Today’s the day. I can’t believe that it’s finally here. I’ve been waiting so long that it feels like it’s been a thousand years. I can’t wait to see what awesome presents everyone got me. I hope they’re so awesome, that they might be as awesome as me.

Pops and the gang made me sit around at home while they set stuff up. I’m getting a little jumpy because I have been flying in circles for the last five minutes now. “Will they hurry up already!?” I yell out loud to myself. This was taking way too long. I started flying towards that door before it hit me. Literally.

A letter dropped onto my head and I opened it up. It was a letter from Twilight telling me to get over to the library pronto. “Oh I’ll get over there faster than pronto. I’ll get over there faster than you can say…….uhm….pronto!”

I dashed over there faster than the speed of light. I open the door and walk in. I couldn’t see anything but black. “Gummy! Get off of Dashie you crazy little alligator you.” I finally could see again but my eyes were covered in drool. “That is absolutely repulsive, dear. Now Rainbow, do you need to go take a bath?”

I guess Gummy jumped on my face and opened his mouth trying to chew. Good thing he doesn’t have or that would’ve turned out a lot worse. Rarity gave me a napkin to dry off my face. “Nah, I’m good. That little thing is pretty cute.”

“Happy Birthday!” Everyone shouted to me. Pinkie came up in a barbershop quartet outfit. She signaled to Spike who played a tune. “Oh….Happy, happy birthday! From me to you! I wish it was my birthday, so I could party too! Hey!” She then started dancing away with a cane.

“Oh Pinkie, you’re just so…what’s the word…you!” Twilight cut in. Soarin’ and Spitfire then came in and said “Ready for your present?” They flew over to a whole flying course outside as some music began to play. It wasn’t long before I knew what the song was.

It was my favorite song back on Earth; The Final Countdown. Fluttershy’s animals began singing the tune and Pops came up in a funny looking suit. He started singing the song while Soarin’ and Spitfire flew through the entire course. I laughed, a lot. I honestly think that Dad has a really bad singing voice but at least he knew all of the lyrics.

It was a pretty good present. I was getting a little thirst though so I grabbed a drink from the table. I chugged it down and it tasted like heaven. It was AJ’s apple cider. "You go on and drink that all up, sugarcube." She said to me. “Oh, man! This birthday party is just so awesome. How could it get any better?”

It got a whole lot better. Twilight got me the new Daring Do books that weren’t gonna come out for the next three months. Fluttershy got me this radical hat that said “Best Flier Around”. I was psyched out.

This day is just so great I have to make up a word for it. Today is….SuperTerrificallyAwesomewithaSprinkleofRadicalness. Try saying that five times fast. Anyway, we spent the rest of the day dancing and drinking.

The cider tastes a little funny like something special was put in it. If I know anypony, Soarin’ probably put some tequila or vodka in it. That crazy Pegasus.

It was starting to get dark and the party was starting to slowly end when I realized Pops still didn’t give me anything. I feel a little steamed that he hasn’t given me anything. I mean, come on. He should’ve given me my present first. Am I right?

So I walk up to him and tap him on the chest. “Hey Pops, where’s my present?” He looked at me nervously. “Well, you see Dashie, I wanted to wait a little longer before I gave you it.” “You forgot to get me one didn’t you?” I said while looking at him blankly.

“No…just wait a little bit.” “Pops, it’s my twenty-fifth birthday. You know me. Waiting is not my style.” He sighed a little and told me to wait a sec. He came up to me and told me to close my eyes. I closed my eyes and I felt something in my hands. “Open them up.”

I opened my eyes and saw some old, dirty looking box. “Dad, I gotta say, this looks like a pretty corny present.” He assured me it was the exact opposite. “Open it up and tell me you still think so. I open the box with half open eyes to show him that this isn’t really an awesome looking present.

My eyes went wide open when I saw what was inside. My mouth doing the same. “Honey, close your mouth. You don’t want bugs going in do you?” I kinda ignore him because what I see inside is just awesome. And I mean AWESOME.

It was all of the things from when I was on Earth. The same box of memories that I was going to take with me back here when the Princess and the others came. I can honestly say that I am speechless. “Dad…I don’t even know what to say…” He pulled my face up so I could see him.

He was holding back some tears and smiling. “How about I love you?” I dropped the box and gave him a big hug. “Daddy, that goes without saying. But I like hearing it so I love you.”

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I hope Dashie doesn’t ask what I had to go through getting that thing. All I can think about right now is how she looks while hugging me. I can feel little streams of tears rolling down my back. They’re not cold and unrelenting but warm and soft.

They were tears of joy, not sadness. I hug her even tighter as everyone else is talking or dancing. I loved this moment right here. This would be a moment that I wish I could take a picture of and put it in my book.

I wish we could just stay like this until the end of time. It is not long before the party ends and everypony leaves. Dashie and I are still hugging though. She isn’t crying anymore but she isn’t moving much either.

I loosen my grip but she doesn’t budge. "Uhh, Brian? Rainbow fell asleep..." Twilight comes up to me and says "If you want, you can spend the night here." I thank and accept her offer. "I don't think I can really move without waking her" I told her.

"That's alright, I'll just get you a blanket." She wrapped a blanket around Dashie and I and went to sleep. I sit here, in the middle of the library, holding Dashie in my arms. I slowly lower my eye lids more and more everytime a minute passes. The soft and gentle breathing and warmth of Dashie's body put me at ease. I then fall into a deep sleep.

I wake up at around five or six in the morning. I put the blanket somewhere on the table, get up, and quietly make my way home. The entire town is very peaceful. I guess nopony was up in Ponyville yet. I walk along the marketplace and hear the sounds of crickets.

Some would find this entire place creepy with it being so dark and empty. I enjoy this newfound peace. I hear some birds slowly waking up and chirping. I see the sun start to rise. None if this matters though because I am still happy to carry my Dashie in my arms. She is just so cute. I feel like I am thirty again.

I am finally a few steps from our house. It's probably six o' clock now. The sun is very close to being up all the way. I open my door, step inside our house, and walk to Dashie's bedroom. I lay her down on her bed and cover her in a blanket. She mumbles something under her breath and smiles.

"Daddy....don't....rubber ducky..." Awww, she was having a dream from her childhood. I sit down in a chair in her room and watch her. I look at my adorable little girl sleep the night away. Her innocence still present. I catch myself falling asleep again. I close my eyes and embrace the dark slumber.

Some time later, I wake up because I punched myself in the eye. I was resting on my hand and I guess my elbow slipped. Man, this really hurts. I walk to the mirror and look.

I had a big swollen purple and blue spot around my eye. Well, I already know Dashie and Pinkie aren't going to let me live this down. I laugh at myself for being so stupid.

It's been some weeks since I last wrote in this journal. The last time being Dashie's birthday. The last few weeks were just as I expected. Pinkie and Dashie laughed at me the entire time. I have to admit it was pretty funny. Well it was.

Then Dashie found out. I'll remember what happened on that normal Thursday morning. I woke up later than Dashie did which I did occasionally. Then I cleaned up and went for breakfast. I didn't see Dashie sitting on the couch until I finished pouring my cereal. She was pretty quiet and still.

I walked up to her and saw she was reading something. I wanted to see what it was so I stood above her. Then I saw it. I saw what she was reading. It made me drop my bowl of cereal all over the floor. I heard each little piece roll into little cracks or holes.

She found one of the letters that the hospital sent me. It was the one recommending that I get weekly checkups. "Dad...h-h-how l-long?" She didn't turn around but I could tell she was crying. I started to cry too because this wasn't the way I wanted her to find out.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" I felt like an arrow had been shot through my heart. I thought I would have more time before she knew about my problem. She remembered the last time something like this happened. So did I. It was when she found out about her being a cartoon.

She was about to fly off but she remembered that she promised to listen before doing that. She simply looked at me with reddish, tear drenched, eyes. "I wasn't sure how to tell you this, Dashie. Hell, I don't even know where to begin." She managed to choke out "The B-b-beginning..."

I sat down next to her and told her how on the third year of her training, I went with Twilight to the hospital. I told her about the problem and how it could affect me. "She wasn't satisfied with me yet.

"What is it?" She softly asked me. "It's called cardiac dysrhythmia. It's sort of a weird heartbeat. It makes my heart beat faster than normal and uses more energy. Eventually, my heart will be so overused that I'll suffer a stroke that could kill me."

Once I said this, she hit herself on the head. "I should've never went to that training place for three years! I should've been spending them with you!" I hugged her and soothed her.

"Don't worry, it's a fifty-fifty shot. And besides, with all of the medicine and remedies I've been taking, the chances are much slimmer. I'm going to be all right." She looked up at me. She was starting to loosen up and less tears were in her eyes.

"Really Daddy? Are you going to be here with me forever?" She was still very childish and was speaking in a somewhat babyish way. "I'll always be here with you. My heart can't do anything to stop that." I assured her.

"Do you promise Daddy?" "I promise" And this was a promise I plan to keep. No matter what I had to do or how much it would hurt me, I would stay with Dashie forever.