//------------------------------// // Said the Sea to the Night // Story: The Alley Outside of 7/11: An Anthology // by The Red Parade //------------------------------// “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Lightning Dust sighed as she breathed in the salty sea air from the ocean in front of her. An endless expanse of greenery surrounded her and a few stray leaves passed her by, lost like stars to the night sky. “I’ve missed this, you know.” She glanced up at the moon and wondered if Luna was watching her tonight. Lightning shivered and tightened the scarf around her neck. A small black jar sat in front of her, resting gently against the grass.  Her teeth chattered against the frigid cold of the night as a breeze from the sea passed through the hill. “Well, here we are.”  She rubbed her eyes and felt a heavy weight against her wings, exhausted from the weeklong journey. Her eyes fell to the jar at her side again and she frowned, touching it gingerly. “You alright, mom?” came a quiet voice from her right.  Lightning’s ear twitched and she tried to smile. “Y-yeah, fine, champ. Don’t sweat it.” Star Dust shifted on her hooves uneasily. “Are you cold at all?” She started to unzip her flight jacket, the patches and insignias just black shapes in the dark. “Here, take my jacket--” Lightning waved her off. “No, no. It’s fine. I’m fine.” “... okay,” replied Star Dust in a voice no larger than the grains of sand underneath her hooves.  Lightning took another shaky breath and picked up the jar in her hooves. “Alright, here we go.” Her voice cracked like a glass window. “So, uh… I miss you. I miss you a lot, more than I could ever say. You… you were always there for me. Pulled me up when I was feeling down. Reeled me back in when I lost myself. You were my anchor, my spotter, my biggest fan… and above all my friend. I…” she swiped at her eyes absently. “I’m honored you chose me as your wife.” The tears fell freely from her face and she didn’t try to stop them. Her daughter hugged her tightly with a wing and cleared her throat. “Hey, mom. I hope you can hear us. We’re… we’re doing alright, I guess. Could be better if you were here with us.” Star Dust’s voice wavered like a leaf in the spring wind. “But… yeah. You always were there for me. I’m sorry for all the times I fought with you, for all the times I pissed you off. You loved me and I love you. Always will, mom… always will.” Lightning took in a deep breath and released it in a choked sob. She felt Star Dust grip her tighter and gently guide her down the hill. Lightning felt the sand crunching underneath her hooves and heard as the roar of the waves grew louder and louder. Star Dust took the sky and returned quickly with a small cloud in her hooves. She placed it on the ground and helped Lighting on top. She didn’t fly anymore on account of her missing wing, but at least she still had her cloudwalking abilities. Lightning gripped the jar tight and glanced down over the edge of the cloud at the black rolling waves. Star Dust pushed it forwards, and they flew through the air smoothly and easily. The wind blew through Lightning’s mane as it had so many years ago, when she took to the air for the last time. It brought with it a bittersweet sense of regret, one that she had tried to suppress for years without much success. She didn’t know how Fiddle could see past her mistakes, but against the odds, she had. And she loved her. “Okay, mom,” whispered Star Dust as she landed on the cloud next to her. “It’s… it’s time.” Through blurry eyes, Lightning watched as Star Dust placed the jar underneath her hooves. Gently, Lightning picked it up and carefully undid the lid, not having the strength to look inside. “Fiddle… I hope you knew how much we loved you, and I hope you know how much we miss you.” Star placed her hooves underneath Lightning’s. They gently tipped the jar over and Lightning watched, dull and numb, as the ashes of her wife poured out, taken by the wind and flying over the ocean. Lightning bit her lip as more tears welled in her eyes. She turned to look at Star Dust, seeing her try to stay strong and be brave. But the facade crumbled away when their eyes locked, and her daughter seized her tightly and sobbed into her coat. Lightning hugged her back and cried as well. The waves crashed below them as the moon watched over them, a silent bastion in the night. The stars twinkled above them and carried with them a song, one of loss and one of love. And the waters below answered with a song of their own. And through it all, and through it all, we’ll find another way, said the night to the sea. Well tonight, well tonight, we’ll live to find another day, said the sea to the night.  Carry on, we’ll carry on, until we meet again. And when time loses count  and the world sees its end, we’ll find a way to love again.