//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: My Little Dashie: The Return // by Brony MACH //------------------------------// After being tossed about in time and space for a few seconds, Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself on solid ground again. The pegasus gathered her senses and looked about her surroundings. It was nighttime, and the stars twinkled brightly in the heavens. Around her was an open field filled with grass and flowers. A few dozen yards ahead of her, Rainbow Dash could make out a small house. She instantly recognized it as her father’s dwelling. Rainbow Dash started off slowly in the direction of the house. She noticed a faint glow from the necklace she was wearing as the lightning gemstone pulsated with magical power. The pegasus quickly checked under her wing for the carrier stone, which emitted a much stronger glow than before. Mindful of her time constraints, Rainbow Dash quickened her pace, galloping toward the house and leaping onto the porch. Rainbow Dash noticed that the lights were still on despite the late hour at which she arrived. That’s good. I won’t have to disturb his sleep, she thought to herself. The pegasus slowly raised her hoof to knock on the large front door, but a random thought stopped her in her tracks. What if he doesn’t remember me…Rainbow Dash wondered. A little less than two weeks had passed since she returned to Equestria. This meant that twelve or thirteen years had gone by in this world since she left. Would her father still remember her after such a long absence? Rainbow Dash could not bear to imagine the confused look on her father’s face as she explained who she was. Perhaps the father’s love for which she relentlessly fought in the past few days would now be nothing more than a shadow of time. Rainbow Dash shuddered as these questions ran through her mind. Her hoof was still in the air, poised to knock on the door. “No. I have do this,” she whispered aloud. This was a risk she absolutely must take. Knock knock Rainbow Dash stepped back as she heard light footsteps coming from the back of the house. She started sweating nervously, not knowing how this encounter would play out. As the footsteps got louder and louder, her heart began to race. Suddenly, the steps halted in front of the door, and the pegasus gasped loudly. She was hardly able to breathe as the lock turned and the door swung open. An old man stood in the entranceway of the house, a man that Rainbow Dash recognized as her father. His face had changed noticeable with age, wrinkles scattered around his eyes and mouth. His hair had grown thinner and lighter. The man also wore a pair of spectacles that hung on the edge of his nose. But despite these transformations, Rainbow Dash knew that without a doubt, the face looking down on her was the face of her father. Rainbow Dash tensed up as the man took off his glasses and examined the strange creature in front of him. His eyes moved over the pegasus’ face, to her rainbow mane, to her feathered wings, to the colored lightning bolt on her flank, and back to her face. His expression soon turned to one of confusion, the exact look that Rainbow Dash did not want to see on her father’s face. The pegasus fought back tears as her father eye’s continued to inspect her. So this is it… thought Rainbow Dash as she lowered her head and closed her eyes, This is how this story ends… Rainbow Dash’s attention was soon drawn by a gasp from the man’s mouth. The pegasus looked up and saw her father’s jaw drop suddenly. With a slow breath, the man’s eyes widened as he knelt down and embraced Rainbow Dash in his arms. “Dashie…” he whispered as tears formed in his eyes. Rainbow Dash hugged him back as her feelings of apprehension disappeared and happiness filled her mind. “Daddy…” she whispered back, “I’m here.” The two remained locked in embrace as the seconds passed. Both father and daughter were in tears as neither believed that this day would ever come. To Rainbow Dash, this was the finish of her quest to find her beloved caretaker. To the man, this was a dream come true. Inside the house, the clock struck eleven. “Dashie, I’ve missed you so much,” whispered the man. “I’ve missed you too, Daddy,” replied Rainbow Dash quietly. Finally, the man broke his embrace with Rainbow Dash and stood up. He wiped the tears from his eyes as a smile formed upon his face. “Dashie, welcome,” he said joyfully. “Please, come inside.” Rainbow Dash rubbed away her own tears as she stepped inside the house. The door closed behind her as the man led her to the living room. Rainbow Dash paused for a moment to take in her surroundings. While the owner of the house had changed over the years, the living room remained largely the same. The walls and floor were the same as she recalled from the dream. The couch and table were in the same places as well, and a large grandfather clock stood in one corner. Rainbow Dash recalled many other objects in the room, but there was definitely something different than before. As the man walked toward the bookshelf in the far corner of the room, the pegasus approached a nearby picture hanging on the wall. In her past life, she remembered that a photo of herself used to hang here, one that was taken when she was given her first bath. However, the picture that hung in front of Rainbow Dash now was a painting, featuring a distant mountain range with the setting sun behind it. Rainbow Dash gazed in awe as the colors and hues sucked her in and she experienced a sense of beauty running through her mind. The pegasus took a look around, and saw that the walls were filled with paintings, each as splendid and vibrant as the one she just examined. “Did you...paint these?” she asked. “Yes,” he replied, as he searched the dusty top shelf for a special book. “They’re beautiful,” Rainbow Dash said as she approached another picture. “Thank you for the kind words,” replied the man as he grabbed a worn out photo album from the bookshelf, “But I have much more than just that to thank you for. Come, sit down with me, Dashie. We have much to talk about.” The man placed the photo album on the table and sat down on the couch. Rainbow Dash leaped into the air and plopped herself right next to him. “Daddy, I have so much to tell you,” she said as she cuddled up with her father. The man put his arm around her long lost daughter and said, “As do I.” Rainbow Dash recounted her life from day she returned to Ponyville. The pegasus began with her long recovery and the headaches that plagued her for days. She told him about the strange vision in the sky, the house from her dreams, and the voice that seemed to follow her everywhere. With a more somber tone, she recalled the secret meeting and the confrontation with Twilight Sparkle as well. But her voice became more cheerful as she described the events that led up to her arrival. “The Princess let you travel to this world?” asked the man inquisitively “By yourself, too?” “Yeah! She trusts you so much after you took care of me. She thinks you make a great father,” replied Rainbow Dash. The happy blue pegasus nuzzled her mane against her father’s shoulder. “I’m here because I wanted to see you again, Daddy, but there’s another reason that I’m really excited about!” said Rainbow Dash happily as she secretly squeezed the carrier stone under her wing. “But first, I want to know how you are. It’s been twelve or thirteen years in your world since I left, right?” “Just about,” the man answered. “And a lot has happened in that time period.” “Oooo, like what?” said Rainbow Dash. “Well, let’s see…hmmm, it has been quite a while,” he replied as he twisted his eyebrows in thought, “Ah…yes.” The man took his arm from around Rainbow Dash and sat himself up, looking intently at the fireplace in the front of the living room. “The day of your departure left a hole in my heart. I had nothing else to give my love, nobody to take care of anymore. My little Dashie was gone forever…” he began. Rainbow Dash watched her father shift anxiously in his seat, “And I became fearful. I was afraid that I would return to the dreary existence I lived before I found you. Afraid that I would spend the rest of my days as a lonely old man.” The pegasus could feel him shuddering at that last statement. She had no idea that her absence had caused so much pain in his life. After a pause, he added, “I began to forget the love we shared…” “I’m so sorry,” said Rainbow Dash as she put her hoof on his knee. “It’s ok…that’s all behind us now,” he replied, “that’s all just a memory.” The man then turned to Rainbow Dash with an intent expression. “In the weeks after you left…I slowly lost the will to carry on. I didn’t want to eat, didn’t want to sleep, didn’t want to even breathe. I had nothing else to live for. All I wanted was to hold you in my arms once more.” The man turned his head downward. “It was weeks, maybe months, until I stumbled upon your note. I remember reading it to myself, feeling the pain of separation once again.” he began, “But that time, a different sensation began to creep into my mind. Deep within my emotional core, something had clicked,” he spoke. “I suddenly remember that the day you left, I vowed to live the rest of my life to the fullest, for myself, and for you. Holding that note in my frail hands, I finally saw the light of day. I knew that as long as I kept you inside my heart, I need not fear dying a lonely old man,” he said confidently. “This was my promise to myself.” He then motioned toward the paintings on the wall behind him. “Now, about these paintings. Even before you came into my life, I had taken up painting as a way to escape the harsh realities of this world. Although I had practiced for years, painting could never fill the hole that existed in my life before you came along. For fifteen years, I took care of you with all of my heart, because I realized that only you could fill that hole.” “The day I saw your note, I felt a sudden urge to paint, even though I had not touched a brush for so long. Such powerful inspiration rushed through my mind, and I returned to the canvas once more. I painted and painted even to the point where my fingers began to hurt,” he continued The man turned back to Rainbow Dash. “For the last twelve years, I painted like my life depended on it. Whenever I was depressed, I painted. Whenever I was in denial, I painted. Whenever I was lonely, I painted, for you Dashie. You were my inspiration, and I couldn’t have wished for anything more. Thank you for making the last twelve years as bearable as they could be.” Rainbow Dash leaped onto her father and hugged him once more. “I’m so glad you’re happy, Daddy. You’ve done so much to take care of me. You deserve this happiness,” she said with a smile. The two fell silent for a bit as they felt the warmth of each other’s body. The clock above the fireplace read 11:30 “But enough about me, I want to hear about my daughter. So Dashie, what is the other reason you are here?” asked the man. Rainbow Dash suddenly jumped up in excitement. “Ahhh!!! I can’t wait to tell you!” she shouted eagerly. “So…when Princess Celestia heard about what I was going through, she decided that these special times required a special course of action.” “Ah…” said the old man as he nodded. “She was extremely thankful for your service and was amazed by the depth of your love,” added the pegasus. “What decisions did she make then?” he inquired. Rainbow Dash could hardly control her smile as she prepared to break the good news to her father. “Well…since you have shown true kindness from your heart…” “Yes?” “She decided...” “Go on...” “That you can come to Equestria and live with me and my friends for the rest of your life!” squealed Rainbow Dash. The man let out a gasp. “What? Really?” he stuttered. “Yeah! The Princess believes that you could set an example for us ponies. My friends have even agreed to help with your stay in Ponyville. Just imagine all the good times we will have!” said Rainbow Dash excitedly. The man’s heartbeat quickened. Even after Rainbow Dash was thrown into his world, never did he think that he would get a chance to stay in hers. And to be with Rainbow Dash with the rest of his days was something he couldn’t even imagine. “But…are you sure this is what the princess wants?” he asked. “Totally! She and my other friends support this, and I want you to live your dream. You will never have to leave me ever again!” said the ecstatic pegasus. “But I’m a human. How am I even supposed to get to Equestria?” asked the man anxiously. Rainbow Dash lifted her wing and the carrier stone dropped onto the seat cushion. She noticed that its blue light was dimmer now. The pegasus was running out of time. Rainbow Dash took the stone in her hoof. “This is a carrier stone. All you have to do is take it and hold it in your closed hand. The others back home can use the Elements of Harmony to bring you to Equestria.” The man stared at the blue stone in her daughter’s hoof. The mad rush of events had left him a bit confounded. He was not entirely prepared to face a choice of this magnitude. Even after twelve years of wishing he could be with Rainbow Dash, the last thing he expected was for his wish to come true. “Are you ready?” Rainbow Dash asked with a joyful expression. The man eyed the magical object with a blank expression. Amidst his racing emotions, a thought had entered his mind, and he seemed to be wrestling with it intently. His wildest dreams were literally right in front of his face, but something else was stopping him. Rainbow Dash stared at her father with confusion. “Hurry, there’s not much time! The magic of the Elements cannot keep me here for long. This may be the last time I can visit here. Quickly, take the stone!” she said nervously. He continued to gaze at the blue glowing stone in front of him. It would be a simple decision to take the stone in his hand, be transported into Equestria, and live with his beloved daughter forever. This would be the true happiness that eluded his grasp for so long. “Daddy, what are you waiting for?? Let’s go!” shouted Rainbow Dash. The man shifted his gaze to Rainbow Dash, a doubtful look in his eyes. He slowly reached his right hand toward the stone. There was a noticeable trembling in the man’s body as he extended his arm outward. The pegasus grew more excited as his hand neared her hoof. Finally, the man made contact with the stone at the tips of his fingers; he watched his hand as it came to rest on top of the stone. With a firm grasp he pushed it down. “No,” he said as he closed his eyes, “I can’t go.” Rainbow Dash was completely and utterly taken aback. “What???” she shrieked, “What in the hay are you talking about?” “Dashie…” he said quietly, “I can’t go with you back to Equestria.” “What do you mean? The Princess said it was ok, and we promise that we’ll take good care of you, just like you took care of me,” said Rainbow Dash anxiously. “No, Dashie. I have to stay here,” replied the man as he took his hand back. The carrier stone fell onto the cushion as its light grew dimmer still. Rainbow Dash felt her anger rise again. “No, that’s not true! There is nothing for you here in this world as you said. I am giving you a choice between a life of happiness and a life of sadness. I don’t understand why you, who went through twelve years of life-shattering pain, would want more! This is your dream, now take it!” “This isn’t about me,” replied the man. Rainbow Dash couldn’t bear what she just heard. On the verge of tears, she shouted, “This is absolutely about you! You don’t have to stay here! There’s a whole other life waiting for on the other side, a life without of depression, loneliness, and fear. You don’t have to continue to suffer.” Rainbow Dash tried to squeeze the tears back. “I need you…don’t leave me.” The man opened his eyes and placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Dashie, please try to understand.” The pegasus could no longer hold back the tears as sadness replaced her anger. “I can’t…I can’t go on without you. I can’t live without you,” she said as she wept profusely. “You have to come…You just have to!” Her father scooted closer as he began to explain his reasons. “Dashie…the years that I spent with you were precious to me. Even though I lost my life after you left, I believe it was worth it. Not only did you bring love to my loveless life, but you also inspired me even when you were gone. You inspired me to create in the midst of my destruction. It was because you that I was able to make such beautiful paintings despite my ugly life.” “But you will always be alone…here…is this what you want?” said Rainbow Dash through her sobs. The man shed a tear as he continued his story. “Dashie, there’s something I didn’t tell you about my paintings. Six years ago, I had a visitor, a traveler simply stopping by for company. From our conversations, I learned that he was a soldier recently discharged from the front lines. He had fought for months and months against the forces of the enemy. He climbed entire mountainsides covered with the corpses of his comrades. He crossed rivers stained with the blood of fallen men. And he had traversed through forests burned by the fires of war.” “Why are you telling me this? What does this have to do with you staying??” cried Rainbow Dash in a frustrated tone. “This has everything to do with me staying. You see, he had lost sight of the beauty of nature. He said he had started traveling the lands to escape the memories of the war, but those memories followed him through the hills and valleys,” continued the man. “As I listened on, he began to tell me that he had given up, until something caught his eye.” “I don’t understand…” said Rainbow Dash softly, “What are you trying to say? What did he see?” “My painting. In fact, the very one you were looking at when you first came in. The travelling soldier was dumbfounded by its magnificence. It was then that he witnessed the true depth of the beauty of nature. He stared at my painting for an entire hour, taking in all the colors and shapes of the mountain sunset. Afterwards, he simply rushed out of my front door and off down the road,” spoke the man. “So you’re staying here because of him? That’s not fair! I’m your daughter, and he’s just some stranger you met one day!” replied Rainbow Dash with an angry tone. “I’m more important than a random traveler that will never come back!” “Ah, but a few days later he did come back, along with his friends. They all visited simply to look at my paintings. One fellow of them even offered to buy a piece, but I declined his money and simply gave the painting to him. The smile on his face was payment enough,” he continued. Rainbow Dash suddenly began to understand her father’s line of thinking. “No…you can’t…no…” she said as a new wave of tears poured down her face. Rainbow Dash continued to cry as the man scooted even closer to her. “Soon, I had visitors at my house every week. The pictures that I painted always brought them peace, no matter their troubles. Even today, I had a young couple stop by and admire my artwork. Dashie, you didn’t just fill me with inspiration; you filled me with power. And it didn’t hit me until a few years ago that this was my calling. This was why I am here. Everything in my life, including your seemingly accidental presence here, happened for a purpose,” he explained. “I had the power to bring happiness to the world.” The pegasus tried to speak through her tears. “But…but…even then, you could come to Ponyville, and make us happy with your beautiful art. Please…we would love to have you there,” she pleaded. “You would make me so happy if you came.” Her father took his hand back from her shoulder. “There is a reason I am a human and not a pony. Yes, my land is filled with hatred and suffering. But it is my destiny to bring light to this world. If I leave, I would be betraying those whose lives are still mired on sorrow…like where I was once,” he continued. “But…how can you be so sure….please…you don’t have to do this,” whispered Rainbow Dash. “Both ponies and humans find their calling in life. Humans just don’t get cutie marks,” replied her father. Rainbow Dash continued to sob quietly, “No…Daddy…but you’ve done so much for me. I can’t…can’t let you stay….I want you to be happy yourself…isn’t this what you wanted?” The man moved forward and embraced his crying daughter as tears began to form in his own eyes. “Dashie…I took care of you not because I wanted anything back. I took care of you because I loved you. I was willing to sacrifice anything for you. You were my daughter, and you still are my daughter. And I still love you with all of my heart,” he spoke quietly. Rainbow Dash put her arms around her father, “I love you too, Daddy,” she said as she sniffled. The two sat in solemn embrace, father and daughter. The clock read 11:45. The light from the carrier stone was barely visible. “So…I guess this will be goodbye for good,” said the man. “No…” whispered Rainbow Dash as she hugged her father even tighter. The memories of her previous life with him came flooding back all at once. The pain was too much to bear. “What will I do without you? I’m afraid…I don’t know what’s going to happen now.” The man broke the embrace and held her daughter by the shoulders in front of him. “Dashie…” he said. “Yes, Daddy?” “I need you to be strong when you go back. I need you to be the Rainbow Dash that you were meant to be. I lived a directionless life for far too long, and I don’t want you to go through that.” “What do you mean…?” replied Rainbow Dash The man held his daughter’s face gingerly in his hands. “You came back to this world in search of a memory. You came because you remembered the love we shared between us. But that’s all I’ll ever be to you, a memory,” he said. The pegasus shuddered as she grasped the truth of this last statement. “You cannot let your memories define the rest of your life. I know it is hard to let go, but this is something you must do,” continued the man. Rainbow Dash gave a desperate look at her father. “But how can I just forget you? Even Twilight’s memory spell was not enough to erase my memories,” she replied. “You need not forget. You need only to accept,” said the man. “These memories will remain with your forever, but you will have to find your own calling.” The pegasus paused for a bit. “…Okay…” “I need you to promise that you will live your life with purpose. Your friends depend on you, and you need continue to be loyal to them.” “I promise…” replied the pegasus. “One day, you will have your own children as well, and you will truly understand what I mean. But for now, you must trust me,” continued the man. “Do you trust me, Dashie?” “Yes,” said Rainbow Dash. “I trust you with everything.” The pegasus finally wiped away her tears as she regained her composure. Her father turned to the dusty photo album still lying on the table in front of the couch. He picked it up and presented it to Rainbow Dash. “Take this. If you find yourself in a dark place, this will be your light.” he said. The pegasus took the album and placed it under her wing. “Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for everything…” she said as she looked into her father’s gentle eyes. The man embraced his daughter once more, as this would be the last time he ever held Dashie in his arms. “Though I am a world away, you will always have my love. I have only a few years left, but you still have lifetime to experience.” “I will never forget you, Daddy,” whispered Rainbow Dash as a tear dripped down her check. “And I will never forget you, My little Dashie.” he replied. Father and daughter continued to hug each other, as this would be the last embrace they would ever share. Both of them were reminiscing of the times they shared together, from the day he found Rainbow Dash in a cardboard box to the day that she returned to her true home. The clock read 11:58pm. The light of the carrier stone grew dimmer still, and only a pinpoint of light could be seen at its center. Rainbow Dash could feel the magic of the Elements growing weaker as her time ran out. “Daddy…” she said. “Yes, Dashie?” he asked. “Can I ask you for one more thing...before I go?” “Of course, anything.” “When I recovered my memories of my life with you, a song came to my mind, one that you used to sing when I was a tiny filly.” “Ah, yes, the lullaby. Funny, that’s probably the only thing I remember from back then,” he said with a short laugh. Rainbow Dash raised her head as her father did the same. They stared deeply into each other’s eyes before the pegasus spoke again, “Daddy…I’m still a bit scared of leaving you…can you sing it for me one more time?” The man kissed Rainbow Dash on the forehead and stroked her mane. “Yes, one last time.” The two sat in silence, locked in embrace as the man prepared to sing his farewell song to his daughter. The face of the grandfather clock read 12. The gears clicked into place as the chimes rang out through the still air. Dong “Hush, my little Dashie…” Dong “…it’s time to go to bed…” Dong “…Pull up your blankets…” Dong “…and lay down your head…” Dong “…Hush, my little Dashie…” Dong “…and rest for the night…” Dong “…Until you catch glimpse…” Dong “…of morning’s first light...” Dong “…Although we come…” Dong “…from worlds apart…” Dong “…I love you, my Dashie…” Dong “…with all of my heart.” As the last chime faded into silence, the lightning gem on Rainbow Dash’s neck grew brighter. Soon, the pegasus’ entire body began to glow with a white light. The room began to shake as a gust of wind circled father and daughter. With a loud bang, rays of rainbow colored light shot out from Rainbow Dash’s luminescent body. The man held on tighter as a single tear dripped down his cheek. When the lights finally subsided, the man found himself alone in his living room. The pegasus and the carrier stone were gone. His daughter had returned home. “Goodbye, my little Dashie.”