Chapter 1
It had been a little over a year since Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie began living together and blogging about their lives. They had been very close friends since they were fillies, and even when they argued, in the end it only brought them closer. On this night, however, Fluttershy needed Pinkie more than anything else.
The rain had begun just as they were going to bed. Though she had seen dark clouds as she put Angel to bed, Fluttershy had tried to convince herself that it wouldn’t be as bad as she thought it would be. The bright lights coming in from the windows proved her wrong. She whimpered and moved closer to Pinkie, who didn’t seem to be affected by it.
“You’re not afraid of thunderstorms, are you, Flutters?” Pinkie asked, hugging Fluttershy.
“It just bothers me a little, that’s all,” Fluttershy said as she tried to relax. In reality, it was probably her least favorite part about living on the ground. The flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder had always sent chills down her spine, making her fear both for her own safety and that of the other animals in her home.
At that moment, an ear-splitting crack accompanied by a blinding flash interrupted their conversation. Fearing the worst, Fluttershy leapt out of bed and ran to the window. A tree no more than fifty yards from the cottage had been split wide open. She could feel herself becoming pale as she examined the damage, her heart sinking into her stomach.
“Oh my goodness…that tree…”
“That’s so cool!” Pinkie said as she too saw what had happened. “It’s a good thing we’re safe inside, huh?”
“I don’t know, Pinkie. That was really close.”
“Oh, come on!” Pinkie whined. “Do you really think lightning is going to hit us? Let’s just go back to bed.”
Fluttershy sighed as they returned to the small bed they both shared. Now back between Pinkie’s front legs, she closed her eyes, wishing she could fall asleep and not be bothered by the thunderstorm, but sleep continued to elude her. Whenever she thought the worst of it had passed, the thunder returned, startling her. Finally she opened her eyes again to find Pinkie’s looking back into hers.
“You can’t sleep either?” Fluttershy asked.
“I’m not falling asleep before you do,” Pinkie replied. “I want to know that you’re okay.”
Fluttershy smiled, then turned to look at the clock. It was already 10 PM, well past her usual bedtime. “You know, there is something that might help me calm down.”
“A sandwich?”
“No, not that.” Fluttershy got up and left the room for a moment, then returned holding a box in her mouth, which she set down on the edge of the bed. “I thought maybe we could listen to the weather radio. That way we might be able to find out if the storm’s going to pass soon.”
“I guess that makes sense. Do you know how to use it?”
“I think so.” She climbed back into bed and moved the radio over to where she was lying, pulled out the antenna with her teeth, and turned a knob to switch it on. The faint glow of the display brought a bit of light to the room as a computerized voice started to come in.
“…Once again, the Equestria Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the Ponyville area until midnight tonight. This storm has the potential to cause serious injury and significant damage to property. Stay indoors and away from windows, plumbing, or electrical equipment. Move to a central room on the lowest floor of your home or business if at all possible. Pegasi are advised to stay low to the ground and away from trees or power lines.”
“Oh, what was I thinking? This is just making it worse.”
“Well, it said to go to the first floor, so do you want to get up and go downstairs?” Pinkie asked. “We can take some blankets and pillows to a safe room.”
Fluttershy nodded and got out of bed once again. After turning off the radio, she picked up her beloved green blanket and the big comforter, while Pinkie got the pillows. Despite it being so late, Pinkie still had a spring in her step as they trotted down the stairs to the living room, then into a walk-in closet in the hallway. After setting the pillows down and moving some boxes aside, Pinkie switched on the light and closed the door.
“Oh, I hope the animals will be alright,” Fluttershy mused as she sat down with her blanket wrapped around her.
“I’m sure they’ve seen worse than this,” Pinkie said, trying to ease her concerns. “Are you thirsty? I don’t mind getting you a juice box.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “What I really want is for you to stay with me. I’m still really scared.”
Pinkie, seemingly trying her best to be empathetic to her friend’s persistent worries, lay down next to her, throwing the comforter across both of them. “I’ll stay with you for as long as you need,” she said softly as she brushed her face across Fluttershy’s. Eventually the quiver of Fluttershy’s lips faded into a small smile as she finally began to feel safe.
Just as her now-heavy eyelids began to fall, the light suddenly went out in the closet. Half a second later, a powerful rumble of thunder filled their ears. The power had been knocked out by the lightning, stealing from Fluttershy the security of seeing the one she cared for more than anypony else near her in her time of need. Finally the tension became too much, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream.
“NO! FLUTTERSHY! KEEP IT TOGETHER!” Pinkie shouted, straining to be heard over Fluttershy’s cries and the now-roaring wind. Though neither pony could see anything, Pinkie threw her hooves out and found Fluttershy in the darkness, pulling her near herself. “Please, for Celestia’s sake, stay with me, Flutters! I…I love you!”
The moment those three magical words left Pinkie’s lips, a light miraculously began to appear around them, getting a little bit brighter every second. Too baffled to say or do anything, Pinkie and Fluttershy simply stared at each other in shock. Though they already knew that Pinkie had some sort of supernatural power, this was above and beyond anything either of them had ever seen.
Fluttershy broke the silence. “Pinkie...Are you doing this?”
“No…We are doing this.”
As if their minds were connected, the two ponies moved in closer simultaneously, finding each other in a passionate kiss. Everything else, including the thunderstorm, seemed to melt away. In that moment, only they existed.
When their eyes opened again, they were no longer huddled up in a closet, but lying in each other’s embrace in their bedroom. The storm was finally over.
“That’s how it ends?” Pinkie thought aloud. “We’re downstairs one moment, and the next we’re back in here? Who writes this stuff?”
Fluttershy simply blinked, still trying to wrap her mind over what had just happened. “Did our…um…affection drive away the storm?”
“I guess so.”
The two laughed, relieved that they had made it out, while at the same time astounded that the power of friendship could grow into something so amazing. There was no way any of their followers would believe them, but they knew, and that was all that mattered.