//------------------------------// // Samskeyti // Story: Egghead Tales // by RazedRainbow //------------------------------// ‘Bye...’ How many times have I said that phrase? It has to number in the thousands, if not the millions. It is a stock phrase I used to say to Princess Celestia each time I finished an after-class tutoring session. It is a simple statement I’ll quickly utter over my shoulder to Spike before I leave to go to the store. I always say it to Pinkie Pie at the end of every party. I always say it to Fluttershy after we’ve spent the entire day hunting for a missing bunny. I’ll always say it to Applejack after helping her with yet another harvest of apples at Sweet Apple Acres. I’ll even say it to Rarity after one of our spa dates. I said it to my parents after I had gotten accepted to Celestia’s School of the Magical Arts, and I say it to them at the end of every visit. I’ve said it an innumerable amount of times to an innumerable quantity of faces: Enunciating it should be a breeze, but the word just keeps getting caught up in my throat. The syllables burn and the letters choke. ‘Bye...’          It is a feathery word          It is crushing my diaphragm.          I knew that this moment was coming, but that doesn't  make it any easier to swallow. It’s a well-known fact that nopony can stand ground against the eternal, relentless waves of time forever: Not even the fastest pegasus in Equestria. The forces of time and gravity are laws that even Princess Celestia cannot repeal, and the sands of the infernal hourglass are constantly falling, grain-by-grain, slowly inching towards an unavoidable denouement. Every book has a last page, every cake has a final piece and every rainbow has an end.          Samskeyti...          Joints...          Attachment...         I have grown too attached to her: I have grown to expect too much. Rainbow Dash is not the type of pony to slow down for anything. No matter how much I long for it to be so, Rainbow will never, under any circumstances, surrender to the simple life. She lives on the edge—she is the edge—and no amount of pleading from a silly little bookworm like me could make her bat an eyelash; let alone slow her down. No amount of embraces will confine a brash mare like her to a four-walled room. Rainbow, like her namesake, needs the open sky: She needs freedom.          And I need her.          I—                   “What’cha writing there, Twilight?” Purple hooves immediately covered the scrawled ramblings. “Nothing, Rainbow. Just some notes on an experiment.” As always, Rainbow raised an eyebrow; Twilight had always been a terrible liar, and it was evident that she was lying at the moment, but it was also clear that Twilight was uncomfortable. A year or two ago, Rainbow would have persistently pressured the unicorn into spilling her guts, or just stolen the scroll when she wasn’t looking. However, relationships have a way of swaying even the most unswayable of mares, and Rainbow decided to let Twilight keep whatever she had written down a secret. ‘Although I may sneak a peek when I get back...Just in case.’ “Alright... Well, I’ve gotta go, Twi. Mayor wants a big storm, but I should be back in a few hours.” The two mares shared a quick hug, and Rainbow began to head out the door. “Be careful, Rainbow.” “I’ll be fine... It’s just a storm. I can form those babies in my sleep The pegasus took to the skies and flew towards the center of town. Rainbow looked over her shoulder at the forlorn unicorn standing on the doorstep of the old tree. “Bye, Twi. See ya in a bit.” “Bye!” Once the pegasus was out of sight, Twilight shuffled back into the library. She sat down at the desk and stared the various papers that were still lying upon it: Various articles, graphs and books—all related to one subject. The Dangers of Weather Control... Equestrian Weather Service: Casualties and Fatalities... A Guide to Work-Related Injuries... How to Take Care of an Injured Loved One... Overcoming Loss.. Her eyes shifted to the window and then back to the desk; settling on the journal she had been writing earlier. She grabbed a quill and began to write once more.          ‘Bye...’ There’s such a finality to that word. I try to hide my fears, but they are there: They are evident. I just pray that they never come true. A/N: Samskeyti is the alternative name for this song. This was the song I listened to while writing this piece and thought it was a fitting title.