Memories:

Memories help define us, remind us who we are, strengthen us and give us light in the dark places. To exist without our memories, is to be unwhole ~

Rainbow Dash rested on the sandy shore near the lake outside of Ponyville. For three days she had an almost overwhelming desire to be there, but it never occurred to her to ask herself why. To her it felt like an adventure and as was her nature, she went with it. A soft summer breeze gently tossed errant strands of her colourful mane to and fro about her face. She stared into the calm water while tears stung her eyes. She had been crying for the better part of an hour, she wept for loss, she wept for something that was beyond her reach, but she knew not why, only that her heart was breaking. In the private and hidden place of her heart there was a hole, but she couldn't understand it at a conscious level. Reviewing her life, it appeared to be going well; her home, job, friends, nothing was out of place; yet this sense of loss persisted. Lying on the beach she pondered her being and the events of the last several days, she was certain she couldn’t be happier. Yet for all she had in her near perfect life, she kept thinking that she was supposed to be sad.

The recent days had been an unusual, almost etheric time for her. Dash traced the beginning of these strange events to the morning she found Fluttershy in her home making breakfast for her. That morning Rainbow Dash awoke and there was an uneasy turmoil that she could only sense briefly when her mind was still. Dismissing it easily, she focused on her plans to spend the day at the lake. After Fluttershy had cooked Dash breakfast, she seemed concerned about Dash but never mentioned why. When Dash wasn’t paying attention, Flutters watched her with a concerned look on her face. If Dash took notice of her observations, Fluttershy would look away then become preoccupied by a book on the coffee table or by one of the many paintings of the Wonderbolts that hung from the walls. In spite of the odd behavior, it never registered to Rainbow that her friend was watching her closely for any signs that the spell Twilight used the day before to alter her memories, had produced any unintended side effects.

Dash messily ate the breakfast that had been prepared for her, though she would never say as much, she did enjoy having someone fix it for her. Slurping up the last of the pancakes and hay bacon, she was still left wondering why the butter yellow Pegasus would show up unannounced and prepare her a meal. Watching her friend clean the kitchen, Dash passed off the strange behavior as her just being Fluttershy. Dash had seen Fluttershy act like this towards her animal friends all the time. Clearing the table, Fluttershy asked Dash how she was feeling. Rubbing her full belly Dash responded with a loud, wet burp and followed it by telling Flutters that she felt great.  Fluttershy blushed and laughed in her sweet demure way, then told Dash she had to go home and to have a great day. The two said their goodbyes and Dash set about getting all her beach accessories ready. Wandering through the house she found that, in the span of twenty minutes she'd entered her bedroom for the fifth time when she had meant to retrieve a large towel from the bathroom. Pausing in the door way she seemed convinced she'd left something behind and still hadn’t gathered it for her trip. Shaking her head, she returned to the bathroom and grabbed the large blue towel. Walking to the living room she caught herself making her way to her bedroom again. Silently cursing her absentmindedness, she changed her destination and headed to the living room.  She looked over what she had brought together for her day; everything was there that she could think of. The big blue towel with the Wonderbolts logo on it, lunch, pic-nic blanket, sunscreen for her nose, Her dog eared Daring-Do book, fold open metal reflector and just in case, her preening kit.  Mostly satisfied, she loaded her saddlebags and left the house. As soon as she stepped outside her mostly good mood improved greatly, she felt as though the whole world was her oyster.

Her day was uneventful and relaxing; she swam, flew and napped. She deserved it too; she was after all the fastest flyer in all of Equestria; at least in her own mind. As the day came to a close, she found herself convinced that she'd forgotten to collect everything she brought with her. She wandered the beach in search of the elusive item she was sure she'd forgotten. Yet as she checked her bags she found that everything was accounted for. Shaking her head at her lapse, she laughed and thought that she must be getting old before her time. Her inner peace and contentment seemed lightly disturbed, as ripples in a pond; just out of reach of her conscious mind. After the sun had set, she took to the air and headed home feeling outwardly relaxed.

Sleep was a fitful affair, powerful emotions of being alone, abandoned, hopeless and adrift permeated her slumber. Morning arrived almost too soon. She awoke feeling not entirely rested and the desperate notions in her mind were still there and growing, urgency had begun to form around them. She quickly dismissed these impressions that as far as she could tell were without merit or reason. Her shower wasn't nearly as eye opening as normal. She didn't sleep well and she felt it in her bones. She fixed a meager breakfast; still sort of hoping Fluttershy might 'pop' in to see how she was and fix her breakfast again. Sadly Fluttershy didn't show up that morning. Gathering her beach accessories and fixing a lunch, she set out to see if anyone else would like to join her at the lake. Taking flight, her mood began to improve again; she was on a mission now and having that to focus on, her disposition was recovering. After asking Rarity if she'd like to join her, and being turned down she left Ponyville and flew to the one place she really wanted to be that day.

There was something about that lake that drew her there; she couldn't place why but a preoccupation deep inside her longed to be there. Maybe it was the sandy beach, or the clear inviting water, or was it something else; a warm almost familial feeling drew her to the lake those days.

It was a great place to let her mane down and just exhale, the peaceful surroundings a sharp contrast to the busyness of her day to day work life. As the day wore on, deep in her mind there was a sadness that was growing, something was wrong but still she couldn't say why or what was the cause of it. It pestered her conscious mind, never fully forming or permitting itself to come into focus. Tears formed in her eyes as she left that evening; a mute desperation was gnawing at her.

Rainbow Dash's dreams that evening were ones of panic and anxious searching. She was desperate to find what she had lost; sadness and tears filled her mind. As she woke up, for the briefest moment a half thought formed in her barely conscious mind, she saw herself in a deep dark, and lonely chasm. She was no longer the strong, brave and confidant mare she saw every morning in the bathroom mirror. She was a heartbroken child crying out in the dark, terrified of being alone and desperate to be held. Then as quickly as it had formed, it was gone. Rainbow blinked several times trying to recall what had begun to upset her. When nothing seemed to be forthcoming she disregarded the troublesome feelings and her dream faded into nothing as dreams often do. Hoping out of bed ready to face the day, she moved with purpose and drive. The need to be at the lake took her and she knew it would be a good time; she had adopted the opinion that she couldn’t get enough of it. She had asked Applejack if she would like to join her, but AJ said she was too busy to get away from the farm to go with her. Rainbow Dash once more found herself flying to that little lake one more time. A simple notion in her mind stood out, this was going to be her last trip there. She didn’t know why she felt that way, but she was certain it was true.

When she arrived, she landed on the beach, settled in and was still. There would be no swimming or flying today, she understood that she needed to be there and to watch.  She was waiting now; she could feel it in her very essence, but waiting for what she couldn't say. A somber mood had taken its hold on her. A force beyond herself bound her to the beach. She wanted to fly about and stretch her wings. She thought about taking a swim and enjoying the water, but she dare not. She lay there as silent sentinel, noticing everything. She paid attention to every detail around her, the water, the trees; it all mattered for a reason she couldn't grasp. Whatever it was that had been on her mind, she would find it here and soon.

The day wore on and in a hidden safe place of her mind, deep down a light was waning, a hope was dying, something was going away and she couldn't stop it. Never a fully conscious thought, it was as a flicker; almost catching her attention, and when she focused on it… gone. This sense flittered near the fringes of her mind and played with her emotions, never able to reveal it’s self in full.

There she lay on what she felt would be her last day at that lake drew to a close, she stood, walked to the edge of the lake and stared into the water. Emotions she had no rational reason to feel rose up, began to overwhelm her and tears formed in her eyes. Her heart felt like it had broken but she couldn't fathom what was causing it. Frustrated and angry she held back her tears, everything in her was crying out desperate to make right what was so wrong.

When the sun began to dip below the horizon a sense of immense loss enveloped her. Unable to hold back any longer she cried out in a painful wail of tears as though someone had punched her in the heart, crumbling to the ground she curled into a ball and wept. Lying there she let it all out in waves of pitiful sorrow. Then a thought formed in her mind; one that was not her own. The opportunity for her to find what she'd lost was past now; there was a profound sense of finality about it. As she attempted to make sense of this thought she felt like she at last had permission to leave; her time here was done now. Tears covered her cheeks and blurred her vision as she stood and snapped open her wings preparing herself for the journey home. The raw pain in her heart had begun to fade. Settling down as best she could, she decided she needed to stop being a crybaby, tomorrow was going to be a busy day and she needed to get on with her life.

Setting her mind to the future, the last flicker of a distant hope disappeared from the safe place within her and in her mind she understood it was over. The sense of loss that had held her heart captive dispersed and was gone, no more substantial than a puff of smoke. Whatever the nameless faceless thing that was wrong had finally run its course. With each passing heartbeat she felt better, her mood improving moment to moment. As the last of the sun passed under the horizon, she felt like her old self again. She could move on now and life would return to normal. She would put the strangeness of the last few days behind her and live unfettered by sadness and grief. Heaving a small sigh of relief she wiped her face off and at last smiled.

A noise from behind caused her to pause. Spinning around her sight fell upon the most unlikely of creatures. In the moment her eyes met his, something unlocked in her mind and they came. Like a roaring wave from deep within herself, a place not even Celestia could find, fifteen years of memories rushed out and flooded her mind like waters breeching a dam.

She remembered...

The gurgling sound the coffee maker made in the morning, the smell of her bed with clean sheets, the pale yellow glow of her Sponge bob squarepants nightlight, the feel of the hot water during a shower… Pizza!

She remembered it all...

And she remembered the most important thing of all, she remembered her father.

"D-Daddy?"

“Dashie?”

Her heart leapt for joy at the sound of his voice. With all the memories of her years on earth pouring into her mind, Rainbow Dash tentatively stepped forward towards her father; he bent down on one knee as she approached.

Brian’s heart raced as his daughter approached him; he had spent nearly a month deciding if he should take up her offer and travel to Equestria. Seeing her standing there on the shoreline made him realize that choosing to come here was the right thing; the best thing he could do his entire life.

Shaking slightly, she reached out a hoof and gingerly touched his chest. Unsure if he was a figment of her broken imagination or a hallucination brought on by the stress of the last three days. In the instant her hoof felt the warmth of his shirt; she knew he was really there. Joy burst forth in her heart.

“Daddy! It really is you!” she shrieked in amazement.

Rainbow pulled her father in to a tight hug, and began to bawl. All the pent up emotions of the last few days poured out of her. He was here and he was real, she could be at peace now. She finally understood that this is what had been so wrong; he was the answer to the question she couldn't ask. He was what her heart had been crying out for.

“I thought I’d never see you again.” She hitched out through her sobs.

So many memories filled her mind; the changing of her letter to him. The hope she held onto that he would read it in time. The hope that he would understand what she was offering him. Hoping that he'd make the decision to come back to Equestria and be with her. She remembered thinking he might heed Celestia’s warning and not come back; that thought had caused her heart to break. She feared that he may not want to come to Equestria, but she had to take that chance. She had to hope against all things that her dad would make the tough choice, defy Celestia and risk coming here to the end of his days. Finally, she remembered it all.

Rainbow’s father held her tightly and tried his best to sooth her. All his reservations about the journey to Equestria melted away in the moment he laid eyes on his adopted daughter. Petting her mane, he wept in relief that she was okay and that she remembered him.

“It’s okay Dashie, I’m here. Shhh…”

Right then Rainbow Dash was content to just be. Being held by her dad, she wept. She wept for joy, for the many long days to come and the days behind. At last she was whole again.

The smell of his shirt and the sound of his voice soothed her, reassured her that everything was going to be okay now. Waves of relief poured over her as she was for a moment that little filly in the box, being comforted by the one person she loved even more than herself.

Finally they released each other; Rainbow Dash looked into her pops face studying his every feature, the crow’s feet around his eyes, the roughness of the five o’clock shadow along his jaw, the smell of his cologne. She then closed her eyes, rested her head on his chest and let out a long deep sigh, a sigh that had been three days in coming; to her it felt like three life times.

“Daddy I love you.” She whispered.

“I love you too Dashie.” Brian said quietly, tears streamed down his face.

Brian held his daughter close, having her in his arms felt right. He felt as though this was his reason to exist. He sighed in relief, in spite of all his fears and trepidation's about coming to Equestria; he had to, for her.

When Brian had found Rainbow Dash, he had been given a singularly unique opportunity to change his life forever. By taking her in as his own and giving of himself to raising her, she changed his life for the better in ways he could never have imagined. He no longer saw the world as grey and hopeless; he instead saw hope, and joy in places that before he could only perceive despair. Through his life with her, he molded her in ways she could never thank him enough for. He taught her patience, kindness, forgiveness and tempered her with a touch of humility. He knew that his need to be with his daughter was bigger than himself; it was a force in his life he would never fully understand.

When he walked through the portal to Equestria, he had left it all behind, his old life, their home, his job, everything. There was a drive in him that drew him to her. He felt he had to do what was necessary to be there for the rest of her life; from the day he found her, his life had begun to become entwined in hers. When looking down at his little girl, he believed that all that he sacrificed would be worth it.

The sound of Dashie’s voice broke his train of thought.

“What now pops? You’re here with me in Equestria, there’s no way for you or me back to earth.”

Wiping the tears off his face, Brian smiled, "We live."

Dashie looked up at him and smiled back. The stress of the last few days and more had melted away. She felt as though the world was right again. She could move on with her life, better than before. The love shaped hole in her heart was filled again by the one person it was made for.

Rainbow Dash sat down in the soft sand of the shore; her father took a seat next to her and wrapped his arm around her, she leaned against him and wrapped a wing around his back.

She looked out over the lake at the Everfree forest, spying a somewhat clear area with some dense tree cover, an idea popped into her head. Turning to her father, she looked up at him and asked a rather important question.

"Dad?"

“Yeah?"

"Where are you going to stay?"

Brian looked around at the lake and surrounding forest. He began to entertain the idea of staying at her cloud home.

"I don't suppose I can walk on clouds here, can I?"

"No dad, only Pegasus ponies can walk on clouds." Dash said with a light laugh.

"Hmm… I guess I’m going to have to build a home, here.“  He made a sweeping gesture to the forest.

He thought about his limited knowledge of carpentry. He had built a sconce and table in wood shop years ago. How much different could a home be. I mean it’s just a house. Right?

"How about over there?" Dash said while pointing to a clearing across the lake.

Looking closer at the clearing, Brian examined it as best he could in the dimming light.

"Yeah, I bet that would work. Tomorrow, we can get a better look." he said, while thinking about how on earth... Equestria, he was going to pull this off. Where do you even begin to build a house? The foundation? Yeah, that seems like the best place to start… I think. I’ll worry about it tomorrow. He thought to himself.

The sun had set and a full moon was climbing over the horizon. The dark purples and blues of night had begun to take over the sky. Stars became visible in the darkening night, stars that Brian had never seen before. Yet for all the differences they seemed familiar to him. He was seeing stars from a completely different planet, around a completely different sun, possibly the first human to do so. Staring up, he marveled at the thought.

Dashie yawned first. She curled up against her father for warmth. Watching her, Brian decided that maybe sleeping on the beach for one night wasn't such a bad thing. Something bothered him though.

"Dash? Don’t you need to go home?"

With half open eyes Rainbow Dash said, "I am home." She then lay her head down and drifted off to sleep.

Smiling from ear to ear Brian reclined into the soft sand, and slowly let sleep take him. He too at long last, was home.