I just couldn't look at any of them. My heavy breathing breaking down with sobs. My mind was just going on her own, thinking back at all the things Dashie and I did together. I took a deep breath as I spoke,
"...Just how could I blame somepony? For sending Rainbow Dash here?”
I sniffled, then cleared my throat as I continued. I nearly choked up as I searched for the words to express myself.
"These have been the best 15 years of my life. So, if anything, I feel quite the opposite; I wish to thank you, Twilight, and the rest of you. Thank you, for what you did, though not intentional. Thank you, for all that came out of this. And finally thank you, for all my years, my life, and my love... with Dashie." I tried to smile at Twilight between the sobs, but she looked on the edge of tears herself, and could only look away, before she cried herself.
Celestia then stood from the rug she laid on, and walked over to me as I stood. I understood what had to be done, but that didn’t make it any less painful. They are going to take my daughter from me! My conscience screamed at me. The rush of fear and loss made me so sick it took all my strength to suppress the urge to vomit and choke on my own tears.
“Princess,” Twilight intervened softly. “Please, these circumstances are more extreme than we could have imagined. Surely you can make an exception just this once.”
“No.” Celestia stated firmly. “It is too much to ask of any man.”
I spoke up, barely holding back tears. “Please, I will do whatever it takes. No cost is too great, to stay with her.” I couldn’t go back to my life without her, back to the gray, mundane monotony that had made my life for so long seem meaningless.
Celestia turned to me, a hard look on her face. “There is one way.” The other ponies’ eyes widened. “The question is, can you handle it?”
“Anything.”
“Never again can our worlds be allowed to bridge, if such an incident happened again with the wrong people – the result could be disastrous.” Celestia explained. “You may come with us, but all evidence of your time in this world will disappear – the friends you have made, your livelihood, your home, everything. There will be no return. It will be as if you never existed at all, no one will remember you. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?”
The words, though spoken so softly in her regal voice, hit me hard. I realized the magnitude of the choice she had thrusted on me: to sacrifice everything and stay with my little Dashie, or to stay here and try to live my life to the fullest, a changed man from my experiences. I thought of all the friends who I had made in my time here, everything that once mattered to me seemed so insignificant in the face of this choice. Would the ponies even accept me? Would I be doomed to live my life as a freak among them?
Then I saw my little Dashie’s face, the hope in her eyes, and I decided. She was my whole world, and I would sacrifice everything to remain her father.
“Yes,” I said finally. I rose my gaze to meet Celestia’s, confident in my choice. “I will leave it all behind, for her.”
“Very well,” Celestia said. She closed her eyes, and then leaned her horn towards me. I stiffened, unsure of what would happen or what it would feel like as her horn touched my head. I felt a sudden coldness rush through my body. A blinding light filled my vision. All was silent except for my heartbeat. As we crossed the dimensional void, my mind began forcing random memories of us together. I vividly remembered the splashing of the bathtub from her bath times, before she showered herself. I could still taste our many failed attempts at baking and cooking in general. I still smelt the outdoors from our times at the park, where she was able to spread her wings. There were so many memories, that I simply had to shut off my brain so that I could keep myself focused on Dashie.
Finally, she drew her horn away, and I opened my eyes. My ears filled with the serenade of birdsong around us. My mind should have reeled at the impossibility of it all, but it accepted it. Celestia was still smiling as she stepped back. “Welcome to our world.”
I looked at Dashie, who threw her arms over me, “I love you, daddy.”
Tears welled in my eyes, “I love you too, my little Dashie.”
It’s been nearly five years since the start of my new life in Equestria, and what a life it has been. The ponies of Ponyville were cautious of me at first: as I feared they saw me as an alien, an outsider who didn’t belong here. I realized how Zecora must’ve felt when the ponies were spreading rumours about her. Yet, thanks to Dashie and her group of friends their fear turned to curiosity, and acceptance. Grounded and unable to perform magic, I applied for a job at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie was only too happy to have me join her.
Sometimes, I grow homesick. It was hard letting go of the life I once lived. The only thing I had to remember that life is my photo album. By some miracle, it too had been brought with us.
So now I sit here, looking through the album of our time together. Her first bath, her first words, her first drawing, even her first preened feather, all in this book of memories. Everything else from my world is long gone, but what I had put into this book still remains. I don't dare ever change that either, but I will continue to add to it.
Dashie is old enough to live by herself now, and has a home in Cloudsdale as a show pony and weather manager – I remember just how proud I was when she earned the title, our hours of hard study together to pass the exams had really paid off. I live in a quaint, but peaceful little cottage about a mile from Ponyville. It’s a good place, low rent, just far enough from ponyville so I can still take my walks without it being inconvenient. Then, there’s plenty of open air for Dashie to show off her latest flying stunts. Even though we live separate, and she is a busy pony, Dashie still visits me every day, and sleeps over on weekends. When I’m busy, she stops by the shop for cupcakes. I count myself lucky, most parents and their children would have long since let go by now, but the concept of family was stronger here.
I turned the page of the photo album, smiling and stifling a tear at each picture. There were still many pages to fill. I couldn’t wait.
