//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: A Year's Harvest 
// by Totally_Not_Furry 
//------------------------------//


A Year’s Harvest

By Totally_Not_Furry


Fluttershy trotted along the path to Sweet Apple Acres carrying a basket in her mouth.  Around her neck lay a lime green scarf that waved in the wind.  On her head was a matching beanie, one size too big so it covered half of her left eye.  The air wasn’t cold enough for the pegasus to dress this way, but she wanted to dress up for her anniversary date.  She never had a thing for saddles and other ponies told her she looked good in oversized clothes, so she decided to take their advice.

Celestia’s sun shined brightly in the sky, reflecting the colors of the posies, roses, and tulips as Fluttershy trotted by.  She stopped on a bridge as a school of fish swam under it. The pegasus reached into her basket and pulled out a piece of bread, breaking it into pieces and scattering it in the river.  The fish gladly gobbled up the pieces and gave a tail flop to say thank you.  Fluttershy smiled with a small blush and grabbed the basket to continue on her way.

In Sweet Apple Acres, the scent of blooming flowers and apples permeated throughout the orchard.  Trees big and small were all in different stages of their bloom, some still had apple blossoms on their leaves, others had fully ripe fruit hanging on their branches.  Two birds followed each other from tree to tree, chirping love songs at each other.  Fluttershy smiled as she watched them dance, humming their tunes as she travelled the path.

Finally, Fluttershy reached her destination.  Bloomberg stood tall in front of her, still in the blossoming stage.  As the pegasus approached the tree, the flowers fell off the tree’s branches one by one around Fluttershy.  Soon, there was a circle of flowers surrounding the pony.  Fluttershy put down her basket gave Bloomberg a short kiss.

“Good to see you too Bloomberg, you look stunning today.”

Bloomberg ‘s leaves rustled a bit in the wind and Fluttershy pawed at the ground.

“Well, it’s been a year, so I thought we could spend the day together.  I brought lunch.”

Fluttershy opened up the basket and took out a picnic blanket and placed it aside Bloomberg.  On the blanket, she placed two salad sandwiches and two juiceboxes.  After removing the napkins, the basket was empty and she placed it behind Bloomberg.

“I picked out these leaves myself, I hope they’re good.”

Fluttershy sat down and went to pick up her sandwhich, but a blossom fell from Bloomberg’s branches onto Fluttershy’s nose.

“EEEP!”

The shy pony fell backwards and the beanie fell over her face.  Bloomberg shivered slightly in a passing breeze.  Fluttershy took the hat off of her face and placed it on the basket.

“Sorry about that,”  Fluttershy said with a blush.  

Bloomberg swayed gently in a gust of wind.

“I love you too Bloomberg.”

Fluttershy picked up her juicebox and took a sip from it as a wind caused a chorus of applause from the rest of Sweet Apple Acres.