Variety Is The Spice Of Lionsby LionChaptersA Hug – Fluttershy x Pinkie PieA Reunion – Fluttershy x Rainbow DashA Vacation-Fluttershy x ApplejackA Hug – Fluttershy x Pinkie Pie“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. A Reunion – Fluttershy x Rainbow DashRainbow Dash didn’t hate dresses; She just had an odd relationship with them. Maybe odd wasn’t quite the right word… Uneasy, perhaps. She didn’t hate dresses, like, as a concept; sometimes they could even be pretty cool, like the dress she wore to the gala. It might not have been her favorite thing ever at first, but she’d actually found a lot to like about it once she stopped to appreciate what it was. She’d never admit it to Rarity, of course, but sometimes, wearing dresses could even be cool. So, no, Rainbow Dash didn’t hate dresses. Rainbow Dash just hated this dress. It was too tight, except at the neck, where it was loose and bagged up like a scarf for some reason she couldn’t fathom; The holes for her forelegs and wings were so narrow she could feel the fabric uncomfortably pinching every time she moved, and her hind legs couldn’t stop tripping over the skirt because for some reason it went all the way down to the floor. At least I was able to convince Rarity to make it black, Rainbow thought. Black was cool, after all, even if this dress was a logistical nightmare. “Are you feeling okay, Rainbow?” Fluttershy’s voice came, pulling her back to reality. Rainbow sighed. Of course she couldn’t avoid thinking about it forever, eventually she’d have to acknowledge what was happening. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, casually tossing her mane. “Are you sure?” Fluttershy’s voice was small, concerned. Rainbow didn’t like the way it sounded. “We can go home if you want. I already saw everypony I was hoping to see.” Rainbow grunted noncommittally. Fluttershy frowned. “We could go dance, if you want. Take your mind off things?” Rainbow sighed. “No, it’s okay. I think I just need some air.” “Umm… Okay. If you’re sure.” Fluttershy leaned in to give a quick peck on Rainbow’s cheek, which Rainbow returned before walking off towards the balcony. The old flight school was everything she remembered it being; a massive construction of clouds, bent and wrought into a completely unnatural shape. She was bigger now, but it was still just as oppressive and looming as it was back then. Truth be told, Rainbow never would have seen herself coming to a class reunion. For one thing, she dropped out of school as soon as she was old enough to live on her own; that was enough to guarantee she never got invited. But Fluttershy wanted to go, and she needed a plus one. What was Rainbow going to do, tell her marefriend to go alone? That would be cold even if it was a pony who liked social events, much less a pony as shy as… well… Fluttershy. So she’d agreed to go, and she tried to have a good time, she really did. But this wasn’t her element, standing around and talking and pretending to be interested in who started working where and who married whom and all this other crap. Rainbow Dash was a mare of action, and when that failed, she at least appreciated it if somepony would ask what she had been up to lately. “Are you sure you’re okay, Dashie? I don’t–” “I’m fine!” Of course Rainbow had been so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even hear Fluttershy step out onto the balcony with her. “I’m totally fine, Flutters. I was just enjoying the view.” Fluttershy didn’t respond to that, instead opting to put her forehooves up on the railing and watch the stars. “I know you don’t need me to look after you, but sometimes I get worried. I know how much you like being the center of attention, so I can see how this could be hard for you…” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “It’s not hard for me. I just… I’ve had to reintroduce myself to, like, half our old classmates! Nopony even remembers me! I know I dropped out kinda early, but still, you’d think they’d at least remember my name, or maybe my mane would ring a bell.” Rainbow watched the breeze play with Fluttershy’s mane until the yellow mare finally spoke up. “I’m sorry that not everypony remembers you, Dashie.” “Like I give a buck.” Rainbow snorted. “These ponies are all small potatoes anyway. They’re all ‘Ooh look at me, I’m a manager at a weather factory,’ and ‘I sell big cloud mansions to fancy ponies in Cloudsdale,’ who cares? I’m about to be a Wonderbolt. Formal education’s a joke.” The breeze picked up momentarily, and Rainbow felt a shiver run down her spine. Summer was ending, and the approaching cold was already making its presence known. “I know. And I’m very proud of you for that, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said idly. “I know this isn’t how you wanted to spend your night, but… I really appreciate that you came with me anyway.” “It’s no trouble.” Rainbow shivered again before she felt something warm and soft cover her back. She craned her neck to see Fluttershy’s wing draped across her, and a smile came to her face. “I love you, Rainbow. You know that, right?” Fluttershy spoke softly as she leaned her head against Rainbow’s shoulder. “That, too. Not only am I going to be a Wonderbolt, but I have a hotter marefriend than than any of those stallions in there.” Rainbow grinned as she wrapped her foreleg around Fluttershy’s neck. Fluttershy giggled and blushed lightly. “That’s my Dashie.” Rainbow nodded. Fluttershy was right; So maybe Rainbow hadn’t left quite as big an impression on this school as she’d thought she had, but did that really matter? She had great friends, a great career ahead of her, and she had Fluttershy, the greatest marefriend she could ask for. “Say, Flutters, you still wanna dance?” Fluttershy lifted her head from Rainbow’s shoulder and smiled. “Umm, maybe. Only if you want to.” Rainbow grinned. “I think it’s about time we show these ponies how a real couple works the floor.” “Oh, Rainbow, you’re so romantic,” Fluttershy teased as they began walking back inside. Rainbow giggled. “And don’t you forget it.” A Vacation-Fluttershy x ApplejackIt was the perfect plan. Fluttershy could barely contain her excitement. No matter how she looked at it, there was no possible way it could fail. She’d accounted for every variable; double checked every detail. There was nothing – not a single thing – that could go wrong. All the nights of restless sleep and days of anxious waiting would all pay off. And oh, when she pictured the moment of triumph! It would taste so sweet, after the romantic dinner at the Prench restaurant Rarity recommended, after the concert that Rainbow Dash had assured her would ‘blow Applejack’s country-loving mind’, after after the romantic movie in their suite at Canterlot Castle that Twilight had requested for them, she’d just say the words she’d longed to say – I love you, Applejack – and Applejack would smile back, her bright emerald eyes lighting up in sudden joy, and she’d reply, “I love you too, Fluttershy.” Pinkie had even helped her memorize a series of ice breakers and jokes to help smooth out any rough spots in the conversation. It was so perfect Fluttershy could burst into song, if that wouldn’t annoy everypony on the train. Of course, Applejack had been suspicious. ”Why’ve you gotta go to Canterlot on Hearts and Hooves weekend anyway?”, she’d asked. But Fluttershy had planned for that too, and had the perfect excuse. Of course, she’d forgotten the excuse at the time. ”Umm, because, you see, umm, it’s actually a funny story, but–” ’Aw nevermind, you don’t gotta tell me if you don’t wanna, of course I’ll go with ya, ‘Shy. ‘S not like like I got a date anyway.’ Applejack had interrupted her with a smirk. Alright, maybe that part hadn’t gone perfectly, but it had worked out. Everything else, though; Everything else was perfect. Perhaps it was because it was so perfect that Fluttershy found herself completely at a loss when she found herself and her companion standing at the gates of Canterlot Castle arguing having a nice, polite, civil conversation with the gatespony. “What do ya mean our reservation was cancelled!?” Applejack shouted. “Please, Applejack, there’s no need to yell,” Fluttershy squeaked from behind her mane. “I mean just that,” the gatespony gruffed. “I’m terribly sorry, but a very important diplomatic meeting needed to be pushed up, and now all the non-essential guests have been displaced to make room for the embassadors from the Griffin Kingdoms.” “So what are we supposed to do then?” Applejack asked through clenched teeth. “Here,” the gatespony said as she levitated a small piece of paper over to them, “this voucher will get you a room at any hotel in the city. Believe me, no one is happy that this is how things are, but that’s just the way it has to be.” Applejack grabbed the voucher with a hoof and looked it over. “Thank you very much, Mr. Gatespony, that’s very kind of you and we really appreciate it.” Fluttershy whispered. “Fine. Let’s go, ‘Shy.” Applejack said sternly as she turned and began walking away. Fluttershy shot one last apologetic glance at the gatespony before turning to follow. “Don’t look so glum, Fluttershy, at least we got a room,” Applejack said from beside her as looked around. “Oh, no, I’m not glum. This room is… nice.” Fluttershy cringed as she said it. This room was anything but nice. After being laughed out of the fifth hotel for trying to get a room with no reservation on Hearts and Hooves weekend, ‘voucher from the princess or not,’ Fluttershy wanted to cry. The last place they tried, Cerulean Palace, at least had the decency to direct them to a small motel over by the train station that had an opening. Thus, Fluttershy and Applejack found themselves in a tiny room next to the noisy ice machine at the Best Rest Motel. Looking at the room made Fluttershy cringe. It was small, and dingy, and cramped. The walls were covered in dust, the bed took up ¾ of the floor space, and Fluttershy was pretty sure the pony at the front desk had been reading a porn magazine before they walked in. Everything about this place was the antithesis of her hopes for the evening. Fluttershy placed her bags on the bed next to Applejack’s and sighed. She didn’t know what Applejack was thinking right now, but she was pretty sure it couldn’t be anything good. “You still got time to do whatever it was we had to come here for, right?” Applejack asked, breaking Fluttershy out of her introspective moping. “Oh, um, yes. I’ll just be gone for an hour or so, and then we can go get dinner.” “That sounds great, I’m so hungry I could eat a cow! Yanno, if ponies weren’t vegetarian an’ all.” Applejack chuckled as she flopped onto the bed. “I’ll just mosey around here for a bit, you go take care’ve your business.” “Um… Okay. Thanks Applejack. See you in an hour.” Fluttershy smiled sheepishly as she moved to the door – or, well, turned to the door – and left the room. At least when she got back, they could go have their nice romantic dinner at La Verte. “It’s okay, Fluttershy, at least we got food,” Applejack said from across the booth as she brought her hay burger to her mouth. “Yes…” Fluttershy mumbled as she stared at her plate. A hay burger and fries; So much for the fancy, romantic Prench dinner she’d planned. “I know you wanted to eat at that fancy shmancy place, but this is hoof lickin’ good too!” Applejack spoke as she chewed her food. Fluttershy sighed as she picked up her own burger. Of all the nights for La Verte to have a kitchen fire, did it have to be tonight? She didn’t mind having to eat at a diner, in general, but it certainly wasn’t romantic, and it certainly wasn’t going to impress Applejack. The two ate in silence for a few minutes before Fluttershy realized this might be a good time for one of the ice breakers Pinkie had taught her. She took a deep breath, put on as big a smile as she could manage, and made eye contact with Applejack. “Say, umm, Applejack, how much does a polar bear weigh?” Applejack swallowed her current mouthful and scrunched her eyebrows together. “A what?” Fluttershy paused. Applejack was supposed to ask how much. Fluttershy took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “Umm… A polar bear.” “I heard ya the first time, ‘Shy, I just don’t know what a polar bear is. If it’s anything like a grizzly bear, I’d guess somewhere between 400 to 800 pounds? But you’re the animal expert, I dunno what you’re askin’ me for.” Applejack laughed as she took another bite of her burger. It took all of Fluttershy’s willpower to resist slamming her face into the table. At least they still had the concert to go to. “It’s alright ‘Shy, so the lead singer got the flu; It’s no big deal. And now we had time to go get ice cream.” Applejack licked at her cone with a wink as they sat down on a small park bench. “Ice cream is nice…” But it’s certainly not memorable, Fluttershy pouted as she felt the melted drips from her own cone running down her hoof. Applejack began humming something quietly as she ate her ice cream, and Fluttershy sighed as she began trying to catch up with the melting of hers. At least we still can still watch the movie… “It’s alright, Fluttershy, I had a really good time tonight. Besides, at least we’ve still got each other.” Applejack said from the bed as Fluttershy stood over the empty reel case. This was it. The last straw. She’d checked, double checked, and triple checked that the reel was in the case and that she’d brought it with her before going to bed last night; Now, instead of opening it to find the movie she’d brought, she found a carrot. Angel must have been trying to do something nice for her by switching out the reel for a gift, since he probably didn’t realize what it was in the first place, and she appreciated that, but how was she supposed to create a romantic mood for Applejack with a carrot!? “No, it’s not alright! It is every single thing but alright!” Fluttershy cried as she covered her face with her hooves and slouched to the ground, sobbing. “Easy there, girl. So we don’t got a movie, doesn’t mean the trip was a total bust. You still got what ya came out here for, didn’cha?” Applejack asked as she placed a hoof on the small of Fluttershy’s back and rubbed gently, trying to console her. Fluttershy sniffled back her tears and shook her head. Everything had gone wrong, after she’d put so much work into it; Was there even a point to keeping her motives hidden anymore? She doubted it. Maybe if she just got it all out in the open, at least she’d feel a little better and then she could catch a late night train home and cry in her own bed. At the very least, Applejack deserved to know the truth. “I lied, Applejack. There was no reason I had to come to Canterlot, I just wanted to spend time with you–” “Pardon?” Fluttershy felt the hoof leave her back as Applejack interrupted her. She swallowed hard and carried on. “–I just wanted to spend some time with you, but I was too scared to ask you out for Hearts and Hooves day, so I thought if I could get you to come to Canterlot with me we could have a nice romantic evening and maybe you’d realize you felt the same way about me, but the restaurant, the concert, and now even the movie all got messed up. And I put so much work into the preparations! It was all supposed to be perfect, and now we don’t even have a nice suite at the castle to sleep in, we just have this… this… room, and the ice machine is so loud I want to kick something!” Fluttershy coiled up her left hind leg and gently struck the bed with an inaudible ‘oomph’. She let out a massive sigh and turned away from Applejack. “It was stupid of me to think I could impress you…” Fluttershy stared at the floor in silence. Seconds passed, which turned into minutes. Fluttershy started sobbing again as she thought of what Applejack must be thinking right now; She could picture the look of disgust and anger on her face as she contemplated what Applejack would say. ”I can’t believe you’d lie to me,” or ”You deserve this for your trickery,” or worse yet, ”Get out, I don’t ever wanna see you again.” Fluttershy winced as she heard the sound of hooves hitting the floor and coming up behind her. Here it comes… “‘Shy.” Applejack’s voice sounded restrained, subdued; no doubt because she was barely containing her anger at being lied to. Fluttershy held her ground. “Fluttershy, look at me.” Applejack said. Fluttershy cringed as she slowly turned around and lifted her head up to comply. Suddenly she felt lips against hers, big orange eyelids closed immediately in front of her; She squeaked in surprise and flared her wings in panic as she processed the new stimuli; She had no idea what was happening, but now wasn’t the time to fight it. She closed her own eyes and leaned into the kiss. A moment later Applejack pulled back. “I meant it when I said I had a good time tonight, Sugarcube,” she said with a smile, big spots of red showing through her orange coat on her cheeks. Fluttershy breathed heavily as she realized she’d forgotten to do so since she’d turned around. “But, the dinner, and the concert, and the movie, and the suite–” “I don’t care about any of that stuff, Fluttershy.” Applejack shook her head. “Fact is, I ain’t exactly been honest either.” Fluttershy blinked the remaining tears from her eyes. “What do you mean?” “Well,” Applejack began as she dragged her hoof across the carpet, “I actually kinda knew what you were plannin’... You asked me to come stay at a suite in the Canterlot Castle on Hearts and Hooves weekend, don’t exactly take Sherlock Horse to put that one together. That’s why I didn’t make ya tell me what you were ‘actually’ doin’ up here this weekend.” Applejack chuckled, doing air quotes with her hooves. “Ya don’t gotta impress me, ‘Shy, though I am flattered you’d put so much effort into showin’ me a good time. And given how tonight turned out, I can’t wait to see what you come up with for our next date!” Fluttershy’s mind reeled. Applejack had known the whole time, and she didn’t care? Wait… “Umm, next date? You mean, umm, you’d like to go on another one?” Fluttershy dared not breath as the question left her mouth. “Sure as sugar I would!” Applejack smiled. “But heck, this one ain’t even over yet. Whaddaya wanna do next?” Fluttershy was glad there was no mirror in the room, because she was sure her face had achieved a here-to-undiscovered shade of bright red as she stammered incoherently in reply. “Umm, we could, I mean, we don’t have the movie, but, umm–” Applejack tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. “Wanna make out?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders. Fluttershy’s wings flared again as her eyes went wide, eliciting a chuckle from Applejack. Fluttershy swallowed hard. “If that’s alright with you, I mean, I wouldn’t mind it.” She squeaked. Applejack laughed again as she hopped up onto the bed and grabbed Fluttershy by the shoulders. “C’mere, you.” Fluttershy felt herself being pulled onto the bed and into Applejack’s embrace and let out a massive sigh of relief. So the room, the dinner, the concert, and the movie had all been ruined. It didn’t matter. In the end, it was perfect.
A Hug – Fluttershy x Pinkie Pie“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.
A Reunion – Fluttershy x Rainbow DashRainbow Dash didn’t hate dresses; She just had an odd relationship with them. Maybe odd wasn’t quite the right word… Uneasy, perhaps. She didn’t hate dresses, like, as a concept; sometimes they could even be pretty cool, like the dress she wore to the gala. It might not have been her favorite thing ever at first, but she’d actually found a lot to like about it once she stopped to appreciate what it was. She’d never admit it to Rarity, of course, but sometimes, wearing dresses could even be cool. So, no, Rainbow Dash didn’t hate dresses. Rainbow Dash just hated this dress. It was too tight, except at the neck, where it was loose and bagged up like a scarf for some reason she couldn’t fathom; The holes for her forelegs and wings were so narrow she could feel the fabric uncomfortably pinching every time she moved, and her hind legs couldn’t stop tripping over the skirt because for some reason it went all the way down to the floor. At least I was able to convince Rarity to make it black, Rainbow thought. Black was cool, after all, even if this dress was a logistical nightmare. “Are you feeling okay, Rainbow?” Fluttershy’s voice came, pulling her back to reality. Rainbow sighed. Of course she couldn’t avoid thinking about it forever, eventually she’d have to acknowledge what was happening. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, casually tossing her mane. “Are you sure?” Fluttershy’s voice was small, concerned. Rainbow didn’t like the way it sounded. “We can go home if you want. I already saw everypony I was hoping to see.” Rainbow grunted noncommittally. Fluttershy frowned. “We could go dance, if you want. Take your mind off things?” Rainbow sighed. “No, it’s okay. I think I just need some air.” “Umm… Okay. If you’re sure.” Fluttershy leaned in to give a quick peck on Rainbow’s cheek, which Rainbow returned before walking off towards the balcony. The old flight school was everything she remembered it being; a massive construction of clouds, bent and wrought into a completely unnatural shape. She was bigger now, but it was still just as oppressive and looming as it was back then. Truth be told, Rainbow never would have seen herself coming to a class reunion. For one thing, she dropped out of school as soon as she was old enough to live on her own; that was enough to guarantee she never got invited. But Fluttershy wanted to go, and she needed a plus one. What was Rainbow going to do, tell her marefriend to go alone? That would be cold even if it was a pony who liked social events, much less a pony as shy as… well… Fluttershy. So she’d agreed to go, and she tried to have a good time, she really did. But this wasn’t her element, standing around and talking and pretending to be interested in who started working where and who married whom and all this other crap. Rainbow Dash was a mare of action, and when that failed, she at least appreciated it if somepony would ask what she had been up to lately. “Are you sure you’re okay, Dashie? I don’t–” “I’m fine!” Of course Rainbow had been so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even hear Fluttershy step out onto the balcony with her. “I’m totally fine, Flutters. I was just enjoying the view.” Fluttershy didn’t respond to that, instead opting to put her forehooves up on the railing and watch the stars. “I know you don’t need me to look after you, but sometimes I get worried. I know how much you like being the center of attention, so I can see how this could be hard for you…” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “It’s not hard for me. I just… I’ve had to reintroduce myself to, like, half our old classmates! Nopony even remembers me! I know I dropped out kinda early, but still, you’d think they’d at least remember my name, or maybe my mane would ring a bell.” Rainbow watched the breeze play with Fluttershy’s mane until the yellow mare finally spoke up. “I’m sorry that not everypony remembers you, Dashie.” “Like I give a buck.” Rainbow snorted. “These ponies are all small potatoes anyway. They’re all ‘Ooh look at me, I’m a manager at a weather factory,’ and ‘I sell big cloud mansions to fancy ponies in Cloudsdale,’ who cares? I’m about to be a Wonderbolt. Formal education’s a joke.” The breeze picked up momentarily, and Rainbow felt a shiver run down her spine. Summer was ending, and the approaching cold was already making its presence known. “I know. And I’m very proud of you for that, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said idly. “I know this isn’t how you wanted to spend your night, but… I really appreciate that you came with me anyway.” “It’s no trouble.” Rainbow shivered again before she felt something warm and soft cover her back. She craned her neck to see Fluttershy’s wing draped across her, and a smile came to her face. “I love you, Rainbow. You know that, right?” Fluttershy spoke softly as she leaned her head against Rainbow’s shoulder. “That, too. Not only am I going to be a Wonderbolt, but I have a hotter marefriend than than any of those stallions in there.” Rainbow grinned as she wrapped her foreleg around Fluttershy’s neck. Fluttershy giggled and blushed lightly. “That’s my Dashie.” Rainbow nodded. Fluttershy was right; So maybe Rainbow hadn’t left quite as big an impression on this school as she’d thought she had, but did that really matter? She had great friends, a great career ahead of her, and she had Fluttershy, the greatest marefriend she could ask for. “Say, Flutters, you still wanna dance?” Fluttershy lifted her head from Rainbow’s shoulder and smiled. “Umm, maybe. Only if you want to.” Rainbow grinned. “I think it’s about time we show these ponies how a real couple works the floor.” “Oh, Rainbow, you’re so romantic,” Fluttershy teased as they began walking back inside. Rainbow giggled. “And don’t you forget it.”
A Vacation-Fluttershy x ApplejackIt was the perfect plan. Fluttershy could barely contain her excitement. No matter how she looked at it, there was no possible way it could fail. She’d accounted for every variable; double checked every detail. There was nothing – not a single thing – that could go wrong. All the nights of restless sleep and days of anxious waiting would all pay off. And oh, when she pictured the moment of triumph! It would taste so sweet, after the romantic dinner at the Prench restaurant Rarity recommended, after the concert that Rainbow Dash had assured her would ‘blow Applejack’s country-loving mind’, after after the romantic movie in their suite at Canterlot Castle that Twilight had requested for them, she’d just say the words she’d longed to say – I love you, Applejack – and Applejack would smile back, her bright emerald eyes lighting up in sudden joy, and she’d reply, “I love you too, Fluttershy.” Pinkie had even helped her memorize a series of ice breakers and jokes to help smooth out any rough spots in the conversation. It was so perfect Fluttershy could burst into song, if that wouldn’t annoy everypony on the train. Of course, Applejack had been suspicious. ”Why’ve you gotta go to Canterlot on Hearts and Hooves weekend anyway?”, she’d asked. But Fluttershy had planned for that too, and had the perfect excuse. Of course, she’d forgotten the excuse at the time. ”Umm, because, you see, umm, it’s actually a funny story, but–” ’Aw nevermind, you don’t gotta tell me if you don’t wanna, of course I’ll go with ya, ‘Shy. ‘S not like like I got a date anyway.’ Applejack had interrupted her with a smirk. Alright, maybe that part hadn’t gone perfectly, but it had worked out. Everything else, though; Everything else was perfect. Perhaps it was because it was so perfect that Fluttershy found herself completely at a loss when she found herself and her companion standing at the gates of Canterlot Castle arguing having a nice, polite, civil conversation with the gatespony. “What do ya mean our reservation was cancelled!?” Applejack shouted. “Please, Applejack, there’s no need to yell,” Fluttershy squeaked from behind her mane. “I mean just that,” the gatespony gruffed. “I’m terribly sorry, but a very important diplomatic meeting needed to be pushed up, and now all the non-essential guests have been displaced to make room for the embassadors from the Griffin Kingdoms.” “So what are we supposed to do then?” Applejack asked through clenched teeth. “Here,” the gatespony said as she levitated a small piece of paper over to them, “this voucher will get you a room at any hotel in the city. Believe me, no one is happy that this is how things are, but that’s just the way it has to be.” Applejack grabbed the voucher with a hoof and looked it over. “Thank you very much, Mr. Gatespony, that’s very kind of you and we really appreciate it.” Fluttershy whispered. “Fine. Let’s go, ‘Shy.” Applejack said sternly as she turned and began walking away. Fluttershy shot one last apologetic glance at the gatespony before turning to follow. “Don’t look so glum, Fluttershy, at least we got a room,” Applejack said from beside her as looked around. “Oh, no, I’m not glum. This room is… nice.” Fluttershy cringed as she said it. This room was anything but nice. After being laughed out of the fifth hotel for trying to get a room with no reservation on Hearts and Hooves weekend, ‘voucher from the princess or not,’ Fluttershy wanted to cry. The last place they tried, Cerulean Palace, at least had the decency to direct them to a small motel over by the train station that had an opening. Thus, Fluttershy and Applejack found themselves in a tiny room next to the noisy ice machine at the Best Rest Motel. Looking at the room made Fluttershy cringe. It was small, and dingy, and cramped. The walls were covered in dust, the bed took up ¾ of the floor space, and Fluttershy was pretty sure the pony at the front desk had been reading a porn magazine before they walked in. Everything about this place was the antithesis of her hopes for the evening. Fluttershy placed her bags on the bed next to Applejack’s and sighed. She didn’t know what Applejack was thinking right now, but she was pretty sure it couldn’t be anything good. “You still got time to do whatever it was we had to come here for, right?” Applejack asked, breaking Fluttershy out of her introspective moping. “Oh, um, yes. I’ll just be gone for an hour or so, and then we can go get dinner.” “That sounds great, I’m so hungry I could eat a cow! Yanno, if ponies weren’t vegetarian an’ all.” Applejack chuckled as she flopped onto the bed. “I’ll just mosey around here for a bit, you go take care’ve your business.” “Um… Okay. Thanks Applejack. See you in an hour.” Fluttershy smiled sheepishly as she moved to the door – or, well, turned to the door – and left the room. At least when she got back, they could go have their nice romantic dinner at La Verte. “It’s okay, Fluttershy, at least we got food,” Applejack said from across the booth as she brought her hay burger to her mouth. “Yes…” Fluttershy mumbled as she stared at her plate. A hay burger and fries; So much for the fancy, romantic Prench dinner she’d planned. “I know you wanted to eat at that fancy shmancy place, but this is hoof lickin’ good too!” Applejack spoke as she chewed her food. Fluttershy sighed as she picked up her own burger. Of all the nights for La Verte to have a kitchen fire, did it have to be tonight? She didn’t mind having to eat at a diner, in general, but it certainly wasn’t romantic, and it certainly wasn’t going to impress Applejack. The two ate in silence for a few minutes before Fluttershy realized this might be a good time for one of the ice breakers Pinkie had taught her. She took a deep breath, put on as big a smile as she could manage, and made eye contact with Applejack. “Say, umm, Applejack, how much does a polar bear weigh?” Applejack swallowed her current mouthful and scrunched her eyebrows together. “A what?” Fluttershy paused. Applejack was supposed to ask how much. Fluttershy took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “Umm… A polar bear.” “I heard ya the first time, ‘Shy, I just don’t know what a polar bear is. If it’s anything like a grizzly bear, I’d guess somewhere between 400 to 800 pounds? But you’re the animal expert, I dunno what you’re askin’ me for.” Applejack laughed as she took another bite of her burger. It took all of Fluttershy’s willpower to resist slamming her face into the table. At least they still had the concert to go to. “It’s alright ‘Shy, so the lead singer got the flu; It’s no big deal. And now we had time to go get ice cream.” Applejack licked at her cone with a wink as they sat down on a small park bench. “Ice cream is nice…” But it’s certainly not memorable, Fluttershy pouted as she felt the melted drips from her own cone running down her hoof. Applejack began humming something quietly as she ate her ice cream, and Fluttershy sighed as she began trying to catch up with the melting of hers. At least we still can still watch the movie… “It’s alright, Fluttershy, I had a really good time tonight. Besides, at least we’ve still got each other.” Applejack said from the bed as Fluttershy stood over the empty reel case. This was it. The last straw. She’d checked, double checked, and triple checked that the reel was in the case and that she’d brought it with her before going to bed last night; Now, instead of opening it to find the movie she’d brought, she found a carrot. Angel must have been trying to do something nice for her by switching out the reel for a gift, since he probably didn’t realize what it was in the first place, and she appreciated that, but how was she supposed to create a romantic mood for Applejack with a carrot!? “No, it’s not alright! It is every single thing but alright!” Fluttershy cried as she covered her face with her hooves and slouched to the ground, sobbing. “Easy there, girl. So we don’t got a movie, doesn’t mean the trip was a total bust. You still got what ya came out here for, didn’cha?” Applejack asked as she placed a hoof on the small of Fluttershy’s back and rubbed gently, trying to console her. Fluttershy sniffled back her tears and shook her head. Everything had gone wrong, after she’d put so much work into it; Was there even a point to keeping her motives hidden anymore? She doubted it. Maybe if she just got it all out in the open, at least she’d feel a little better and then she could catch a late night train home and cry in her own bed. At the very least, Applejack deserved to know the truth. “I lied, Applejack. There was no reason I had to come to Canterlot, I just wanted to spend time with you–” “Pardon?” Fluttershy felt the hoof leave her back as Applejack interrupted her. She swallowed hard and carried on. “–I just wanted to spend some time with you, but I was too scared to ask you out for Hearts and Hooves day, so I thought if I could get you to come to Canterlot with me we could have a nice romantic evening and maybe you’d realize you felt the same way about me, but the restaurant, the concert, and now even the movie all got messed up. And I put so much work into the preparations! It was all supposed to be perfect, and now we don’t even have a nice suite at the castle to sleep in, we just have this… this… room, and the ice machine is so loud I want to kick something!” Fluttershy coiled up her left hind leg and gently struck the bed with an inaudible ‘oomph’. She let out a massive sigh and turned away from Applejack. “It was stupid of me to think I could impress you…” Fluttershy stared at the floor in silence. Seconds passed, which turned into minutes. Fluttershy started sobbing again as she thought of what Applejack must be thinking right now; She could picture the look of disgust and anger on her face as she contemplated what Applejack would say. ”I can’t believe you’d lie to me,” or ”You deserve this for your trickery,” or worse yet, ”Get out, I don’t ever wanna see you again.” Fluttershy winced as she heard the sound of hooves hitting the floor and coming up behind her. Here it comes… “‘Shy.” Applejack’s voice sounded restrained, subdued; no doubt because she was barely containing her anger at being lied to. Fluttershy held her ground. “Fluttershy, look at me.” Applejack said. Fluttershy cringed as she slowly turned around and lifted her head up to comply. Suddenly she felt lips against hers, big orange eyelids closed immediately in front of her; She squeaked in surprise and flared her wings in panic as she processed the new stimuli; She had no idea what was happening, but now wasn’t the time to fight it. She closed her own eyes and leaned into the kiss. A moment later Applejack pulled back. “I meant it when I said I had a good time tonight, Sugarcube,” she said with a smile, big spots of red showing through her orange coat on her cheeks. Fluttershy breathed heavily as she realized she’d forgotten to do so since she’d turned around. “But, the dinner, and the concert, and the movie, and the suite–” “I don’t care about any of that stuff, Fluttershy.” Applejack shook her head. “Fact is, I ain’t exactly been honest either.” Fluttershy blinked the remaining tears from her eyes. “What do you mean?” “Well,” Applejack began as she dragged her hoof across the carpet, “I actually kinda knew what you were plannin’... You asked me to come stay at a suite in the Canterlot Castle on Hearts and Hooves weekend, don’t exactly take Sherlock Horse to put that one together. That’s why I didn’t make ya tell me what you were ‘actually’ doin’ up here this weekend.” Applejack chuckled, doing air quotes with her hooves. “Ya don’t gotta impress me, ‘Shy, though I am flattered you’d put so much effort into showin’ me a good time. And given how tonight turned out, I can’t wait to see what you come up with for our next date!” Fluttershy’s mind reeled. Applejack had known the whole time, and she didn’t care? Wait… “Umm, next date? You mean, umm, you’d like to go on another one?” Fluttershy dared not breath as the question left her mouth. “Sure as sugar I would!” Applejack smiled. “But heck, this one ain’t even over yet. Whaddaya wanna do next?” Fluttershy was glad there was no mirror in the room, because she was sure her face had achieved a here-to-undiscovered shade of bright red as she stammered incoherently in reply. “Umm, we could, I mean, we don’t have the movie, but, umm–” Applejack tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. “Wanna make out?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders. Fluttershy’s wings flared again as her eyes went wide, eliciting a chuckle from Applejack. Fluttershy swallowed hard. “If that’s alright with you, I mean, I wouldn’t mind it.” She squeaked. Applejack laughed again as she hopped up onto the bed and grabbed Fluttershy by the shoulders. “C’mere, you.” Fluttershy felt herself being pulled onto the bed and into Applejack’s embrace and let out a massive sigh of relief. So the room, the dinner, the concert, and the movie had all been ruined. It didn’t matter. In the end, it was perfect.
