"You know where kisses melt like lemon drops
Way above the chimney tops
Is where you'll find me..."
"So... did you tell them?"
The initial happiness I'd felt upon meeting again began to fade at the question. She didn't turn to look me in the eye, only leaning against me with one of her gentle wings wrapped around my back as we sat in the wagon together. I took a deep breath, enjoying the other mare's soft presence as I rested my head against her shoulder, following her gaze out the windshield of her family wagon. I nuzzled her cheek in silence, while larger-than-life advertisements faded in and out of the large screen beyond the rows of other wagons. We were entertained by flirtatious mares in two-pieces, urging us to 'quench our thirst with Sparkle-Cola', primly dressed Canterlot stallions claiming, 'there's a big delight in every bite of Fancy Buck Snack Cakes', foals munching down on boxes of cereal, while yelling, 'Sugar Apple Bombs are a blast!' with their mouths full, and the rest of the usual poster and billboard ads we'd see along any city, small town, road or business throughout Equestria. I enjoyed these moments with her... Just a quiet night at the drive-in. Just us...
I finally shook my head against her soft blue fur and sighed. "...no." A tiny, sad smile appeared on my muzzle. "Did you?"
She lightly scoffed before pulling me closer with her wing. "No... just told them I was meeting you at the diner for a milkshake or something... with 'friends'." Her wingtips stretched out beside us to make air-quotes before returning them to our embrace. She finally turned her head to look at me, a hint of regret in her eyes as she sighed. "You know we're gonna have to tell them eventually, right?"
I met her gaze, my forehoof brushing her gorgeous arctic mane away from her face as I shared my own trepidation with her. "...what if they forbid it? We... we'd never be able to see each other again."
She shook her head, her eyes clenching tight at the thought, before suddenly throwing her forelegs around me, and hugged me as if it'd be our last embrace. "That's not gonna happen, Honey Silk!" She sniffled.
I shuddered as I hugged her back, tightly, feeling my heart ache right alongside hers at the possibility. "I-I don't know... I'm just... I'm scared, Crystal. My parents, they... they don't-... N-not to mention the law against-..."
My blubbering was suddenly cut short by the feeling of her hoof against my lips. I blinked as she rested her forehead against mine, allowing me full view of those beautiful ice-blue eyes of hers. "Doesn't matter..." She said, soft yet determined as she dried her eyes with a wingtip. "You're the only pony in this whole world I wanna be with, Silky." Her smile began to grow with a giggle, "Besides, with the war and everything going on, I guess our parents won't be too focused on what we're doing together anyway, right? For all they know, we're just a couple of best friends hanging out at the-... eep!"
I had to keep myself from smiling at the sound of her surprised squeak, as I suddenly pressed my lips to hers and kissed her. She had me at 'only pony in this whole world'. I pulled her close like she did with me, only I had to use my earth pony hooves to hug her waist instead of wings. I could feel the spur of our heartbeats flutter in chorus through our chests, as her wings flared against the seat behind her. It only took a moment for her initial shock to fade, before she melted into the lip-lock herself, gently resting a hoof on my chest as the other hooked behind my head.
I wasn't sure how long we kissed. With the little time we've had alone, ever since we became more... 'intimate' friends, it was never very often. Which made every moment of the kiss that much more special.
Our lips were soft and tender, yet the kiss itself was electrifying, our chorus of soft sighs telling me that she was just as breathless as I was. Finally, after what felt like an eternity that could never last as long as we'd like, the kiss broke, leaving both of us out of breath as we held each other in our hooves. My cheeks burned as I panted, eventually giving her a goofy smile while lovingly clutching her hoof to my chest "I lov-..."
I was never able to finish those three small, yet very important words, before the the sound of 'Funky Fanfare' suddenly blasted through the speakers set up in our wagon. "Oh! Looks like the movie's starting!" Crystal said as she excitingly turned towards the screen, clapping her hooves together.
I blinked in surprise, partly from how quick she was able to recover from the kiss... -oh, GOSH that kiss~... and partly due to the light smack aside my head, delivered from her very... very stiff wing when she turned. Ooooh, she's gonna have to do better than that to hide that blissful flutter in her breath.
"Oh!" I gasped as I slapped my face with a forehoof. "I forgot to buy snacks! I was gonna get some popcorn for us to share. I could probably still make it before I miss anything." I said as I opened the door. "Do you want a Sparkle-Cola or something?"
"Thanks, but... I think I'm good." She said, before turning to me with a blush. "Your uh... your tongue was pretty wet, so..."
That admission could have turned my pink coat crimson, and I would have been completely helpless to hide it. Regardless of the shade of red I had turned however, I made sure to give her one last loving smile before I stepped out into the crisp evening air and closed the wagon door behind me. I was about to turn towards the concession stand when I was remined of what had made us so upset earlier. 'Clearsky Family Delivery Company' was boldly printed across the door to her skywagon. I stared at it for a moment, before turning away with a sigh. It wasn't that I didn't like her family, or that her family disliked me... or even my family and her for that matter... They were good ponies. Good ponies who... would never approve of Crystal and I.
Crystal may think she has a plan, but... I don't think we'll ever be able to confess about our love, if we want to stay together...
I was able to snap myself out of my gloomy thoughts long enough to look up at a poster next to the double doors of the concession stand. I was thankful at first, anything to help me get my mind off of our problem. That was until I realized what poster I was actually looking at.
It was a cheerful picture of a typical Equestrian family, a mare, a stallion, and a couple of foals... only this family wasn't out enjoying the sunshine and rainbows of the Equestria I grew up in, rather smiling with blissful ignorance in an underground facility, while balefire bombs exploded in the background above them. 'It's never too late!' A rather plain looking stallion with a blond wavy mane seemed to reassure me, grinning as if he were actually enjoying the destructive mushroom clouds looming behind him. 'Stable-Tec is here for you. Reserve your spot today, and prepare for the future!' And yet, another poster hung on the opposite side, though I was skeptical to it being propaganda as much as it was a movie poster for some slasher flick. It was the silhouette of a zebra with glowing eyes, grinning like a psychopath as a town burned to the ground behind him. 'Your home is next' was printed in monster-green font above him. 'Keep alert. Protect your families'.
Both posters were yet another reminder of the world we lived in. Everypony was scared out of their gourds at the possibility of another zebra attack. I was only a foal when the attack on Littlehorn happened. It seemed like so long ago, yet the shock, sadness and fear on everypony's faces when it happened, still played as fresh as the newsreels in my mind. But, that was the beginning of the war. Now... with balefire bombs and megaspells... It was enough for my dad to take us to Sweet Apple Acers to sign our whole family up at our local Stable in Ponyville. Stable 2, I think is the number... Not that we'd ever think we'd have to use it. At least, everypony but dad... He's always been a little more worried about it than the rest of us. And sure, we were worried, but... It's better not to think about it... like I was doing right now.
"C'mon Honey Silk, snap out of it..." I growled to myself as I tried shaking the thought out of my head. "It's ridiculous to think it'd ever happen. Nopony... o-or zebra, is that crazy, right?" I feebly reassured myself before finally trotting passed the posters toward the door.
I hardly noticed the other pony behind me, no doubt buying some last-minute snacks as well, as he too approached the door. I was a polite pony, so I thought I'd hold the door open for him since I'd gotten there first, but when my hoof touched the door-handle...
"Ow!" I yelped as the strange... cloaked... pony, slammed his forehoof on top of mine as if trying to open the door for himself. Whatever was under his hoof was rather... pointy, pricking me enough to draw a drop of blood from my hoof, as the door flung open in front of us. He trotted inside without hesitation, before disappearing behind the next corner. I get that it was probably an accident, but he didn't even apologize! "Jerk..." I hissed under my breath as I stopped to rub my forehoof with the other. It almost felt as if a... bee stung me.
I was so busy trying to rub and -occasionally shake- the pain out of my hoof, that I hardly noticed a curious sound building from outside. I paused as the sound resonated, perking my ears to listen. It sounded like some kind of siren, beginning to wail, slowly cranking up to a shriek, before falling off and rising again. I shrugged it off at first, thinking it was coming from the movie. Which means, you better hurry before you miss anything good, Silk!
I stood back up, about to trot over to the popcorn machine, when... "W-woah..." My hooves suddenly wobbled under my weight. I didn't quite fall, but my legs stumbled as everything started to spin around me. I started to feel... dizzy. I quickly shook my head to try and clear my daze, but that almost made me want to vomit.
Oh no... the only time Crystal and I can spend time together, and I get sick!? Maybe I'm... just a little tired. But, why did I feel tired!? N-no! I... I wanted to be with Crystal tonight, and-...
The siren outside began to grow louder, while my thoughts began to grow hazier. I felt a migraine coming on as I tried to massage my temples with my hooves. That... that's not from the movie. That's coming from Ponyville! It sounded like the town fire-whistle. But... how could I hear it from all the way out of town? Is... is there a fire?
O-oh no! My parents!
I stood back up, and bolted back out the door into the drive-in lot as quick as I could. I don't care how dizzy I felt, or how many times I nearly fell on my face.
That's when everything began to happen at an accelerating, confusing pace...
The siren became even louder, blaring from every direction now, not just from Ponyville. It was so loud, it felt as if all of reality were on high alert for an incoming attack! Like a... like an air raid, or a...
Or a...
The sky suddenly started to get brighter. The... sun was rising? No... that's not right. It couldn't have been the sun, it was night! And the sun does NOT rise in the west! No, it wasn't the sun... but fire. Poisonous green fire on the horizon! I could hardly hear it through the ear-splitting alarm, but the slightest sound of what I could only describe as thunder reached my ears, rumbling the ground below me like a tiny tremor. I was so paralyzed, that I couldn't even fathom the slightest possibility of what was happening. The ponies around me from the other wagons began to panic, some diving away as quick as they could, while a few pegasi pulled skywagons into the clouds above. Others simply galloped away and ran for their lives. But from what!? It was something bad, wasn't it?! Was it the zebras? Were they attacking? Burning down some helpless village!?
I was forgetting something... something important... Oh, GODDESSES! My head is killing me! What... what's happening?! I wish... I wish I had Crystal here to...
My eyes widened. "CRYSTAL!!!"
The sky suddenly lit up, as if Celestia herself had ripped the sun from the horizon. No... It was faster than that. Like turning on a giant lightbulb, going from a pleasant evening to a nightmarish noon with the flip of switch. That was only seconds before I heard the blast that had caused it. It shook me, knocking me to the ground as my entire reality violently jolted. What used to be a small tremor, became an earthquake. The air became warm... hot even, like somepony had just thrown me inside an oven. It wasn't just fire... these were... these were balefire bombs!!! Oh goddesses, this can't be happening!!!
"C-Crystal!" I screamed for her again, trying to ignore the intense heat as I forced my hooves to move, rushing over to the Clearsky skywagon before reaching for the door handle. "Crystal! Crys- YOW!!!" I shrieked in pain as the searing hot metal burned my hoof. My lip quivered from the pain, but more so from panic as I began banging on the window with my forehooves. "Crystal! Crystal! We-... We've gotta go! It-... Oh, goddesses, it burns!" The glass almost felt as if it were molten as I continued my painful assault on her wagon, desperately trying to get to the mare I loved. "Crystal! Please!!!"
"...Honey Silk!"
I gasped, hearing her voice from outside the wagon. I quickly turned, spinning in place as I looked for her. "Crystal!?" My coat was beginning to feel as if it were on fire. But I didn't care... I had to find her!
"Honey Silk! Where are you!? Honey Silk..!"
Her voice was growing distant. I began to cry, but my tears could only turn to vapor. "Crystal! I'm here, Crystal! I'm... I'm here!" It was so hot. There was so much fire... and my head. S-something... something was in my head! The world around me began to blur to a nebula of green and orange flames. Eventually, my legs could take no more as I collapsed on top of the burning asphalt. I shuddered, trying to crawl towards her voice, but I had no idea what direction was which anymore. "Crys-... Crysta-..." My voice struggled, no longer finding the strength to yell anymore as I continued to hear the mare's desperate cries for me, simply fading into the chaos until her voice was unrecognizable to me. I could only try calling out one last time... one last time to finally tell her. "Crystal... I... I l-love... y-y..."
The world finally fell silent. No longer burning... but cold. So... very... cold...
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!" I shrieked as my head shot up from my pillow. My heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was going to burst through my chest. Oh goddesses... that was the worst nightmare I've ever had! I gasped for breath, my eyes blinking both sleep and tears away, as I wiped a string of drool from my mouth and rolled onto my back.
It just felt so real! I made sure to check I still had all four hooves and legs, one tail, one head, two eyes and ears. My mane and tail? Still a creamy white and orange. No burns either. Yeah... it was just a dream. Thank Celestia...
I was just about to catch my breath, when a curious sound made my ears flicker. They perked, letting me catch a cheerful, charismatic stallion's voice over soothing background music, playing from a nearby speaker. "Good morning, everypony~" He said, his voice warped by the tinny sound of a radio. "Looks like we're instore for another beautiful and serene day in paradise..."
I gave gloomy sigh as I did my best to get out of bed... but, just couldn't bring myself to do it this time. It's been years since it happened... but, I still dreamt about it. This was the first time in... I don't even know how long since the last nightmare. All the different ways... all the terrible ways that it could have happened. Thankfully, I didn't get as many these days, but that just means the ones I do get are that much more terrifyingly unpredictable. B-but... but, this time... I'd dreamt of her...
"Oh, Crystal..." My voice shuddered as the memory of her returned, and I felt the tension in my chest finally snap. I quietly began to sob as I slammed by face into my forehooves.
I never got to say goodbye...
"Honey Silk!" The familiar voice of my shift supervisor came through my door from the hallway. "You up, yet!? Don't want to miss your shift in Maintenance today! We wouldn't want the Overmare to go back on her word for tonight's performance! Drinks are on the stable!"
I struggled to keep my crying from being heard as I wiped my nose with a sniffle. "Yeah... I-I'm up! Heh... wouldn't miss that for the world!" I yelled back, faking the enthusiasm for tonight as much as I could. "Just give me a minute!"
I quietly resumed my sobs after I was sure I heard him trot away... though I kept them under control this time. I certainly didn't need anypony hearing me cry like a filly...
My gaze had slowly shifted to the nightstand next to my bed, and the drawer where I kept a few of the things I felt I didn't really need after the bombs fell that day. Things that I-... I slowly began to forget about.
W-why was I forgetting!? I... I couldn't remember...
I hesitantly opened the drawer with a hoof, and pulled out a dusty picture frame. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I blew the dust off to reveal two innocent and happy mares, holding each other in their forehooves with blissful grins across their faces. I... couldn't even remember when the grainy picture was taken, or what we were even doing at the time. But, there was no denying that Crystal and I were the happiest when we were together. And that was something I never wanted to forget... Never! B-but... but there's just something in my head that... i-it's forcing me to forget! I... I feel like I've forgotten so many things! Like my-- [REDACTED]
The stable kept us safe. Everypony had hopes of course, but... We all knew deep down that we're going to be here for the rest of our lives. Even if what I hoped was true, that the pegasi protected her from the fire, and that she's out there somewhere... I knew that I was never going to see her again either way. I've thought about her from time to time, but... like I said, it's been years and most ponies who dwell on the past down here end up going crazy. And she... I knew she wouldn't want me to do that. She'd want me to move on. And, I have... I've actually already met somepony. And... and she's really nice! She would have liked her, I think...
Something screamed in my head to resist the memory... but I fought it. I felt myself reach out and touch my hoof against Crystal's face. I closed my eyes and smiled, letting the tears fall as I imagined her soft wings caressing me in an embrace I haven't had in a long time. "Crystal..." I sniffled again.
I... I wish I could have shared this life with her... It's a good life, I guess, especially given the circumstances, but... the only pony in this whole world I wanna be with isn't here with me.
I sighed, before opening my teary eyes again. "I hope, wherever you are Crystal Clearsky, that you'll be waiting for me when I make it over the rainbow."
I decided to leave the frame standing on my nightstand instead of putting it back in my drawer. I never wanted to forget her... Remembering our time together hurt, like a big hole inside you where you knew something special was supposed to go... Maybe you can never fill it like it was, but it couldn't hurt to have others help you try to live without it. That way... I don't have to forget. I dried my eyes with a hoof and got dressed for my shift, buckling my PipBuck on above my left forehoof.
I couldn't help but give the picture one last look, meeting the mare's beautiful eyes again "I love you." I smiled, heart broken... but happy to remember her once more, before turning towards the door to my room. Finally, after all these years, I was able to finish those three small, yet very important words. As I was trotting out of my room, I could have sworn I heard a voice from the radio that wasn't that of the cheery stallion's.
"...I love you too, Silky..."
I looked back at it, twisting my ears in surprise, only to hear a dull static rolling through its speakers. I shook my head with a sigh. Looks like I'll need to call somepony up from my department to fix my radio again... I wonder why it keeps acting up? I closed the door and trotted down the hall to start another shift... another day in the stable, while leaving the radio's frequency to send its final gloomy message to an empty room.
"...Over the Rainbow... I'll see you there, Honey Silk... I promise..."