She let her eyes wander to the sky, it was still the best night she could remember. She was so happy that night, and all because of something as simple as Savant dying his mane for her. She wondered, why didn’t she see it back then? Was it because he as well looked at her as just a friend? They had after all almost been like brother and sister at one point.
The prom was mere weeks before Savant took his goodbye with her. That day she spent hours alone in her room sulking, feeling lonelier than she had ever done. Seeing him leave was heartbreaking in its own sense, even when he made a promise to return.
*~*~*~*~*
Doodle stood idly, watching as Savant bid goodbye to their classmates. It was the usual between the stallions, lightly striking each other in the shoulders, ending it with a hearty laugh. They all did that to Savant, but he didn’t return their strikes, he never did. He merely flinched and laughed warmly. He would never take his hoofs up and hit somepony else, not even when it was just for pretend.
The mares in their class all embraced him, wishing him well, and a few gave him small gifts for him to hold on to; which he promptly put in his saddle bag. Doodle felt a small tug in her chest seeing him swarmed by them, but she ignored it and waited until he was done with his goodbyes. Finally, he managed to get away from them and came over to her.
She tossed aside her irritation, after all, she didn’t really know where it came from. Seeing him walk towards her with pink still remaining at the tips of his mane made her smile as a warmth grew inside of her. If she didn’t know better she would say she perhaps blushed slightly. Once he came within reach she jumped around his neck and hugged tightly, regardless of her conflicting emotions she knew for certain that she did not want him to leave. If she had the ability she would hold on to him for as long as it took for him to change his mind and stay. But she, as well as him knew that he had little choice.
The cutie mark he gained early in his teens required him to travel to Canterlot to make proper use of it. They all thought it odd that he, as a pegasus, had gained a mark that resembled magic, or even just the study of magic. A brown book adorned with a blue swirl of magic was upon his thigh. So of course he got contacted by Celestia’s school of magic, just so they could figure out what it meant for him. As she understood it, they planned for him to be there at least four years.
She clutched him even harder around the neck, who knew what would happen during those four years? What if he decided to not come back? What if he forgot her? The thoughts that swirled around her head made her choke on a disgusting lump that grew in the back of her throat. She felt tears come unbidden to her again, and as they did she buried her muzzle as deep as she could into the groove of his neck. She didn’t want him to see her like this, and she was sure that he knew. For he didn’t say anything, he simply let her hold grow tighter around him and returned it as well as he could.
He stroked her mane carefully, “Hey, I won’t be gone forever you know, I promise to come back, and it will all be like before.” He reassured.
“I know…” she answered, not believing a single word of it. “I still wish you wouldn’t leave though.”
As if he sensed her insecurity, he lifted her jaw up. “Hey, I promise to come back, if not I’m a liar. Are you saying you think I’m a liar?” He chortled as best as he could.
She struck his shoulder, “No, but you better keep it.” She answered and swiped away a tear rolling down her cheek.
He returned her strike with a half smile, the same half smile he had on their prom night. He dove into his saddle bag and withdrew a locket from it. It was made of pristine silver, the edges made with an orange shaded metal, and on one of the sides it was adorned with gems of red and blue; glimmering beautifully in the early morning sun. He took her hoof and gave it to her.
“Don’t open this before I’ve left, promise?” He said quickly.
Doodle gazed upon the locket, it was far lighter than what she imagined. Then she was struck with a heavy guilt, she had no gift for him. In her stressful days with exams and everything else she had completely forgotten it until now. From the way he looked at her, it seemed like he didn’t expect anything from her.
The flute of the train whistled loudly about the train station, making both Doodle and Savant startle. They froze for a moment as they both turned to each other and locked eyes. In that moment she felt the tips of her ears and her cheeks warm up. Perhaps he did the same, for he broke the gaze and flopped his ears.
“I guess… I have to go now.” He said, his voice hollow and melancholy, filled with a sense of regret.
“Yeah…” she answered, her heart still beating fast.
They turned to each other again, but locked in an embrace. Neither really wanted to let go, for both squeezed tightly. But as the whistle blew again they broke apart. He picked up an additional bag and took a step before he stopped. He smiled slightly and placed a kiss on her left cheek before he waved her goodbye.
The kiss left her in a trance, simply staring out in thin air as he left. Her hoof wandered to her cheek and felt the dampness left there. Only when the train engine gave a roar did she look at it. Seeing the black hoof wave out the window at her, she waved back before her hoof fell to her cheek again.
Once she saw the train vanish in the horizon, her whole body sulked together. Who knew how long it was until they would see each other again. Her hoof turned to the locket he gave her, feeling the contours of it, surprised at the excellent quality. Caring little more for the locket itself, she carefully opened it, finding only a paper, neatly folded in the silvery silk on the inside.
Finding a seat, she made way and sat down, unfolding it. She choked her breath as she realized it was the very same drawing she had given him the first time they met. The paper was in such a good condition that one would think it had been in a frame until now. She felt the lump grow within her throat again, amazed that he had held on to it for so long.
Looking inside the locket again she saw yet another paper, this one was much whiter and looked like it had never been used before. She took a deep breath and regained her composure, folding the drawing back as it was, she put it in the locket again while she withdrew the other paper. Her hoofs were shaking as she unfolded it, having no idea what to expect, for she could not remember any other drawing given to him.
Within there was a message, and as she read it the lump came to her again, but this time she failed to hold it back. She didn’t know why she did it, she only knew it felt good in some sense to release the pressure built up inside of her. It was not a violent release as it would be those times she was hurt, rather it was a grateful release. And the more she read it, the more hopeful she got, she knew for certain now that it would come a time where they would laugh together again.
“This drawing is very important to me, I trust you will give it back to me once I come back.”
She sniffled and began to walk home, a lonely pit within her chest grew, but it was kept from growing by a small seed of hope.