It was a cloudy day in Equestria. The sun was hidden behind the cover of the gray forms that filled the sky. Rainbow hated these days. These were the kind of days where she couldn't get a glimpse of sunlight let alone get a sun bath. Still it was her duty to follow the schedule and let the clouds ruin her clear blue skies. Oh how she hated these days.
Rainbow Dash flew high over Ponyville, grimacing as ponies fled indoors for the upcoming storm. Silence filled the streets of the town below. She despised it. Perhaps it was her bitterness towards anything colorless and dim, or she was just feeling tense, but for whatever reason she flew off. Out of town. Away from the eerie silence that made her feel...alone. She needed someone who she could talk to and let loose with to weather out the storm. She needed a friend, she needed Fluttershy.
Fluttershy had just finished tucking in all her woodland creatures into their homes or sheltering them into her cottage just before Rainbow came into view. "Oh dear," Fluttershy thought aloud," I hope she doesn't wake up the animals." She knew her friend well enough to know she had a tendency to cause calamity.
As the cyan pegasus mare hovered closer, she greeted. "Hey Fluttershy, how are you on this lovely day?" Rainbow's voice sprinkled with sarcasm as she motioned towards the gloomy gray skies above.
A distant rumble of thunder causing Fluttershy to tremble in response.
"Just fine, thank you very much." She said hurriedly, taking her friend's hoof and pulling her towards the door to the cottage. "You know, how about we go inside and chat instead." She finally let go when they were inside and the door closed behind them.
Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief...before another bang of thunder caused her to cling to Rainbow Dash in fear. Rainbow stared at her for a moment before she blushed and let go. "Sorry, it's just that the thunder is just so...so..."
Rainbow stared at her waiting for an answer.
"Loud." She cringed as another bang of thunder rumbled in the distance.
"Well it is thunder! That's just the way it is." Her friend snorted jokingly. "Besides, you get over it eventually..."
This time it was Fluttershy's turn to stare at Rainbow.
"What?" Her friend snapped in response causing Fluttershy to cringe.
"What you said..." Fluttershy nervously playing with her hooves. "Do you mean you were afraid of thunder too?" There was a moment of silence as Fluttershy waited for a response.
"No...not thunder." Realizing what she'd just said, cursed herself for thinking out loud.
Rainbow held her breath for a moment refusing to meet her friend's gaze and instead stared at her hooves. Thunder rumbled once again causing Fluttershy to shudder, but she barely noticed it at all.
A moment later, she sighed and finally faced Fluttershy eye to eye. "Fluttershy..." The cyan mare, for once in a long time her voice was timid and layered with nervousness. "Do remember back in Flight Academy when I was held back for two years?"
Fluttershy replied with a simple nod. She had visited Rainbow each year she was held back, remembering her friend's embarrassment every time she exited those academy doors, telling her of the news.
"Well...each year I failed the same test every time." Rainbow continued to explain. Her eyes trying to avoid her friend's gaze once again. "It was just th-that one t-t-test every one of those darn years." Fluttershy could see her friend's legs shaking with nervousness.
"You don't have to tell me, Rainbow." Fluttershy offered, not wanting to push her friend if she wasn't comfortable with it.
"No..." Rainbow stated. "I've needed to tell somepony for a long time...Fluttershy" The cyan mare's moist eyes met her friend's. "I'm...I'm afraid of lightning."
Silence. Followed by a strike of lightning which flashed outside the cottage window. Rainbow flinched, then turned away from it.
"Rainbow Dash, that's absurd!" Fluttershy exclaimed, watching as her friend blushed bright red. "I m-mean that can't be possible. You've been part of the weather patrol for at least the entirety of your life in Ponyville! How could you, the bravest mare I know, be afraid of lighting?"
"Look Fluttershy, I know it sounds crazy, but it's the sad truth." Rainbow paused and took a deep breath. Thunder rumbled once more but it was hardly audible to Fluttershy. "Ever since I was a filly lightning has terrified me. And it still does. The reason I buck the storm clouds so fast...is-is because I don't want to let anypony find out about my fear. What would ponies think of me? Rainbow Dash, the pegasus who was afraid of lightning!"
Rainbow allowed herself a moment to breathe.
"But Rainbow, everypony has fears. It's not your fault that you're afraid of lightning. I'm afraid of plenty of things and I don't mind if other ponies find out."
"But that doesn't mean anything to you, does it?" Rainbow asked.
Fluttershy shook her head.
"Well, when you put it that way, I guess everypony does have fears, but please, Fluttershy, as a friend, could you keep this between us?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Rainbow." Fluttershy noticed the sudden quiet. She turned to open the door to find the storm had passed and it had left a beautiful rainbow in its place. Rainbow Dash joined her friend as they exited the cottage and gazed upon the rainbow.
"Me neither."
