Lovelines

"Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in The Beyond where the love of our lost one pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy," the stallion said.

And the casket lowered. It cranked into the ground.

She pressed closer to the body next to hers, expecting the feeling of the figure she'd spent almost the past two years gripping and loving and touching to be there.

But she found a different body. White coat instead of yellow. Soft, clean, instead of rugged and rough.

She looked up to Jasper.

He looked down to her.

She looked across the way at her betraying anchors staring back.

And then she looked back to the ground.

And her eyes clenched shut.

It cranked and cranked and cranked. She squeezed closer to her little brother.

And again, even closer. But Jasper wasn't there anymore. He was fluffy and where- where was he going? Where did he go?

Crank, crank, crank.

She needed him. She pressed harder, but the fluffy.

The fluffy and the white overtook her.

She opened her eyes, willing those anchors away and all she found was pillow. She rolled right, cracked her eyes open further and found wall. She craned left and found short, two-tone grey mane.

And then she collapsed back into her pillow with a sigh. She rolled to her side, wanting to sink into the wall, and clutched said pillow.

"You alright?" she heard behind her, tension in the voice. There was always tension. There was always an undercurrent. There was always… something.

"Fine."

"Dream?"

"Nightmare."

"About?"

"The funeral," she muttered and Stormee rolled to her back, sad eyes finding the ceiling.

"I had them, too."

"After it?"

"Yeah."

"They've come back recently," Opal muttered and rolled to her back, right hind leg falling against Stormee’s left. Opal tensed instantly.

"Do you know why?" Storm murmured.

"Could probably guess."

"Do you… do you wanna say?"

"It feels like three years ago," Opal sighed, foreleg flopping over her forehead and legs stretching out. She was thankful she felt no ache. She'd had one too many margaritas at yet another stifling dinner last night and when one conversation turned into yet another fight, it could've turned bad, really bad. She was thankful it hadn't. She was thankful they'd once again averted angry sex.

They'd averted sex at all.

"What do you mean?" Stormee whispered, pain and fear lacing her already husky voice.

"It feels like there's still an ocean between us."

"I know."

"You feel it, too?" Opal asked, rolling to her side to look at her.

"Yeah."

The unicorn dragged her eyes over the choppy hair, the terrified eyes and the matured features angling her face into a frown.

"I still love you, you know," Opal whispered and those eyes shot to hers. They knew. Instantly, they knew.

" But you're not in love with me anymore, are you?"

"No." Opal lied. Her voice betrayed nothing.

Stormee gulped and looked away, tears forming on her lids. They fluttered shut and she saw eighteen year old Opal kicking her out of her house. She saw fifteen year old Stormee—herself—not stepping into the other mare and hugging her like she knew she should have. Like she knew Opal needed her to.

It felt exactly like three years ago, but this time she had something.

She had something and yet, it wasn't anything without Opal.

She pulled her eyes back open and lulled her head to the left. She fell upon draining light orange eyes. Granny Smith’s eyes—her heart ripped in two. They drained in more ways than one. They drained out everything: hope, tears, sadness, regret, loss, the weight of the world.

"I love you," Storm whimpered.

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For doing this to us," she wept.

"Why did you? Why did you have to leave me for three years?" Opal whispered, swiping her tears and wishing her heart felt differently. She was in love, but she needed out. She needed out more than anything in her life. She needed happiness and light and rainbows; the stuff Storm used to provide.

"I needed away from you. I needed away from that town." Stormee whispered.

"Was it worth it?"

"No."

Opal nodded with finality, tears dropping from her jaw and drying on her pillow. She wanted to curl into it, grasp its fluff and sleep for years.

"You know, my dream always had you in it. My dream was captured based on feelings built by you. Your dream was about something exclusive of me," she cried. "And now you've found it."

Stormee sobbed silently and nodded.

"Yeah, I did. But I see you in-"

"No buts. I need out. I can't breathe anymore."

"Out?"

"Of this."

"You want to quit?"

"My heart already has," Opal whispered. "I'm sorry."

The pegasus wiped at her face to no avail, her eyes wouldn't stop leaking, and she was no longer the pubescent teenager who thought crying was uncool. Crying was a relief.

"I guess I deserve this."

"What do you mean?"

"For treating you the way I did. I deserve this, to be on this side of it. Life can balance now, right?"

"It's not about that."

"Then Celestia, what's it about?" Stormee sobbed, swiping more. "I keep trying to figure out what it's about and there's nothing. There's nothing out there to tell us what to do, what's right for right now, what's right for the future, what could happen and what should be."

"I know, darling. I know."

"I'm so sorry."

"I know you are. I am, too."

"What do you have to be sorry for? You're still perfect. You're always perfect. I've never known someone so perfect," Stormee wept.

"I should've made us talk. I should've gone back to you after the funeral. I should've understood that you were fifteen and heartbroken about Granny and scared. I should've, I just should've. We failed on talking across the board."

"We're talking now. Maybe we can-"

"I'm done."

"Opal."

"I'm done," she whispered.

"You can't be done."

"You once were. Now I am."

"I came back," Storm cried.

"And then you left before we were fixed. You left before you gave us a chance. You went back to war."

"I…"

"It's okay. Maybe we'll come back to each other yet again. But right now, it's over. It's been over, Storm. The only difference is that I finally have the courage to say it." The unicorn’s voice was dead. Final.

"I can't live without you." Stormee sobbed.

"You did for three years."

It smashed into the pegasus like a steamroller.

She had. And now she'd get to live without her forever.

With that, Stormee rolled into Opal and cried the rest of her tears.

Four Years Later

The Canterlot Castle was a magnificent sight to behold, even to the ponies of Canterlot, who saw it every day from their high-rise windows.

The effect was even grander when one was standing in front of it.

She’d never quite get used to it. Her previous experience had been looking out on it from down below, from Ponyville. The north field back on the farm provided the best site for gazing at the suspended castle in the entire village, and she would sigh at it all day long as she bucked trees with Jasper, while her mind wandered away into the future.

“It’s gorgeous.”

“It is.”

“We should get inside.”

And they do. The guards at the entrance let them by without a second look, clearly having been told to look for them.

Her stomach curls into itself painfully the closer they come to the castle.

Did she make Captain? I thought Jasper said Skylar said that she did… She deserves it. Stormee Dash. The first female Captain of the Royal Guard.

It's not a big deal. Four years was enough to get over her. And, knowing Stormee, she had had no problem securing other conquests of flesh.

Her stomach tightens.

They're in the castle now. She can't breathe.

"Are you alright, love?"

Of course he would notice. He was so attentive.

She slams her eyes to his blue ones, slams a smile onto her features. Does he see it's fake?

"I'm marrying you, Vance. How can I be anything but perfect?"

She pressed closer to him, trying to find comfort in his beaming smile, and then later in his hot, suggestive kiss.

She could do this. Vance McElroy was delicious and marrying her. She could definitely do this.

Who needed Stormee Dash?

She can’t do this.

She glares at the paperwork. Turns to glare at the clock. Then the door.

It had to happen, didn’t it?

Fate, they say. It knows best.

Stormee wanted to feed the fuckers who said those words a mouthful of her spear.

What to do, what to do?

There really was nothing she could do. They’d be here any second. She’d be here any second.

Whatever.

Stormee was never one to run away.

…Except for those two times she ran away like a little bitch and joined the war. But we don’t talk about that.

The knock comes.

She freezes, and then slams her eyes onto a file report.

Look busy. Be professional.

“Come in.” she barks, like the Captain of the Royal Guard should. That’s right. She’s a hardened motherfu—

The door opens.

And there she is. Every time. It never fails.

Stormee is almost rocked back by the sheer force of her beauty. It’s so familiar. Oh, so many memories.

Opal asleep and curled up next to her after their first date, Opal reading to her over Hearts Warming, Opal gazing lovingly into her eyes. Opal making love to her.

That last one. It destroys her in the most beautiful of ways. The tastes, the smells, every word, touch, sigh and pant and whimper and moan and…

She wants to jump out of the fucking window. Into a cold lake.

She wrenches her eyes open and glares over at the window and slams her hind legs together.

This was going to be a complete and utter disaster.

“Captain Dash.”

Hold up. Who the fuck is that?

Oh. Him.

Naturally. The groom. Opal’s getting married.

What was his name again?

“Mr. McElroy.” She remembers at the last second, and then pats herself on the back for not growling the word.

Professional.

Opal McElroy? No. Just, no.

“I just wanted to say, Captain,” McElroy comes forward, gratitude written all over his face. He grasps her hoof and shakes it. “Thank you for protecting our country.”

Suck up.

Her lips tighten into a thin smile. “The safety of my country and the ones I love is thanks enough, Mr. McElroy.” She says calmly.

They are words that were instilled into her on her very first day of Basic.

She means them wholeheartedly.

“Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?” she says, her smile disappearing. She needs these two out of her office.

Mostly Opal. She needs Opal out of her office.

Mostly the temptation.

“Yes,” McElroy says, seemingly all too happy to get down to business. He sits. Opal does too.

“The Guard has been tasked with the security detail of the wedding.” Stormee starts, but pauses at their shocked looks. She raises a brow sharply. “Is that a problem?”

“No, of course not, but…” Opal stammers.

“The wedding is held in the Castle.” Stormee drones, all too happy to cut her off. “By the Princess. Not to mention Mr. McElroy’s politician family, and the presence of all six bearers of the Elements, as well as other esteemed guests. The Guard is very much needed.”

There’s no reply. Then,

“I think it’s a fantastic idea!” McElroy explodes. “Actually, Captain,” he starts, a bit hesitant. He leans forwards. “Could it be arranged that the Guard provide security in other places?”

Stormee’s brow inclines, the exasperated look on Opal’s features not escaping her.

Overprotective, I see. Maybe a bit overbearing too, hmm?

“Myself and a few of my higher-ranking officers can provide security detail at any additional venues before the wedding, as well.” She smirks faintly. “We want you both alive so that your wedding can go off without a hitch.”

Frankly, it’s tiresome. And she hates the fact that she cannot refuse. Horrible case of faux pas for the entire Royal Guard, were she to refuse. The Royal Guard always stepped up to the task asked of them.

“That won’t be necessary, St—Captain.”

Stormee ideally wonders what took the mare so long to jump in. The stumble on her name makes her hold back a grin, and a jealous whine. Her name from Opal’s lips is pure erotic… chocolate. All warm and sweet and… oh, McElroy’s talking again.

“Please, love; I just want everything to be perfect.” McElroy starts, almost pleadingly.

“Why would someone try to hurt us, Vance?”

“It’s always possible. You’re beautiful and I’m not exactly unimportant.”

Opal huffs, slumps back into her chair. McElroy turns a wide smile on Stormee.

“Thank you for understanding, Captain.”

“Of course, of course. I take my job seriously.” She hums, years of being around the Canterlot nobility refining her voice into smooth silk, covering up her previous thoughts of erotic chocolate.

“Very well, then.” McElroy repeats, as he gets up. “I believe we’re done here, Captain?”

It’s almost nauseating how perfect he is.

“Quite, sir. Have a wonderful day.” She chirps back, tearing her eyes away from Opal.

They both get up, and it’s done.

She stares after them, watching Opal’s backside move enticingly with every step. She’s very sure Opal knows she’s staring, too.

Professional.

Right.