Only Hue

Rose Hue was a unicorn of middling years, with the first few streaks of silver starting to creep into her bright red mane, and lived alone in a small, sparsely furnished apartment just above the florist's shop she worked in, owned, and operated by herself. She was known for having a tongue as sharp and piercing as the thorns of the flower that was her namesake. Her acidic commentary on everypony around her had ensured that her little shop would remain little, as few wanted to buy anything from a shopkeeper who belittled their poor choices of bouquets or ripped up their requests and made something she felt was more fitting. It was a testament to her skill at flower arranging that she was able to stay in business at all.

In a small building at the edge of the Everfree Forest, seated just a stone's throw from the road leading to Canterlot, was the abbey of the Brotherhood of the Immaculate Sun, known more simply as the White Friars; a small but thriving group of stallions who devoted their lives to worship of the sun and its keeper, Princess Celestia.

Each of the brothers was trained in the art of floristry from the moment of acceptance, believing the flower to be holy, as its petals were always turned to face the sun. Indeed, it was said that the flower as a symbol of love got its start with the Brotherhood, who held an annual ritual where they picked dozens of bouquets and sent them to the Palace of the Sun in Canterlot to show their love and devotion to their sun goddess. The ceremony culminated with an effigy of Her Celestial Majesty being 'married' to each member of the Brotherhood above the rank of acolyte.

It had gained much popularity recently, with Celestia's increased activity in and around Ponyville drawing dozens of lovestruck ponies into its ranks. Their ability to keep up with the demands for entry had become strained, so much so that they had started buying all the flowers they could get their hooves on, even going so far as to steal from Ponyville's gardens.

Snips burst into Rose Hue's shop, draped in a white robe several sizes too small for him, so that he looked like an overstuffed sausage. "Hey! Hey Rose! Me and my friends are gonna need all your flowers!" He hopped up to the counter and pressed his piggy face against the glass. "Oh, and all those cards." Snails wobbled in wearing a similar robe, with the yellow sunburst of the Brotherhood stamped on its hood which was drooping down over his face. "Yeah, 'cause the Princess is comin' to town, so we gotta make new bouquets for Father Umber Snout to give to the Princess. 'Cause she's comin' to town."

Rose Hue stared down at the runty little unicorns. "What are you blabbering about? Get out of my shop. You're getting your disgusting little-boy snot all over my glass." She bent over the counter and swatted at Snips' head. "And take those ridiculous things off, you look even more stupid than normal."

"But but, we gotta wear 'em! We're White Friars now!" cried Snips. "Yeah, but only acolytes, so we got flower-getting duty," drawled Snails. "HEY! COME ON IN! MISS HUE'S GOT A BUNCHA FLOWERS WE AIN'T GOTTEN YET."

A moment after Snails had shouted, a pack of three dozen young ponies crowded into Rose Hue's little shop, all wearing white robes. Two of the oldest ponies zipped immediately to the flower pots at the door and began lifting them into saddlebags while nattering about how they were gonna be the one picked to deliver the flowers to the Princess this time. More ponies pressed up against the racks, knocking over pots in their eagerness to get at the best-looking flowers. A tiny pony wiggled up into the racks, trampling stems under his hooves as he tried to yank a sunflower out of its pot by the head. Snips mushed his nose back against the glass. "And I want this one to say, 'I love you most! Marry me Princess Celestia!' But make the writing all froofy, 'cause girls like that. And this one I want to say--"

"SHUT UP!"

The whole shop went quiet except for Snips. "Nah, too long. Just make this card a big smiley face that looks like me."

Rose silenced him by stuffing a flowerpot in his mouth, then picking him up by his scruff and punting him into the older acolytes. "EVERYPONY OUT OF MY SHOP. NOW."

Rose Hue grabbed a bouquet of purple roses and smacked at the gaggle until they poured back out of her shop in a tangle of robes and legs. She continued to smack them for a good while as she stomped out into the street after them. "You mindless sacks of road apples! Look what you did to my store! Months of work ruined because of you!" She lifted her head from beating the whimpering foals and looked around. There was devastation all round Ponyville. Flowers were uprooted, gardens trampled and emptied. Clods of dirt and what looked like they used to be flowers lay in a big, messy pile in the middle of the town square. "...you... ignorant... horrible little monsters..."

An elderly pony trotted up to Rose Hue, wearing a cream-colored robe trimmed with golden suns and devotional prayers. He bowed low to the middle-aged shopkeeper and cleared his throat. "Madame Hue, I am dreadfully sorry for the behavior of my newest acolytes. I will, of course, compens--"

"Save it, Umber Snout," snarled Rose Hue, shoving her ruined bouquet into the Friar's face. "I've had it with you and your 'order' parading through my town, babbling about the Princess like pre-teen fillies. And don't think I don't know what goes on in that abbey of yours!" she snapped, storming up to him. "I know all about your weddings, your," she snatched at the hem of his robe and held up the words stitched into it, "nasty little scribblings about the Princess and you.

A crowd began to gather in the square as Rose Hue berated the chocolate-muzzled friar. "The constant barrage of love-letters covered in cologne that stink up the post office everytime I go in. And the -weddings-. Don't get me started on how sad, pathetic, and utterly revolting that is. If Princess Celestia knew about them, I'm almost certain she wouldn't be able to stop puking from shame. I have half a mind to tell her myself!"

"Ahem," came a silvery voice from behind her. "I have it on personal authority that my sister does turn a startling shade of green whenever she sees a white mailbag waiting for her. And not just from the overpowering smell of cologne."

Everyone turned to see Princess Luna standing at the entrance to the town with a small contingent of guard pegasi in silver armor. She trotted up to Umber Snout and glared down her muzzle at him. "Yes, Father. She knows. Princess Celestia knows everything. And she does not approve." Snorting, she spread her wings and took off into the air, her guards a wingbeat behind her.

The old pony stood, stunned, his jaw hanging loose, while the acolytes murmured uncomfortably and began removing their robes. One by one, they tossed them onto the mud pile and walked off into the town, leaving the old friar alone. Snips threw his down forcefully and stomped his little hobgoblin hooves away. "Now I gotta go make the cupcakes blue!"

Rose Hue grunted as Pinkie Pie barreled into her and wrapped a hoof around her shoulders. "I knew it! I knew you could do it, Ms. Rose! I told everyone, 'Everyone!' I said, 'Everyone, there's only one pony who can save us!" Pinkie hugged Rose tight and beamed up at the older pony. "Only Hue can stop florist friars--ugk"

Rose Hue muttered to herself as she stomped back into her store and left Pinkie Pie with a mouthful of rose-bulbs.