A Photoshoot

-click-

Honey Spice smiled as her 'camera models' scampered to and fro, ignoring the teen Pegasus in favor of gathering berries on a nearby bush.

Today was her first day off in weeks. Spring's arrival apparently also meant an arrival of new, coffee-loving ponies within Ponyville. She had to work extra-long hours within Cafe Spice, a shop owned by her two parents.

She can make good coffee, but it just isn't her special talent, as evidenced from the lack of any sort of cutie mark on the teenager's flank.

No, she didn't know what her special talent was, but she did know how to have fun.

And, to the caramel-colored mare, 'having fun' was to be by yourself, exploring the woods, and taking pictures of the cute, fuzzy inhabitants.

Ooh, Honey could see a blue jay not so far from where she was, sleeping within a tree! The young teen secured her camera around her neck, lifting up into the air ever so slowly. Animals were flightly little things, and one mustn't make a lot of commotion when approaching them, or else they might run--or, in this case, fly--away.

When Honey had her hooves around her camera, taking pictures was all she could think about. She was a novice, and not all of her photos came out looking great, but it didn't matter to her. Taking a photo was preserving a memory for life. Her parents didn't quite understand her hobby; if it didn't have anything to do with coffee, they didn't care much for it. But they let their filly take on her 'side-project', as they called it. They said it was just a phase for Honey, and eventually she'll get over it and gain some interest in drink-making instead.

The Pegasus aimed her camera at the sleeping Blue Jay, just a few feet from the branch whereupon it laid. Right when she was about to take the picture, however, she heard someone speak.

"Hi."

It wasn't loud, not any louder than the singing birds or chattering animals. But for the young mare who had sequestered herself from civilization for the past afternoon, it was startling.

"Oh, sweet Celestia!" She lightly swore, looking at the flying mare next to her for a split second before falling to the ground, her wings locking up in surprise.

It didn't hurt, but the animals around her vanished.

When Honey was helped up off the ground by the other Pegasus, her first course of action was making sure her camera wasn't broken by the short fall.

She took glanced at her camera, but looked back at the other Pegasus once she realized the mare was speaking to her. She was apologizing for making her fall.

Oh no, it's not your fault, really... She thought, but then realized that the other mare didn't have the ability to read her thoughts. The young teen opened her mouth to speak, but was then shocked into silence by the other Pegasi's actions--she was bird whistling! Or, bird calling?

Honey wasn't very knowledgeable on that subject at all, but the stranger's whistling brought back her Blue Jay!

Delighted, she unfurled her wings. But, Honey didn't fly back up in the air for fear that the bird might flee once more. Instead, she lifted her camera, and...-click-!

She took a few shots, just a few, before the bird flew away once more. She smiled, though. Those were enough pictures. And, her camera wasn't broken! That was always a good thing.

Honey blinked her yellow-colored eyes at the unknown pony next to her. Sure, the other mare had caused her to fall in the first place, but she did bring back an animal for her to take a picture of...that deserved a 'thank you', right?

She opened her mouth up to speak. "Um...thanks for bringing the jay back." She whispered, out of awkwardness more than anything, "And my camera isn't broken...So." She finished lamely, scuffling her right hoof on the floor a bit before quickly adding, "But, uh, yeah! It's not your fault I fell. Well, it is, but I'm not blaming you. I just..fall. Easily. Sometimes...when I'm startled into falling, and stuff..." She darted her eyes towards the ground, a little nervous by the newcomers' appearance.

Seeing the outreached hoof, Honey tentatively lifted her own. She shook the hoof of the other mare--Starcatcher, she learned her name was, then took a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking. "I'm Honey Spice." She greeted, looking at the other mare.

Having both lived in the small town of Ponyville her entire life, and working in a Cafè popular with teens and young adults, the caramel mare has met a lot of its citizens. But Honey wasn't one for remembering faces or names; she was having trouble figuring out whether or not she's met this other pony before.

"...I don't think I've seen you before," She continued to speak, "I-I'm sorry if we have met before...I'm not exactly good with names."

"Oh, uh, is there a difference?" Honey questioned, swerving her head to look at the new creature behind her.

It was a bunny, one of the same ones she saw collecting berries just a few minutes before. She gave the little critter a small smile, stepping to the side so it could get past her and reach the berry bush.

"I just like to take pictures...of cities, meadows, and animals." She said, motioning to the rabbit, who was now devouring berries like there was no tomorrow. "I've been following his family all day..." She said, glancing down at her camera, noticing that she's close to running out of film. She decided to save her last few shots; perhaps she'll see something interesting on the way back to Ponyville that she'd want a picture of.

"So, what do you do?" She asked, "Um, that bird call was really cool...it doesn't look like your cutie mark, though..."

Honey Spice's eyes widened as Starcatcher, who was calm and collected just a few seconds before, answered her cutie mark question in a series of mumbles. The caramel mare wondered if what she had asked was too personal. Or did she do something offensive by mistake?

The caramel mare's ears drooped down in anguish; she managed to meet a nice pony and offended her in less than ten minutes! She really wasn't cut out to be the sociable type at all.

"Ohh, I'm really sorry..." Honey exclaimed, though not very loudly. Some of the braver forest creatures were staring at them, some in concern, and some just curious to what was going on.

"I didn't mean to offend you, or anything..." She continued, looking around at some of the birds and bunnies that were staring at them, wishing that they'd go away. She felt awkward with them looking at her. "I didn't realize that my question could've been considered too personal for some ponies." She hoped Starcatcher wasn't too mad at her for her insensitivity.

"Oh, uh..." Honey Spice said, trying to think of what to say or do that could help the mare. She didn't have any good ideas, though, seeing as how she's never met a pony who could have these 'shy attacks', and therefore didn't know how to react in such a situation.

But, it seemed like Honey didn't need to do anything. The other mare had started playing with the bunnies, and it seemed to be helping her out. Honey took to watching the scene unfold in front of her for a few moments with a slight smile before having an idea.

"Hey, you said you liked birds, right? Well, we're both Pegasusus...er...Pegasi...so, we can fly, so, um, would you like to do that? Uh, fly and look at the birds, I mean?"

Honey waved goodbye at the bunnies before flapping her wings, catching up to the other mare in a few seconds.

"Uh...no, I don't have any preferences." She smiled, "Do you have a favorite bird you'd like to call?" She asked, slowly raising her altitude, wanting to go above the trees, but not wanting to leave the other mare behind. "I'm not that knowledgeable on bird types and stuff; I just take pictures.

"Oh, we can fly down the, if you like." Honey offered, glancing in the direction of which the bird's tweets were coming from. "I adore flying in high altitudes, but I guess most birds don't." She commented.

It was a shame, really. Honey loved flying high in the sky, but most other creatures didn't. If she wanted to take photos of critters, she usually had go lower, and towards the ground for it.

What she would do to meet an avian who loved soaring skies at such impressive feats like she did...but such a bird probably didn't exist.