Blooming Fabulous

by Appletastic

Chapter 3 - Came to Me

"Okay, this has gone too far! Anypony who makes Daisy cry is just... sick! Just a sick, sick pony!" ranted Rose, pacing back and forth in the flower shop. It was late at night and the store was closed. Daisy had been sent to bed with a mug of hot cocoa, still whimpering from the dahlia incident. Lily and Rose, on the other hoof, had stayed up discussing revenge plots for Lotus's latest move on the board. So far, most of the night had been devoted to Rose ranting about Lotus's flaws. Any ideas that were put out were immediately shot down by Lily.

"We need something really bad. After what she did to me, she deserves it," growled Lily. Rose nodded in agreement. As they continued to confer, Daisy crept down the stairs in the back of the shop. She sat on the bottom step listening to the conversation of her two friends. After a few minutes had passed, she stalked silently into the main room. During a pause in the conversation, she stated,

"I'm not a child, you know. I am a part of this business, just like the both of you." Lily and Rose whipped around to face her. Lily tried to interject, but Daisy continued.

"Now, I may not know what Lotus did to you two, but since she is affecting our business, I feel I have the right to know. Furthermore, I want to be included in this and any future discussions regarding this problem or any other business decisions." Content with her demands, Daisy sat down and nodded once as if to assure herself. Lily tried to smile at her, but couldn't quite manage it.

"Daisy... dear... You are our friend, and a part of our business, but you don't sell the flowers. You plant them, and grow them. It would really just be more of a hassle for you if you were to be included in discussions like these. You see-"

"Oh, I see how it is," interrupted Daisy, getting to her hooves, "I don't matter to the business. No, I'm just paid labour. Yep. Here I thought you were my friends, that you would understand, but I guess I was wrong. Right. Maybe Lotus could use a business partner." Without waiting to hear any arguments from her friends, she stormed out of the shop. A few moments later, she stormed back in.

"I don't know where Lotus is living," she snapped, "but tomorrow, I'll start working for her." Lily and Rose heard her stomp up the stairs, and the slamming of her bedroom door. They shot worried glances at one another. Daisy would come around in the morning... right?

---

Wrong.

When Lily and Rose woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of a bell ringing. The source of the sound was Daisy, who was in the street ringing the bell previously used to advertise Ponyville Flowers.

Currently, it was being used to advertise Lotus's cart.

Daisy wore a hat in the shape of a lotus blossom, and was parading up and down the street with the bell held in her mouth. Ponies who shot her questioning looks were directed, with a point of her hoof, to Lotus's cart. The crowd around the cart had grown bigger than ever, and the box Lotus was using to collect money was overflowing with bits. Rose stormed out of the shop and out onto the street.

"Daisy! You had better stop that right now! You're consorting with the enemy!" she shouted. Daisy put down her bell.

"No, I'm consorting with your enemy. I can make my own decisions. Lotus only ever did one mean thing to me, and she's been kind enough to apologize. That's more than can be said for you. Now if you excuse me, I have advertising to do with my partner." Daisy picked up the bell again and restarted her parade. Rose stomped over to Lotus.

"What you did to Lily was bad enough... and what you did to me... but you had to steal Daisy? Is that all you ever do? Steal?" hissed Rose. Lotus stayed collected.

"I have never stolen a day in my life. Daisy came to me asking for work. She came to me. Just like-"

"Don't you dare say it!"

"-Lily's coltfriend. Yes. He came to me. I'm prettier than her, and nicer than her, so he came to me."

"Just shut up! What the Tartarus did we ever do to you? You take all the business in Equestria, and see if I care, but don't you ever talk to us again!" screamed Rose. She galloped back into her shop, tears flowing freely from her eyes. When she had gone, Lotus looked down.

"If only you knew what you did to me. If only you knew," she whispered. She looked up at the next customer and smiled.

---

Aloe sighed and waved away another hopeful candidate for the position of her partner. None of them were what she was looking for in a partner. None of them were good enough masseuses, none of them could correctly apply a facial, none of them could do anything right.

None of them were Lotus.

Aloe felt she would never be happy again. Without Lotus, nothing was the same. Her head drooped. Suddenly, an idea formed in her head. It was so crazy, so far-fetched, so absolutely insane that it just might work.

Aloe raised her head.

She was going to get Lotus back.

Comments

[insightguy]

no comments yet? I'm surprised! please continue!