What if...? JALGFY AU

Shore Married Juniper?

What if Shore married Juniper? How would Orange react?

Orange would be lying if she said that it didn't kill her a little inside. Watching Shore fall in love with someone like Juniper... It was rough. It was very very rough to watch the dragon you've been crushing on for years fall in love with somebody else. 

But Shore wasn't just some crush. He was her best friend. Hell, his whole family were her friends. She hung out with Rin plenty, and Ander, when she wasn't off dancing with mongoose or whatever she did in her free time. Even Joy loved having Orange around. But Shore just saw her as a friend, nothing more, so there was nothing for her to do.

And it hurt. It hurt a lot, watching his relationship with Juniper grow over the years. What was worse was that she was Shore's best friend. She was the first dragon he ran to when something exciting happened. Like when Juniper had kissed him for the first time. Like when he had realized that he loved her. Like when-

Orange shook her head. She had to stop thinking about it. It had taken all of her effort not to burst into tears every time he got excited about something related to HER. She had failed one time. Shore had spun her around the forest, unable to contain his excitement one day, and he yelled for all the forest to hear that he had told Juniper he loved her, and she had said it back. 

He had been so happy... Orange couldn't handle it. She had run away and ended up, of all places, with Rin and Ander. They knew she loved him too. Of course they knew. It was obvious to everyone but Shore, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Rin had hugged her while she cried, trying to tell her that it would be okay, that Shore was a moron and she could do so much better. Ander had simply paced back and forth mumbling "This isn't right, it isn't supposed to go this way." 

"If it would make you feel any better," Rin suggested. "I could pretend to be your girlfriend and we can make Shore super jealous." Orange wiped at her eyes and shook her head.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I don't think that would work," She said. "He'd have to be even remotely interested to be jealous."

"I suspect he is more interested than you know," Ander insisted.

"No he's not, he's dating Juniper!"

"Ah, yes, but THAT is because my brother has the brain of a freshly ground turkey." 

"She's got that right," Rin agreed. Orange half smiled. 

"Thanks guys," She sighed. 

She knew she should just move on from Shore, but how could she? He was... He was everything. He was kind and funny and and- AND JUNIPER DIDN'T DESERVE HIM! Rin and Ander agreed wholeheartedly with her, but there was no convincing Shore. He was too far gone.

And then came the day when Shore and Juniper got married. Orange had politely refused to attend. Ander had done the same, although she had been much more...vocal about it. A banshee shriek had definitely been used. 

Shore had been sad. Of course he had been devastated. It was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, and his sister and his best friend didn't want to be there? Who did that?

"But why?" Shore had asked, looking so crushed that Orange had had to look away.

"Because I can't." Orange said firmly, her voice starting to waver around the edges. She needed to end this conversation quickly, before she broke down. 

"Why can't you? Is the day not good? I can change it, I-"

"I just can't, Shore, okay!"

"No, not okay!" Shore stared at her, confused. "I'm getting married, and I want my best friend to be there! What's so bad about that? What about that can't you do-"