Fleur's voice broke over the phone. The opening hours of my shop were always quiet, but I needed to sort things out with Fleur before I could open the doors. "Okay?"

I nodded and looked over out the window of my flower shop the winter streets of Canterlot were slowly stirring, ponies starting to take to the streets and skies. "Tak, yes. I'll take care of it."

"Sixty roses for--"

"I'll take care of it." I pinned the phone between my ear and my shoulder, the cord stretching across the warm interior of the flower shop. "Fleur, I have it written and on the list."

Fleur took a deep breath. "And for--"

"I'll have it made up." I grabbed a pot and flipped the sign to open. "Believe me, I'll have it ready by tonight."

Fleur let out a long groan, followed up by a stout whimper. "Alright. I appreciate it."

I shook my head. "Flowers for a grave, always important." I walked the pot back to the counter, the low rows of plants and pots barely over my hip. "I'll get it to you before you go." A late husband, a shame, boss or not she had my sympathies.

Fleur went quiet. "Okay. Thank you."

I nodded and set the pot down on my counter. "Goodbye." I hung up the phone behind the counter and looked over the plant in the pot. "Roses...always roses." I grabbed a pair of gloves and watched as a few ponies wandered by, some deciding to come inside and look over the floral room.

I grabbed a pair of pruners and went to work collecting a few fine red roses. The beautiful red stood out bright and bold against the white counter. My cuts were a bit odd, but I knew enough to make them decent. I sighed softly as a mare brought a pair of gardening shorts over. "Good morning."

The mare smiled up at me before speaking. "It is."

I moved the pot and looked at the price tag. "Six bits."

The mare carefully levitated over a bag and set down to coins ever so gently. "There you are."

I took the coins and carefully put the shorts into a bag. "Tak, have good day." I rubbed my face. "A, have a good day." My accent peaked in.

The mare nodded gently and walked slowly outside. "You as well, stay warm--"

The mare was cut off as the door flung open. "Get the fuck out of my way!" A stallion with a black jacket stormed in. "Yo!" He thrust a hoof out towards me, a mare with glasses slinking in under him. "I need some flowers for my mare here!"

The blue mare in question shook her head, her mane jostling heavily under its own weight. I watched her walk towards an aisle. I leaned against the counter as the loud stallion walked around the shop. The loud stallion stepped into the middle of the room and looked around, shouting like an ass. "Come on! I need something nice! The most expensive thing you got!"

The blue mare slunk over to the counter, hiding under a large sun hat. I looked down to her, her horn forcing the hat awkwardly onto her head. "Hey...."

I rubbed my mouth and checked on the stallion, watching as he talked to the regular ponies inside. "Hello."

The blue mare sighed heavily and looked up at me, her glasses a glossy purple. "So, what's up?"

I scratched my head and looked over towards the shouting jackass. "A loud stallion with a small dick."

The blue mare laughed raspily. "Oh geez...probably."

I looked down to her. "So, he's not your friend?"

The blue mare sighed loudly, her glasses sliding down her nose. "Doing somepony a favor. I'll probably get him drunk and dump him in a hotel." She looked up at me with a smile. "Hey, can I snag one of those?"

I looked down at my shirt pocket, a cigarette case sitting in my pocket stood out hard. "Hmm, not cigarettes." I reached into the emptied out box and pulled out a cigar. "Mini cigar, I enjoy them more."

The blue mare pulled her glasses down. "Are you kidding? That's cool." She fixed her glasses and looked off towards the stallion.

The loud stallion laughed in a noble mare's face. "Come on babe, I've already got one mare in my herd! You're so much prettier, you could be number one!"

I frowned hard. "Uh, here." I passed the blue mare a cigar. "I think you need it more than I do, yes?

The blue mare just stared out past the aisles. "Thanks." The loud stallion continued to harass my costumers to the blue mare's dismay. "Man, fuck this noise." The mare looked up at me and took the cigar between her lips. She pushed it to the side and turned to the counter. "Is there like, a back door or something I can duck out into?"

I laughed softly. "You're not going to--"

The loud stallion in the jacket walked after a noble mare as she left the shop. "Oh come on! I'm gonna go down on Vinyl fucking Scratch! You know you want to be a part of that!"

I scratched my nose and turned down to the mare. I pointed at her. "DJ?"

The blue mare sighed heavily. "Yea-- wait! You know who I am?" She turned to me with a wide smile.

I nodded. "I listen to your remixes." I smiled at her and looked behind me. "Bad dates...." I scratched my neck. "There's a door to the alley back here." I nudged the door into the storage room open with my foot, the room sitting just behind the counter. "Go quick, it'll drop you off outside in the alley, just head right and you'll hit the street."

Vinyl smiled at me and dipped behind the counter. "Hey...." She peeked her head back into the door, looking up at me from her low position. "So like...here." She levitated out a piece of paper from her saddle bags. "You got like, a pen or something?"

I reached behind me and grabbed a pen off the counter. "Sure."

Vinyl scribbled quickly. While she was doing that I looked at the roses I'd cut and prepared. I grabbed one and turned back to the DJ. "Here, so this will--"

I extended my hand, rose hanging gently. "Pen?"

Vinyl stared at the rose in my hand. "I-- I uh.... Here." She put a signed card between my fingers. "That'll get you into the club." She slowly pulled her head back, hat tipping off as she backed away. "I'm just gonna...take that." She backed out fully into the storeroom. Her magic took hold of the rose, slowly guiding it through the small crack in the door. "Thanks." The door snapped quietly shut, followed by another click on the other side, and a final snap as she zipped outside into the alley.

I looked at the card in my hand as I turned back to face the shop. An address, a signature with the words, let him in, sat heavy on the white card with blue stripes across the back. "Hmm." I ran through the streets I knew, I couldn't recall the building nor the street.

"Hey!" The loud stallion turned in a circle in the center of the shop. "Baby? Vinyl?" He looked to the door. "Yeah, this place does suck."

I smiled at him, watching as he turned his nose up and walked out. "Enjoy your night, ya pussy." I laughed to myself as the quiet returned to my small shop.

A noble stallion with a beard walked up to the counter with a broken bonsai tree. He huffed softly. "I hope you don't let him back in here."

I looked down at the tiny busted plant with a frown. "I'm sorry, you don't have to pay."

The noble shook his head. "It's fine, I'll--"

I took the plant away. "No, no, it's not your fault."

The stallion flinched slightly and put his coin purse away. "Alright, now, what would you suggest like that one?"

I nodded. "One moment." I looked back to the door into the storeroom and peeked in. Everything was fine, in fact there was something added. A small picture with the pen I'd given Vinyl sitting atop it. I stepped inside the wide storage room and over to the picture.

I was going to give this to that prick, but I don't think he'll be needing it.

Under the writing sat a white mare bending over and snuggling a pillow with her tail popped straight upwards. The camera was focused on her directly, with her flanks shifted over to the side, hips obviously wiggling while the picture was taken. She wore her glasses up over her horn, her eyes a bright magenta. I stood there, looking at the picture for a bit. "Hmm...damn." I put the picture into my pocket and found a magically miniaturized oak tree. "Give a rose, get a picture." I laughed softly and rubbed my forehead. "Guess I have to go now."

I walked back into the main room and walked up to the counter. The stallion was waiting quietly with his hooves crossed. "You have something?"

I set the mini oak down and moved the potted rose off the counter. "Needs little water, survivable, a good plant for starters."

The stallion nodded. "I'm not exactly a starter, but I like it." He rubbed his chin. "Aspen? Maybe a fir?"

I nodded. "Pines like the cold, I'll see what we have." I gathered up the cut roses I'd readied for Fleur and grabbed the mini oak. I went back into the store room and set the mini tree down. I reached into my pocket and took out the picture and the card. I held both the roses and the papers from the mare in either hand. "Seems like a fair trade." I set the bundle of roses and and looked back at the picture. Vinyl 's eyes were staring dead at me. She was beautiful. "Hmm, I'll ask." I scratched my head. "Why not, nothing to lose." I went back to work, leaving my body on autopilot as I daydreamed.

I had to get the roses to Fleur by tomorrow, but after that I was free. And perhaps a night away from the earthy smell of plants could do me good. Next Chapter: Rememberance Estimated time remaining: 38 Minutes