Trimming the Ivy

Ivy sighed deeply as she entered the town After everything she had done, she was ready for a change. Passing a trash bin in the street, she threw her equipment into the bin. Missing pony fliers, a dagger, ropes, and several wanted posters. Revenge had been sought, found, and achieved. It was time to settle down, to follow her cutie mark, and make fillies happy. She didn't know what she would do to accomplish this, she couldn't teach. Yet she did know was that she intended on staying on Ponyville for a long period of time, possibly find a special somepony and settle down for the rest of her life here. It was a quaint place to settle down, near enough to adventure yet far enough to be safe and quiet. Quietly, she shed the last piece of her equipment into the trash-bin and pulled her signature brown cloak tighter around her shoulders, it was late summer, but for some odd reason, there was a chill in the air.

Maxulus walked through ponyville with a huge smile on his face, he had just come from a gig that went great and he was payed greatly. He bounced around laughing when he accidentally ran straight into Ivy, "I'm so sorry! i didn't see you there" he rushed over to Ivy "Did i injure you are you hurt?
sorry for me being a idiot..."

Ivy laughed slightly at the happiness and energy of this strange pony whom had so abruptly ran into her. Getting up, as she had fallen down when she was run into, she looked at the stallion and tried to be friendly, since he most likely was a citizen of this town and well, honestly, she needed a friend.
"No no, I'm fine, it's alright, we all have off days right? I'm Ivy, you?" She said calmly, extending a hoof.

Max smiled and shook Ivy's hoof "Well i'm Maxulus! But you can call me Max" Ivy seemed like a kind of mare that he could get used to she was also quite beautiful "Sorry about bumping into you i was just so happy." he than looked over Ivy again "I haven't seen you around here before. Ya new?"

"Yeah, I only just got into town actually" Ivy said, now naturally smiling. Max was a handsome Stallion, and she could tell just from his actions that he was an amazing friend as well. Pushing her mane out of her eyes, she asked gently. "What were you so happy about?"

"Oh well i just came back from a very successful gig and i'm just so happy how well it went" Max laughed and motioned to a nearby music store "I was just going there to get a list of items i need." he than bowed "It would be a great honor to have you accompany me Ma'am"

"I think I'll do exactly that," Ivy laughed " And please just call me Ivy."

Max smiled softly to Ivy "Glad to have you join me Ivy!" he than entered a nearby store and started wondering around for the items on his list.

Following him into the store, Ivy immediately realized her own need for things and checked her pockets to see weather or not she had the bits to buy the bear necessities. Having thrown out most of her gear, she now wanted to slap herself. All her bits had been in the satchel, with the knives, which she threw away. All she had was the cloak on her back, and barely enough bits to afford a place to stay at an inn for a few nights. This, was horrible. Six hundred and ninety eight bits were left in that satchel, in the garbage. "Great, just Great Ivy" She muttered, watching Max look between his list and the shelves, carefully buying all he needed. Later on, after they parted ways, she may have to go back to that bin and grab her money. For now, she decided she would tough it and wait. Max was a nice stallion, and handsome as well, she really didn't want to appear like she was annoyed by him by suddenly leaving.

Max got a few items off of the selves and placed them in a basket he had picked up on his way in "Ya need anything? Ill be willing to buy for you Ivy." he said . "And before you say you couldn't do that to me or something it's my pleasure go ahead and get what you want but don't get too much." he than smiled at her and turned going back to his list of items to get. He was glad to have some company and what great company she was.

"Oh..." She said, startled, and startled she was. Though she could tell Max was a nice pony, she hadn't expected him to offer something like that for her. She honestly had no idea what she did need however, as previously she had lived in house and cooked her own meals only as a filly, back when she lived with her uncle. Sighing, she laughed slightly, mostly to herself, realizing what a challenge settling in and down may be for her. "I don't really know yet, I'll probably come back later and get some things, after I find a place to stay of course." She responded to his question, attempting to be as honest as possible without seeming like a foal. Then, deciding to get to know him better, she asked "Are you from around here?"

Max looked back at the mare "Yuppers. Been here since the day i was born but it's been a while since ive seen the place....so many gigs and stuff like that." he than got the last of his items and went to buy them "If ya want i can help you find a place to stay"

"I- I.. " She stammered, attempting to think of a reply. He looked at her. Was this the thing other ponies called love? Nay, she only just met him hadn't she? Finally putting her hoof down in her mind, she nodded slightly, smiling. "I'd like that very much." She responded. Then carried on the conversation. "So, you're a musician?"

Again he smiled to her and nodded "yup. Been playing instruments since I was a tiny foal" he than took a moment to admire Ivy's beauty before shakeing his head and looked back at the cashier as he checked out his items of purchase *your not going down that road again Max you've already broke your heart once....not again* he thought to himself.

Ivy followed Max as they left the shop, using her magic to slyly retrieve her saddlebag which she had so foolishly thrown out. Putting it on under her cloak, she ignored the fact it was even there, in hopes that Max wouldn't notice the bulge of the saddlebag. She would need the money for any place to stay. Intrigued, Ivy noted "That's awesome! I played too once, yet that was before... oh never mind, I played once." Shaking her head, inwardly she rebuked herself, she was leaving her past behind her, time to say goodbye to that horrible event.

"Thats great!! what instrument did you once play? could i hear you play it?" he than sat down waiting for a response (short post nothing much to post)

"Oh, it was the violin.. I think.. I don't really know if I remember how though." Liar she thought. As a child, her mother had taught her, and that was one of the few things she had never forgotten.

Max frowned a bit he could tell she was lieing but eh "Well i must go home. It's been fun i wish i could have heard you play but not all of us are lucky." he turned around and started to walk off "Well ill see you around miss Ivy."

Almost immediately, Ivy called out. She didn't know why. Shyly, she shifted her weight and glanced downward. "H-How about a trade, you help me find somewhere to stay, and I'll play for you? If- If you want that is. I mean, since we both want something, with which we both can aid each other, why not right? I need a place to stay, and you want to hear me play I guess, right?" Nervous, Ivy spoke softer than normal, and her mane fell slightly into her eyes.

Max turned around glad she called for him and smiled "I think thats a great deal! So you got any places you've been wanting to check out?" he than motioned around him "there are plenty of places to live! but i think i know a perfect place for you!" he than turned back around "care to follow me miss Ivy?"

It was then, as he asked her, that she realized that honesty was something she never really had been willing to use, yet here, with him, she felt comfortable using it. She took off her cloak, folded it, and placed in in her saddlebags. "]I'd love to, and if we pass a music store soon, I'll be sure to grab a violin so I can play for you."

"Okay! Follow me!" he than walked down a stone path "So..thats a intresting cutie mark you have there. What do you think it means?" he asked "I hope you don't mind asking me"

"Actually, I don't really know. There's so much, and so little it could mean. I haven't the slightest Idea what it is really. I mean, teaching, parenting, protecting others, who knows... I remember little about the day it appeared... What about you?" Ivy followed him down the path, and bent her head just a hair in an attempt to see his cutie mark. The question she ended with was more-over an attempt to remove her mind from the day she earned her cutie mark, a day she wishes to forget, the day her mother died.

"Oh well it show my talent for the drums and piano and i earned it on my first performance. it's nothing to special but it's something...right?" his smile faded. There were all those intresting cutie marks out there and what did he get? Piano keys and drumstick. "Well atleast i got a cutie mark. Oh look were here!" there before him was a small house on the outskirts of ponyville it looked like something that you could get used to and wasn't expensive.

Ivy had hardly noticed the house untill they stopped. The building was small, perhaps 2, or even just a single story. It was on the edge of town, yet not too far, and though it was no where near what Ivy had lived in before her days of vigilance, she thought the building adorable, and highly livable. "Its so cute, does anypony live here?" She asked, shyly approaching the door, her mind still hovering over her cutie mark.