“So, where to now?” Cloud Blossom asked her sister as they exited their Aunt Twilight’s crystal tree castle into the mid-afternoon sunshine. “You want to head home to Sweet Apple Acres or is there somepony else you need to say sorry to?” She added with a sly smile.
Apple Honey stuck her tongue and nudged her sister’s flank with a chuckle. “Ah wasn’ that bad…”
Cloud snorted; “I think you’ll find you were, oh sister of mine.”
“Fine sis,” the burnt yellow pegasus acquiesced with a shrug of her shoulders, “Ah guess ah was pretty bad. Ah still am, ya know that right?”
“I know that, and I know it’s not all your fault.” The pale green mare leant over to nuzzle her sister. “And we’re alright, okay?”
Apple Honey flicked her short pink mane from her eyes as she returned her sister’s nuzzle. “Ya mean it?”
“Course I mean it.”
“Thanks sis, an’ ah am sorry, for all th’ times ah called ya names, an’ well, th’ other stuff ah did too.”
Cloud Blossom stopped next to her sibling and gave her a stern glare. “Stop that. Stop it right now. Apologise to me just once more and so help me Apple Honey I shall slap you.” Cloud softened her expression with a gentle smile, “I’ve told you already. We’re fine. We will be fine.”
Apple Honey flashed Cloud a nervous smile. “Well, we don’ know why momma Shy asked us to come back here do we?”
“No, and nopony will tell us, if Aunt Pinkie is anything to go by. So?”
“Why don’t we get them some flowers?” Apple Honey suggested.
“Flowers?” Cloud giggled. “I never thought you were a ‘flowers’ kind of mare Honey.”
“I’m not as a rule, but think about it, if momma Shy has bad news then flowers will help. If it’s good news then flowers will make her feel even better. It’s a win win.” Apple Honey explained her reasoning to her sister, who listened with a smile on her muzzle.
“Good idea,” Cloud admitted, then frowned. “Isn’t Roseluck’s shop all the way back in Ponyville proper? I don’t feel like walking all the way back there now we’re out here.” Cloud spread her wings for balance as she stretched her hind leg with a wince.
Apple Honey picked up on her sister’s discomfort. “You hurtin’ sis?” She asked with concern.
“A little,” She said with a nod, “I don’t usually walk this much in a day, plus I had that tumble earlier at the station.”
“Yeah, ah remember,” Apple Honey giggled, recalling her sister’s unceremonious fall in the rain. “Um, sorry…” She quickly added at the severe glare from Cloud. “Gotta admit, it was a little funny sis.” She added with an apologetic smile.
“Okay, I guess it was a tiny bit funny.” Cloud Blossom reluctantly agreed, a grudging smile playing over her lips.
“Alright, well what about that shop over there?” Apple Honey pointed with a hoof to a shop a few hundred yards away from where they were at Twilight’s castle.
Cloud Blossom looked where her sister was pointing, reading the large shop sign. “Wildfire Rose’s Rarities? Yeah alright sis, we can give it a look.”
With that the sisters set off towards the flower shop, Apple Honey setting a steady pace on her hooves, Cloud Blossom flying a few feet above her. “So, third Super League Cup in a row huh?”
Apple Honey chuckled, swelling her chest with pride. “Eeyup, y’all watched th’ game?” She asked, a huge smirk on her muzzle.
“I watched the final, it was a close thing until the sixty fifth minute. I can’t believe that unicorn rammed you like that.”
The burnt yellow pegasus actually laughed at that. “It’s called a ‘tackle’ Cloud. Th’ other team are allowed t’ try and tackle us for th’ ball you know.” She giggled again. “Ah never pegged ya for a sports fan sis, did ya even know what was goin’ on?”
“Well of course I did, and I don’t need to know the intricacies of Rugby League to know you need to score more than your opponents to win.” Cloud sniffed dismissively, “You scored more, so you won right?”
“Uh huh,” Apple Honey snickered loud enough for the flying pegasus to hear her. “An’ th’ fact that lots of toned athletic mares were gallopin’ aroun’ for eighty minutes gettin’ all dirty an’ sweaty has nothin’ t’ do with it right sis?”
“I have absolutely no idea what you mean…” Cloud’s attempted denial was undermined somewhat by her rather prominent blush, which spread across her cheeks like a crimson wave.
“Riiiight,” The walking mare openly sniggered, “That blush o’ yours says otherwise Cloudy. Why ah bet when Mimic and Windwhistler scored that third try y’all had your hoof strummin’ away quicker than manure slidin’ off a shovel.”
“Apple Honey! Please!” Cloud’s blush threatened to spontaneously combust her in mid-air, as she hurriedly looked away from her sister.
“Ah notice y’all ain’t denyin’ it Cloudy.” Apple Honey gave a last snort of laughter before changing the subject. “What about y’all? Ah see ponies’re buyin’ up your sculptures so fast y’all would think Parasprites’re eatin’ ‘em.”
Cloud Blossom was so shocked at this she landed next to her sister. “How d’you know…”
“Baritone gets these arty magazines. Ah read ‘em. Turns out y’all are more popular than a stallion in estrus season.”
Cloud blushed again, though her blush didn’t stop her swelling her chest. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far…” She started before her sister cut her off.
“Ah would. Ah seen some o’ the stuff y’all have done. Now ah can’t say I get most o’ ‘em, y’all know ah never been very arty minded. Ah’ll tell ya what though, ah know good when ah see it, and girl, your stuff is really good.” Apple Honey hung a foreleg over her sister’s shoulder. “Maybe y’all could see your way clear to doin’ somethin’ for me?”
Cloud stopped walking, utterly stunned at what she’d just heard. “I…what?” She stuttered, “I-I’d love to, really I would!”
“Ah’d pay, ‘course…”
“You will not!” Cloud stomped a forehoof. “It’s a poor day if I can’t sculpt something for my own sister.” Cloud leant in close and kissed her sister’s cheek, “Think of it as fifteen years of Hearth’s Warming gifts.”
“Ah can live with that, thanks sis.” Apple Honey was about to say something further, about generosity being Aunt Rarity’s thing, when she realised throughout their conversation they had been stood outside the flower shop for a good ten minutes.
The flower shop was a two storey wooden building with a smaller storey attached to the right. Built in the tudor style it had pale green façade with bright white beams criss crossing it’s outside. The terracotta coloured sloping roof along with the grey stone chimneys completed the simple rustic feel of the place. Closer inspection of the outside showed the shop had been in a state of disrepair at some point in it’s past, but that clearly a loving hoof was now in residence.
Cloud Blossom glanced up at the shop sign. In the centre was a single red rose set against red and yellow burning flames. “Wildfire Rose indeed,” She mused out loud. “The owner’s cutie mark d’you think?” She asked her sister.
“Ah dunno,” Apple Honey answered with a shrug, “Maybe. C’mon, let’s see what they got.” The athletic mare hoofed open the door to the ringing of a little bell and the two sisters entered the shop, to be immediately assailed by the smell of the many varieties of flowers on the shelves.
“Be with you in a minute!” came a mare’s voice from somewhere they couldn’t see.
Looking around the shop’s interior the two pegasi could see a long counter opposite the door they had entered by, with a cash register and a ceiling high cooler behind it, full of pre-made arrangements of flowers. Rows of shelves lined the left and right walls. The right had familiar plants such as daffodils; daisies; buttercups; bluebells; roses and magnolias, whereas the left, marked ‘Rarities’, held a variety of flowers both sisters had never heard of before. All were brightly coloured and neatly arranged to show of each one to the customer.
A few moments later and a young looking earth pony mare trotted through the door marked ‘Nursery’, carrying a battered looking watering can in her mouth, which she placed on the counter with a smile. “Sorry about that, just feeding the babies.” She chirped happily, before addressing her customers. “Oh, right. Hello hello! Welcome to Rose’s Rarities, I’m Wildfire Rose, how can I help you today?”
“Mighty nice to meet ya Ms Wildfire,” Apple Honey held out her hoof, which the young mare happily bumped in greeting. “Me an’ mah sis are after some flowers for our momma, right sis?”
“Bwaaa…” Looking at the earth pony Cloud Blossom had suddenly found forming words very difficult. She had a chestnut brown coat, a long white mane and tail with a sky blue streak through both, and the biggest most beautiful blue eyes Cloud had ever seen.
“She’s gorgeous! I’ve never seen a mare so beautiful!” Cloud thought to herself, unfortunately her thoughts got detoured on the way to her mouth and no sound came out when she opened and closed it twice.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Are you looking for anything in particular?” Wildfire Rose looked at them both expectantly, a wide smile on her muzzle.
“Even her voice is beautiful!” Fireworks and rainbows exploded in Cloud Blossom’s mind as she stared at the young mare in front of her. “I should say something. Say something you idiot!” Her mind berated her for not being able to speak. “Well…we, we’re…flowers! Need flowers!” Cloud managed to squeak out. “Oh smooth. Well done you.” She chided herself.
Wildfire Rose looked at the flustered pegasus for a moment, blinking twice. “Weeell, I have plenty of those for you to choose from,” She nervously smoothed her mane with a hoof, “This is a flower shop.” The earth pony started tossing her mane, twirling it with the hoof that had been smoothing it out.
“Sweet Celestia, now she’s playing with her mane!” Cloud Blossom’s wings shot out to either side of her body with an audible *poomf!*
“Excuse me, are you alright Miss?”
Apple Honey took one look at her sister, who was bright red in the face and sporting the most impressive wingboner she’d ever seen and burst out into peals of laughter. Noticing the confusion on the flower salesponies face the pegasus struggled without success to contain her giggles. “She’s just fine sugarcube, mah sis has just seen somethin’ she likes is all.”
“Oh, alrighty then,” Wildfire Rose perked up at the possibility of a sale presented itself on the horizon. “Is there a specific flower or arrangement I can interest you in?”
Apple Honey snorted more giggles, “No hun, ah think mah sis is more interested in the mare sellin’ th’ flowers than th’ flowers th’ mare’s sellin’, if y’all catch mah drift.” The pegasus offered a not so subtle wink at the earth pony and nodded at her sister, who was busy trying to get her wings to behave. “On that note Cloudy,” She said loudly to get her attention, “Ah need t’ go outside a sec, call Sureheart.”
Apple Honey’s statement just made it through Cloud’s haze. “W-what? You, you’re going outside, now?”
“Eeyup, ah’ve had a couple’a near misses today, an’ the Doc said t’ call her if ah needed her.” Apple Honey made her way out the door, “Don’ worry sis, y’all be just fine.” She called over her shoulder with a wolf whistle.
The shop door closed behind the exiting pegasus, leaving the ringing bell to break the awkward silence between the two equally blushing mares.
Unfortunately the bell could only ring so much before falling silent. Which inevitably it did. Once more a silence descended as the two mares forced smiles at each other across the shop floor. A pervasive, intrusive silence that seemed to stretch for eternity.
Eventually Cloud Blossom couldn’t take it anymore. “So…” She began uncertainly.
“So…” Wildfire Rose answered, her blue eyes looking anywhere other than at the pegasus in front of her.
“Soooo…” Cloud scuffed her hooves on the hardwood floorboards.
“Yeah…”
“Um…flowers?” Cloud offered lamely, deciding a change of topic was in order.
“You’re…interested…in me?” The earth pony seemed hesitant, although her smile looked a lot more natural.
“Um…maybe…” Cloud admitted in a tiny voice, not wanting to get her hopes up.
“Maybe?” Wildfire Rose cocked an eyebrow as the tiniest hint of a smirk ghosted across her lips.
“A little…okay yes, I am, a lot…”
“Oh…I don't know if I’ve ever really had any mares interested in me before.” The younger mare nervously ran a hoof through her white mane, smoothing out curls that weren’t there. “Or many stallions either really...” She added as she continued to play with her mane.
Seeing her chance Cloud Blossom took a deep breath and prepared to plunge down what was (sadly) a lesser travelled path. “Well, this mare’s interested in you.”
Wildfire Rose blushed heavily, the crimson glow lighting up her chestnut cheeks. “Um…you wanted flowers?”
“Oh…” Cloud tried unsuccessfully to keep the disappointment from her voice at the abrupt change in topic. “Yeah…yes we do, want flowers.”
“Rare ones or regular?”
“Oh, um…rare ones.” Cloud mumbled, not really paying much attention, certain that she’d blown whatever chance she may have had with this gorgeous mare.
Wildfire’s face lit up like a Heath’s Warming tree as she lead Cloud over to the left side of the shop to the “Rarities” display. “These here,” She pointed a hoof to the shelves, “Are some of the rarest flowers in Equestria. This Mountain Avens only grows in Ghastly Gorge. This,” She pointed out a delicate looking purple flower, “Is PasqueFlower. You’ll only find this in the Everfree Forest. This chequered looking flower is called Fritillary. It’s growing sites in Appleloosa are protected by law you know.”
Cloud Blossom um’d and ah’d absent mindedly through the descriptions of the rare flowers, not wanting to appear rude to the eager young pony. As an artist she could appreciate the beauty of the flowers, but beyond that she was lost. Just as she was about to politely request that they wrap this up so she could get out of the shop with a modicum of her dignity intact a particular rose caught her eye.
“Excuse me, but what’s that?” She asked, pointing a wingtip to the rose in question.
“That,” the chestnut mare began proudly, visibly swelling, “Is the rarest rose in the world. It’s called the Wildfire rose…”
“Wildfire rose?” Cloud interrupted her.
“Yes, it’s named after me because I created it. Took me years of cross cutting and breeding, but there it is.” Wildfire Rose reached out a foreleg and took her namesake in a hoof, turning the flower in the light to show it off. The yellow orange edged buds had opened into orange double blooms, accented by a glowing yellow reverse. Cloud breathed in the slight musky fragrance given off by the rose, and admired the thick velvety petals. “Isn’t she a beauty?”
“It’s the second most beautiful thing I’ve seen today.” Cloud’s mouth blurted out the words before her brain could stop them. “So much for dignity…”
“You…you really like me?
Cloud Blossom nodded. “I really do.”
“Well, I suppose we could, y’know, go on a date? The chestnut mare nervously tousled her white mane, reaching as far as the blue streak.
“R – really?” Cloud’s wings shot out again, erect at her sides. “Stupid wings…” She muttered under her breath.
“Really.” Rose giggled to herself, making a mental note to ask why her wings kept doing that. “Let’s get your order sorted, then we can talk date, ‘kay?”
“Yes…that’s a good idea.”
“So, what was it you wanted Miss Cloud?”
“Oh, I’m not really sure…” Cloud berated herself for not paying attention when the earth pony was telling her about the different flowers. How was she to know that stuff would be important? “Could you put together a basket with all of those flowers you mentioned to me?”
The earth pony mare actually stopped and looked at the pegasus as if she had four heads. Blinking twice she asked; “You want a basket, a basket made up of four of the rarest flowers in the land?”
“Is that wrong?” Cloud asked uncertainly.
“Not at all, customer is always right, as my mom says. Most ponies get a few regular varieties and a rare to show them off, but certainly you can have whatever you like.” Rose started to collect the four flowers from the rare shelves and placed them next to each other on the shop counter. “After all, you’re paying, right?” She asked with a giggle.
Cloud Blossom nodded as she watched her work, skilfully arranging the flowers in the basket until a few moments later she was finished.
“Um…that’ll be five thousand five hundred bits, please.” She asked, almost apologetically.
“No problem,” Cloud reached into her saddle bags and retrieved her card, offering it to the stunned mare, who swiped it against the cash register and gave it back to the pegasus with her reciept.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do Miss Cloud?”
“I’m a sculptor, and it’s just Cloud, or Cloud Blossom if I’ve been naughty.” The pegasus answered as she securely stowed her card back in her bag.
“Oooh that’s a sweet name Cloud, are you local? I haven’t seen you or your sister around before.”
“You wouldn’t,” Cloud explained, “We haven’t been back in Ponyville for years. I live in Canterlot above my workshop, and my sister lives in Manehatten.”
“You’re a sculptor, if you don’t mind me asking, is that how you lost your leg?”
Cloud offered her a warm smile; “No I don’t mind you asking. I was born without my left hind leg, the umbilical cord wrapped around it while I was developing, and it atrophied.”
“Oh…I am sorry Cloud.”
“It’s alright, really.” The pegasus smiled as she leant her head and gave the younger mare a nuzzle, “Just no ‘tripod’ jokes, if you please.”
Wildfire Rose looked shocked. “I – I wouldn’t dream of it, I really wouldn’t.”
“Don’t worry about it, seriously. Now, where would you like to go on our date Wildfire?”
The earth pony tapped her chin with a hoof as she thought. “I know!” She chirped excitedly, “We can go to the Hay Burger!”
“The…Hay Burger?” A tiny wrinkle of disgust creased Cloud’s muzzle.
“You never been to a Hay Burger joint?” Wildfire asked incredulously, and when Cloud shook her head ‘no’ she fairly bounced with excitement. “Oh you’ll love it! They do hay burgers, horseshoe fries, sodas, and oooh Celestia their milkshakes are just gorgeous! Can we go there Cloud? Can we pleeeease?”
“Of course we can,” Cloud giggled in spite of her misgivings. It was hard not to, Wildfire Rose’s enthusiasm was infectious. “Do you work tomorrow?”
“Um…tomorrow’s Saturday…I close midday Saturday and close all day Sunday.”
“So I shall meet you here at two pm tomorrow afternoon? Then you can lead me to this delightful eatery.”
“You’re on Cloud!” Wildfire Rose bounced around the counter and scribbled something on a piece of paper before passing it to Cloud Blossom with a hoof. “My number. Anything comes up gimme a bell. I’ll flip the ‘closed’ sign but leave the door unlocked. Let yourself in if I don’t answer it.”
“Very well Wildfire,” Cloud gave her a quick peck on the cheek, which resulted in an instant blush and a giggle from the older mare, “I’ll see you here tomorrow at two.” Cloud then gave her other cheek a quick kiss, took the basket in her mouth and with a wave of a wing left the flower shop.
“Well, looks like somepony sure scored.” Apple Honey laughed as she noted the faraway look on her sister’s face. “First base already. Y’all work quick sis!”
“Oh hush you…”
“Y’all got her number?” Cloud nodded. “Y’all set up a date?” She nodded again, this time with a huge smile. “Then ah will not ‘hush’. Good luck sis.”
“Thanks Honey. Here, you carry this.” Cloud passed the flower basket to Apple Honey, who took it under a wing. “By the way, you owe me three thousand bits for your half.”
“What the dickens?!” Apple Honey almost dropped the basket in shock. “Ah never knew they made gold plated flowers afore.”
“They’re rare.” Cloud offered by way of explanation as she started to walk towards Sweet Apple Acres.
“Rare?” Apple Honey sniggered. “For that price ah hope they pick ‘emselves an’ jump into this here basket.”
“Hush, you know momma Shy will love them.”
“Eeyup. That she will sis, that she will. C’mon,” Apple Honey draped her other wing over her sister’s back as they walked side by side.
“Let’s go home.”