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Description
Note: This is a companion piece to "Wonder" by Fluttershyfire. Please see the Author's Note at the bottom for a link to the original piece.

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CRASH.

The sound is so startling I almost scream. I don't, though; that could wake Angel, or that poor turtle I took in yesterday. His shell is so badly cracked, he needs all the rest he can get, and I wouldn't want to disturb him by screaming. I do hope the crash didn't wake him. Oh, and I hope whatever crashed is alright. I really should go investigate.

Before I can even get to the door, I hear a knock. I get there as quickly as I can, because if whatever's out there is hurt I shouldn't leave them waiting. It's a good thing I couldn't sleep tonight; I might not have heard it otherwise.

''Uh, h-hi...''

Or... maybe I did fall asleep. I fell asleep and I'm dreaming. This is usually how my dreams start. She's here. It's Rainbow Dash outside my door and this feels much too real to be a dream. And I'm so happy just seeing her that I don't care if its just another dream and I don't even think before I'm hugging her as close as I can.

I'm not asleep and this isn't a dream. She's really here and I'm really hugging her... Oh! Maybe a bit too hard... ''s-sorry, i just, i'm very glad to see you.''

"Hey, yeah. I'm sorry, I know it's late..." She looks so nervous when she starts talking and I can't help but worry if I look upset. I'm certainly not upset, but I am a little tired and that can sometimes make it seem like I'm upset. It feels like I'm smiling, though, but I smile even wider just in case she can't tell how truly happy I am just to see her face and hear her voice.

"it's okay…" It feels so strange to be the one doing the reassuring. I've never seen Rainbow Dash look so… uncertain before. The last time I saw her, she looked so amazing. So confident up there in the sky, so stunning in her Wonderbolt uniform. Here, outside my house she just looks so... Oh my! We're still outside, aren't we? "oh! i'm sorry, please, please come in, how rude of me..."

"It's cool." She sounds so sad that it makes my heart hurt. Maybe she'll feel better if we move over to my bed. She's always been very... comfortable there. When I lay down, though, she stays so far away... Oh. Oh no... Maybe... Maybe this isn't the sort of visit I've been having dreams about...

"so do the others know you're here?" I think she needs to be distracted. Or maybe it's me who needs to be distracted.

"I haven't told anypony else that I'm here yet."

"oh. why not?"

"It's like three in the morning. Do you want a Pinkie Pie party at this hour?"

"true." I suppose it was terribly silly for me to think this was a private visit. Of course she'd want to see all of our friends. I'm sure she misses them t-- Pinkie Pie party?! She said that rather loudly. Is the window clear? Nopony else is awake, right? Right?

"What? Did you hear somepony?" Her nervousness now sounds like concern.

"you never know with pinkie pie." Maybe I should lock the window. Oh, but there's no glass in there. That would be silly. How could birds get in if I had glass... but how else could I keep... unexpected visitors out? Maybe I should get glass put in. It would be much safer... but much more quiet. But I really should start learning from mistakes, shouldn't I?

"i mean it. you so much as mention a party, and the next thing you know you wake up on fire."

"What?!" She's…laughing.

"...oh..." Of course she hasn't heard what happened. That was silly of me, too. To assume she's kept track of us and the things that go on here. Still, it isn't much to laugh at... Maybe Dash will understand after I explain. "um, pinkie left a surprise birthday cake... with lit candles... by my bed..."

"Oh, you were serious! You weren't really hurt, were you?" She's still... laughing.

Oh... Maybe she doesn't understand yet. Or maybe she already knows it wasn't a big deal. That must be it. She's just playing. She must already have heard that I wasn't hurt.

"no... i'm fine... mostly my mane got singed, but rarity fixed it."

"She did a good job. I never would've noticed."

"oh... thank you."

"Yeah... you look real good. I mean, you always do, I mean I--" She didn't know... but... But she likes my mane... She can't tell. No, even though she likes to joke, she's just too nice to tell me just how silly I look now. I lost nearly three inches and she still thinks its pretty...

"t-thank you." My face feels so hot. I must be blushing. I hope she doesn't think I'm being insincere.

Oh no. Angel is awake. He's staring and I don't know what that means. I don't think he's happy. He's hasn't been happy very much lately. He's been quite mad at me and it's been making me so sad. Or maybe he's been mad because I've sad... We'll need to talk soon, Angel and I... but right now... I... I just...

"Aren't you going to tell me how awesome I look now?" I almost want to laugh now. She's always been so cute.

"oh... you're always beautiful." The words simply happen. I don't mean for them to, but that doesn't mean that I don't mean them. I can't help but think of her as she flies. When she's up there, so perfect and graceful. So breathtaking. She is... my Rainbow Dash is... just so beautiful...

And... she's... so far away...

She's just on the other side of my bed... and I feel like she's farther away than she's ever been...

"So how is everypony else?" The way she says that, I know I've embarrassed her. I know that that should make me feel bad, but I can't because she's blushing and proving even more that I was right about how beautiful she is.

If she's going to be so shy, then I guess it's got to be my job to be brave. "why don't you ask them when you see them? that's not why you're here."

And I'm kissing her and she's kissing me back and everything is just like it was before she left.

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I don't remember falling asleep, but I have the warmest, most happy feeling when I wake up. Like the warm feeling I have when I wake up from a nice dream, only it's even nicer and warmer and better because it isn't over.

Rainbow Dash is already awake when I open my eyes. She's the one who looks tired now. I hope she's gotten enough sleep. Today's going to be such a busy day and she's already so busy in Canterlot. Oh, I'd just feel so terrible if I find out that she couldn't get any rest on her vacation.

I don't think she knows I'm awake yet. She's staring out the window and frowning. Oh no. She must be upset that she stayed here last night. She must already be thinking about going back. Her new life must be so much more exciting. She's always been much too cool for Ponyville... for me.

Oh! But now she's looking right at me and that blush is back and she isn't frowning anymore, she just looks a little scared, but she's smiling and her eyes are so soft and I feel like I'm the most important pony in all of Equestria.

"Fluttershy... I, um, I--"

She can't finish whatever is it she was trying to say, but that's alright, because she's here... she's home, and nothing has ever been more wonderful.

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the end.

Description
Note: This is a companion piece to "Wonder" by Fluttershyfire. Please see the Author's Note at the bottom for a link to the original piece.

----------
CRASH.

The sound is so startling I almost scream. I don't, though; that could wake Angel, or that poor turtle I took in yesterday. His shell is so badly cracked, he needs all the rest he can get, and I wouldn't want to disturb him by screaming. I do hope the crash didn't wake him. Oh, and I hope whatever crashed is alright. I really should go investigate.

Before I can even get to the door, I hear a knock. I get there as quickly as I can, because if whatever's out there is hurt I shouldn't leave them waiting. It's a good thing I couldn't sleep tonight; I might not have heard it otherwise.

''Uh, h-hi...''

Or... maybe I did fall asleep. I fell asleep and I'm dreaming. This is usually how my dreams start. She's here. It's Rainbow Dash outside my door and this feels much too real to be a dream. And I'm so happy just seeing her that I don't care if its just another dream and I don't even think before I'm hugging her as close as I can.

I'm not asleep and this isn't a dream. She's really here and I'm really hugging her... Oh! Maybe a bit too hard... ''s-sorry, i just, i'm very glad to see you.''

"Hey, yeah. I'm sorry, I know it's late..." She looks so nervous when she starts talking and I can't help but worry if I look upset. I'm certainly not upset, but I am a little tired and that can sometimes make it seem like I'm upset. It feels like I'm smiling, though, but I smile even wider just in case she can't tell how truly happy I am just to see her face and hear her voice.

"it's okay…" It feels so strange to be the one doing the reassuring. I've never seen Rainbow Dash look so… uncertain before. The last time I saw her, she looked so amazing. So confident up there in the sky, so stunning in her Wonderbolt uniform. Here, outside my house she just looks so... Oh my! We're still outside, aren't we? "oh! i'm sorry, please, please come in, how rude of me..."

"It's cool." She sounds so sad that it makes my heart hurt. Maybe she'll feel better if we move over to my bed. She's always been very... comfortable there. When I lay down, though, she stays so far away... Oh. Oh no... Maybe... Maybe this isn't the sort of visit I've been having dreams about...

"so do the others know you're here?" I think she needs to be distracted. Or maybe it's me who needs to be distracted.

"I haven't told anypony else that I'm here yet."

"oh. why not?"

"It's like three in the morning. Do you want a Pinkie Pie party at this hour?"

"true." I suppose it was terribly silly for me to think this was a private visit. Of course she'd want to see all of our friends. I'm sure she misses them t-- Pinkie Pie party?! She said that rather loudly. Is the window clear? Nopony else is awake, right? Right?

"What? Did you hear somepony?" Her nervousness now sounds like concern.

"you never know with pinkie pie." Maybe I should lock the window. Oh, but there's no glass in there. That would be silly. How could birds get in if I had glass... but how else could I keep... unexpected visitors out? Maybe I should get glass put in. It would be much safer... but much more quiet. But I really should start learning from mistakes, shouldn't I?

"i mean it. you so much as mention a party, and the next thing you know you wake up on fire."

"What?!" She's…laughing.

"...oh..." Of course she hasn't heard what happened. That was silly of me, too. To assume she's kept track of us and the things that go on here. Still, it isn't much to laugh at... Maybe Dash will understand after I explain. "um, pinkie left a surprise birthday cake... with lit candles... by my bed..."

"Oh, you were serious! You weren't really hurt, were you?" She's still... laughing.

Oh... Maybe she doesn't understand yet. Or maybe she already knows it wasn't a big deal. That must be it. She's just playing. She must already have heard that I wasn't hurt.

"no... i'm fine... mostly my mane got singed, but rarity fixed it."

"She did a good job. I never would've noticed."

"oh... thank you."

"Yeah... you look real good. I mean, you always do, I mean I--" She didn't know... but... But she likes my mane... She can't tell. No, even though she likes to joke, she's just too nice to tell me just how silly I look now. I lost nearly three inches and she still thinks its pretty...

"t-thank you." My face feels so hot. I must be blushing. I hope she doesn't think I'm being insincere.

Oh no. Angel is awake. He's staring and I don't know what that means. I don't think he's happy. He's hasn't been happy very much lately. He's been quite mad at me and it's been making me so sad. Or maybe he's been mad because I've sad... We'll need to talk soon, Angel and I... but right now... I... I just...

"Aren't you going to tell me how awesome I look now?" I almost want to laugh now. She's always been so cute.

"oh... you're always beautiful." The words simply happen. I don't mean for them to, but that doesn't mean that I don't mean them. I can't help but think of her as she flies. When she's up there, so perfect and graceful. So breathtaking. She is... my Rainbow Dash is... just so beautiful...

And... she's... so far away...

She's just on the other side of my bed... and I feel like she's farther away than she's ever been...

"So how is everypony else?" The way she says that, I know I've embarrassed her. I know that that should make me feel bad, but I can't because she's blushing and proving even more that I was right about how beautiful she is.

If she's going to be so shy, then I guess it's got to be my job to be brave. "why don't you ask them when you see them? that's not why you're here."

And I'm kissing her and she's kissing me back and everything is just like it was before she left.

-----------------

I don't remember falling asleep, but I have the warmest, most happy feeling when I wake up. Like the warm feeling I have when I wake up from a nice dream, only it's even nicer and warmer and better because it isn't over.

Rainbow Dash is already awake when I open my eyes. She's the one who looks tired now. I hope she's gotten enough sleep. Today's going to be such a busy day and she's already so busy in Canterlot. Oh, I'd just feel so terrible if I find out that she couldn't get any rest on her vacation.

I don't think she knows I'm awake yet. She's staring out the window and frowning. Oh no. She must be upset that she stayed here last night. She must already be thinking about going back. Her new life must be so much more exciting. She's always been much too cool for Ponyville... for me.

Oh! But now she's looking right at me and that blush is back and she isn't frowning anymore, she just looks a little scared, but she's smiling and her eyes are so soft and I feel like I'm the most important pony in all of Equestria.

"Fluttershy... I, um, I--"

She can't finish whatever is it she was trying to say, but that's alright, because she's here... she's home, and nothing has ever been more wonderful.

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the end.