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Description
A few nights later, as Rainbow Dash was putting Tank to bed, she heard a familiar voice out on the porch of her house in the clouds.

"R-Rainbow Dash?"

The pegasus flew outside to find a very frightened-looking Fluttershy cowering on her porch. Instantly, Rainbow Dash's stomach twisted and she bit back a flinch. She hated seeing that fear. "Are you okay, Fluttershy?" she asked, approaching her hesitantly.

Fluttershy nodded silently, then jumped slightly as a clap of thunder resonated across the darkening skies. Dash looked past her to the skyscape. The weather pegasi were out and about, busily bouncing rain and lightning out of the cloud cover. The rainbow pegasus could have kicked herself. How could she have forgotten the weather patrol was making a storm tonight?! Another clap of thunder boomed, and Fluttershy squeaked, shivering.

"Fluttershy…you flew all the way up here in a storm?" Rainbow's house was above the cloudline, so the storm raged beneath her home, not over it. The skies above her house were clear.

The yellow filly nodded, droplets of rain dripping from her coat. Rainbow Dash flinched. No wonder the poor pony was shaking like a leaf!

"Y-you said if I was ever afraid to sleep by myself, I should c-come up here. I-if that's not okay I can leave…"

"No!" the blue pony practically shouted. Catching herself, she chuckled awkwardly. "I mean, of course it's okay. You're totally allowed to stay here tonight." Rainbow looked over the shivering pegasus. "Why don't we take you inside and dry you off? You're soaked." She gently led her friend inside and brought one of her fluffiest clouds to dry her off with.

"T-thank you, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy whispered, still shivering a bit.

"No problem." She grinned, teasingly rumpling her mane. The yellow filly smiled shyly and straightened it with the cloud Dash had given her.

The noise of their conversation woke up a certain sleeping tortoise, and Tank came hovering over in his heli-shell and gently bumped into Fluttershy affectionately.

"Tank!" Rainbow Dash protested. "I just put you to bed!"

But Tank gave her an imploring look and turned—slowly—back to Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus, of course, was delighted to see him and greeted him happily. After several minutes of chatter and cuddles, Rainbow finally managed to get her pet back in bed. As she was coming back to her guest, the weather ponies cracked a huge bolt of lightning directly under house and suddenly Fluttershy tackled her in a crushing, terrified embrace.

"F-Fluttershy!" gasped Rainbow Dash. "C-can't—breathe!"

Slowly the other pegasus loosened her grip. "Oh, I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. I just get so startled."

As the vise grip on her windpipe opened, the blue pony was able to return Fluttershy's clinging embrace, gently stroking her mane and making soothing noises. "Shh, it's okay, Fluttershy. You're fine."

The frightened tension in the shy pony's shoulders began to relax, and she leaned into Dash's protective hug. The blue pegasus sat down and pulled her friend into her lap, slowly rocking her. "Everything's fine. Don't worry. The storm isn't supposed to last all night."

"You're the best friend anypony could ever have, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy whispered, burying her face in her friend's neck.

The words made rose-colored eyes shoot open in surprise, not to mention the series of electric thrills radiating from the places where the yellow filly's forehead grazed the flesh of her neck. But she recovered in time to answer normally, swallowing the butterflies in her stomach.

"J-just trying to make sure you're okay, 'Shy," she mumbled, squeezing her gently.

The yellow pegasus closed her eyes. "I'm fine now," she whispered, the softness of her breath causing Dash's fur to stand on end.

"I don't like it when you're scared," Rainbow Dash suddenly blurted, biting her tongue the moment she'd said it. Well, if Fluttershy hadn't known how Dash felt about her before, she certainly did now.

But Fluttershy just stammered. "I-I know, I'm sorry. I know how much it bothers everypony when I act like such a scaredy-pony."

The blue pony stiffened. "W-what! No, no, that's not what I meant!" Ponyfeathers, she cursed in her head. Now she'd made it worse!

"What did you mean, Rainbow Dash?"

"W-well—" suddenly, the words stuck in her throat. She choked, swallowed, and tried again. "I-I don't like it when you're scared because I don't want you to be—" Gah, where were the words?! "—I don't want you to be unhappy."

"What?" the yellow filly looked up at her protector, large aquamarine eyes still confused.

Dash swallowed, staring down at her. "I don't want you to be scared. It makes me want to beat up whatever's scaring you." So kicking a dragon in the mouth hadn't turned out to be the best idea, but still.

"R-really?"

Celestia, this pony was just going to keep dragging it out of her, wasn't she?! She took a deep breath. "Yes, Fluttershy. Really."

The look in those scintillating blue eyes turned every bone in Rainbow Dash's body to water. Her breath started to shake, and Fluttershy continued to just…look at her.

"Celestia, Fluttershy!" Dash finally rasped. "Say something!"

The sweet yellow face staring at her slowly turned pink, and finally she whispered, "Is that why you get so mad at me?"

The blue pony's bones came back, made of lead. Frustration started to take hold. "No, Fluttershy! I've never been mad at you! I just get like that so nopony would know how much I care about you!" she cried with sudden abandon. Dash stared down at the clearly surprised Fluttershy, waiting nervously for her reaction.

"O-of course, we're friends—"

"More than that."

"More than friends?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. Fluttershy stared at her. Rainbow Dash swallowed hard. Fluttershy turned pink. "R-Rainbow Dash…" She turned even pinker, trying to speak, but no sound surfaced.

The blue pony wilted. She cursed in her head. Obviously Fluttershy didn't return her feelings. She turned her head, releasing her embrace on her friend.

But Fluttershy didn't let go of her protector. "Rainbow Dash, why won't you look at me?"

"'Shy, you know I usually don't spill my guts like that," she muttered through gritted teeth, keeping her eyes pointedly away from the yellow filly, turning her head as far as she could to hide her face.

"I-I know," Fluttershy whispered, "But I can't talk to you if you won't look at me."

Dash spun angrily, glaring at her through tear-blurred eyes. Fluttershy hesitated only a moment before closing the gap between them with the very softest of kisses. Dash's eyes shot open, then the tears held therein spilled hotly over her cheeks as her eyes closed again and she returned the softness of Fluttershy's touch.

Description
A few nights later, as Rainbow Dash was putting Tank to bed, she heard a familiar voice out on the porch of her house in the clouds.

"R-Rainbow Dash?"

The pegasus flew outside to find a very frightened-looking Fluttershy cowering on her porch. Instantly, Rainbow Dash's stomach twisted and she bit back a flinch. She hated seeing that fear. "Are you okay, Fluttershy?" she asked, approaching her hesitantly.

Fluttershy nodded silently, then jumped slightly as a clap of thunder resonated across the darkening skies. Dash looked past her to the skyscape. The weather pegasi were out and about, busily bouncing rain and lightning out of the cloud cover. The rainbow pegasus could have kicked herself. How could she have forgotten the weather patrol was making a storm tonight?! Another clap of thunder boomed, and Fluttershy squeaked, shivering.

"Fluttershy…you flew all the way up here in a storm?" Rainbow's house was above the cloudline, so the storm raged beneath her home, not over it. The skies above her house were clear.

The yellow filly nodded, droplets of rain dripping from her coat. Rainbow Dash flinched. No wonder the poor pony was shaking like a leaf!

"Y-you said if I was ever afraid to sleep by myself, I should c-come up here. I-if that's not okay I can leave…"

"No!" the blue pony practically shouted. Catching herself, she chuckled awkwardly. "I mean, of course it's okay. You're totally allowed to stay here tonight." Rainbow looked over the shivering pegasus. "Why don't we take you inside and dry you off? You're soaked." She gently led her friend inside and brought one of her fluffiest clouds to dry her off with.

"T-thank you, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy whispered, still shivering a bit.

"No problem." She grinned, teasingly rumpling her mane. The yellow filly smiled shyly and straightened it with the cloud Dash had given her.

The noise of their conversation woke up a certain sleeping tortoise, and Tank came hovering over in his heli-shell and gently bumped into Fluttershy affectionately.

"Tank!" Rainbow Dash protested. "I just put you to bed!"

But Tank gave her an imploring look and turned—slowly—back to Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus, of course, was delighted to see him and greeted him happily. After several minutes of chatter and cuddles, Rainbow finally managed to get her pet back in bed. As she was coming back to her guest, the weather ponies cracked a huge bolt of lightning directly under house and suddenly Fluttershy tackled her in a crushing, terrified embrace.

"F-Fluttershy!" gasped Rainbow Dash. "C-can't—breathe!"

Slowly the other pegasus loosened her grip. "Oh, I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. I just get so startled."

As the vise grip on her windpipe opened, the blue pony was able to return Fluttershy's clinging embrace, gently stroking her mane and making soothing noises. "Shh, it's okay, Fluttershy. You're fine."

The frightened tension in the shy pony's shoulders began to relax, and she leaned into Dash's protective hug. The blue pegasus sat down and pulled her friend into her lap, slowly rocking her. "Everything's fine. Don't worry. The storm isn't supposed to last all night."

"You're the best friend anypony could ever have, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy whispered, burying her face in her friend's neck.

The words made rose-colored eyes shoot open in surprise, not to mention the series of electric thrills radiating from the places where the yellow filly's forehead grazed the flesh of her neck. But she recovered in time to answer normally, swallowing the butterflies in her stomach.

"J-just trying to make sure you're okay, 'Shy," she mumbled, squeezing her gently.

The yellow pegasus closed her eyes. "I'm fine now," she whispered, the softness of her breath causing Dash's fur to stand on end.

"I don't like it when you're scared," Rainbow Dash suddenly blurted, biting her tongue the moment she'd said it. Well, if Fluttershy hadn't known how Dash felt about her before, she certainly did now.

But Fluttershy just stammered. "I-I know, I'm sorry. I know how much it bothers everypony when I act like such a scaredy-pony."

The blue pony stiffened. "W-what! No, no, that's not what I meant!" Ponyfeathers, she cursed in her head. Now she'd made it worse!

"What did you mean, Rainbow Dash?"

"W-well—" suddenly, the words stuck in her throat. She choked, swallowed, and tried again. "I-I don't like it when you're scared because I don't want you to be—" Gah, where were the words?! "—I don't want you to be unhappy."

"What?" the yellow filly looked up at her protector, large aquamarine eyes still confused.

Dash swallowed, staring down at her. "I don't want you to be scared. It makes me want to beat up whatever's scaring you." So kicking a dragon in the mouth hadn't turned out to be the best idea, but still.

"R-really?"

Celestia, this pony was just going to keep dragging it out of her, wasn't she?! She took a deep breath. "Yes, Fluttershy. Really."

The look in those scintillating blue eyes turned every bone in Rainbow Dash's body to water. Her breath started to shake, and Fluttershy continued to just…look at her.

"Celestia, Fluttershy!" Dash finally rasped. "Say something!"

The sweet yellow face staring at her slowly turned pink, and finally she whispered, "Is that why you get so mad at me?"

The blue pony's bones came back, made of lead. Frustration started to take hold. "No, Fluttershy! I've never been mad at you! I just get like that so nopony would know how much I care about you!" she cried with sudden abandon. Dash stared down at the clearly surprised Fluttershy, waiting nervously for her reaction.

"O-of course, we're friends—"

"More than that."

"More than friends?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. Fluttershy stared at her. Rainbow Dash swallowed hard. Fluttershy turned pink. "R-Rainbow Dash…" She turned even pinker, trying to speak, but no sound surfaced.

The blue pony wilted. She cursed in her head. Obviously Fluttershy didn't return her feelings. She turned her head, releasing her embrace on her friend.

But Fluttershy didn't let go of her protector. "Rainbow Dash, why won't you look at me?"

"'Shy, you know I usually don't spill my guts like that," she muttered through gritted teeth, keeping her eyes pointedly away from the yellow filly, turning her head as far as she could to hide her face.

"I-I know," Fluttershy whispered, "But I can't talk to you if you won't look at me."

Dash spun angrily, glaring at her through tear-blurred eyes. Fluttershy hesitated only a moment before closing the gap between them with the very softest of kisses. Dash's eyes shot open, then the tears held therein spilled hotly over her cheeks as her eyes closed again and she returned the softness of Fluttershy's touch.