//------------------------------//
// Worries 
// Story: Moonlight Harvest 
// by insertbronyhere 
//------------------------------//

	"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness," Fluttershy repeatedly murmured, pacing her bedroom in a panic. "He's taking me for a walk, he's taking me on a date, what do I do, what do I wear, oh my goodness, oh my goodness..."
Angel Bunny glared and tapped his foot impatiently. His caretaker had been at this since she woke up, frantically trying on every piece of clothing she owned before tossing them aside, citing one reason or another as to why it was too little or too much for the humble farmer she had been seeing. Angel never could wrap his mind around Fluttershy's particular brand of anxiety. She had apparently fared quite well when she'd been unexpectedly subjected to the Blossom twins' special romance routine at the spa last weekend, but now that a simple walk in the hills was planned, she just couldn't handle the anticipation.
A soft, rhythmic knock on the front door prompted the butter-yellow mare to yelp and fly right up into the ceiling of her closet, landing in her pile of rejected outfits with her hooves over her suddenly sore head. "Ow, ow, ow," she whimpered, looking sheepishly up at her rabbit companion. "W-would you see who's at the d-door, please?"
With the most scathingly unamused expression a rodent could possibly muster, Angel nodded and hopped away, leaving Fluttershy to wallow in her shame. Before long, he returned, followed up the stairs by the sound of hoofsteps much smaller than those of the bulky stallion she so eagerly dreaded to see.
"Flutters, what's up?" came the soft drawl of her even more nature-oriented friend. "I was in town to buy some herbs, figured I'd pop in for tea, but Angel's vibing like he's been watching a meltdown this morning."
"H-hi, Treesy," the pink and yellow parts of the laundry pile replied in a squeak. "J-just, y'know, getting dressed for a... d-d-date..."
Tree Hugger's face lit up, as well as her muted form of expression allowed, and she chuckled. "You silly filly, he's a farmer. Just go au naturel, it's not the Gala or anything."
"I-I know," Shy mumbled, getting to her hooves to meet her friend at eye level. "I just... I-I really want to make a good impression. He's taking me for a walk this afternoon behind the farm, s-so his whole family's gonna see me..."
Tree couldn't help but snicker at the pegasus' naïveté. "Dude, chill, it's the Apples," she pointed out. "They've known you for years. You don't have to impress 'em."
"I know," Shy whined, rubbing one foreleg with the other bashfully. "But it's a date."
"You're overthinking it, dude," the earth mare said with a chuckle, placing a comforting hoof on her antsy friend's shoulder. "You're already family, Flutters. Their house is your house. Just be you."
"B-but it's a date..."
Tree sighed and shook her head. "Alright, tell ya what, I'll help you doll up," she offered. "What's his favorite part of you? You ever caught him staring?"
Fluttershy blushed and shook her head. "N-no, he's a gentlecolt," she replied.
"Or just sneaky," the hippie added with a snicker, gently elbowing the increasingly red-faced Fluttershy in case she didn't catch the joke.
"Um, a-actually, he told me once that, um..." she quickly parried, trailing off and hiding behind her mane. "I-I have pretty eyes," she finished in a squeaky whisper.
"Aaaahhh," Tree responded, her countenance taking on a devious smirk. "Come here, Shy," she ordered, rubbing her forehooves together. "I got this."
Fluttershy gulped.




MOONLIGHT HARVEST
by [insert brony here]
Chapter Seven




Big MacIntosh groaned as he shrugged his yoke off. Maybe working so fast today hadn't been his best idea. He'd freed up a lot of time to spend with Fluttershy, whom he had seen playing with Applebloom and Scootaloo from across the property earlier, but a simple walk in the hills might as well be a hike in the mountains today. He ached in ways he'd never ached before, and probably still wouldn't have noticed if Rarity hadn't forced him into that spa recently. It was really a wonder how much self-inflicted abuse he had grown accustomed to without ever getting a massage over the years.
Cursing himself, he gingerly made his way out of the barn towards his house. Fluttershy and the fillies were no longer out in the yard, so he entered the house, pausing to take in the spicy aroma of an apple pie in progress wafting from the kitchen before following the sound of his grandmother's voice into the living room.
"...and mah husband, the bull-headed stallion, he said they was varmints, and we had ta kill 'em!" Granny Smith recounted dramatically, drawing a horrified gasp from Fluttershy. The aged earth mare gave a devilish grin as she continued, "I set that boy straight though, by golly, I says, 'They ain't hurtin' nopony! Them squirrels're just tryin' ta feed their babies, just like us, 'n' we got plenty o' land ta plant a few more trees 'n' let 'em keep those'uns.' He wa'n' havin' it, but I tell ya," she lowered her voice, winking at Fluttershy and unaware of her grandson standing in the doorway watching the exchange, "you kick a colt outta yer bed long enough, he'll do anythin' ya want. Still today, them squirrels' great-great-great-great..."
Mac rolled his eyes behind Granny as she continued with the "great"s for a while, Fluttershy's nervous posture giving way to a smile on the verge of giggles as the ancestry grew longer and longer.
"...great-great-grandbabies're livin' in the southwest corner o' the orchard... er maybe it was the southeast," the old mare muttered, looking up at the ceiling and tapping her chin with a hoof. She then looked down at the pegasus across the room with a bright smile. "Well, howdy, Fluttershy! What brings you here?"
Shy and Mac both grimaced as the stallion came around into Granny's field of sight. "She came to take a walk with me, Granny," he explained softly before turning to address his new marefriend. "Where'd Scootaloo and Applebloom wander off to?"
"Oh, they went to play with Sweetie Belle almost an hour ago," Fluttershy replied.
"Said they was gonna help that li'l spotty colt with the funny accent get his cutie mark," Granny chimed in, falling asleep immediately after finishing her sentence.
Fluttershy gave a smile tinged with sadness. "Granny Smith is lovely to talk to... when she remembers what she's talking about..."
MacIntosh sighed, looking over the Apple family's matron with pain in his eyes. "She's really somethin', but I worry about her," he intoned in a low voice. "Her mind ain't what it used to be, and she ain't exactly gettin' younger..."
Fluttershy nodded silently, chewing her lip for a moment while her coltfriend simply stared at his grandmother. Eventually, she spoke up. "So, um, sh-shall we walk?"
The stoic stallion shook himself and nodded. "Eeyup. I figured we might go--" He was stopped in his tracks when he looked at her, taking in her appearance properly for the first time today.
"Fluttershy," he said with a tone of awe, "you look beautiful."
Her mane was tied into two large pigtails, framing her face on either side, and she wore just the tiniest amount of eyeliner to draw out the vivid color of her eyes. She blushed under his scrutiny, her head tilting to one side and shrinking back into her shoulders, but her pale pink hair couldn't mask her sheepish grin like it typically did.


art by kei05

"Th-thank you, MacIntosh," she half-squeaked in response. "Um, i-it was Tree Hugger's idea."
"But it's your face," he replied with a swarm smile, his eyes bouncing back and forth between her own. "It's lovely when ya can actually see it."
Fluttershy's blush deepened, and there was nothing she could do about it. However, something about Mac's smile made it feel alright. He wasn't laughing at her embarrassment. Dare she believe this was a look of... love?
The stallion continued to admire her for a moment before clearing his throat. "Ahem, so, uh, like I was sayin'," he continued his previous train of thought, "I figured you might like the hills out the east side of the property. There's a nice pond out that way."
Fluttershy took a moment to find her voice again. "O-oh, um, that sounds wonderful," she stuttered, still trying to hide behind her tied-up mane. "I-I-I like... water," she added lamely.
MacIntosh chuckled softly, leaning forward to nuzzle the pegasus' forehead. "Then let's not waste any time, hmm?" he suggested.
Behind them, Granny Smith coughed violently, drawing concerned looks from the two younger ponies. When she regained control of her breathing, she waved a hoof dismissively. "Uh, y'all are so cute it makes me sick," she deflected with a weak chuckle. MacIntosh smiled and rolled his eyes at her, but she knew he saw through her charade. Nonetheless, she tried to maintain a cheerful demeanor. "Now, Fluttershy, you make sure Big Mac don't get lost out there, ya hear?"
The pegasus giggled. "I'll try. Take care, Mrs. Smith," she said curtly as she turned to leave the room.
"Aww, now don't be like that, Shutterfly," Granny replied. "You was family 'fore ya ever started puttin' the moves on mah grandson. Call me Granny, sugar cube."
Fluttershy smiled back at her. "Okay, Granny. We'll be back for dinner, right, MacIntosh?"
"Eeyup," Mac confirmed simply. "Love ya, Granny." He gave one more sad smile at his grandmother, who had fallen asleep again, before escorting his date outside.

As forecasted, they walked beyond the farm into the hills, MacIntosh explaining various aspects of his work as they went. Fluttershy found it all rather fascinating. The farm work had several parallels to her own gardening, albeit on a much larger scale. For some reason, the knowledge that her new coltfriend worked so hard lit a fire inside her.
She found herself leaning against him as they walked, deeply breathing in his unique mixture of apples, hay, and musk. There were a few times that she lost track of the conversation. Mac would simply chuckle when she asked him to repeat himself, however, assuming that he was simply throwing too much information at her at once.
Eventually the conversation dissolved into small talk, the two ponies sharing random anecdotes and discussing their interests and ambitions. As the sun started to set, Fluttershy realized they'd been walking an awful long time.
"Um, I didn't expect the pond you mentioned to be so far away..."
Mac stopped and gave her a sheepish grin, glancing back to where his house was still visible behind them. "We, uh, might've meandered a bit on the way," he admitted, "but we're about there. This way," he said, gesturing with a tilt of his head.
They continued walking the path until they passed between two steep knolls, beyond which lay a body of water as smooth as a mirror, barred from the wind by the earth that surrounded it on all sides. From the entrance, they directly faced the sun as it met the horizon, creating a breathtaking cascade of rich colors in the sky which were reflected in the greenish water of the pond. Fluttershy now understood why they had dallied on the way here.
"Oh, my," she mumbled softly, looking back and forth between the beautiful display before her and the stallion at her side with an ever-growing smile. "This is wonderful, MacIntosh..."
He smiled down at her, chuckling softly. "I figured you'd like that. I come out here a lot when I need some time to mahself to think," he explained, looking out over the placid water.
The mare nodded, leaning into his chest. "I'm sure you've been out here a lot lately..."
"Eeyup," he confirmed with a sigh. "Definitely been a lot on mah mind. Your, uh, batty friend--"
"Oh, um," she interrupted so softly that anypony else wouldn't have noticed, but MacIntosh heard her and paused. "After you left, we came up with, um, Umbral Breeze."
"Huh, 'Umbral Breeze'. Breeze," he tested the name a few times before nodding. "Suits her, I think. She like it?"
"Mhmm."
"Alright, Breeze it is," he stated before clearing his throat. "So, yeah... Breeze has definitely made things... interestin'. I've been out here damn near every day just tryin' to figure how we're gonna make this work. I mean, we live clear on opposite sides o' Ponyville, and I hardly have the time for child-rearin', as much as I want to. And now we got our relationship to figure out, everything's so complicated all o' the sud--MMPH!"
Mac's eyes widened as he found his mouth obstructed. Fluttershy had lifted off her forehooves somewhat to press her lips to his, surprising them both. After a brief moment that seemed to last an eternity, she broke away, returning to all fours and once again failing to hide behind her mane, though she maintained eye contact.
"Then marry me," she offered, her usually timid voice betraying no uncertainty.
"W-what, just like that?" Mac asked, eyes wide in disbelief. "What about livin' arrangements?"
"I could live here with you. I can fly home to take care of the animals; I couldn't ask you to walk so far to work on the farm. Your work is so strenuous as it is," she said with a look of concern.
"I--you--I mean," he stuttered in response, "isn't this a bit sudden?"
Fluttershy smiled and shrugged. "I was listening when you spoke with Breeze last night. I know you want a proper family, and I can't imagine making our foal grow up with separated parents. You do love me, don't you...?" she asked, focusing on his eyes intently.
Mac gulped at the look she gave him. Neither of them had dropped the L-word yet. MacIntosh knew his answer however, and he straightened up and maintained eye contact as he replied. "Yes I do, Fluttershy."
"Then what's the problem?" she asked with a joyous grin, her heart fluttering with his confirmation. "Every other aspect of our relationship is all backwards anyway... why not at least be married before the baby arrives?"
Mac sat down with a sigh, placing him at eye level with the small pegasus. "I guess this is just happenin' so fast. Me, I've always lived a simple 'n' repetitive life," he admitted, staring into the water. "But lately... hell, it ain't been two years since Applejack 'n' y'all were given the Elements o' Harmony, and so much has happened since then. She's always gone, 'n' I'm just here workin' the farm."
Fluttershy frowned sympathetically as she sat in front of him, leaning into his chest and nuzzling under his chin. He broke his gaze away from the pond to smile down at her before letting his eyes unfocus again with a sigh.
"Now somethin's finally happenin' to me, and I just don't know if I can handle it," he continued somberly. "I know I put a good face on it, kinda what I'm known for," he said, looking his marefriend in the eye again, "but I'm terrified, Fluttershy. What if I ain't a good daddy? Or a good husband? What's gonna happen to the farm when I'm tryin' to raise a foal? What if I--"
"Oh, quit being silly," Shy interrupted, gently pushing his chin up with her hoof. "You won't be alone, and you've done just fine raising Applebloom and running the farm since your parents passed away. This is no different. In fact," she added with a smile, "as long as they still live here, both of your sisters will be able to help us too. It'll be much easier than before."
The farmer's shoulders drooped and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. For all the time he spent on introspection, he couldn't believe he'd been so shortsighted. He did have plenty of help, at the very least through the first few years of the foal's life, and once he or she was in school, it'd be much easier even without his sisters around. With a sigh of relief, he embraced the miniscule mare beneath him, nuzzling behind her left ear.
"You're right, Shy," he admitted softly. "I'm sorry for all the fuss..."
"It's alright," she reassured him, pressing herself more firmly into his underside. "It's perfectly natural to be anxious about your first child. I'm a little nervous myself, but I've helped so many of the animals with their offspring, I know I can handle it."
MacIntosh nodded and looked across the pond once again, this time wearing a comfortable smile. Everything would be alright. Everything would be alright. He absentmindedly stroked Fluttershy's back as the statement danced through his mind.
The mare softly purred at his affections, closing her eyes in a blissful half-smile. After a few minutes, she turned around so she could face the pond with him, pulling his hoof around her in a silent invitation to feel her developing baby bump. Just over a quarter through gestation, it was barely noticeable, and the foal wasn't kicking yet, but nevertheless, MacIntosh felt his heart swell when his hoof came to rest over his lover's womb. Fluttershy sighed cheerfully and used her wings to rub the stallion's chest as they watched the sun slowly sink behind the hills.
As the sky began to lose its brilliant orange hue, MacIntosh lifted his hoof from his marefriend's belly and stood beside her, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. "Well, we'd better get back to the house," he suggested as she stood and stretched her legs and wings. "Applejack oughta be home with dinner by now."
"Should we tell them the news?" the pegasus inquired eagerly as they began their walk back.
Mac chuckled and brushed his tail across her side affectionately. "At least wait 'til I get you a ring."
Fluttershy giggled and put on a fake pout. "Aw, alright..."
They made their way back to the farm house in silence, simply enjoying each other's company as the last of the light left the sky.