Home.

Shala shrugged and tried to withhold her grin. She could tell that Blackberry was a bit upset. But that didn't change her choice of words.

"Treat you like any other colt? No offense, but you are not like any other colt." In an odd moment of thoughtfulness, Shala decided to try and make her words sound more comforting after that. "...Not to say that that's a bad thing. I think it makes you look cute....And..um...Well heck, I accept you as you are." All this thinking and talk was making her heard hurt with wanted sobriety. "Could be...you know, one of those destiny things. Meant to be. You sure are a hell of a lot more interesting than other ponies i first meet. Mare or colt." Shala twirled her hoof around as if trying to think of more words, but at the moment they were not coming to her.

Blackberry raised his eyebrow as Shala tried to explain her position. He was beginning to wonder if this was her or the alcohol talking-- as he did not really know the pony well enough prior to be a judge of that. He opened his mouth to say something, but Shala continued.

Blackberry furrowed his brow as Shala tried to comfort him, but didn't make matters any better. "I don't want to be cute. I just want to be normal." he told her, "I know how I look, why does it always have to be about how cute I look...?"

"I mean, I appreciate youre acceptance," Blackberry hesitated as he thought, "what kind of destiny is it meant to be?" he asked.

The server arrived, bringing some bread and some glasses. Shala quickly latched onto the first roll of bread she could get her hooves on and devoured it. Being starved and drunk was not idea for this situation. Not that it really bugged her, but she felt that some thought was really merited here. And she felt....that she owed it to Blackberry.

"Well...Cute is.....Uh...Its your canvis I guess...And...You are a work in progress...Oh screw metaphors. You should stop complaining. You would make most fillies jealous. Don't care if you are a colt, I think it only makes you that much more attractive. And that destiny stuff. You don't know nothing till you get it...." She sighed and looked away. Shala wondered what kind of things life had in store for her too sometimes.

Returning her eyes to Blackberry, she gave him another look over. "Maybe you are just lucky. You are straight and yet could have a complete relationship with a...filly fooler." She blushed at the mention of the term and eyed Blackberry again.

"I mean, what if your not a colt trapped in a filly's body, but instead a filly stuck with a colt's....umm...ya know."

Blackberry calmly took one of the rolls and slowly ate it. He was starving but he made it a point never to make it appear obvious. He also was still a bit concerned about where the conversation had been going with Shala.

He stared at her again as she tried to make her metaphore, as bewildered as ever. "I dont want... I am a... I don't wanna be..." he kept trying to interject as she went on. "I dont wanna make fillies jealous and I dont care to be attractive. it's annoying having stallions every now and then look at me-- its weird!" he told her.

Blackberry blinked in shock at her next statement, "filly... fooler..." he hesitated, "but they, they dont... uh..." he shook his head not even able to put together a proper sentence to respond to her.

"I'm not a filly..." he narrowed his eyes again, "I'm just a colt who is a little feminine looking... and sounding..." He said, his voice similar to that of Rainbow Dash's when she isnt so squeeky-- although when he raises his voice it makes him sound a little more feminine.

Shala cracked a smile at hearing his voice pitch match that of some other fillies she knew. "Well thats a lot of hints pointing at filly and one at colt." Shala could see that he was getting a little irritated. "Don't worry about it so much. Just take it for what it is. I think you might find plenty of mares in this town that would hit on you just the way you are....With your nice figure and all. Hehe." Shala giggled to herself.

It was just at that moment that the waiter came up for their orders. "And what can i get for you two ladies?" He said.

Shala laughed again, taking several moments before being able to speak. "Spaghetti and....milk." She second guessed her drink. Right now there was enough fun to be had as she was.

Blackberry sighed as Shala continued to argue her point. "Finding a special somebody is nowhere on my list right now, I'm just worried about getting my hooves back on the ground since coming back into town..." he explained.

Finally the waiter came, something to get subject off of him being like a... filly... Blackberry threw his head back as the waiter added to the issues, and then dropped his head onto the table, both his muzzle and horn touching the table.

"Just give me the cheapest thing on the menu..." Blackberry said after Shala had ordered, waving the waiter off with his hoof, not bothing to bring his face off of the table.

"Do you know how hard it is to want to be something so bad, something you know you are," Blackberry said, muffled by his muzzle being buried in the table, "yet no one else in the word sees you for that... thats how things keep ending up for me... I want to be a famous artist... the critics say otherwise... I want to just be a normal colt... other ponys... my friends... my mother... all seem to think otherwise..."

Shala looked down, feeling like she may have hit a bad nerve. Oh sheesh. He feels he has the world against him doesn't he?...I can relate.

Normally, Shala was happy to complain about everything and call out 'wrong' on anything that opposed her viewpoint in simple denial. But something about this town making her get 'softer' and about her own past experience made her want to feel some pity for him.

"Least you have a cutie mark that you can pursue...." Shala grunted before reaching a hoof over to his head and stroking his mane. "Sure sucks to think you're good at nothing. We should drink together sometime to that."

She rested her head on the table, taking on a less than happy tone. "...So...Your mother said....other things too?"

Blackberry raised his head enough to rest his chin on the table, looking upward at Shala as she spoke. His ears hanging downwards. "It's great to be good at something, sure," he began explaining to her, "but what happens when you pursue your dreams only to fail at them?" He said weakly.

"You know, one of my favorite artists is Vincent Van Burrow... you know-- the donkey that painted sunflowers and cut off his ear..." Blackberry said, a look entering his face of thought as he spoke about art, his ears even raising a little, "Vincent... poor Vincent... He was possibly the greatest artist if Equestrian history... and no one ever knew that until decades after his death... How horrible must it be to be the best artist ever and never know it...?" He said as his ears lowered agian

"My mother... my mother loved me..." Blackberry looked across the table at Shala, who was also now resting her head on the table, "However, she also saw me as a beautiful filly... and she really wanted a filly... which made it hard as a young colt when your own mother would dress you up in cute things... it was even harder when my schoolmates would see me when my mother took me into town..."

Oh boy. Shala thought. This was getting into some heavy territory that she did not know if she was really prepared for. As their conversation went on, her careless and less than sober attitude began to fade away as a side of her that never got out much began to flush out.

"Fame? Peh. You don't need fame. Its overrated. Just find happyness in what you do. I been on the streets of Manehattan, and you can see a pony be happy for the smallest things." Thinking about days on the Manehattan streets boiled up memories she was not very fond of. The next topic even more.

"Your mother....She loved you though didn't she?" While his circumstances were rather humiliating, a mothers love was......priceless.

Blackberry nodded lightly at Shala's last question and then turned his head as the waiter arrived at their table with their food. He looked at the item he had unknowingly ordered. There were some better dishes in the slums of Manehatten. Than again there were some real gems hidden in those slums.

Blackberry tried to not be too famished looking while eating his meal, although he had not eaten much from his trip over from Manehatten. Even though this meal would take most of his remaining money, it was going to give him the energy he needed to try to get back on his hooves in town.

Blackberry smiled after he finished his meal. "It's nice to have a full meal again," Blackberry told Shala before reaching into his bag and pulling out the bits required to pay for his portion of the meal. He took a second to look at the remaining bits in the back, frowning slightly.

Shala sighed, knowing that this was quickly looking to be finishing on a low note. She hated that. She hated it when she got to know a pony and then felt attached to them and dissapoint them. She never got attached much as a result.

Her hoof pushed the bits back to him and were replaced with her own bits. "It's on me...And don't you whine about who deserves it." She fell back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling, looking a little upset.

Blackberry looked surprised as Shala pushed his bits back at him, "Uh... thank you..." Blackberry said a bit taken aback, "but you really don't have to," he said with a genuine smile.

"Well," Blackberry said with a smirk, which looked adorable, "you certainly seem to be feeling better, perhaps you'll be okay to go back outside." he told her, getting up from his seat.

He looked back to Shala as she fell back into her chair and raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" he asked, sounding honestly concerned, "C'mon, lets get out of here," he said, offering Shala a hoof to help her up.

Shala looked down at his hoof. There was a lot of ways she could answer that question.

"Lots of things are wrong. I'm sad and need help. I have things i don't want to talk about and share. I have a problem." Were things that Shala did not say. Instead, she did what had worked for her for years.

"It's nothing." She took out her flask of alcohol and took a small swig. The offered hoof was taken as she got up. Not much else was said as she followed Blackberry out. Shala reflected on the last few words exchanged, smirking a little to herself at the smile Blackberry put on, and frowning at the question asked of her.

Just another day for Shala.

Blackberry studied Shala as he helped her up. He was no pro at figuring out what ponys were feeling, but he could certainly tell somewhere down the line something had come up that had upset Shala. He quickly reconsidered the recent bit of the conversation-- He couldnt quite place his hoof on what could have been said to cause this sudden behavior.

"Hey Shala..." Blackberry said as he walked along side her towards the door, "I'm sorry if I said something to upset you, it was completely unintentional." he said, trying to help patch up the situation and Shala's mood.

Blackberry raised his head and jumped infront of Shala, "Lighten up, we're young, in a beautiful town, and both have a brand new friend to share the day with!" Blackberry said as he trotted back around next to Shala before bumping his flake against hers, "What do you say Shala? Can't possibly be too down around here." He flashed a genuine smile to her as he began out the door.

Shala sighed and tried to push off the thoughts coming to mind. She just met this pony. Going into the details of her life was not something she was very good about. As a matter of fact, even her good friends didn't have much insight to her problems other than their symptoms.

The topic about her mother is what upset her. Shala had a loving mother, but....well that's another story. Right now, she couldn't help but be broken from her moment of depression by Blackberry's sudden burst of enthusiasm. It was adorable, seeing him being so happy. She had to blush at the flank bump though. That made her giggle a little as she watched him trot out the door.

For a stallion, he sure seems like he has some cute tendencies. She thought before following him out.

"I'll be fine. I think you got my spirits raised a little."

"Well, good," Blackberry said, leading the way out the door. He squinted some and lowered his head as the bright sun beat down on him. His eyes had adjusted for the slight darkness of the restaurant that he was not prepared for the sun. He spun around on his hoofs and walked backwards to face Shala as she followed him out the door. This also allowed him to walk with his back to the sun so his eyes could adjust a little easier.

The light draping over Blackberry from behind really made his hair shine. It was unfortunate that he did not appreciate the beauty he was given, as it presented itself whether he wanted it to or not. "I'd prefer my friends not be in sour moods," he said with a basic smile.

"I've been thinking about how to earn some money in town..." Blackberry began to explain, a look of thought crossing his face as he continued to trot backwards, "I've got all my supplies, I think I'll set up somewhere in the marketplace and paint. I'm sure somepony around here would love to buy some of my art..." he stopped for a second as he glanced towards the ground, then a humble smile crossed his face as he began to trot backwards again, "yes, thats it, this is my home, this is where my art belongs because this is what inspired my art, not some snooty critics in Manehatten, but the small humble folks of Ponyville."

Heart Song had left the quill and couch shop in a slightly sour mood, 'All they sell if quills and couches and they are all out of quills?” She mumbled to her self some choice swear words and trotted through the market. She needed the quill as her last one had broken while she was writing her musical piece earlier in the morning. Unable to get that on her list she had to move on, “now what else did I need...” She said aloud to herself only to have the thought cut off when she saw a purple and blue tail in the corner of her vision, she though she recognized that tail and looked over “No it can't be,” She doubted herself till she saw the bucks flank and the paint tray cutie mark, She gasp “Blacky!” She exclaimed in joy and began running toward the preoccupied buck, as she ran though her expression changed from joy to anger as she remembered why she was so happy to see him “Blackberry” her tone was lower as she ran towards him “you have a lot to answer for mister.” she growled and surprised several other ponies as she suddenly bowled him over, tackling him to the ground and giving him a bone crushing hug.

Shala was so tempted to say something to Blackberry. The sun through her...er...his hair made Shala look at him in ways that were getting a bit beyond friendly. Though, being the kind of pony she was, Shala spoke her mind.

"I bet you could paint yourself right now and sell that for a fortune."

She smirked, but quickly turned to shock as the pony in question was not bowled over and flat on the ground with another pony on him.

"Ah...See, I told you that mares would dig you."

"paint myself?" Blackberry asked, missing what Shala truly ment, "self portraits are difficult and irritating," he said.

He closed his eyes for a moment as he spoke, "in all fairness self portraits are one of my least--Blacky?" he opened his eyes in a bit bewilderment, "no one calls me Blacky, no one other than..."

Blackberry heard his name again and his eyes went wide as he turned quickly towards the charging pony, "Heartsong!" he said, "boy how I've missed--" Blackberry was cute off by the tackling pony.

After regaining his sences, still on the ground, "Shala, this is Heartsong," he motioned to the pony who had him pinned to the ground, "and she's not just any filly, she's, we'll, we've been friends since we were just foals!" he said with a smile.

*CLOP!* was the sound of Heart's hoof as she made contact with his stomach, "What with you leaving all of a sudden with only a note taped to my front door, 'hey I'm gonna be in Manehatten for a month or so, no time to say bye gonna be famous, key bai'!?! You didn't even wait for me at the train station or anything, you just got up and left." She hugged him again. "I should buck you thrice over the head for leaving like that." She let him go and stopped back so he could get back up, "Hello Shala, nice to meet you." she said with a smile.

Shala blinked and chuckled to herself. Another new pony, and a pony with a mean gut punch. She grinned and nodded her head.

"Nice punch. You said your name was Heartsong?" Shala liked this new pony already. "Shala is my name. I have a few other nicknames around here too that your bound to hear, but they are all lightweights."

Blackberry gasped for air as Heartsong hoofed him in the stomach. He got back to his hooves after a minute, leaving his bag and easel on the ground. "I don't recall writing 'key bai'..." he said a bit flat, "and I was following my dream-- I knew that if I told you in person, you'd try to stop me... admittedly had I knew then what I knew now, i'd have prefered you stopped me..." he said, his ears lowering a little at the admitting of his mistakes.

Blackberry exchanges hugs with Heartsong and smiles genuinely to see his long time friend again, "Don't worry Heart, I'm back in Ponyville, for good..." he said as he stepped aside to form a triangle between the three ponys, "just got to get my hooves back on the ground here..."

“That's stupid I would not have stopped you, you always know I supported you in your talent, you where always better than me with your art.” She picked up his bag and easel for him. “So tell me how it went, did you make enough money to move back here? Oh and I have to tell you how things went for me while you where away, remember that ratty old basement apartment I used to rent, well I don't have that anymore I got my own house.” She jumped around, overjoyed to be seeing her oldest friend again after him being away for a year.

Shala could see that these two were really wanting to catch up with each other. She simply sat in place and took out her flask from her mane before drinking some.

"how it went..." Blackberry said a little weakly as he glanced to Shala, who already knew how it went. "uh--not well..." he said with a bit of an disappointed smile.

Blackberry lowered his head a little and his horn began to glow. His easel floated from Heartsong and over to him, followed quickly behind by a paintbrush from his saddle bags. His eyes also began to glow as he watched the canvas as the brush began going to work.

It did a quick drawing, it was sketch but still well done, and obviously blackberry. A little more sketching and it was clear to see he was in ponyville. Before either of the mares could say anything the paintbrush began moving again, but not touching the canvas, it was more like it was conducting an orchestra. Immediately the drawing of blackberry began to move.

He was loaded with his easel and saddlebags, much like he was today. He approached a house and appeared to almost knock, but he hesitated. He hung his head as a quill and parchment floated from his bag and wrote a quick note. The not attached itself to the door and Blackberry turned away from it. He took a step forward and stopped, looking back towards the house. He turned forward again and lowered his head before galloping off. The door opened after the image of Blackberry disappeared off the canvas and a sketch of Pirouette stepped out. She looked at the note and began sobbing.

Blackberry was on the train pulling into Grand Central Station, the smile was back on his face, as his face was full of energy. He got off the train and it transitioned him to getting into an apartment in the housing area of Manehatten. Everything seemed to be going great. He began painting picture after picture and placing them in his apartment, he stepped out of the apartment and was in an art gallery, shaking hooves with the curator. He spun and the gallery was filled with the various paintings and ponys were filling the room. He looked about as snooty looking ponys were looking at the art with bewildered looks on their faces. He went to one and they shook their heads and trotted off. He ran to another and they ignored him, leaving the canvas, every pony walked off the canvas and the curator went up to him and pointed him away.

The scene transitioned to Blackberry sitting on the street, various paintings around him as he tried to get the attention of passing ponys. None would stop and look at his work. The few that did stop quickly kept going as soon as he approached them. The scene goes back to his apartment and he hands his last few bits to his landlord, he looks at them and shakes his head, Blackberry pleads with the landlord but the landlord points Blackberry away in the same fashion as the curator. The landlord leaves and Blackberry goes into a fit of anger and begins destroying his works hanging around the room, smashing the canvases.

The scene returns Blackberry to the streets, this time he has his easel and saddlebags with him and he has a clothe over his head as he sits under the raining, looking completely broken. He hears a scuffle and looks up to see a black stallion being assaulted by some ruffian ponys. He quickly jumps to his hooves and runs at the other ponys. He uses his powers of levitation to throw a trash can at one and tackles the other. Taken off guard the two ponys flee.

The black stallion looks thankfully to Blackberry and motions him to follow. He leads Blackberry to a falling apart building in the slums of Manehatten where, along with a musically inclined pony, he is allowed to stay. The building is dark, cold, and leaking in the rain, but its a roof. Blackberry continues to paint in this run down home, and every so often it shows him sell a painting, getting just a few bits per brilliant piece. All the bits he gets are shown going to buy firewood and food so that the three ponys can stay warm and fed.

Blackberry loads up his easel and saddle bags and hugs the two stallions a fond farewell and walks out of Manehatten, heading for ponyville on foot with little money and little food, but a smile on his face as he looks onwards to Ponyville, the painting remains still with the image of Blackberry overlooking Ponyville

Blackberry's horn and eyes stop glowing and he gasps as he colapses to his needs, breathing hard, "I've never done that for so long before..." he said, exhausted.

(+3 points for anypony who knows to what i paid homage too. ;))