Chapter 1:
Ponyville wasn't unfamiliar with heavy storms, being a town heavily populated by Earth Ponies, many grew crops to sell at market, Sweet Apple Acres notwithstanding. However even Ponyvillians had to barricade themselves for the storm which now began to rage outside. Princess Twilight Sparkle and her assistant Spike had just finished barricading the last windows (even though the castle would most likely stand up to a Mach 5 Tornado, they always stood on the side of caution). Twilight brushed a bead of sweat away and sighed "Welp, that's the last of them!" Spike could only fall to the ground, if not a bit too dramatically.
"Finally! How many windows does this dang castle need anyway?" Spike asked, exhausted.
Twilight could only chuckle as she thought back to when the storm was first relayed to them by the Ponyville Weather Team.
Rainbow Dash, putting on her "best" professional voice and posture, cleared her throat before she began to read the important document in her hoof, "In order to make-up for the continuous errors in the Cloudsdale Storm Committee, we have permission to create a storm up to Level 4." This left many a Pegasus in a panicked uproar while most Unicorns and Earth ponies could only look on in confusion. Twilight, however, having read up on everything Pegasus after sprouting her own pair of wings, understood that a Level 4 storm was like being hit with a Mach 2 Tornado. Twilight jumped as the first burst of thunder made itself known.
"Welp, I better lock the door before the winds blow it off its hinges," she thought to herself, but just as she was about to lock the door, a bellowing cry could be heard outside.
"H-Hold on! Pl-Please!"
Twilight stared in shock as a yellow and pink blur dived into the castle, "Fl-Fluttershy!? What in Celestia's Light were you doing out in that!?" She was only answered by a quiet, shivering noise. "Spike, hurry and grab some towels!"
Spike ran to the top of the castle's stairway. "What, did the rain bust thro-" He stopped, mouth agape as he stared at the soaked Fluttershy. "Be right back!" Twilight quickly moved her friend in front of the massive fireplace as the purple dragon shot off for towels.
"Fluttershy, are you ok...?" A nodding motion came from behind the drenched mane.
"What were you doing out there?" she repeated her earlier question to the calming Pegasus.
"You see..." she began to speak in between shivers "After R-Rainbow Dash gave us the m-message, I went around Ponyville, making sure all of the animals’ homes were secure for the storm...I had just finished m-making sure Mr. and Mrs. Fox's b-burrow was safely sealed when the rain started..."
Twilight could only smile, her earlier panic melting away. "Of course that's what she was doing..." she had just levitated another piece of firewood onto the fire, reaching out her wing for Fluttershy when Spike came down with a stack of towels.
Twilight quickly shot back her wing as she took one of the towels, something Spike, however clearly noticed "Oh, this is going to be fun."
"Thanks Spike." He nodded and went over to sit by Twilight.
"You know, I could always just light this, why do you even buy firewood?" Spike turned his head only to see a concerned Twilight fixing towels around Fluttershy's coat, mane, and even laying one on her tail. Twilight was just about to scoot closer to Fluttershy;
"You know Twilight," Spike said, "there's a such thing as too much warmth." Spike barely hid his mischievous smile as Twilight turned back to her draconic friend, a small blush across her face.
"Well, I j-just don't want her to catch a cold or anything!"
"Twilight, I'm so sorry to worry you..." Fluttershy said, burying herself in the towels "I-I promise I won't be a burden like this again"
"Fluttershy...Don't you even say that..." Fluttershy's eyes turned to look directly into Twilight's, a shared blush between them. "This castle is as much yours as it is mine...You are one of my dearest friends..." Twilight was just about to grab Fluttershy's hoof when Spike spoke up once more.
"Not to mention that throne with the butterflies, I mean, that isn't exactly meant for Snips and Snails."
Twilight glared at him. "Spike, I'm trying to comfort a friend and all you can do is–" her scolding was put on halt by the tiniest of giggles from the pony bundled in towels.
Spike crossed his arms proudly "Finally, somepony with a sense of humor around here, seriously Twi, maybe you could take some lessons in taking a joke from Fluttershy here."
Twilight sighed with annoyance, "Spike, isn't it close to your bedtime?"
"I haven't had a bedtime in 2 years!" the purple dragon stood up in protest.
"Well, as a Princess of Equestria," – Twilight stood up and flared her wings– "I am issuing that all dragons serving as Assistants to a Princess must be in bed by..." –She quickly looked up at her clock– "9:45!"
Spike could only throw up his arms in surrender. "Fine, whatever, if you wanna spend time with Fluttershy that bad, be my guest!" He grumbled past Twilight and Fluttershy into the kitchen and back with his gem jar in hand "If you're sending me to bed, then I'm taking my midnight snack to go..."
~ ~ ~
Just as Spike reached the top of the staircase, he grinned at his brilliant acting skills. "Looks like Rarity's rubbing off on me." He looked quickly over the banister, "Go get her Twi..." He happily walked his way to his room, proud to have helped his friend and sister, but even happier to have gotten away with the whole gem jar!