Fluttershy frowned and sighed as she looked out her window. Big billowy clouds filled up the sky, darkening her home, and further darkening her mood.
Her house and yard, normally bustling with animals that could cheer her up, was eerily silent. The deep overcast had spooked the chickens, causing them to hide in their coop. The songbirds were listless. Even Angel was refusing to listen to her – he was still angry with her over something she had done last night, although she didn’t remember what it was.
“Maybe I did something to deserve this,” she said to herself. “Do I dare find somepony to …”
After a few minutes of staring out the window, wallowing in self-pity, she was startled by two things. First was the sound of some creature stirring in her kitchen. Second was the sight of Rarity strolling by.
She was wearing a wide-brimmed purple hat, decked with white flowers and a gleaming golden band. Her festive hat matched the golden strands decorating her tail and mane, but clashed with the expression on her face. Her mouth turned downwards in an exaggerated frown, and her quivering eyes darted to and fro, searching in vain for anypony else to appreciate her.
Fluttershy’s eyes lit up for a moment, and she zipped out the door.
“Oh, hello Rarity,” she said softly.
“Fluttershy, dear, so good to see somepony around. This depressing weather is keeping everypony indoors, so nopony can appreciate my new hat. AND I don’t have the sunshine I need to emphasize my new hairstyle,” she said twitching her tail, which just barely gleamed.
“That is a nice hat,” said Fluttershy, “Can you –“
“Oh, do you like it?” she said, strutting a little. “It’s a simple little off-the-shelf number, but the band and the flowers are my own personal touches.”
“Um, Rarity, could you please –“
“Of course, when I got up this morning, there was plenty of sun,” she continued, “but by the time I got out of the salon, these dreadful clouds were everywhere.”
“Yes, that is a nice style,” Fluttershy said. “I need a little –“
“Isn’t it? And I was about to buy some shoes to match,” she moaned, “but now I don’t even know if it’s worthwhile –“
“Rarity could you do me a little favor?” Fluttershy finally said. “Please? It won’t take long.”
Rarity abruptly broke off her complaining. She looked Fluttershy in the eye for a second. Her expression on her face quickly changed from sadness to concern.
“Of course I’ll help you,” said Rarity without a hint of hesitation.
“Now, Fluttershy, you know you can talk to me about anything,” said Rarity, sitting down on Fluttershy’s sofa.
“I know,” said Fluttershy as she zipped into the kitchen.
“No matter what’s troubling you, I’m here to help,” continued Rarity as she levitated her hat onto a coat rack. She stared at the doorway to the kitchen, listening to a few clinks and thumps coming out of it. “You need any help in there?”
“No, just wait out there. I’ll get everything ready myself,” replied Fluttershy. “Oh, excuse me,” she added as a rather loud clatter came from the kitchen.
Soon she emerged into the living room carrying a large cardboard box. Inside the box were five tiny black and white kittens. They were resting on a white blanket, some of them mewing, and some of them just yawning. She set the box on the couch, and sat down on the floor beside it.
“Aww,” said Rarity as the concern and sadness melted away from her face. She loomed over the kittens, her eyes unable to stay fixed on any one of them. One of them batted a paw in the air as Rarity’s horn cast a shadow over her. “Awwwwwww,” cooed Rarity.
“They just opened their eyes a week ago,” said Fluttershy. “Mama’s feeling very sick, so she can’t feed them.”
Fluttershy produced a warm bottle of milk and two medicine droppers. She filled them with milk and offered one to Rarity.
Fluttershy picked up a kitten with one foreleg. “Hold a kitten like this,” she said, “and put the dropper right in front of his mouth. When he notices it, he’ll take the tip in his mouth, and that’s when you slowly squeeze the milk out.”
Fluttershy demonstrated. The fluffy kitten she was holding was mostly black with patches of white on its cheeks, neck, and paws. He quickly found the tip of the dropper and opened and closed his mouth around it, licking it over and over.
Rarity’s eyes widened and her lip quivered as she watched Fluttershy squeeze milk into his mouth. Then, she carefully picked up a kitten with a white belly and black back and ears. The kitten quickly found the tip of the offered medicine dropper.
“Oh!” she squealed with delight, as she squeezed milk into the kitten’s mouth.
Rarity and Fluttershy smiled as they squeezed milk into the mouths of the hungry kittens. The room’s silence was only broken by an occasional mew, “oh”s and “ah”s from Rarity, and a quiet squeal from Fluttershy as she picked up each kitten.
When the kittens were all fed, they were very sleepy. They were making unsteady purring sounds as they settled in to the folds of their blanket, their paws trying to grab at its edges.
“There you go,” said Fluttershy as she set the last kitten in the box. She lay down on the floor and smiled at Rarity. “Thank you ever so much for your help, Rarity. I could have done it myself, but sometimes it’s good to have company.”
Rarity’s lip quivered. She seemed close to tears. “Oh, Fluttershy! Why it’s not a burden at all,” she beamed. “I’m always glad to help out a good friend like you.”
She climbed off the sofa and onto the floor. “In fact, I’m absolutely flattered that you would trust me, little old Rarity, to help you with such a delicate task.”
“I know I can count on your delicate touch,” said Fluttershy with a smile.
“Oh, Fluttershy, thank you so much!” she cried.
Rarity lay down beside her. She put one foreleg down beside Fluttershy and wrapped the other around her. Rarity squeezed firmly as she rested her face on Fluttershy’s neck. Fluttershy smiled and sighed gently as she nuzzled Rarity’s leg.
Rarity squeezed her eyes shut, blinking away a tear or two, as she hugged Fluttershy a little tighter. Fluttershy smiled as she felt deep emotional warmth flow through Rarity to her. She regarded Rarity’s contented expression through vision that was a little hazy; she was on the verge of napping. But she remained awake. With half-open eyes, she silently reveled in her physical and emotional closeness to her friend, and in the joy in caring that the two of them had just shared.
As they lay together, the clouds drifted away, leaving a bright, warm ray of sunlight to sparkle the highlights in Rarity’s mane. The feel of the sun and of Rarity’s body warmed Fluttershy to her core. Rarity and Fluttershy lay together cuddling in the sunbeam for the rest of the morning.