't worry about it girls." Sunset's face grew serious. "Anyway, I spoke with her briefly while I was over there, and apparently Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna have her working here to make up for what she did. She said that all three of them are supposed to be helping out, but it seems she's the only one that actually went through with it."
"Huh." Applejack adjusted her hat a little. "Well, I respect someone who's willing to own up for what she did and put a little honest work in. I suppose if she's working to turn herself around, then we should give her a chance. After all, it's what we did with you, and we got a great friend in return." She gave Sunset a warm smile, which was returned in kind.
"Mmhmm," Fluttershy agreed. "A little kindness can go a long way, so if we just show it to her, maybe she'll end up being really nice, just like you did, Sunset!"
"Ooooh!" Pinkie squeeled. "We could totally have a cake to celebrate! With extra frosting!" She licked her lips hungrily. "Oh, yes..."
"Hmm, yes, in retrospect I supposed it wouldn't do to just reject her so readily," Rarity relented. "It would hardly be proper. Ooh! I wonder if I can convince her to attend the Senior Prom - I have an idea that would just fabulous with that adorable hair of hers!"
Rainbow scrunched her face up, giving Rarity a slightly repulsed look. "I don't know, I still think that she's trouble." Upon looking between her friends and being met with four deadpan expressions, she backpedaled, "But, I guess I can give her a chance... I'm still keeping my eye on her, though!"
Rarity took a bite of her food, chewing carefully and swallowing before speaking again. "So, Sunset. Rainbow tells me you got your response from Twilight?"
"Oh!" Sunset brightened. "As I mentioned, I had told Twilight before about my concerns over Senior Prom - well, she searched through her books, and according to her, there shouldn't be any other creatures that were sent here that might cause trouble."
Rarity smiled brightly with an 'I-told-you-so' expression. "See, darling? I assured you that there was nothing to worry about!"
Sunset shook her head. "Just because Twilight didn't find any references to other creatures that could be here doesn't mean everything is going to go fine... though, I will admit, maybe I am worrying over nothing."
After that, the conversation between the girls died down, only a few quips being made here and there as they hurried to finish their lunch after arriving late. Despite this, though, Sunset couldn't help glancing back at the serving area several times, observing Sonata as she worked in the kitchen area. She seemed so carefree and happy despite what had happened to her and the others. There's definitely something different about that girl... maybe I'll have to find her later and talk to her.
A couple hours later Sunset exited her last class for the day, along with Rarity and Rainbow Dash, who walked beside her. Sunset stretched her arms, working the tension out of her shoulders that had built up.
"So," Rarity started, "how do you feel you did on that test, Sunset? I, personally, feel like I did an adequate job." Rarity flourished her hair a bit.
"I'm feeling pretty confident; I didn't encounter anything that gave me any trouble, so I should have a good score."
Rainbow groaned, rubbing her head. "Ugh, I hate math. It was difficult enough with all the numbers, letters, and formulas, and now they've got to add symbols that I don't even know?!"
Sunset and Rarity both gave Rainbow questioning looks, and it was Rarity who added, "really, darling, if you hate math so much, then why are you in Calculus? In fact, I still don't know how you even got in that class..."
Rainbow snorted. "Please; as if they would pass up the opportunity to have someone as awesome as me in their class!"
Whatever she was going to say next was halted as Sunset nudged the both of them. "Hey," she said, gesturing towards a nearby classroom, where Sonata could be seen wiping off the whiteboards. "It's that Siren again. I think I'm going to go talk to her - do you want to join me?"
Rarity gazed at Sonata for a few seconds, then turned to Sunset and smiled sweetly. "I don't see why not, darling. I did say that I should give her a chance, and I am a lady of my word!"
Rainbow, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes. "Whatever, the two of you can go get chummy with her on your own. I have to go meet up with the sports teams - someone has to keep them in shape for regionals." Flashing a grin at the other two, Rainbow took off for the exit to the building.
As Rainbow dashed off, Sunset and Rarity glanced at each other, shrugged, then entered the classroom to approach the cyan Siren. "Hey." Sunset greeted warmly. "Mind if we talk for a moment?"
Sonata turned in Sunset's direction and waved excitedly. "Oh, hi Shimmy!" She turned her gaze behind the flame-haired girl. "Oh, and who's this?" Sonata narrowed her eyes as she studied Rarity. "Wait, I remember you. You were also part of that group that rainbowed us! Wait, you're not going to do it again, are you? Please don't rainbow laser beam me! I'll be good!" Sonata jumped behind the teacher's desk and cowered with her arms over her head.
Sunset gently pried Sonata's arms from her head, and rested her hand on Sonata's shoulder. "Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you. We just want to talk."
"Yes, indeed." Rarity flipped her hair to the side. "You have nothing to fear from us. My name is Rarity. Might I ask what yours is, darling?"
Sonata glanced at Sunset, then looked back to Rarity. "My name? Oh, I never did tell you did I? My name is Sonata Dusk, but you can just call me Sonata."
Sunset smiled. "Sonata. That's a beautiful name."
"Oh, absolutely!" Rarity agreed. "So, Sonata. How about you tell us a little about yourself!"
Sonata brightened immediately. "Oh, that's easy! My name's Sonata, I'm from Equestria, I'm two hundred and ninety three years old, I like singing, but I can't sing anymore, but I also like dancing, and I like running, and I really like mixing things together, like fruit punch!"
"Oh!" Rarity's eyes sparkled. "You like dancing? So perhaps you could be convinced to attend the Senior Prom we're having here?"
"Hold on," Sunset interrupted. "Sonata, you said you were two hundred and ninety three years old, yet according to Twilight, Starswirl the Bearded banished the three of you here thousands of years ago - how could you possibly be that age?"
"Oh, we weren't here that long! It was kind of confusing to suddenly be in this world with all this weird stuff. I couldn't really figure it out, but Adagio and Aria did - they're the smart ones."
Sunset pondered this for a few seconds. "So you say you weren't here for long?" Sonata nodded. "Perhaps when Starswirl banished you, he didn't just send you to a different world, but a different time as well.
Sonata gasped. "So we're, like, in the future?! That's so cool!"
Sunset smiled. "Well, it is the only explanation."
"Yes, yes, that's all well and good," Rarity interjected, dismissing the notion with a wave of her hand. "Back to the dance though... It occurs to me that you aren't a student anymore, but you just work here... It's a pity, too. I would so have loved to design a new dress to go with your colors! Sunset, do you know if there's any way she could attend regardless?"
Sunset paused, then ran out of the classroom to grab one of the disclaimers for the prom, reading it as she returned. "It says here that 'Only student and their dates may attend.' So, even though she's not a student, she technically could still attend if she's the date of someone who is a student."
"Why, yes, this is perfect! It shouldn't be too difficult to get you a date; you are rather cute, after all-"
"You know," Sunset interjected, a small smirk on her face, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a crush on her!"
"Why, I never! I'll have you know that unlike some people, I actually do have a date for the prom! Besides, as nice as the notion is, I never really was interested in the fairer sex." As Sunset Shimmer shook her head, Rarity continued speaking to Sonata, "Anyway, as soon as you do, you should come by my place so I can take your measurements - I have the most wonderful idea for a dress for you!"
Anything Rarity might have said further was interrupted as Vice Principal Luna peered in. "Ms. Dusk, after you- what are the two of you still doing here? School ended half an hour ago, shouldn't you be off campus by now?" Luna glanced at Sonata, who looked ready to follow the others out. "Not you; you shall remain here to keep working." Sonata saluted. Luna gazed at the girls until Rarity relented and left, but before Sunset could follow her, she was grabbed by Sonata.
"Hey, Ms. Luna, can you let Shimmy stay for a minute? I'd like to talk to her." Sonata smiled, her eyes sparkling.
Luna sighed, then nodded. "Fine, but she'll be leaving immediately afterwards, got it?"
"Wait," Sunset objected, "aren't students allowed on the campus after school hours?"
"Only in the case of either finishing certain school projects, for after-school activities, or at a staff member's request," Luna replied. "Otherwise, it's a closed campus, I'm afraid."
After Luna left to give them their privacy, Sunset turned to Sonata and asked, "So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"
"You're a student here at this school, right?"
Sunset blinked. "Uh, yeah...?"
"And you don't have a date to the prom, right?"
"No, I don't, why?"
Sonata giggled. "Well, I don't have a date either! I can only go to the prom if I'm the date of a student, and you're a student, so I can be your date!"
Sunset sputtered, her face heating up. "Wha- I- I... Um. You, as my date?"
"Yep. It'll be fun!"
Sunset shook her head. "I don't know- I mean, I've... I've never dated a girl before!"
"So? What's wrong with that?"
"I..." What would people think? Wait, nothing, why am I worried about that. There are more lesbians than magical girls, so it might seem normal by comparison. "Nothing, I suppose, it's just... I don't... Couldn't we just go as friends or something?"
"Aww, but that isn't as fun as dating; you're very pretty!" Sunset blushed at that compliment. "Do you... really not like me that much?" As Sunset gazed into Sonata's eyes, she saw the light in them dull as sadness took over, and when Sonata's smile also started to falter Sunset felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.
"I..." Damn it, I cannot say 'no' to that face! She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "...Alright, yes, I'll be your date to the prom."
Sonata's expression lit up immediately as she gasped excitedly. "Really?!" Her eyes sparkled like diamonds, and her smile was one of the happiest Sunset had ever seen, and she could feel her own face breaking out into a smile she simply couldn't control, as it felt like the world itself was growing brighter as Sonata's elation grew.
"Yes, really." Sunset looked at the time. "I'd love to talk longer, but I really have to get going. Rarity wants to see us all at her place, and I'm afraid she might go nuclear if we don't all show up. I'll see you later, Sonata."
"Bye, Shimmy!"
Sunset walked down the halls and out the front doors of Canterlot High, her heart beating a million beats per minute. I have a date... My first real date, not one that I'm faking either... Sunset glanced to the side, taking in the view of the spring blossoms on the trees, then let her gaze drift to the statue in the middle of the courtyard, then the purple-haired girl with twin tails sweeping the concrete. I wonder if- wait, what?!
Sunset stalked over to her. "What are you doing here?" She asked, trying to keep any antagonism out of her tone. Be cool, Sunset... Maybe things won't turn out all that bad.
Aria looked up from her task, and narrowed her eyes when she saw who it was. "Oh. It's you. What do you want?"
Sunset returned her gaze. "I believe I asked a question first."
Aria rolled her eyes. "Cleaning. What does it look like I'm doing?"
Sunset shook her head. "That's not what I meant. I talked to Sonata earlier, and she mention how you were supposed to help out to stay out of trouble - I was under the impression that she was the only one who actually did it. Is the third one around here somewhere as well?"
Aria glared at Sunset for a few seconds, then replied, "No. Adagio went her own way. I, on the other hand-"
"Oh, hey Sunset!" Rainbow Dash jogged up from the fields, where her teammates were still practicing. "Didn't think you'd still be here." Rainbow Dash glanced at Aria and hesitated for several seconds, seeming oddly unsure of herself, then narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow, a slight twitch in her expression. "Or you."
Aria glanced back at Rainbow, then placed a hand on her forehead, taking a deep breath. "Look - I'm not here to start any trouble. In fact, that's what I'm trying to avoid. Now that our powers are gone, we lost a lot of our ability to really do much here. As much as I hate working like this, I'd rather being doing this and maintaining at least some semblance of freedom rather than spending my days in a prison cell. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be left alone."
Sunset stared at her for a few seconds, then relented. "Well, I suppose if that's all, then I'll leave you to it." With that, she and Rainbow began trekking off campus. Wait, why is Rainbow following me? "Uh... Rainbow?"
But Rainbow wasn't paying attention, instead focusing on something behind her. After a few seconds, she turned back to Sunset. "Hey, there's something I gotta go do, so I'll see you later, okay?"
Sunset chuckled. "Alright. Wouldn't want the captain of the Canterlot High sports teams to get a reputation of randomly abandoning her teammates."
Rainbow chuckled with her, although somewhat sheepishly. "Right, well, I'll get to that." With that, Rainbow ran off, back in the direction of the school. Sunset continued walking off campus, allowing the events that occurred earlier to replay in her mind over and over. So. A real date. You've never done this before, but really, just what do you have to worry about?
After assuring herself that nothing would go wrong, albeit somewhat unsuccessfully, Sunset spaced out, her mind aimless wandering as she strolled down the streets of Canterlot City; before long, she looked up to find herself at the front entrance of the Carousel Boutique.
Sunset took a deep breath. "Alright, you can do this." She whispered to herself. She walked up to the door and knocked a few times, waiting only a handful of seconds before Rarity answered.
"Oh! You're here already? Honestly, I... wasn't expecting any of you to show up until later... Well, no matter, now we can get started!" Without even waiting for Sunset to respond, Rarity grabbed her by the arm and dragged her in. "So, first things first, let's get started on your measurements for your dress..."
"Um, about that Rarity... can I... talk to you about something?"
Rarity froze from the slight hesitation in Sunset's voice, then responded in a much more somber tone. "Anything, of course! I'll be here for you."
Sunset fidgeted for a short while, unable to find her voice as a slight blush slowly grew on her cheeks. A warm, comforting hand was placed on her shoulder, and Sunset looked up at Rarity, whose soft expression helped calm her nerves. She let out a sharp exhale, then finally began speaking. "Well, I did manage to find a date..." Rarity nodded in acknowledgement. "A... date with a girl."
"I see..." Rarity gave Sunset's shoulder a squeeze. "Go on - I'm certainly not going to hold anything against you."
"Well, it's just that... if we're both wearing dresses, won't that cause problems when we're dancing? What if one of us trips over the other? It'll be humiliating, I don't want to ruin our date like that!"
Rarity stared at her for a few second in bewilderment, before giggling profusely as she tried in vain to stifle her mirth. Sunset's blush doubled in intensity as she indignantly yelled out, "Hey! Don't laugh, it's a legitimate concern!"
Rarity wiped a tear from her eyes. "Oh, it is dear, more then you think - it's just, of everywhere that you could've gone with that, it caught me off guard that that was what you focused on."
Sunset glanced away, her tone becoming more subdued. "Well, two girls liking each other isn't exactly the strangest thing at this school, and I already knew I wasn't into guys beforehand..."
Rarity pulled her into a brief hug. "Oh, I didn't mean anything by it dear, I hope you know that. Now," she began, releasing the sea-green-eyed girl. "The obvious solution to your predicament would be to have one of you wear a suit instead, don't you agree?" At Sunset's nod, she continued. "Well, given who you're dating, I think you should be the one that'll wear it!"
"Sounds great to me-" Sunset froze. "Wait... how do you know who I'm taking on my date?"
Rarity waved a hand. "Oh, please, it wasn't that hard to figure out! You didn't have a date last time I saw you, and since I left Sonata with the idea of a date floating around in her head... I just put two and two together."
Sunset narrowed her eyes. "In more ways than one... you set us up, didn't you?"
"I will admit to nothing of the sort. Now, I suppose we should get on with it, shouldn't we?" After rapidly taking Sunset's measurements, she bustled about the house grabbing materials, then disappeared into a room upstairs. Sunset could swear it wasn't even a minute when Rarity came back down with a finely-crafted set of apparel. "Now, darling, go try that on behind this screen to make sure it fits properly."
Sunset just stared at her bewildered. "Seriously? I know you usually work fast, but that's just ridiculous..." As Rarity preened from the compliment, Sunset complied and disappeared behind the screen to shed her current clothes in favor of the fancy white suit she was given, which indeed fit her perfectly. When she walked out from behind the screen and Rarity saw the fruits of her labor, the fashionista squeeled with delight.
"Oh my word, you look positively fetching in that! There isn't a doubt in my mind that your date will be absolutely stunned when they see you in that!"
Sunset felt her cheeks grow warm. "Uh, thanks... Mind if I change back now?" At Rarity's nod, she swapped back into her regular clothes and picked up the suit. "Thank you so much, Rarity. I'll see you later!" With that, she walked out the front door and headed home.
The next day, Sunset decided to invite Sonata out to the pastry shop in order to meet the rest of her friends, feeling it would be best for them to get accustomed to each other before the prom. As the two of them approached the table the others were seated at, everyone waved to them, except for Rainbow who was, to the surprise of no one, not paying attention as she was distracted by something on her cell phone.
"Hello, everyone," Sunset stated as she took a seat, gesturing for Sonata to sit next to her.
"Hi, Sunset!" the others collectively replied.
"So, I feel introductions are in order for everyone who hasn't met. Everyone, this is Sonata Dusk, or just Sonata." Sonata waved excitedly to everyone. Sunset began gesturing to each person in turn. "Sonata, this is Applejack-"
"It's a pleasure ta' meet ya," Applejack stated as she tipped her stetson.
"Fluttershy-"
"Hello," Fluttershy said quietly.
"Rainbow Dash-"
"Hey," Rainbow Dash said, nonchalantly waving a hand without even looking up.
"and P-"
Pinkie popped up right in front of Sonata. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! You were, like, totally a bad girl before, but you're not a bad girl now, right? If you were bad, you'd be our enemy, but since you're good now, we can totally be best friends!" As Pinkie went to hug Sonata - who looked terrified of the pink girl - Applejack grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Hold on there, Pinkie. You're scaring the girl."
Sonata just looked between the others, her eyes wide with shock, then leaned towards Sunset. "You... sure you girls aren't going to rainbow me?"
Sunset patted Sonata on the back. "Don't worry; we're not."
"I'm sorry, Dusky! I just get really excited when I make new friends. You do want to be friends, right? Everyone likes making new friends!" Pinkie's expression morphed into the strangest combination of being apologetic and ecstatic at the same time.
Sonata laughed and flashed a good-natured grin. "I'd love to be friends with you guys, it sounds like fun!"
"Uh-huh!" Everyone chimed their agreement - except Rainbow, who still wasn't paying any attention. Applejack finally gave her a pointed glare and nudged the girl.
"Ok, what are you doing on that thing that needs so much of your attention?"
Rainbow looked up from her phone. "Huh? Oh, nothing, just looking at stuff." She glanced at her phone again, before it was snatched by Applejack. "Hey!"
"No, Rainbow. You need to stop with that - we're supposed to be hanging out as friends here, not staring at our phones."
As Rainbow fumed, Rarity giggled. "You should have seen her in Calculus yesterday. She was absolutely insufferable!" The fashionista then turned a glare towards the athlete. "She also didn't show up at my Boutique yesterday like I asked her to."
"What's Calculus?" Sonata asked as Rainbow glared back at Rarity with her arms thrown up in exasperation.
Rarity turned to the girl and replied, "it's a somewhat advanced and difficult form of math."
"Hang on." Applejack interjected. "Are you telling me that Rainbow here is good at math?"
Rarity nodded. "Oh yes, despite what she may act like, she's surprisingly quite adept at it, though she never stops complaining about it."
Sonata looked at Rainbow, wide-eyed. "Wow... I wish I could be that smart. Whenever I try to learn new things like that, I just get confused most of the time."
"Sonata, dear, please do not encourage her," Rarity admonished. "Rainbow's ego does not need more fuel."
Sonata tilted her head, a befuddled expression on her face. "But, didn't you just compliment her on how smart she was? Why is it wrong when I do it?" Rarity opened her mouth, then paused as she searched for a proper response.
"Hey, hey, hey," Rainbow held her hands up in a placating manner cutting off Rarity's retort. "If she wants to praise me, she's allowed to do so all she wants."
"... Hmm. Well. I guess I shouldn't either then. But enough of that! I want to hear how everyone's plans for the prom are going! It is tomorrow, after all!" Rarity smiled at the other girls.
Applejack released an exhasperated sigh. "Again with the prom, Rarity? You keep bugging us about this! No, I still don't have a date, because I don't plan on having a date!"
Rarity recoiled from the caustic response. "Hmm, that's... a bummer. How about the rest of you?"
Fluttershy spoke up. "I actually have a date now..."
Pinkie Pie rushed to Fluttershy's side with a wide smile on her face, putting an arm around her. "Yep! I told you I'd be an amazing wing-girl and get her one!"
"Any chance we can find out who it is?"
"Sorry Rarity, but I'm kind of not supposed to say until the prom..." Fluttershy quietly replied.
"Hmm. Dare I ask about you Pinkie?"
"Nope!"
"'Nope'... what?"
Pinkie's grin grew wider. "Just nope! I'm not telling you!" She zoomed next to Rarity, her face becoming serious. "It's a secret..." Her smile snapped back as she zoomed away.
"Ok... Rainbow, how about you?"
"Sorry, Rarity. My awesome plans will lose their awesome factor if I tell you what they are!"
"... Sonata, I'd ask you, but I already know."
Sonata threw a confused expression at Rarity. "Wait... what?"
"So, Sonata." Applejack interjected before Rarity could continue her interrogation of everyone present. "Instead of getting all uppity about dating like a certain someone, how about we get to know you a little better? Do you have any hobbies?"
"Oh, yeah!" Sonata exclaimed. "One thing I really like to do is mix things - like drinks, you can get cool results by mixing them together. I also like to mix other things together, but 'Dagi got mad after I melted her hair that one time. But with drinks, like, if you take some apple cider and some grape juice - purple, mind you, not the white stuff - then mix it in with a little strawberry..." Sonata's voice faded out as Sunset began just staring at her, daydreaming. Earlier, Sonata had been borderline terrified of the girls, but now she was getting along with them without a hitch, and just the same, the others seemed to be enjoying speaking to and listening to her. Having Sonata as part of the group... It felt surprisingly natural, as though she belonged there for some reason. You know... Sunset thought. Maybe tomorrow won't be so bad after all...
I was wrong. It's going to go horribly. This is going to be a nightmare. This cannot end well. Please, someone, save me! Sunset stood before the high school, the previously innocuous building now looming menacingly overhead. Today was the day of the Senior Prom, and it was about to start. She could barely keep from shaking due to the nerves that have returned ten-fold. She attempted to adjust the collar of her suit, fumbling with it. Sunset was wearing a fancy, embroidered white shirt with golden-yellow shoulder pads complete with tassels, a pair of white dress pants, and a pair of fine white dress shoes, as well as a pair of white gloves.
Sunset turned to her left, where her date to the prom, Sonata Dusk, was standing. She attempted to speak, but the words, while still clearly understandable, were much shakier than she'd prefer. "W-well, Sonata, here w-we are. Y-you ready for t-this?" Sunset felt her blush grow more intense as she could hear the nerves in her voice.
Sonata turned towards Sunset and flashed a friendly smile. Sonata was wearing her hair in a ponytail, as usual, but more stylized with glitter and a hair-tie made with pearls. She wore a dress of which the top part was white and hugged her torso nicely, while the rest consisted of a large, frilly cyan skirt with wavy patterns embroidered in white threading. She also had a long pair of white gloves, and a pair of high-heels that were covered in crystals.
Sonata nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be!" She exclaimed, chipper as ever. Sonata reached over and took Sunset's left hand in her right, and as soon as they made contact, Sunset felt a warm wave wash over her, clearing half of her nerves. Sunset took a deep breath and started forward, bringing them into the building.
The two of them checked in at the front desk, then proceeded to one of the tables set up by the sides of the auditorium, where Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were already waiting for them. Fluttershy wore a simple but pretty and flowing pink dress. Applejack was outfitted in a surprisingly fancy dress, which had a sea-green skirt, teal torso, and strawberry-colored accents. Rarity was wearing an elegant, violet dress with various cyan designs embroidered across it, and white silk draping from the waist. Pinkie Pie had a bright blue dress decorated with flowers of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Applejack was the first to notice the approaching pair.
"Well, I'll be. You two look absolutely gorgeous!"
The remainder of their friends, who had been conversing casually with each other, turned to view the approaching duo.
"Oh wow, those outfits look very pretty," Fluttershy stated.
"You look AMAZING! Like, almost as good as a twenty layer cake amazing!" Pinkie glanced at the snack tables. "Speaking of cake, we should totally go get some Fluttershy!" She bounced up and prepared to take off, but then stopped and turned towards the others. "Oh, by the way, I spiked the punch. Thought I should let you know!" With that, she took off, Fluttershy in tow.
"Wait, Pinkie, shouldn't we..." Fluttershy's voice faded away as she was pulled away from the group.
Rarity made a noise of disgust. "How unsavory. Of course she would be the one to spike the punch." She shook her head. "Oh well. It's nice to see you two have arrived at last; and I must say, you really do wear those outfits well!" Rarity gave them a smile and a wink. "Now we're just waiting on Rainbow and everyone's dates."
Sunset blushed from the attention. "Thanks, everyone." She then quirked an eyebrow and gazed at Rarity. "So who brought who as a date, and whose dates haven't showed up yet? After all, it is the day of the prom now, so I'd say it's time we find out."
"Well, I asked my date to meet me here, but he hasn't seemed to arrive yet," Rarity stated.
"I don't have a date. Like I said, I didn't plan on having one," Applejack stated. "You're not going to believe this though: Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie actually came as dates with each other!"
That made Sunset stare at her in shock. "Seriously? The quietest one here is going on a date with the loudest?"
Rarity laughed, "yes, that caught me quite off guard too, dear. Though I feel they're only regarding it as a date in name - you know how Pinkie is." Rarity's smile morphed into a devious smirk. "But, I remember you telling me you had a date when you came in for your suit... mind telling me who, and where, he is?"
At that, Sunset narrowed her eyes as her blush returned two-fold, and instead of answering out loud, she merely raised the hand that was holding Sonata's. Who hasn't said a word for some reason... Sunset mentally noted.
Applejack guffawed. "Well, I can't say I saw that comin', but after Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, I really can't be surprised either."
"Oh, I just have to say, standing next to each other now with your outfits, you look even more beautiful than before!" Rarity clapped her hands together as she beamed at the couple.
Sunset smiled sheepishly as her blush somehow grew even brighter. I... thank you; you also all look very fetching tonight." After Sonata still did not respond, Sunset finally turned to her left and took note that Sonata was staring off into the crowd of people in the auditorium. "Sonata, are you alright? You seem to be awfully quiet." Sonata turned to look at Sunset.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that, looking at all these people dressed up, getting together for a good time... it makes me miss my singing..." Feeling her heart shatter from the sentiment, Sunset immediately pulled Sonata into a hug and gave her a small peck on the top of her head.
"Hey, if you want, I could try teaching you how to sing again sometime." Sunset put on a mock admonishing face. "Now remember, you still won't have your magic even if you do manage to learn how to sing, so don't even try it!"
Sonata, on the other hand, took it completely seriously. "I know, I won't! I don't want to get shot by magic rainbows again, it wasn't fun!"
Rarity clasped her hands together and leaned her head against them. "Aww, you two are so adorable! Now I'm starting to wonder if I could have-" Rarity cut herself off as she was suddenly distracted by something behind the couple, all the emotion draining from her face to form a blank, shell-shocked expression. "Oh. My. *Goodness."***
Upon seeing this, Sunset also turned, curious as to what could have blindsided Rarity so thoroughly. However, when she spotted it, she found herself just as entranced.
There, at the entrance to the school, was Rainbow Dash in one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. The dress was made of a long and flowing fabric, wrapping around her body and accentuating it as though she were a goddess. The dress was flowing with the colors of the rainbow, perfectly matching Rainbow's hair colors. This was enhanced by the elegant gold embroidery woven across the entire dress, adding an extra layer of beauty to the piece. The very fabric itself sparkled and shined as though it were woven with gemstones, creating an enchanting rippling effect whenever Rainbow moved.
This wasn't even the main shock though, for on Rainbow's right, locking arms with her, wearing an elegant white and teal dress, with her violet and cyan hair let loose with various flowers in it, was none other than Aria Blaze. When Applejack realized what was going on, she was also shocked by what she saw. Together, Rainbow and Aria approached the table where the others were sitting.
And, of course, Rainbow had the biggest grin she could muster.
"I- I- I- Where ever did you get such a gorgeous dress, darling?!" Rarity seemed astounded that Rainbow could wear something so elegant.
Rainbow chuckled. "If you think it's impressive now, wait until you feel it." Rainbow laughed harder when Rarity did, as she nearly started hyperventilating from how smooth and silky the fabric was. "So, how's my taste in fashion now?"
"I..." Rarity bowed her head in defeat. "This dress is incredible. I can't believe I thought you didn't know fashion if you were able to procure this on your own! Where in the world did you get such an elegant piece?!"
"I'm actually gonna have to agree with Rarity on this one, sugarcube. Where did you get that? I've never seen anything like it!" Applejack asked.
Rainbows grin never faltered. "Let's just say I have my sources."
Aria rolled her eyes. "She got it from her mother."
Rainbow's grin disappeared immediately. "Ari! You weren't supposed to tell them that!"
"Hey!" Sonata yelled. "I also call her Ari! What was that quote? Oh yeah, 'great minds think alike!'"
Aria glared at Sonata. "Really, Sonata? That's the only comment you could come up with?"
Sunset shook her head, finally finding her voice. "I'm less concerned about the dress and am more wondering why you have... uh..."
"Aria."
"- thank you - Aria as your date! How did you even convince her?"
Rainbow chuckled, her grin slowly returning. "Let's just say I'm skilled with my tongue."
Rarity recoiled. "Oh, how uncouth!"
Aria chuckled and glanced conspiratorially at her date. "While we didn't actually do anything like that... Oh, Dashie, don't you think it's about time you told them?"
Sunset glanced between the two. "Tell us... what, exactly?"
Rainbow sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Aria and I have kind of... been dating for... a few months now."
"What?!" came the collective cry from the rest of her friends.
"How did that even happen?" Rarity asked as Sunset simultaneously inquired, "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Um... oh, hey!" Rainbow suddenly yelled, glancing over at the snack tables. "They have cider here! I'm getting some before it runs out!" With that rather obvious diversion, Rainbow made a beeline straight for the snack table.
Aria stared after her for a few seconds, then smirked. "I hope she gets distracted and grabs some of the punch - just between me and you guys, I managed to sneak in earlier and spike it."
"Seriously?" Applejack laughed. "Our friend Pinkie Pie had done the same thing, so I guess there's twice as much alcohol in there now.
Aria laughed. "That'll make it twice as funny."
Rarity just shook her head. "I swear, I am surrounded by neanderthals."
Aria then sighed and started speaking in a more serious voice. "However, I can tell you that Dash didn't really want you guys to know for a while... She was afraid you would all judge her for dating someone that, well, was recently your enemy. For a while, I was the same way - I thought you all hated me, just as everyone once hated you, Sunset. No offense."
"None taken." came the reflexive reply.
"But, not long after the Battle of the Bands, we ran into each other and talked." Aria smirked. "Actually, we got into a fight first, but you know what they say about combat being the truest form of communication. After we had bruised each other up sufficiently, then we got to talking, one thing led to another, and... here we are now."
Just then everyone was interrupted by a booming voice speaking through a microphone, causing everyone's ears to ring; Vice Principal Luna was now standing on stage set up in the back of the auditorium. "Good afternoon, students of Canterlot High! I am pleased to welcome you to this year's Senior Prom! A cheer rang out from the gathered students. Our DJ should be arriving soon to manage the music for the dance, so until then, feel free to mingle and enjoy the treats and drinks. With that, Luna replaced the microphone at the sound system and walked away. Sunset, as well as the other girls, rubbed their heads and ears.
"That was unnecessarily loud. Doesn't she know that thing has a volume control?" Rarity complained.
Sunset laughed, despite her ringing ears. "That's one of Vinyl's DJ sets. The volume probably was down."
Rainbow returned by then, holding a glass full of cider, after drinking a few at the table. "Aw yeah, that's the stuff." She held her glass out to Aria. "Try it, you might like it." Aria gave Rainbow a look, but took a sip from the glass anyway - then downed the rest in a single gulp. "Hey! I wanted some too!" Grumbling, Rainbow made her way back to the table with the cider.
"Hey, I think I'm going to go try some of that cider. Something that Ari actually likes has to be good!" With that, Sonata wandered in the direction that Rainbow had gone.
Applejack smirked at Aria. "So, I take it you really liked it?"
Aria looked away, a tint of pink touching her cheeks. "I guess I'll admit it was... good."
Applejack's smirk grew. "That's good, because that stuff is made from scratch by my family. In fact, that there might've been by yours truly."
Aria rolled her eyes. "Great."
Rarity sighed, then looked around. "He should have been here like twenty minutes ago..."
"Who?" Sunset asked.
"My date - a guy I met by the name of Blueblood. He seemed nice enough at the time, but I guess he just decided not to show up or something..."
Just then, Rainbow returned from the cider table with another full glass. "Alright, this one's mine, so anyone who touches it is getting sucker punched." She took a large gulp of the cider. "Oh, also, just to warn you guys: I spiked the punch earlier, so you may want to steer clear of it if you don't want to embarrass yourselves. I used some pretty strong stuff," she stated, winking. "It's going to be hilarious when that stuff kicks in. Told you I had some awesome plans for today!"
"Ruined! Just ruined!" Everyone recoiled from Rarity's sudden outburst. "The one time I get a date with a handsome and nice guy, and he abandons me!"
Applejack quirked an eyebrow. "Who even is this 'date' you keep going on about?"
"He's this handsome young man I met several days ago; he goes by the name 'Blueblood' and he attends Crystal Prep-"
There was a collective wince and "oooh" of sympathy from everyone within earshot except Aria and Sunset. Rainbow added, "How you even thought someone like that was going to be pleasant, I don't know."
Applejack glanced at Rainbow, then sighed and wrapped an arm around Rarity. "C'mon, Rares. It isn't all that bad - you still have us. Here, come with me and we'll grab some punch." Helping Rarity up, Applejack guided her to the snack table to grab the girl a drink.
Rainbow stared on in confusion. "Wasn't she paying attention at all? I spiked the punch! I just told them that!"
Aria gave a bemused laugh. "I think that's the point, Dash. You can be almost as dumb as Sonata sometimes."
"My girlfriend is not dumb!" Aria's heart nearly stopped from Sunset's sudden - and loud - outburst.
"Jeez, I'm sorry, I didn't actually mean it like that, ok?!" Aria paused. "Wait, girlfriend? You and she seriously - wow. Ok."
Just then, her thought process was interrupted by another newcomer.
"Hey, Rainbow!" Vinyl Scratch walked up to the group, obviously not dressed for attending the prom - she was wearing her usual pants, shirt, and trademark shades.
"Hah, what's up Vinyl!" Rainbow and Vinyl trade a fist-bump.
"So, just to clarify, the band's still meeting up tomorrow at 5:00, right?"
"Yep, that's the time."
"Alright, cool. Anyway, I gotta head up to the stage - this party has a disappointing lack of some sweet tunes, and I am here to bring justice." Vinyl began to walk off, only to stop. "Oh, and let me do you guys a favor. Don't tell anyone about this, but if you aren't too keen on getting drunk, don't drink the punch. I spiked it earlier." With that, Vinyl proceeded up to the stage to begin her set.
Rainbow burst out laughing. "She spiked the punch too?! Oh, this is going to be awesome!"
Just then Sonata finally decided to return, holding a cup of punch. "Hey the punch is great! You guys should try some!" She punctuated that statement with a large gulp of the glass in hand , draining it.
Sunset looked on in horror. "Oh no..."
Aria smirked. "Don't worry about it. She doesn't have enough brain cells for the alcohol to affect her."
Sunset growled. "Will you stop it with the insults?!" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Though... I will admit, she is a bit of a ditz normally, so... what's she going to be like drunk?"
Aria shook her head. "What I said wasn't exactly a lie - Sonata doesn't really get affected by alcohol. I doubt it's because of her brain cell count - she... isn't actually as dumb as she seems - her metabolism probably just burns it really fast or something.
Sunset stared at Aria, wondering at the sudden change in behavior, before turning back towards the crowd. "Well that's good to know."
"Helloooo, everybody at Canterlot High! DJ Pon-3 in the house! You guys ready for some sweet beats? Vinyl's voice rang from the sound system as she spoke into the mic on the stage.
A collective cheer rose from the students.
Now, unfortunately this is a prom, so I can't blow your ear drums out. However, I'm going to get as close as possible to doing so, so I'm certain that you'll all enjoy it regardless! Without further ado, let the party begin!
With that, a semi-upbeat but still soft and melodic song began to play through the auditorium at a volume louder than such music should be played at. Sunset turned to her right, where Sonata was standing and smiling, humming and swaying to the beat.
"So, Sonata... you ready for that dance I promised you?" Sunset offered her right hand to the form Siren.
Sonata glanced between Sunset and her offered hand, and flash a brilliant smile. "Of course!" Grasping the hand offered to her, Sonata allowed Sunset to lead her up to the dance floor. They turned to face each other, and Sunset placed her left arm on Sonata's shoulder while raising her right arm to the side - only to have Sonata do the exact same thing.
Whoops... though Sunset. Maybe I should be the one leading.
Sunset reversed her stance, placing her right hand on Sonata's waist and taking Sonata's right hand in her left - and with that, she began to move about the dance floor. Step, two three four, step, two three four... Sunset mentally recited, out of practice when it came to slow dances, until the motions became natural to her and she no longer had to focus on it. Soon, everything began to blend together for her, until all she felt was her and Sonata dancing together, and she felt herself falling in love...
Until she tripped.
As she lost her balance, she flailed her arms and grabbed Sonata, but instead of regaining her balance, this only brought Sonata down with her. As they fell, they bumped into another couple, knocked them over, who then knocked over an entire group of people, who knocked Bulk Biceps into one of the snack tables. His impact sent the entire contents of the table flying through the air, with the frosting of the pastries oddly bouncing off and ricocheting around the room, which resulted in quite a few people getting pelted with frosting and cake, while a few others were splashed with punch. The sudden impacts startled them, causing them to bump into each other and fall over; before long, people were falling over left and right, the drinks were flying everywhere, cake, pastries, and frosting were soaring across the room, snow somehow got everywhere, and even the chairs were bouncing through the air with a complete abandon towards gravity. This persisted for a few minutes, and by the time the commotion died down, every single table and seat was upturned, and nearly everyone had been knocked over and splattered with various beverages, frosting, pieces of pastries, and confetti - courtesy of Pinkie Pie, who had only added to the chaos.
Sunset groaned, trying to comprehend what had happened. As she stood, she heard quite a commotion in the aftermath - various groans, some complaints here and there, chatter about what was going on, and oddly the deep sound of an old man's laughter, which she was certain none were present. However, one thing was certain as she looked around - the prom was, quite thoroughly, destroyed. She backed up a couple steps, holding her hands to her head as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. I... I knew it. I knew something was going to go wrong at this event... and it was... me... Again. I'm the one who started the chain reaction that caused all this. Sunset heard a moan really close to her and gazed down to Sonata, who she quickly helped back up on her feet.
As she help Sonata who still seemed disoriented, Rainbow and Aria ran up to her. Sunset recoiled, expecting a berating for ruining yet another major high school event.
"That... was... awesome!" Rainbow shouted. What? Sunset thought.
"I have to agree with her," stated Aria, "that's exactly why we spike the punch."
"What do you mean 'that's why we spike the punch'? I never even drank any of it!" Sunset tried to brush herself off as she spoke, to no avail.
"It's not that. Do you really think so many people would have fallen over if they weren't drunk? There's so much alcohol in the punch that a single glass will make pretty much anyone completely plastered. Just look." With that, Aria gestured towards Rarity, who was red-faced, disoriented, and clinging to an obviously-flustered Applejack.
Sunset looked around, noticing how a lot of the people, after getting back up, were giggling and laughing off the experience. I have to admit, it certain is a silly situation. "Well, I suppose this wasn't so bad afte-"
Awwww yeah! That's what I'm talking about!
Vinyl's voice boomed over the speakers, far louder than it had been before, proving that when Luna had been using the mic, the volume was in fact turned down. Everyone turned towards her to see what she had to say.
Now that this lame prom's totally ruined, how about we crank that bass up to eleven and show them what a real party looks like?!
A collective cheer rose from the crowd, and not two seconds passed before the auditorium was filled with a blast of sound. Several rhythms mixed together at the same time, with beats and sounds rising and falling with rapid tempo. A throbbing base line shook the entire building, as well as everyone in it, and the sheer force and speed of the beat made every muscle in the body want to move.
As everyone started partying and dancing like no tomorrow, the lights dimmed and spotlights started alternating and moving, while laser lights erupted from the stage Vinyl was on, and the music played from every speaker in the room; a surefire indicator that Vinyl had tampered with and overridden the school system.
At first Sunset was lost as to what was going on, but she soon felt her body moving of its own accord, Sonata right next to her and getting just as into it.
Sunset couldn't help but smile, as even when things wanted to go wrong, they couldn't help but go right. She grabbed Sonata's hands in her own and began dancing opposite of her, her own smile mirrored by Sonata's impossibly happy one. Every movement they shared made her feel more alive, and staring into Sonata's ecstatic expression made Sunset feel happier than ever. Yes... I do believe that this will be a night to remem-
Her mental name-drop was interrupted by the waning whine and subsequent silence of the power going out, plunging the auditorium into near pitch-black darkness as the room had no windows for light to filter through. A commotion soon broke out as everyone tried to figure out what happened and where anything is, when Vice Principal Luna's voice started shouting above everyone else's via a megaphone.
"Quiet, everyone! Please! Quiet down!" She waited until the crowd grew silent, then continued. "Due to a certain DJ overloading the school's electrical systems and causing a power surge, the repairs of which will take more than just a few hours, the Senior Prom is being ended early. Our faculty will be escorting everyone out, so I hereby request that everyone here remain calm and exit when directed in an orderly fashion. In the mean time, I would like to thank you all for coming and enjoying the event while it lasted, and I apologize for this incident. Speaking of which; Ms. Vinyl, you will come with me to speak with Principal Celestia immediately. That will be all."
Sunset groaned as she broke away from the crowd leaving the building and leaned back against the side of the statue in the courtyard, sliding to the ground and covering her face with her hands. She felt the presence of someone draw near, and looked up to see Sonata staring down at her. After a few seconds of gazing into each others' eyes, Sunset sighed wistfully and glanced away, a somber tone in her voice as she spoke.
"I'm... sorry about all this, Sonata. I don't know why I thought it'd be a good idea to date you - or anyone for that matter. Trouble follows me wherever I go - even if I don't cause it, it just finds me." Sunset sniffed, a tear rolling down her face as she put her hands on her head. "I thought I was past all that, but it seems I can't even go to a single dance without everything going just so horribly wrong."
Sonata knelt in front of Sunset and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, using the other to lift Sunset's chin to face her. "Shimmy, I think you've been going about this all wrong." Sonata gave her a bright, cheery smile. "I've been a troublemaker a lot longer than you have, so I know what it looks like when things are bad. This isn't it. Despite all the chaos, everyone still enjoyed themselves and had a lot of fun, including you and me. Just because things go differently than you expected them to, doesn't mean they went wrong."
Sunset stared at Sonata for a few seconds, then gave a short laugh of amusement. "You really are more intelligent than you let on, aren't you?" A couple seconds more passed before she started stammering. "Uh, I-I mean, not that I thought you weren't, but-"
Sonata silence her by placing a finger on her lips, and smiled sweetly. "Don't worry, I know what you meant." Her smile turned wistfully as she stared contemplatively at the ground. "But, I don't think I'm very intelligent." She held up a hand to silence Sunset, who had opened her mouth to speak. "No, it's not that I'm being hard on myself or anything - I know what I'm like. I'm air-headed, ditzy, and oblivious, and you know what? I'm okay with that, because that's who I am. But, I am a lot older than you-"
"Please do not make a habit of reminding me of that fact."
Sonata giggled briefly, then continued. "Either way, I may not be the smartest but I have picked up a few things over the years." A silence filled the air between them as Sonata sat down besides Sunset and turned her head towards her, admiring the flame-haired girl for a short while. "You know, it was great dancing with you, Shimmy."
Sunset absentmindedly answered as she stared back at Sonata. "It really was, wasn't it?" A brief silence filled the air, before Sunset suddenly blushed profusely and backpedaled for the second time that evening. "Uh, I mean, it was great dancing with you too, not me. I mean, I'm not saying it wasn't great dancing with me, because I didn't dance with me, but you did. I mean, I'm not trying to be egotistical, maybe it wasn't great dancing with me - except you just said it was, but maybe you were just trying to spare-"
Her flustered stammering was cut short as Sonata giggled again and placed a finger on Sunset's lips, before snaking her hand behind her head and pulling her in for a tender kiss. Sunset felt her heart lurch as fire and electricity coursed through her the moment their lips made contact. The kiss was sweet, soft, warm, gentle - a considerable contrast to the Siren image Sonata had worn a few months ago.
They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, and yet somehow when they pulled apart, it seemed like it was far too short. Sonata flashed a cheeky grin. "I like you too, Shimmy."
Sunset smirked back at Sonata, which was countered by the heavy blush that remained on her face. "Only 'like'?"
Sonata's own grin morphed into a smirk as she responded, "Well, you can't exactly just go dropping the other 'l-word' after the first date, can you?" She and Sunset both jumped as another, much louder voice suddenly rang out from nearby.
"Hey! Get a room, you two!"
The couple now both blushed as they remembered they were having their heart-to-heart in the middle of the school courtyard. Sunset stood up and yelled back at the perpetrator, who ran off laughing with a twin-tailed girl in tow behind her. "Get outta here, Dash! You have your own girlfriend to mess around with!" She sighed and sheepishly rubbed the back of her head as turned towards Sonata, who had stood up as well and was stretching casually. "So... that killed the mood. Would... would you like me to walk you ho-" Sunset paused, then blanched as a horrible thought occurred to her. "Um... Sonata... do you... even have anywhere to live right now?
Sonata nodded. "Oh, yeah! I live with Aria."
Sunset blinked. "Really?" She internally face-palmed her lack of tact. "I mean, where does Aria live?"
"She just got an apartment in the city. She had a bunch of money saved up - I think she said something about being prepared for when Adagio's plan ineb- ine... inev..."
"'Inevitably'?"
"Yeah, that's it! For when Adagio's plan 'inevitably' fails!"
Sunset stared off into space. "Huh..." Does... That mean that Aria was never on Adagio's side in the first place? ... Well, either way she certainly wasn't on ours. "Well, we aren't going to reach the place by standing here. Lead the way."
A couple minutes later, as the couple was walking down the street with the sun slowly descending upon the horizon, Sunset considered the sight briefly and hummed thoughtfully. "Hey, Sonata, I have an idea."
Sonata glanced towards her. "What might that be?" Sonata followed Sunset's gaze to the setting sun, then smiled. "Oh. That's a good idea, it'll be very pretty."
Sunset returned the smile with a grin of her own. "Yeah. If we hurry, we might be able to catch a bus and get there in time."
Sonata tilted her head. "Why not just call that DJ friend of yours? She has a pretty cool car and might be willing to drive."
"Because her car doubles as a pretty powerful sound system, and I don't want to know what ideas she might get while we're there."
Sunset and Sonata disembarked from the public bus at a stop right before the beach, elated to see that the sun had only just begun to touch the water on the horizon. Sunset glanced at her date. "So, Sonata, I'll let you do the honors of picking where you'd like us to sit."
Sonata sheepishly kicked at the dirt. "Actually... Do you mind if we head out to the water? I kind of... miss the ocean..."
Sunset looked down at her suit, eyeing the white pants... Then noted the various stains of frosting and punch that were already on it, and glanced back up at Sonata with a warm smile. "Sure thing, Sonata." As she watched the former Siren frolicking in the water, Sunset couldn't help an uncomfortable feeling that rose from the sentiment, and sighed before speaking solemnly. "Sonata, I'm... sorry about what happened. Is there no way for you to return to the way you were before?"
Sonata paused, glanced at Sunset, then shook her head. "No, not that I know of... you can't exactly become a Siren; Ari, 'Dagi and I were the only ones as far as I know, and I don't even know where we came from, we were just... there. Besides, we fed off of negativity and spread it everywhere as part of who we were... I don't think I want to go back to that."
Sunset grabbed Sonata's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Well, either way, I'll be here for you, 'Nata." The former Siren flashed a happy smile at Sunset, who raised her other arm to point towards the ocean. "Watch; here it comes." The couple gazed on the sun as it descended on the horizon, already halfway below the ocean line. The sky was painted a golden-orange by the fading light, while the reflection on the water rippled like liquid fire. Sonata sighed dreamily, leaning over and resting her head on Sunset's shoulder. Finally, just as the last edge of the sun began to fade, they saw it: a small flame of green, it's reflection in the water shimmering like magic. As she watch this, Sunset's eyes also flashed a bright green briefly, before fading back to their usual sea-green color as the sun disappeared entirely over the horizon.
Sonata hummed happily. "That was beautiful..."
Sunset looked down at the girl leaning against her. "Not quite as beautiful as you, though."
Sonata turned her head up towards Sunset, her smile morphing into a smirk. "Oh yeah? Well it's not even close to you!" She rotated her body and pulled Sunset into a warm hug. "In fact, why would I ever need to watch that boring light in the sky when I can see this Sunset whenever I want?" Sonata punctuated her statement with a tight squeeze. Sunset laughed and returned the hug, enjoying the warmth that coursed through her body from the contact. She and Sonata locked eyes, before closing them and leaning in, their lips meeting for a kiss once more. That same feeling of fire and lightning spread through them once more, and the two felt themselves becoming lost in the feeling of each other...
Just like before, their embrace felt like it lasted an eternity, but still seemed all too short when it ended. Sunset smiled at the girl she still held in her arms, her heart soaring from the plethora of emotions she was experiencing in the moment. She backed away and held out her hand to the other girl. "C'mon, Sonata. Let's go home."
Giggling once more, Sonata took Sunset's hand. "With pleasure."
