"What are you talking about?" Fluttershy demanded, her words barely able to leave her constricted throat. The winds howled around the bubble, and lightning struck with colors she'd never seen before. Thunder left her half deafened, but it seemed like it was only gaining power. Backing up until her hind hooves touched the edge of the princess' magic, Fluttershy looked around for an escape route she could use. Unfortunately, unless she left the safety of the orb entirely, she was stuck here with Luna.
"The storm of nightmares is growing because of your fear," Luna replied, watching her not unkindly. Fluttershy made a sound of mixed annoyance and desperation.
"Can't you just make it stop?!" she cried, shaking her mane violently while she trembled from tip to tail. Luna sighed, readjusting her wings on her back, then looking back to the heart of the clouds continuing to dump on them. She watched the clouds as lightning flashed in the colors of the rainbow, listened as the thunder roared and the winds screamed around them.
"I can only mitigate the dreams, and console the dreamer," Luna said softly, which did not bring any comfort. "These nightmares have manifested as a storm because that is what ye fear, Fluttershy."
This was not an acceptable answer. While fear may have gripped her barrel so tightly she could barely breathe, anger began coloring her vision. "You're the patron of dreams! You have to do something!" she cried, flaring her wings as the tangled emotions roiled within her to echo the storm around them.
"Fluttershy, I am doing something," Luna replied, annoyance tinting her words. "Did you think that this orb of magic was me doing nothing?" She stood then, and Fluttershy cowered immediately.
"Please, make it stop," Fluttershy begged, tears forming in her eyes while her wings drooped to the ground. "I just want it to go away, I want you to go away, I want to wake up!" Princess Luna watched her carefully then, tossing her mane and shaking her forelock out of one eye.
"This is your trial, not mine," Luna said evenly. "You have to stop the storm yourself, only then will the dream become one ye can awaken from." Fluttershy all but screamed in frustration, bile choking her while she struggled to keep the contents of her stomach down. With that Luna sighed, laying down again. "I can offer you advice, but this is the most I can interfere with your dream unless it causes significant harm to you."
Fluttershy shook her head violently, her mane flying every which way while she considered her options. She had to stop this crazy storm so she could escape, so that's what she was going to do. Problem was, she wasn't entirely sure how to go about it with tall, dark, and imposing sitting a few feet away like this was just another Tuesday. While her inner panic settled into a high-pitched hum in the back of her mind, she decided to try and think of different scenarios.
Her mind immediately leapt to the absolute worst conclusions, which didn't help any. Growling softly to herself, she managed to thrust these images aside before they became reality in this demented hellscape. She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to concentrate, attempting to remember everything she knew about storms in general. Fluttershy knew that lightning was discharging electricity in the air, and that thunder was the sound that followed.
She also rationally knew that the only truly dangerous part of storms were being struck by an actual bolt, or getting hit with downed branches or other debris that was carried around by the winds that tended to accompany storms like this. Her brain then screamed about roofs being torn off, trees through windows, and ponies dying from being struck by large hailstones to the head. Again, with effort Fluttershy pushed these thoughts aside, though it was tempting to give in to the fear and just scream until her throat was torn and she could no longer emit any sound.
It was difficult to try and work out a solution with an audience, dream or not. Digging deep within herself, Fluttershy found the bits of strength within her that allowed her to tame Discord. This is what she needed to combat the nightmare, to turn it back into something that she could deal with that wasn't a trial. Tugging, pulling, all but yanking on that strength, Fluttershy opened her eyes as determination filled her.
Her teal gaze was centered on the storm, and her mind focused into a single, cohesive thought. Stop!
The maelstrom seemed to pause, lightning hovering in the air as though time itself had come to a standstill. Rolling thunder became a halted note, the sound eerie as the trees stilled and the rain hovered. Princess Luna looked on while Fluttershy worked on conquering this nightmare on her own. It was a crucial moment, and she knew that by offering any advice would destroy what Fluttershy was building, so she wisely remained silent while observing what the pegasus was doing.
Narrowing her eyes in concentration, Fluttershy tackled one thing at a time. First she took the wind and dialed it down to a mere breeze, then convinced the rain to fade into a mist, then nothing at all. Then she had the lightning cease and the thunder stop, and as she collapsed onto the ground, Fluttershy got the clouds to reverse course, then vanish. Panting heavily, a small smile crossed her face while she rested.
"Well done," Luna murmured, lifting the magical orb that had been protecting them. Without waiting for any reply from her companion, the azure alicorn merely stood slowly from her spot, beamed down to Fluttershy, then turned and began to walk away. Her task complete, she was intending to leave Fluttershy's dream since it was now back on a normal course.
"Wait!" Fluttershy called. Princess Luna paused, looking back at her. "Now what do I do?"
Luna grinned. "Now ye finish your dream as it was meant to, and wake up when it is time," she replied, then resumed walking. Once she was out of eyesight, Princess Luna left Fluttershy's dream.
"Easier said than done," Fluttershy muttered, watching the princess leave. At least for now she could simply catch her breath, then she could worry about how she was going to get out of this dream and back into the waking world. The scents of wildflowers tickled her nose, and the birdsong in the air comforted her. Much better than the storm that had seemed like it was going to last for an eternity.