[Trottingham] Heather Blossom's

[deathpigeon]

As silently as the wind, Winter Fire slipped into the shop. Like a cat, she slipped over the the register. She began to open the register when she noticed Sun Sprout watering the infirmary, and she nearly jumped. Winter quickly got out from behind the counter, and began making a break for the door. However, she did not move carefully enough, and knocked a plant into the air. She made a little yell as she leaped in to save it.

[Skye]

Sunny had been humming to herself when suddenly the noise from out in the lobby caused her to drop her watering can. "What was that?" she exclaimed, before she glanced down sadly at the trickling water from the can. But there'd been a crash, and a yell, and that meant someone had come into the shop. Oh! Maybe they were a customer! She'd been waiting for a customer all day, and she knew her mother would be so proud of her first sale! "Good Morning!" Sun Sprout beamed as she emerged from the infirmary, then gasped as she witnessed the pony attemping to catch the pot sailing in the air! Nevermind the loose pots and dirt spilling out around the shop, that plant was in danger! But suddenly, Winter had leapt to catch it, and Sunny breathed a sigh of relief.

Until she saw the cash register in its half-opened state.

Now, she was normally a bright and friendly pony with a, well, sunny disposition. But like every bright and sunny day, a dark cloud would occasonally pass over its face, bringing a chill and shadow. "What are you doing here, and who are you? When my mother catches you, you're going to be in so much trouble! Put that plant down right now and stay where you are!" she fairly glowed like the corona of a sun hidden behind the shadowed silvery lining as she marched over to the register and inspected its contents. But then, just as a cloud passing by, she brightened up again when she'd noticed nothing had been missing. Sunny turned back to the strange filly, all aglow once more, fairly beaming. "Ah, but no harm done. Tell you what, why don't you set that down and come join me for some tea, and maybe we can figure something out. No harm, no foul, what do you say?"

[deathpigeon]

Winter landed hard. With a grunt she got up, and, holding the plant steady turned to Sunny. She said, "Tea? I'm not a big fan of it. Now if you had some good quality vodka, that would be another story entirely..." as she replaced the plant. "Now if you would excuse me, I would like to leave. I have a, a... thing at a, a... place."

[Skye]

Sunny shook her head, and marched over to the front door, shutting it and flipping the 'Closed' sign around. "Nopenope, you're going to come in and have some tea with me, or something maybe. I don't have any vodka, mother doesn't let me into the liquor cabinet. Maybe I can get you a glass of water, or some milk maybe, or even some lemonade!" Sun Sprout beamed, her mother's lemonade was awesome. "But you simply must come in and have a drink with me for a moment," her expression became icy as she fixed Winter with a very firm gaze. "and tell me why you were trying to rob my mother's shop." then her expression softened again as she nearly pranced into the kitchen, pausing at the door. "We've got some delicious canberry cookies I'm sure you'll like. Oh, I'm so rude, my name's Sun Sprout, but everyone just calls me Sunny. What's your name?"

[deathpigeon]

Winter Fire's eyes narrow. "Why should I trust you? All you have done since we met has been making a series of veiled threats towards me. Not the best foundation for a friendship, not that there is a good foundation for friendship," her eyes glaze over as she begins to remember the past, "every friendship ends badly, and everyone you ever trust betrays you..." She shakes her head, "Sorry. I was rambling. I'd like to leave now."

[Skye]

Sunny put the kettle on over the stove. After all, if the visitor wasn't going to have any tea, she'd at least make some for herself. She did get some of the cookies on the plate, though, of course having one for herself before! The filly did pour a glass of lemonade for the strange filly, however. She could always have that first and have tea afterwards if she so choose. Sunny trotted back into the main room and set the refreshments on a nearby table, then flopped onto a pillow, gazing at Winter. "Trust? Who said anything about trust? I think you're in big trouble here, and you don't know it. Nobody robs my mother's shop, not especially when I'm here. I could get into big trouble if I just let anyone waltz in and take whatever they wanted. But since you didn't get anything, I'm going to let you maybe try again. And maybe apologize for trying to steal from my mom. I didn't know I was making any threats, but I felt you should realize how lucky you are I'm not calling for the police right now. So count your lucky stars I'm trying to give you a chance to explain yourself first before I decide whether or not I can just let you go or if I'm going to have to send the clops after you. So why don't you just have a seat and start talking? My mom won't be home for a while yet, so it's just you and me."

The green filly looked at her visitor. "Besides, you look hungry. Maybe if you leave with a full stomach, you'll feel better and think twice about trying to steal something that wasn't yours. That's not exactly the best way to make friends either, don't you think?"

[deathpigeon]

Winter glared slightly, "Oh, right. You have a mother, one who is, presumably, concerned for your well being. I suppose your happy she isn't here. I suppose your happy to get time on your own. Don't be. Let me tell you something about mothers: its always best to have one," She sipped the lemonade absentmindedly, "Not everypony does, and those who do are lucky. You'll never find a friend like a mother. Never, ever."

[Skye]

Sunny regarded Winter for a few moments as she spoke. Clearly, this pony wasn't stupid, but she did seem out of sorts. She didn't seem the kind of pony that'd live around these parts, Trottingham was usually full of obnoxiously snooty sorts, and this one was far from snooty. And she still hadn't given her name. "I do have one who, presumably, owns the shop you attempted to rob. That's why it's called Heather Blossom's, and not Sun Sprout's. Maybe someday, but it's still her place. But even if she wasn't here and this had been my place, I still caught you trying to steal what we've tried to earn, so either way."

A flicker of dark crossed Sunny's face, before she returned back to her cheerful expression. "Besides, isn't that lemonade delicious? We grow them ourselves. We could get them imported from Ponyville, but the best way to make your own lemonade is to make it yourself. We get sugar from somewhere else, though." from the sound of Winter's comments, this pony had troubles of her own. "I'm sure I could find plenty of friends. Mom takes care of me, but it'd be a very lonely existence if she was my only friend. I have others I've made at school. Don't you have any friends?"

[deathpigeon]

Winter frowned solemnly, "I had a friend," she paused dramatically, "once." She absentmindedly took another sip, her mind clearly somewhere else. After a second she realized that she was drinking it. She looked at her glass suspiciously, then carefully put it down staring at the subtle flow of the particles within the lemonade, examining it for poison. This staring, however, only heightened her healthy dose of paranoia into overdrive. Paranoia that the lemonade was poison quickly turned into paranoia that the police were already on there way, which in turn turned into paranoia that she was going to be shunned as an out cast again, which then turned into paranoia that stories of her had come south. All this paranoia eventually lead to one colt and his influences. Does he know where I am? Does he have people right now setting this town against me? Perhaps they proceded me. That would explain the cold welcome. Though they could just be snobs. She shook her head. All that paranoia was useless for now. She filed her inner doubts away in a corner of her mind. With that out of the way, she picked up the lemonade and took a sip.

[Skye]

She watched as the other filly sipped her lemonade. It was, of course, the best lemonade, and she drank it often herself, but today she'd wanted some tea to go with the hard work she'd been putting in the garden. Sunny flipped a forelock of her mane over her face and looked at the unusual pegasus. "Well, that's just sad, then. You can never have too many friends, good and bad ones, to fill out your life's experiences." of course, Sunny didn't notice Winter's examination of the Lemonade, she thought she was just looking at the translucent yellow liquid and the minute particles of fresh lemon that floated through it. But no poison.

"So I gather it's this lack of friends that makes you rude and wary, is it?" Sunny offered astutely. "That's easy. What I want to know, is why you tried to rob us. Trottingham's not so poor a place that we need to have vagrants, how come you haven't just got a job?" Friendly as she is, if sometimes blunt, she may be a little naive, but that's just part of her. Though maybe Winter might notice that Sunny seems to radiate warmth when she's in a good mood, and makes it chilly when she seems not. Not that Winter might notice the cold, that is, but the temperature variations might be noticeable if it were paid attention to.

"Just one friend? Tell me about them. And while you're at it, I did ask your name and you never did tell me. How can you make new friends if you don't even tell ponies your name?

[deathpigeon]

Winter's deep red eyes flashed in anger, "I will never speak of him, and if you know what is good for you, neither will you. If I knew where he was, he would have already 'accidentally' fell of a cliff to his death after being bound and gagged!" She slammed her hoof down on the table with a snarl. She takes a few breaths before speaking again. "Anyways, its not the lack of friends that caused my current continence, but rather the constant proliferation of my enemies caused by the queer, aberrant, bizzarre, peculiar and most unfortunate circumstances surrounding my genesis as well as the malicious, base, vile,vicious, and overall mean circulation of bogus, and apocryphal actualizations about me."

[Skye]

Sunny's eyes narrowed as Winter suddenly spoke out sharply. She sipped her tea while keeping her eyes on the strange filly, waiting for her to finish. As her expression changed yet again, she set the teacup down delicately and replied cheerfully, "Well, now, he must have been quite a character. But that's okay if you don't want to talk about him! I'm sure there's plenty of other ponies who would be your friend. But you gotta do something about your attitude, y'know. You can't just go around robbing people's homes. That's likely to get you arrested. I'll tell you what! Finish up your lemonade, I'll sneak you some of my allowance and you can see about trying your luck for a real job. There's a shop up the street that's looking for delivery ponies, if you think you can handle it. I think they're always looking for pegasus ponies."

"Maybe not ones as well spoken as you, sheesh, where'd you go to school? You gotta be rich to know all of those expensive words!" Sun Sprout's eyes smiled, even though they weren't directed at her. "Plus, I have just the flower for you, free of charge. Here." she set her teacup down and headed over to a row of flowerpots underneath the large window. She carefully clipped a Casa Blanca LIly and trotted back to the unusual pony. She tucked it behind Winter's ear imperiously, then stepped back to admire it. "There you go. I think it suits you. Now finish up your lemonade, and take a few cookies with you, I have to get back to work watering all these flowers. Oh, and before I forget, " she dipped behind the counter and came up with a small bag of something jingly. "Here's a few bits, should be good for a couple of meals if you're careful spending it." she dropped it to the floor in front of Winter.

"If anyone asks, be sure to tell them you got the flower from Heather Blossom's Shop! Be sure and come back when you're feeling friendlier and less hungry and maybe we can talk more, but for now you have to leave before my mom comes home."

[deathpigeon]

Winter takes the flower surprised, "Thank you?" She tilts her head, then shrugs. If the strange little filly was going to be different, she wasn't going to worry about it. Not at all. "Well then, I suppose I'm off." Winter began to leave, but she paused at the door, "My names Winter." And with that she was gone. Sneaking off away from the shop to her hideout. As she flew she thought about what had just happened. After a while, she thought to her self, Did I just make a friend? Perhaps...

[Skye]

Sunny watched Winter go, after she'd paused at the door and gave her name. A smile crossed the green filly's face as she waved a hoof after the pony departed, then flipped the sign back around to 'Open' and wedged the door. "Mom's never going to believe this." she said as she trip-trapped back to the infirmary to look in on the poor flowers who had been wilting without care. "Oh look at you, poor dears, all that excitement. Don't worry, if she comes back, I'm sure she'll have lots more to talk about." she picked up the watering can and began to hum a merry little tune. It didn't take long before her mother returned home with a few new packets of seeds on her hat and a brand new silver trowel they needed to carefully uproot some delicate plants they'd been tending to.

"Oh, mom! We had a visitor today. I sent her off with one of the new Lilies, maybe she'll bring in some new business. Her name was Winter, and she was strange..." Sunny prattled on about the new pony who had come by, but mysteriously omitted the close call with the cash register, which she'd carefully closed and locked behind her.