“Free hugs! Get your hugs here! They’re super hugglicious and funneriffic!” Fluttershy heard Pinkie’s voice booming out crystal clear from the town square. She watched from her spot behind the fountain as a nice blue stallion walked up to Pinkie. She could see him saying something, but since it was at a normal conversational volume, she couldn’t hear it. Then she saw Pinkie putting her giant sign down and hugging the stallion enthusiastically before waving to him as he walked away smiling.

Fluttershy sighed. It looked so easy; All she had to do was walk up and tell Pinkie she’d like a hug, and it would happen, and it would be over, and she could go back to doing whatever it was she would be doing when she wasn’t fretting over asking for hugs. In an amusing, if cruel, twist of fate, Fluttershy realized that would probably be hugging her animals. Especially Angel; He might pretend not to want any hugs, but Fluttershy knew better.

“Come on Fluttershy… You’ve just gotta put on a brave face. You can do this.” Fluttershy took a deep breath as she stepped out from behind the fountain and prepared to approach Pinkie.

“You can do this…” She repeated to herself as she took another step.

“You can do this.” Another step.

“You can do this!” Another step.

“I can’t do this!” She dove back behind the fountain.

Fluttershy sighed as she watched Carrot Top walk up and effortlessly receive a hug from Pinkie. It looked like a really nice hug, too. It should have been her hug.

Fluttershy was so frustrated she wanted to kick something. Maybe that barrel right next to the fountain. Of course she’d take it to the carpenter immediately after to check it for damage; She wasn’t a monster.

This wasn’t fair, though! None of these ponies were having trouble walking up to Pinkie and getting their hugs, so why was it so tough for her? She had no trouble hugging her animals; She didn’t even have any trouble hugging her friends, normally. Well, maybe a little trouble. Sometimes. If she was afraid they didn’t want a hug right now.

So, always. But this was getting ludicrous. She’d been out here for almost an hour now watching ponies receive hugs that should have been hers.

It looked easy, but for some reason it just wasn’t. Fluttershy had dreamed of a chance like this. It was almost like Pinkie Pie had come up with the entire idea for her; Free hugs, no questions asked, no need for awkwardly asking if the other pony wanted a hug, or worse yet, trying to determine if a hug would be well received at the given moment without asking first. Fluttershy didn’t know how some ponies just seemed to know that, but she was always worried she might squeeze too hard, or linger too long, or inhale too deeply, and then the hug would get weird, and the other pony would look at her funny, and they wouldn’t say it, but she’d be able to see it in their eyes; They’d think ’Who taught this pony to hug? Wild animals?’ and she’d think in response ’Yes…’ and then they’d walk away and never want to see her again!

Fluttershy knew that was ridiculous, but knowing it didn’t help. Hugging was serious business, and serious business was scary.

The clock tower struck 1. Fluttershy looked up to see Pinkie Pie folding her sign under her leg and begin hopping toward Sugarcube Corner.

A weight dropped in Fluttershy’s stomach. She’d missed her chance. Just like always, she’d gotten left out. If only she had the courage, she could have had a hug too, but now the window of opportunity was closed… If only she could be more like Pinkie. The thought of standing out there in the open with a giant sign and giving away hugs was terrifying, but somehow Pinkie Pie managed to pull it off like it was no big deal. That kind of confidence was incredible to behold; Fluttershy admired that about Pinkie, even if she could never understand it. Maybe that was why–

No, Fluttershy wasn’t going to let herself go down that road. She was already sad enough, she didn’t need to torment herself with thoughts of a dream that would never come to pass.

“And I give really good hugs too…” Fluttershy grumbled to no one in particular as she began walking back to her cottage. So she didn’t get a hug. It wasn’t the end of the world. She’d just go home, curl up with her animal friends, and… Do something else. She must’ve had a book she could read, or something. Anything that didn’t have to do with hugging would suffice.

“Hey there, grumpyrump! What’s got you down?” Fluttershy perked her ears up at the voice. She realized she hadn’t been paying attention to where she was going, and apparently her subconscious had led her to Candy Cane Lane, right outside Sugarcube Corner. But if she was at Sugarcube Corner, that meant the voice belonged to…

Oh no. Fluttershy swallowed hard and looked up. Standing there out front of the shop was Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, um, nothing, I was just, um, going home, and I guess I got a little… Lost.” She lowered her gaze again. This is so embarrassing…

“You got lost? Well, no need to wind up in frown town, ‘cos I just found you!” Pinkie giggled.

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes. Thank you for finding me, I’ll just go home now.” At least she could escape this conversation quickly, and get away from here as fast as possible. With that in mind, she turned around and began to walk in the correct direction this time.

“Hmmmmm.” Pinkie started tapping her chin with a forehoof. “Very interesting.”

Fluttershy knew she shouldn’t turn back around. She should just go home and be lonely, like she’d planned, but her curiosity wouldn’t let her; When Pinkie Pie said something was interesting, it usually was, after all. With a sigh, she slowly turned back to look at her.

“What’s interesting?”

“My nose is wrinkly.”

Fluttershy blinked. Pinkie’s nose was wrinkly? What did that mean? When Pinkie Pie made no move to further explain, Fluttershy realized maybe she should actually ask that question. “Umm… What does that mean?”

“It means my Pinkie Sense is trying to tell me something. See, usually, when my nose gets wrinkly, it means somepony wants a hug from me. It was wrinkly earlier, so I thought, hey, why not use my lunch break to go give out some hugs? Then whoever wants a hug can get one, and I can give out some extra hugs too!” Pinkie smiled widely, but then looked suddenly concerned. “But if my nose is still wrinkly, that means whoever wanted to give me a hug earlier must not have gotten to. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Fluttershy?”

Though she wouldn’t be able to place it later, something inside Fluttershy snapped in that moment. She didn’t know if it was the humiliation of being put on the spot or the sudden revelation that Pinkie’d known the whole time, but something snapped.

“Fine! It was me! I wanted a hug. I really like you, Pinkie, and I just thought it would be nice, and then I saw you in the town square, and all these ponies were just walking up and getting hugs, and I thought ‘you can do this Fluttershy’ but then I got scared and I couldn’t and it’s not fair!” Fluttershy cried. Oh, what a fool I must look, she thought morosely as she felt tears springing up in her eyes. “And the worst part is, I give really good hugs!”

Feeling she’d suffered enough embarrassment for one day, Fluttershy tried to turn and begin walking away, but suddenly she felt a body pressed close up against her, and two legs squeezing her tightly. She blinked the tears from her eyes and inhaled the scent of cotton candy and suddenly realized what was happening. Pinkie was hugging her.

“Umm… Pinkie?” She squeaked.

“Shhhhhhh,” Pinkie replied in a long, drawn out sound.

Fluttershy squirmed. The last thing she wanted was a pity hug; pity hugs were the worst. “It’s okay, Pinkie, I–”

“Fluttershy,” Pinkie interrupted her, giggling, “this would be a good time to stop worrying and love the hug.”

Fluttershy paused. Pinkie was giggling… Usually pity hugs were filled with stiffness and resentful silence, but never giggling. A smile crept onto Fluttershy’s face as she wrapped her own legs around Pinkie and leaned in to a nuzzle. It was really happening. The two hugged in silence for several long moments, and Fluttershy felt all the tension she’d built up over the last hour melt away.

“You know, I was kind of hoping it might be you who wanted a hug. Because you’re right; you do give really good hugs.” Pinkie whispered into Fluttershy’s ear.

Fluttershy’s smile grew a little more. “Um, thanks. Um, if you ever want another hug, I mean, if I’m not assuming too much, you can just… Um…”

Pinkie giggled again. “Just ask?”

“Um… Yes.” Fluttershy nodded.

Pinkie drew back for a moment, putting on a caricature of consideration before lightly poking Fluttershy’s nose. “I think I will.”

Fluttershy giggled, blushing. “Okay.” As the two parted, she looked down the road. “I guess it’s time for me to go home now.”

“Are you sure? Because I was thinking you could come inside Sugarcube Corner with me and help me watch the counter. It’s not very busy today, so we can pretty much just hang out and eat cake!” Pinkie smiled her usual brilliant smile and Fluttershy felt all her desire to go home melt away.

“... I’d like that,” she said, and the two quickly turned and walked in through the door.