Crash, boom, bang!
Fluttershy shoots up out of bed in fear. She hears the pitter patter of rain drops on the roof.
There is a big storm coming.
She doesn't like that, but can deal with it. She then hears something much more terrifying.
It is an eerie and familiar howl that she had heard before in the Everfree forest. It must be those horrible creatures that tried to eat her.
She races out of the room and runs over to the stairs. She paces back and forth wondering if she should risk trying to go downstairs in the dark. She manages to get her front legs down on the first step then freezes in fear. She can't go any further. She lets out a squeak and calls your name.
There's no answer. You are sound asleep.
She calls louder and louder, but nothing wakes you up. Fluttershy then notices a box full of tools nearby and bucks it down the stairs.
The loud clamoring of tools inside the box wakes you up instantly. You get off the couch and head over to the stairs. You flick the light switch on and find Fluttershy crying and shaking at the top of the stairs. You quickly run up the stairs and put your hoof on her shoulder. "What happened, Fluttershy?"
She looks away from you and says, "I'm so sorry. I hope I didn't frighten you. I was just so scared and I kept calling your name, but you wouldn't answer. I heard those scary creatures howling outside again and I was afraid that they had found me and would somehow get me. I knocked down your box of tools in an attempt to get your attention. I hope you're not mad at me. I just need you to be beside me right now." Fluttershy then leans her head into your side.
Your heart melts in your chest. She made all that noise in an attempt to get you to come and comfort her. You walk her back to your room and the two of you talk for a while.
She feels safe and comfortable with you in the room and eventually hops back into the bed.
You tell her that the doors are all locked and that no Timber wolves would be able to get her.
Before you are about to leave, she speaks up again, "Would you mind if uh, maybe you would..." Her voice trails off again and all you can hear is mumbling.
"Would you like me to stay here with you for the night?" you ask her.
Fluttershy warmly smiles at you with her eyes closed and nods yes.
You turn out the lights and lay down on the floor right beside the bed. You can hear the faint cries of the Timber wolves in the distance. BANG! A loud crack of thunder makes you jump a little bit. You suddenly feel a poke at your side. You look up and see her looking down at you. You flick the light switch on and look at her.
"Umm, excuse me. I didn't mean to bother you, but maybe you could perhaps come here and..."
before her voice begins to trail off you finish her sentence, "Sleep with you in the bed tonight?" Fluttershy nods innocently. Her eyes look as if she is about to cry again.
The bed you have isn't really big enough for two ponies, but somehow you manage to squeeze in and find enough room.
"Goodnight Fluttershy," you say to her as you flick the light switch off. You are about to drift off to sleep when you feel another poke at your side. You turn to see Fluttershy next to you shaking.
"I'm so sorry to bother you again." She says. "I'm uh, really freezing, even with this quilt on and I still don't feel very safe. Could you please um..." Fluttershy started to fumble for words.
You know what she is going to ask you next. You sit up against the wall of your room and tell her to come in closer to you.
She does, and looks up at you with innocent eyes.
You wrap your front leg around her neck and draw her near to you.
She throws her front legs around your body and burrows her head deep into your chest. She nuzzles you gently and lets out a soft sigh.
You take the covers and pull them over her. The quilt isn't really big enough for the both of you, so you decide to let her have it all instead. You run your hoof through her mane repeatedly and now you can feel her breathing against your chest becoming deeper and deeper. You sing to her a song that your mother used to sing to you when you were a little colt, "Hush now, quiet now. It's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now. It's time to go to bed."
Fluttershy squeezes you tighter and yawns as you sing to her.
You soon realize that you are cold, but that doesn't matter. What matters to you is that you have the mare of your dreams wrapped tightly around your body and even though you are exhausted, you don't want to fall asleep.
Fluttershy falls asleep while listening to the beating of your heart.
Nothing feels better in the world to you than to stroke her soft pink mane and listen to her deep breathing as she sleeps peacefully against your body. Eventually the sleepiness kicks in and you too fall fast asleep with her still in your hooves.