The weather outside is the worst you have ever seen it. Wind howls like a pack of angry wolves, rain falls in bullets that crash to the earth, and thunder exploded over head like war-time artillery fire. For the first time in a long time, in that big house of your parents, you were scared to be alone. You had barely arrived back half an hour ago, moments before the storm began. You barely had enough time to close any open windows, lock the doors, and make sure there were no leaks in your father’s wine cellar before the first clap of thunder made you jump what felt like three feet into the air. Since then, you had lit every candle and filled every oil lamp in your home, but the lights only exaggerated and made the shadows from the trees outside look all the more frightening and alien.

You sat huddled on your parent’s antique couch, the one with the red suede cushions that your father loved so much, clutching a thin, blue sheet around your shivering frame. You were cold, even with a fire roaring away in the fire place, you were still unable to get warm. When you were young, storms like this were enough to send you’re cowering under your bed for hours. Whenever you heard the ruble of thunder, be it distant or directly over head, you would grab your favorite blanket in your teeth and dash under your bed, shaking and whimpering every time you saw the flash of lightning. Your father and you shared the same fear of thunder and storms, one of the few things you both had in common.

As a young colt, your father lived in Cloudsdale, but stayed the summers with his grandparents at their sprawling estate outside the western edge of the Everfree forest. After a night of exploring the grounds, your father grew curious of the woods just down the hill from where he was staying. Even though he was told of the dangers and creatures that lurk in the woods, his young colt mind was more interested in the prospect of adventure then it was about the idea of danger. After he was sure everyone had gone to sleep, he snuck out of his room through the window, and quickly made his way to the woods with only a candle to light his way. At first, your father said it was fun, and that he saw many forms of wildlife that weren’t native to Cloudsdale. Snakes, frogs, Dragon Flies, Lightning Bugs, all of them fascinated him. Before he knew it, father had found himself almost a mile deep in the woods.

But the fun would be short lived when he realized that he had no way back, no way to tell which direction he had come from. Was he facing north, or south? Was east to the right of him, or was that west? The young colt shivered when he felt the wind whip around him, and sought cover under a fallen tree that provided a small alcove, when thunder began to rumble overhead. It wasn’t long before your father grew to regret his decision to venture into the woods, and when the largest storm of the year broke out over his barely sheltered head, he knew that it would be a long night. The storm raged for a good three hours before his grandfather, your great grandfather, went to check on your father, only to find that he was missing. Spotting an open window, it didn’t take long for your great grandfather to put the pieces together and come to the conclusion that his only grandchild, despite his various warnings, had ventured into one of the most dangerous places in all of Equestria, alone, and during the precipice of what would be called the “storm of the century.”

Your father had told you that story countless times when you were young, and, even thought he meant it to instill the dangers of the Everfree forest, he instead instilled a deep fear of thunder storms into your little, colt brain. Even though he story turned out for the better, (your great grandfather rounded up every servant pony and hired hoof he could to search for your father until he was found and brought back home), you could never shake the intensity and detail that your father put into describing that particular storm.

Now, cowering under the thin sheet on our parent’s couch, while watching the shadows dance menacingly on the walls, you thought that perhaps this storm would be your storm; the storm you tell your children about that will inevitably result in their very own deep rooted fears. You wished it would stop, oh how you wished it would stop! The wind blew louder and louder, and the rain came down harder and harder. At one point, a clap of thunder broke so loudly over your house, that you felt the rumble resonate up and down your spine before you dove under the couch, clutching the sheet in your teeth like you did that blanket so many years ago.

You thought back to what you used to do when thunder storms frightened you. As a colt, you cried out to your mother until she found you and held you close to her bosom, rocking you back and forth and quietly singing your favorite lullaby until you fell back a sleep. But now you were a grown stallion, and while you longed for that warmth comfort that she offered, you were too big to fall back on such childish wants of comfort. But you wished that you could.  Another crack of thunder and you bolted out from under the couch, almost jumping into the roaring flames. The heat from the flames was a calming change from the drafty area around the couch, but you still couldn’t help but shiver from fear. No one was around to hold you; no one was around to make it all right. But it had been that way for a long time. You were grown, and no longer needed the childish codling of a parent and a lullaby. No, you had long since developed your own techniques to cope with your fears.

You lay on the floor, under your blanket, and closed your eyes, calling fourth memories and images that made you happy. A sunny day. Laying under a tree in the middle of summer. The taste of a piece of candy. The soft curves of Rainbow Dash’s body as she sat up on your bed, her mane tussled and messy from a night of long, passionate-

Your eyes spring open and your furiously shake your head, trying to dispel that last thought. “No, no, no! Rainbow Dash is NOT… She’s… She… “You sigh as you slump back to the flour, rolling over onto your back and looking up at the ceiling. “Rainbow Dash is… not… a viable form… of… comfort.” You sigh again as the words pass your lips, gulping back a sudden surge of stomach churning sadness as it tries to worm it’s way up your throat. After a few moment of mental cleansing, you try again to conjure up more happy thoughts.

“A sunny day… sitting outside…  eating… strawberry cheesecake!” You lick your lips as you imagine sitting in a beautiful garden with a large cheesecake all to yourself, complete with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

“I…. I cut myself a big piece… extra whipped cream… and I just dig in! You smile and your stomach growls as you imagine how good the cake would taste, how light and fluffy the whipped cream would be, and how Rainbow Dash would playfully lick the remains of it off your snout, then return for a slower lick, looking you in the eyes as your heart raced and-

Again your eyes snap open. Your heart racers as the sensual image freezes in your mind, Rainbow’s soft pink tongue on your nose as your eyes lock. Alright, obviously this wasn’t going anywhere. No matter what scenario you chose, Rainbow would be there. A relaxing bath? Dash would be on the opposite end of the tub. A hike through the woods? You would find Rainbow bathing in a spring, becoming you to join her with a “come hither” stare. A simple morning sleeping in? You would roll over and find Dash next to you, her warm body pressed against yours.

There was no way you were going to win this mental tug of war with your mind. The storm outside had not settled in the least; in fact, it had grown worse, as impossible as that might have seem. You could actually hear your house groan as the wind blew against it. Were this a lesser house, you might have been worried what damage it might sustain. But your parents spared no expense in having it made, meaning it was up to standards on par with that of buildings in Canterlot. Still, the storm unnerved you, and if you didn’t find a way to calm yourself down soon, you feared that you would break down into full on panic.

As much as you wanted to force her from your mind, you still found comfort in Rainbow Dash; the fantasies that your brain came up with were more calming then anything you could think of, and if Rainbow Dash was what you apparently wanted to see, maybe you should indulge it. You sighed in defeat as you close your eyes again and begin to picture a fantasy that had been on your mind since you met the cyan pegasus. At first, everything is black, then, like somepony turning on a switch, a scene of tranquil beauty appears in your mind. In the scenario, you are sitting under a tree on a hill, a light breeze rolling past you as you opened your eyes to see Rainbow Dash making her way up the hill towards where you sat.

After a moment of simply watching her walk up, the mare of your dreams stood inches away from you. For a moment, the two of you simply stare at each other, until Rainbow takes advantage of the moment and kisses you just how you had always wanted a mare to kiss you; strong, slow, and full of passion. Your eyes roll back in your head as you become lost in the ecstasy of the moment. Waves of pleasure wash over you as you enjoy the feel of her lips placed on yours, her mouth opening as her tongue presses against your lips, trying to find a way inside. You can almost feel her hot breath on your coat as he lips move down to your neck, touching softer and softer as she moved her lips up and own your neck until…

A serious of loud and sudden bangs on your door causes you to leap into the air, your limbs spasming outward as if an electrical current had been sent coursing through your body. Your heart races as you zip to the door, your mind already imagining the most horrible of horrors on the other side. As you let your heart settle down, you’re surprised to hear the knocking persist, especially over the sounds of the storm outside. Since you let your mind slip away into your fantasy, the storm had grown even worse. You hear the crack of wood and groan of upturning earth, followed by a faint scream and more banging on your door.

“Let me in! Let me in, let me in, let me in! Please! Answer the door!”

Your ears perked up at the sounds of a voice coming from outside. You knew that voice, you knew it well. But why the owner of said voice was outside in this weather you had no idea. Even a trained and veteran weather pony would know better than to be outside during a storm like this. You had never so much as touched a cloud and you knew that! No matter though, if the owner of the voice was who you thought it was, and then the reason they were out in this storm knocking at your door had to be of the utmost importance. Lifting the heavy plank that bared the door, you pulled the door open with all your might, fighting against the wind as it tried to slam the door open. Finally, after what feels like minutes of fighting, the wind momentarily dies off, leaving you free to open the door completely and verify who is outside your door.

A pathetic, rain soaked disheveled Rainbow Dash stands outside your door. Her legs are held close to one another, her body trembling and her teeth chattering away as she tries to talk. “P-p-p-please…. I…. – n-n-n-need to c-c-come in…”

You nod without a second thought, ushering the drenched pegasus into your home and forcing the door closed behind her, placing the wooden bolt back in place just as another gust of high powered wind practically busts the door off its hinges. You’re not surprised to turn around and see Dash, puddles of water left behind her, sitting as close to the fire as she can get. But even as she sits at a somewhat unsettling distance from the flames, you notice that she is still shaking violently. You bolt upstairs without a thought and quickly return with a towel in your mouth and a large quilted comforter on your back. You immediately toss the towel over Dash’s head and instruct her to dry herself off as best she can until you return. You leave the blanket by her side and head to the kitchen, frantically searching for a bag of tea amongst a sea of your parent’s liquor.

After finally finding a bag, heating some water, and preparing a cup, you return to Dash, who is already wrapped up in the large red comforter, yet still shivering. You take a seat next to her and place the tea in front of her. She looks down at the cup before her, her eyes watering as if she was on the verge of tears, and sighs deeply. For a moment, neither of you say anything.

“About a month ago…” her voice is weak and wavy, and it trembled with her body as she spoke. “About a month ago… I was leaving Sugar Cube Corner, and I saw a young filly crying under a tree. I looked up and saw that her dolly had become stuck in the branches. I was just about to zoom up and get it… when you walked up. You asked the girl what was wrong, calmed her down, then… and at the time I didn’t know why you did this…. You climbed the tree… hoof after hoof you climbed up that tree and out on to the branch where that kid’s doll was. Any pegasus would have just simply flown up to that doll and gotten it down, and thought nothing of it.  But you… you climbed that tree and got that toy, then climbed back down, and you gave her back that doll.”

You listen intently as she speaks. You remember that day well, as it was one of the few days that you left your house. The poor filly said some “mean boys” took her doll and tossed it up into the tree. She was so distraught that your heart broke when she recounted her tale. You didn’t even have to think about what you would do, wings or not you weren’t about to leave her crying. Before you knew it you were up and back down that tree, handing the toy to the small girl who thanked you profusely.

“I just couldn’t understand why you didn’t fly… why you climbed up there and risked falling when you could have easily flown. It stayed in my head for weeks until I finally asked my friends about who you were. No one knew, but Rarity said you would sometimes come by her shop to pick up clothing. She gave me your address and I waited for weeks until I could come up with a good enough reason to come meet you. I hovered above your place for an hour just trying to think of a way to introduce myself to you. When I saw your parents leave, I took it as a sign and began to hang the flier for the Wonder Bolts show I had gotten in town on your door. I didn’t know what I was going to say, I hadn’t planned anything… I just wanted to know the pegasus who had climbed that tree instead of flown…. I didn’t expect for us to hit it off like we did… and I certainly didn’t expect to find you so attractive…”

You blush a soft pink color as Dash leans down and slowly sips from the tea, shivering as she the hot liquid touches her lips. She hastily finishes off the drink before sighing and resuming her seated position in front of the fire.

“You were really fun at the show… you had an energy that just seemed pent up inside you. It was really cute to see you so interested in the Wonder Bolts…  But… after the show… when I came here to apologize… when you told me about your wings… that was when I knew I had fallen for you.”

For the first time since she arrived, Rainbow Dash turned and faced you, your eyes locking together.

“There you were… a pegasus who couldn’t fly… who could never walk on clouds… and suddenly… I understood why I was so… head over hooves for you. You didn’t let your disability get in the way of doing the right thing… if I lost my wings… I don’t know what I would do. My wings are who I am… and if they were gone…I… I don’t know how I would be able to go on…”

Dash and tries to hide her sadness, but her eyes betray her as tears begin to flow down her cheeks, falling to the floor and into the empty tea cup. You can’t help but cry with her, silent tears flowing down your cheeks as well. There is a slight hiccup in Dash’s voice as she continues on with her story.

“You don’t let your not being able to fly get in the way of who you are… and for the longest time I thought that being a pegasus meant being able to fly… but you... you changed that with one, simple act. I wanted to get to know that pony who climbed that tree… and now that I do… I don’t want to stop getting to know them… ever.” As the words left her lips, Dash moved in closer, bridging the gap between the two of you, her mouth slowly closing as her lips pursed lightly. This was it, the moment you had waited for. She liked you, she had a reason why she liked you, and she was going to kiss you! You gulped, closed your eyes, and leaned in for your first mouth-to-mouth kiss. Your heart raced as your lips took their places, anticipating the feel of Rainbow’s lips on yours.  You can hear her breath, shallow and slow as she leans in closer and closer, your heart beating away like a drum in a parade until…

You wince as Rainbow sneezes, spittle landing on your face. As you wipe your face clean you open your eyes to see Rainbow sneeze again, then again and again.

“Rainbow…. How long were you out in that storm?”

She sniffs, wiping her nose with her hoof before responding. “Uh… well… after you left… I went to go do my cloud duties… but the storm got bigger than anyone expected so we had to leave… I tried to fly home but I… Achoo!... ugh… I tried to fly home but I couldn’t stop thinking about you… then the storm started and I… I got mixed up… I dunno… an hour maybe before I found my way here?”

You take the teacup and head back to kitchen as Dash breaks into another sneezing fit.  “Rainbow… I don’t think you should go back out tonight…”

“Gee…” She sniffed again. “What gave it away, my sneezing or the storm? Ugh… sorry… I didn’t mean to say that…” She sneezes again and curls up in the blanket as you bring her another cup of tea.

“It’s alright. Here, drink this.” You place the tea cup in front of her again as she drinks from it, licking her lips when she finishes and giving a short sigh of relief.  “Thank you… for all of this…”

You smile and nod. “Well… I… I can’t just…” your words are cut short as Rainbow closes her eyes and leans against you, sighing happily as she gets comfortable.

“Stay with me…” He voice is tired and soft; her body relaxes as her mind drifts off into slumber. You want to say more, to tell her how you feel about her like she did to you. But as her breathing grows more rhythmic, and the storm outside persists; you realize that for now, you should enjoy what you have. Tomorrow was another day, and you weren’t about to leave Rainbow Dash anytime soon.

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