Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.

What Love Creates

By Lola Presents

Chapter 3

Not long after Lincoln and Lola said goodnight, the latter settled into her bed. Her twin, Lana, joined her a moment later. Yawning deeply, Lola closed her eyes and tried drifting off to sleep, but something was nagging her. Suddenly, her eyes shot open.

"Oh, yeah," Lola declared. "Happy birthday, Lana," she told her twin. "I'm sorry I messed up our special day."

"Oh, that's alright," replied Lana. "It wasn't your fault. I mean, you couldn't help falling in love. Besides, we're getting a bit old for elaborate birthday parties, don't you think?"

Lana wasn't entirely wrong. However, it had become a tradition to celebrate together, but things got in the way this year.

"I don't know," Lola countered, trying to get comfortable. "I think it's fun. Speaking of fun, when is your date with Clyde?"

Lana sighed.

"Tomorrow," she informed Lola. "He's going to pick me up around noon. I don't know where we're going or what we're doing, though."

"Mm," murmured the princess. "That must be nice, seeing the one you love and going out whenever."

"Ha, ha!" laughed Lana. "Who said I was in love? It's a date, that's all. Dates are what you do to find out if you're compatible. Yeah, he's cute and sweet," Lana added, "but I don't know yet."

"I see," yawned Lola. "Well, good night, and good luck tomorrow."

"You too, sis," sighed Lana.

The young princess lay between her accouterments, desperately trying to find the position most conducive to sleep. After thrashing about for a while, she finally settled on her side with her hands under her pillow. Her twin had already succumbed and was snoring loudly.

Lola's thoughts returned to recent events and replayed them repeatedly. She was looking for a glimmer of solace that told her she hadn't made the worst possible mistakes.

None were forthcoming, however. Lola had fallen in love with her brother, something no person should ever do. At least, that's what people told her. Then, she got intimate with him. Of course, both of them had a hand in that.

Still, she could've turned her back on the whole thing and buried it deep. So, why did she pursue it? Why did she have to cause all this heartache and trouble? The young girl could only think of one reason; because she loved him.

Love was supposed to be beautiful, though. So far, Lola primarily had experienced pain. Heartbreak couldn't be her future also, could it? Hopefully, there were better times ahead. Why did something that seemed so simple have to be so complicated? Lola lay there, pondering her life; before she realized it, she had transitioned to slumber.

Lola was running through a large, open field beset by demonic beasts. The creatures appeared to be furless, and their skin a crimson red. Snarling and frothing at the mouth, they chased her relentlessly. She occasionally felt their hot breath on her neck before increasing her gait.

Lola lept over logs and brush, dove between clumps of trees, and jumped over ravines, trying to evade them. Running out of options, at the base of a rocky outcropping, she huddled into a small crevasse, attempting to hide.

Three otherworldly hounds approached her, hunger spilling from their eyes when a flash of silver descended upon them.

Three heads rolled to the side, decapitated in one movement each. Yelps never got the chance to echo in the wood, for their necks got severed too quickly. Lola looked up and saw a man with long white hair dressed in armor.

Lola watched in fright and awe as the man dispatched the last of the pack. Then, turning to face Lola, he smiled, resembling her brother, Lincoln. Though, she wouldn't realize this until later. The man approached and held his hand out to her.

"Ma'am?" he spoke softly.

Lola took the offering, and the man helped her up. Then, pulling her close, he engaged her in a passionate kiss. Their union seemed to last forever, but the illusion broke when a sharp, stabbing pain grew in her gut.

Pulling away, she doubled over, holding her belly. Gazing upon it, she realized it had become engorged with something. Beginning to cry in pain, she called out.

"Help me!" she screamed in pain.

Then, just as suddenly as her abdomen had expanded, it burst, spraying the man with blood. Then everything went black, and Lola shot up in bed, panting heavily and drenched in sweat.

"What the fuck was that?" she muttered somewhat loudly.

"Ng?" mumbled Lana, also rising. "Are you okay, Lols?"

Lola didn't respond. Instead, she rolled onto the side of her bed, clutching herself.

"Something doesn't feel right," she finally admitted. "I think I'm sick."

Lana watched with interest as her twin bolted out of their room. Soon after, the sound of retching sounded down the hall.

"Yup," observed Lana. "She's sick. Lucky."

Yawning, the girl closed her eyes in envy and went back to sleep.

Morning came, and Lana awoke to sunlight warming her face. Yawning and stretching, she crawled out of bed and looked at her clock. It read ten in the morning.

"Oh, crap," she declared. "I haven't much time!"

Dashing to the restroom for a quick shower, she failed to notice that Lola was absent from her bed. Lana was nervous, though she would never admit it. Today was her first official date, and all Lana could do was think about how she might screw it up.

Lana was going to have to be careful. No burping or farting. And she had to keep herself from getting dirty if that weren't bad enough. Taking a shower was one thing. Staying pristine was another.

Dirt and grime seemed attracted to her. It was inevitable. All the girl had to do was walk from one room to another, and somehow, she would get encased in filth along the way.

Even Lisa had no idea how Lana could get so messy in such a short time.

Eventually, Lana managed to wash away the previous day's muck and stood there, bubbles sliding from her body, watching the brown water disappear. She was clean, but was she beautiful? Lana didn't have much self-esteem in that department.

Had one asked Lana, her answer would have been no. There was only one thing left to do; get Lola to help her prepare. Wrapping herself in towels, she exited the facilities and returned to her room. Much to her surprise, Lola was missing.

"Hm," murmured Lana. "I wonder where she is?"

Discarding the towels for some loose shorts and a tee shirt, she headed downstairs to find her twin. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, a pleasant scent wafted through the air.

"The kitchen!" she declared, then spun and headed off.

After bounding around the corner, through the dining room, and into the kitchen, Lana came to an abrupt halt.

"Lols?" Lana asked of the girl before her. "What are you doing?"

Her twin was wearing one of her jean jumpers and scrubbing the floor with a bucket of water, sponges, and her hair tied up.

"Oh, I'm just doing some cleaning," Lola responded.

"Well, duh! I can see that," spat Lana. "The question is, why? I mean, it's not exactly you."

Lola came to her knees, rinsed the grime from her sponge, and returned to work.

"I don't know," she admitted, shrugging. "I just felt like it."

"Well, at least you're feeling better. I thought you were sick," stated Lola's twin.

"Yeah, I was. For about thirty minutes," explained the princess. "But I felt a lot better after throwing up."

"Hmm," murmured Lana, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "Look, I know you're busy doing whatever, but I have a favor to ask. Clyde will be here in about an hour and thirty minutes, and I want to look my best. Well, not my best, better, you know?"

Lola blinked and looked up at Lana.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I want… can you give me a makeover?" pleaded Lana.

The bucket and sponge, forgotten, Lola's eyes lit up, and she dragged her sister up the stairs.

"What's going on?" asked Lucy, who was settling in to watch Vampires of Melancholia.

"Makeover!" yelled Lola as she ran up the stairs, Lana bouncing oddly behind her.

"Poor kid," the goth thought.

Lana was Lola's maternal twin, and they looked identical. There was no reason for Lana to feel aesthetically inferior to Lola. Nevertheless, she did. It was Lola's interest in beauty pageants that spawned the feelings. At least initially. In her earlier years, Lana tried to copy Lola's efforts but wasn't as talented, in that regard, as her twin.

Giving up, Lana followed a different path, one more suited to her talents. Unfortunately for her, more nature-oriented interests led to increased exposure to the elements, leaving her feeling less beautiful than Lola.

It bothered her for years until she came to terms with it around ten. But every once in a while, it resurfaced. Now that Lana had a reason to look fabulous, those feelings rose with a vengeance.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" inquired Lola before beginning her assault. "Once I start, I won't stop until you're perfect!"

Lana nodded, though her face reflected the nerves within.

"Alright then," Lola announced. "Here we go!"

After nearly an hour of being subjected to bases, powders, false eyelashes, blush, and much wrestling with her hair, the cloud faded, and Lola looked over her handiwork.

"Hm. Not bad, if I do say so myself," the princess said. "But Lincoln could've done better. I wish he were here for this. He has a knack for reading what one needs."

Spinning the chair, Lola put Lana into a position to review.

"What do you think?" she inquired expectantly.

"Lola!" admired Lana. "This is amazing. Thank you so..."

However, Lana's words got cut short by the sounds of honking outside.

"Oh, my god," declared Lana. "He's early! Go, stall him while I get dressed."

"Very well, but use something from my side of the closet, not yours," instructed Lana's twin.

"Oh, right," Lana answered, dashing for the closet.

Lola rushed to the front door, opened it, and held up one finger.

"She'll be along in a moment, Clyde!" Lola yelled. "Stay there!"

After the young man in the car nodded, Lola closed the door.

"There, that should do it," she said as she sat between Lucy and Lily, the latter of which had only just arrived and begun arguing over the remote.

Lily was intent on watching Dream Boat, and Lucy complained.

As the two girls fumbled over the remote, hovering over her lap, Lola saw her chance and snatched it out of the air.

"Alright, you two," Lola announced authoritatively. "Since you can't decide, I will. I am thinking of a number between one and ten. Whoever guesses closest gets to choose," came Lola's instructions. "Go."

"Five!" yelled Lucy instantly.

"Six!" Lily added.

"Ernt! Wrong," chirped Lola, making a sound effect with her voice. "It was L. You both lose," she said. "Which means that I get to choose."

"What?!" exclaimed Lily. "That's not fair! L isn't even a number!"

It was too late, however. Lola held the remote and commanded the channels. Eventually, finding what she was looking for, groans came from both sides as Teens in Tiaras came on.

"Oh, come on!" complained Lily. "Seriously?"

"Forget it, Lily," Lucy said. "At least it isn't sports."

Sighing, the two girls joined Lola in her program as Lana came down the stairs, dressed to the nines.

"Whoa! Lana?" Lily exclaimed. "Is that you?"

Lana nodded curtly.

"Yup! I'm on my way out with Clyde now. Wish me luck!" she said.

"Good luck!" everybody wished together.

Then, Lana disappeared from view.

Clyde sat in his car, listening to the radio and reading the latest edition of Ace Savvy, when somebody entered the passenger side door. He glanced over to see the embodiment of pink.

"Oh, hey, Lola," he said. "Where's Lana? I thought she'd be out soon."

"What?!" exclaimed the girl beside him. "I AM LANA!"

Think quick, McBride! What would Ace say at a time like this? Oh, yeah!

"Ah, I thought you looked more beautiful than usual," he said suavely.

"Oh, nice recovery, McBride," grinned Lana. "Shall we? Where are we going anyway?"

"Well, I had two options planned," he explained. "I thought we'd either go to the park or the museum. But you're too well dressed for the park, so it's off to the museum."

Lana considered her choice of clothing, which was too expensive and complicated to clean for the park.

"Alright," she agreed. "Sounds interesting."

Lana wasn't particularly interested in the museum at all. But it didn't matter as long as she shared it with Clyde. All that was on her mind was having fun with somebody she liked. Maybe sparks would fly, and perhaps not. It wouldn't stop her from trying, though.

The young man had been prominent in Lana's mind since he rescued her from the tree in their front yard years ago. He was sweet, caring, and had a kind heart. She also remembered how dedicated he seemed to Lori at the time and figured that if he were that focused on her, things would turn out fine.

As the pair drove away, Lola, Lucy, and Lily stared through the living room window.

"Awe," exclaimed Lily. "There she goes, miss filthy, on her first date."

"Sigh," said Lucy. "That makes two younger sisters luckier than I am."

Lola and Lily couldn't help but chuckle, then the three of them returned to their program.

As the program went on, several girls underwent interviews at their vanities. Some spoke of appreciation for their stylists, which sent Lola on a dizzying headspin down memory lane.

Lincoln had been the most fantastic stylist, attendant, and companion. Her pulse began to rise, and she felt bothered just thinking about him.

Soon, it was Lola on the screen, Lincoln standing behind her, teasing her hair just right. His hands were caressing her locks with delicacy and care.

A broad smile formed upon her face as she lost herself in the illusion. Eventually, the young man on-screen stepped aside, and her vision reflected this with the removal of Lincoln.

Lola wasn't sure when it began, but her breaths had become light and raspy once more, followed by the return of the tingling sensation in her extremities. Leaping from the couch, she turned off the television.

"Hey!" Lucy and Lily chimed in together. "We were watching that!"

"Sorry, guys," apologized Lola as she stood there, pacing and shaking her hands. "It's another panic attack. I need a distraction!"

Lucy stood, pulled her poetry book from her pocket, and began reading.

"A darkness descends, a view to forever. I reach forth my hand in a vain endeavor. I hear the beating, and the pulse resounds. Yet elusive, you remain in these cursed bounds."

"No, no, no!" Lola exclaimed. "That's just making it worse!"

The numbness, having consumed her legs and arms, forced Lola to sit, leaning against the television. The static on the screen attracted her hair and gave the impression that it was sucking her in.

Lily hysterically laughed as she pointed at Lola.

"Ha, ha! You look like you're getting sucked into a black hole, Lola!" she pointed out.

"Heh, yeah. It kind of does," agreed Lucy.

Lola blinked, then started laughing too.

"Well, that's what it feels like," she explained.

Lily went to her knees before her sister.

"Listen, you don't have to keep doing this to yourself, you know," she said thoughtfully. "Lucy and I are here for you. If you need to talk, then talk. We'll listen. You'll see him again, I promise. He loves you too much to give in."

"Yeah," sighed Lola as she focused on her breathing and began to relax and normalize. "I miss him terribly, though. "Sometimes I fear that if he stays away too long, he'll move on and..."

Lola's stopped talking abruptly, clutching her belly.

"Excuse me; I have to throw up again," the stressed girl said before dashing upstairs to the restroom.

Lucy and Lily stood there, looking at each other, as Lola made her way upstairs.

"Throw up?" pondered Lucy.

"Yeah," nodded Lily.

"And get this, she was scrubbing the kitchen floor earlier, too."

"Uh oh..." murmured Lucy. "You don't think..."