Gibberish's Cottage in the springtime

[Crescent]

A spring-green earthling walked out from the green cottage, which was decorated with beautiful ivys snaking all over the cottage walls. She looked behind her to the building, scratching on her other hoof and tossing her rainbow-coloured mane nervously. A little sparkle seemed to tear loose of her hair, glimmering in the bright spring sun.

"They wouldn't find it, would they?" she muttered to herself, shifting her weight from the other back foot to the other. "They wouldn't. It's hidden here. Who would look here? Just a hermit, they say in the city, don't they? I like it here."

She tore her eyes off the building and started walking towards her garden. Her gait was nervous, twitching, and her ears flicked back and forth, side to side, all around. She mumbled to herself hardly audibly as she crouched to the carrots, beginning the tedious job of picking them from the ground so that she might take them to the market in the city. Around her in the sweet spring sun there floated a small yellow glowing ball, hardly the size of a marble, circling her and bouncing in the air merrily.

"Yes, yes," Gibberish murmured softly, picking up a carrot and throwing it into the basket. "But a beautiful day won't pick up the carrots, will it? A beautiful day. A beautiful day is not good. Not good. They think it a good day for walks. They move a lot on beautiful days. But there will be market. I must go with the carrots. You know, the carrots do look so tasty." She took a bite from one of the carrots, and swallowed. A pleased smile flickered across her lips, then it vanished again and she quickly ate up the rest of the carrot. "There now. All good. But there's a hurry now."

Continuing to mutter to herself, she continued to pick out the carrots, very carefully one by one, while the little ball of light danced around her head.

[Crescent]

Three stallions made their way at a leisurely pace along the small forest path leading to Gibberish's cottage. The day was hot and sweat broke out on the coats of the three stallions. The dark corn-coloured coat of the biggest stallion was now almost brown, and he tossed his neck impatiently as he trotted along behind the two brothers. He had not been in this part of Ponyville before, and he had no idea where the twins were taking him. They had told him they knew someone here, someone who might lodge them for a few nights. He was anxious to get to the cottage. He wanted to introduce himself, see where he would sleep and then get off to the city. He wasn't feeling like being especially sociable with this friend of Rogue's.

Rogue, the white unicorn with purple hair and a determined look on his face, was leading the way, as usual. His brother Tramp, a white unicorn with blue hair, followed close behind, glancing back over his shoulder to the corn-coloured stallion behind them. Hollow Heart rather made him shudder. He didn't quite know what it was about the stallion that made him nervous, but he rather not met his eyes. Tramp wondered why Rogue had taken the older stallion with them in the first place. Hollow wasn't particularly sociable, and he obviously made even Rogue a little nervous with his piercing golden eyes.

But Tramp was happy to return to Ponyville, so he pushed the thoughts about Hollow away from his mind. He was happy to see Gib again. She was odd, sure, but she was his friend. At least that's what he liked to think.

Suddenly Rogue motioned the other stallions to a halt. They stopped at the edge of a little clearing, where there was a green cottage and a beautiful vegetable and fruit garden around it. On the garden, plucking up carrots, there was a pretty green filly with a wonderful rainbow mane.

For a moment Hollow thought his eyes caught a glimpse of a small flickering light right above the filly's head, but then it was gone again.

[Crescent]

"Hello, pup," a pleasant male voice rang out from behind Gibberish. She jumped nervously, and dropped the carrot she had in her hooves.

"Who is it?" she shrieked before she had the chance to see the strangers. When her eye caught the three stallions standing close by, her eyes widened. "Rogue?"

The unicorn smiled and came closer.

"How've you been doing, puppet?" he asked her after embracing her tightly. Then he looked around. "It looks great here. You've really been busy."

Gibberish smiled a little. Her hooves were twisting and turning a lock of her long hair as she stared at the strange stallion right behind Tramp.

"Who is that?" she asked, her voice very suspicious. She hated surprises. Most of all, she hated strange visitors.

Rogue glanced back, then shrugged.

"Oh, just another mercenary we met along the way," he said carelessly. "Never you mind, pup. He'll stay for one night, if that's ok with you. Then you can kick him out into an inn in the town or something."

[Crescent]

Hollow dipped his head in greeting, examining the mare closely. He could see she was a common mortal. Of no significance, or at least she would not have been of any significance, had she not had the ball. Now he could see it more clearly. She was attempting to hide it in her tresses, but his vision pierced the cover easily. What was this strange thing?

"I am Hollow Heart," the stallion said politely, however. There was no reason to be rude. After all, she would offer him lodging for the night. "You can call me Hollow."

Gibberish stared at the stallion distrustfully.

"Gibberish," she introduced herself, nodding briefly. Then she turned to Rogue. "I was just leaving for the town," she said. "With the carrots. I go every week. For market. That way I get some extra money. Of course they don't always buy them all, so I'm usually left with extra. Oh, you will need food, won't you?" She started gathering the carrots back into the basket, very nervous. "I think there's enough carrots for us all. I make carrot soup. Will you come to the market with me? I can't leave you here. It isn't good. Or you can go to an inn. I'm sorry, but my cottage is very small."

Rogue waved it off.

"Calm down, pup," he said. His eyes were also fixed on the ball he knew to be hidden in her hair. He had heard something during his travels. That was why he had returned now. He would not go to the inn. "I'm sure there's plenty of room. You forget I helped you build it."

"We'll come with you to the city," Hollow said with his deep voice, stepping a little closer. "I'm in need of a little walk."

The mare stared at the stallions for a few moments, then nodded. And nodded again, and again.

"All right," she said. "All right. You take that cart there. I will fetch my bag."

And she shuffled into the cottage, shaking her head and muttering to herself. Hollow watched her go, his eyes fixed on her hair. This magic in her hair intrigued him. It was not bound to mortality. How had such a nervous little wreck managed to find such a precious thing - and keep it?

When Gibberish returned from the cottage, she nodded to the stallions and they started off, towards the city.

[Crescent]

[[woops... meant to put it into the springtime to begin with... Ah, well. I hope it don't cause too much trouble]]