swirls of sunbeams

by the silent symphony

03: tomato_sandwiches

Fluttershy held out a picnic basket, made from woven straw and with a blue checkered blanket covering it.

"I thought you might want some breakfast." She said offering Hem the basket of food.

"Oh thank you," Hem said gratefully, "You didn't have to, I usually get by with the wild berries in Everfree."

"You go into the Everfree forest?" Fluttershy marvelled.

"Yeah.." Hem took the basket opened the blankets and started to pull out the various contents, "sandwiches, I haven't had one of these in a while, but I really enjoy them."

"The local reputation of the Everfree forest is kind of ... negative," Fluttershy continiued, "there are ghost stories about ponies who never came back after entering.."

"Oh, well so far I've seen nothing out of the ordinary." Hem assured as he neatly folded the checkered blanket back.

Fluttershy watched him as he organized the food on a napkin, he was a novelty--to Fluttershy at least--his hair seemed like it was cut with a piece of broken glass, it hung ragged and loose over his neck and forehead. She had noticed that his cutie mark was what looked like thorns, or perhaps claws.

Hem noticed her staring and they both awkwardly turned their faces away.

"So.." Hem began, "Fluttershy, what do you do for a living?"

"I, uh.. I work with animals, and various other things.." Fluttershy trailed off.

"Animals, that sounds exiting."

"It can be at times, haha.. but its more calming for me."

"I see, that's.. that's very nice.." Hem picked up one of the two sandwiches and handed it out to Fluttershy, "here, have one."

"Oh, no, I made them for you." Fluttershy objected

"Come now, you should have one, you made them after all," Hem convinced, "I cant eat by myself, I feel gluttonous."

Fluttershy eventually gave in, and they began to eat breakfast while counting the fish that swam by in the stream. After a while she finally started to look around at the make-shift home of Hem's;

There were a few loose boards propped up for something that resembled a wall, there was one leaf-covered blanket that was winkled and stained from years of use, it sat in the corner next to a small metal pale and a broken gramophone.

The smooth water was softly flowing, with a sweet scent of lilys and orange blossoms, there was colorful water grass that had grown there and was taking rest in the shade of the bridge.

"This place looks quite lonely.." Fluttershy observed, "you could always stay at my house, I bet its a lot more comfortable."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm quite fine," Hem declined, "Plus there would be such gossip of a scandal."

"I guess so," Fluttershy said, why did she ask that in the first place? It was very hasty, she wasn't hasty.

"Well.. tell me about your day." Hem said attentively.

"There's not much to it really.." Fluttershy replied, "Before i made breakfast and came down here, I went to do more practice with my birds, we were doing fine, but then this pony came up, she was a nice shade of violet with a pink stripe in her otherwise purple hair, she frightened away all the birds--they are very shy you know--but it was pretty much the end of the lesson anyways so I wont need them until this evening."

"That didn't seem very nice.."

"Yes but it happens to everyone, plus she had a baby dragon, he was very cute and it kept me busy for a few minutes."

"ah.."
` Fluttershy paused, the sun was almost halfway to the keystone of the sky, it looked down upon the green hills and cast swirls of sunbeams gently through the sparse clouds.

"I will have to go in a minute, to prepare for the Summer Solstice Celebration." She said wearily.

"That's fine, you've made my day already, its nice to have someone to talk to.." Hem stood up and put the remains of breakfast back into the basket.

"Before I go.." Fluttershy said, "..may I listen to some music off your gramophone?"

"Sure thing," Hem answered, "Its kind of in tatters, it was my great-grandfathers, but it still works."

He turned the horn of the machine towards them and set a black, round disc on the wheel, he then slowly lowered the needle to the surface.

A small hiss and popping was heard for a minute, but it cleared out into what sounded like a piano played in an empty cathedral, reverb was drenching the pristine and slightly detuned notes, making the sweet melody have an isolated feeling.

They listened in silence.

Fluttershy looked at Hem's eyes and was sucked in once again. A statue of salt next to Sodom. What were those eyes, what were they?

She suddenly had a an image, that flashed on the screen of her mind for a second, but only a second, and was gone. It was of her dream she had the previous night, except he had turned blue, as if covered in a sheet of ice and snow. His eyes were hollow.