New Arrival

Shala was thankful to be off that terribly boring train. Her hooves felt wobbly still from having sat for the entirety of the ride from Manehattan. She grumbled to herself as her saddle bag and other luggage didn't make it any easier.

She wondered her way about a little bit until finding the town square, not really looking for anything for now but just getting her hooves working again. The small town already seemed so much simpler and easier than Manehattan.

"12:37..." She said to herself, subconsciously reciting the time that kept popping up into her head. "Where to now?" An annoyed sigh escaped her.

Indigo trots by seemingly oblivious to the sound of glass bottles banging into each other through the saddlebag on his back. He hums to himself as his tangled mane bounces, finding the new town, despite its size, remarkably easy to get around in.

Shala was muttering things to herself when she stopped to look at what that racket was. Her annoyance quickly became awe and confusion as her eyes watched the first pony she had really stopped to take note of in this town. Seeing his crazy mane, obliviousness to his racket, and to top it off, a monocle, she couldnt help but mutter. "Its going to be a long day...."

Of course her head had to try and put a pattern to the crash of the glass with each passing second. Her talent for telling time getting the best of her. She shook her head about to clean out the annoying habit and sighed again. "Great Shala, at this rate everypony in this town will be crazy."

As much she did not want to, she moved to intercept the...odd pony. Rather than speak first, she waved a hoof to get his attention.

He keeps walking, not noticing her until he looks right at her in a passing glance, then abruptly stops with his right hoof about to take another step, then places it back on the ground. The bottles cease their clanging and only lightly knock into each other as he walks toward her, his movements a bit jerky from having been knocked out of his groove and from the embarrassment of not paying attention. "Can I help you with something?"

The mare wanted to facehoof but she kept her composure at least that much. "Yes...Do you know where i can find a hotel or some place to stay?" She said forcing a smile and motioned to her baggage she had.

'Just a little bit more Shala and you will be able to crash on a nice comfy bed..' She thought to herself.

The odd stallion visibly relaxes and smirks slightly, finding amusement in the concept of the tired and irritable pony having to hail down and talk to a pony as odd looking as himself. "I haven't the faintest idea. I just walked into town a few hours ago, although luckily for me, the guy who recommended me for my job put me into contact with a real estate agent."

The artist who previously painted a portrait of Princess Celestia, which is hanging in her bedroom, walked by them, suddenly Canvis saw the odd hairsyle of a monicle-wearing fony and a worn out looking pony. "Hello, you two," Canvis began as she trotted over to the group, her own hair was a bit messy but lightly brushed, "What's up with your hair?" - she pointed a hoof towards the pony with the monicle, "And you just look fed up." - she gestured her hoof to the pony with the suitcases.

Looks quizzically at the new artist pony, one eye widening while the other half closes as he raises an imaginary eyebrow. Wondering why the hay somepony would walk up to complete strangers in the middle of a conversation. "Uh... hi. Yeah the hair, I just don't like paying to have my mane cut, so I just let it grow like this."

To say Shala was a bit dissapointed was an understatement. She was blank in the face for a moment before going bonkers.

"...WHAT?! I traveled all the way from Manehattan with almost nothing and no bits to gave no place to stay?! Its 41 minutes and 17 seconds past noon and I'm starving and tired and now I have to sleep in an alley?!" She began muttering under her breath even more frustrations. Where she was from, housing was no simple matter in a big packed city like Manehattan.

She was so deep in her frustrations she didn't pick up on the new arrival or conversation.

"Hey! Angry Pony! I have a place in Canterlot. You can come stay. And there's a good resteraunt down this road, great dandilion pies!" Canvis smiled at the ponies, she had sold some art today and was in a very good mood. "Dinner's on me!"

He jumps in surprise and takes a step back to get some distance between himself and both of the perceived crazy fillies. "Hey hey hey hey, no one said anything about sleeping in an alley. If you want you can crash on my couch. Just ease up a bit." He does his best to smile reassuringly.

Her reaction was not entirely as positive as one would expect from a pony that just got offered to stay somewhere...twice. Her eyes blinked a few times before looking to the newest arrival. Angry pony? Great. She was already making a nice reputation here. "Angry pony? You havent seen angry pony. When i moved out not 78 hours, 49 minutes, and 38 seconds ago I told the landlord...."

She stopped and her eyes went blank and wide. Did two ponies just offer her a place to stay?

"...Wait...uuhhhh...What?" Her train of though derailed and plowed through the train station. Since when did ponies offer housing to stranger? Maybe they expected payment.....Hmm...clever.

He backs up just a bit more in anticipation of seeing fireworks fly. He chuckles slightly to himself at seeing Shala's fire die down when the realizations dawn on her. "I have a couch you can sleep on, and it's only a few minutes away. If you need time to relax and unwind I'll be around back planting my new garden and doing other errands around town. If you feel honor bound to pay me, you don't have to worry about that."

Shala looked back and forth between the two ponies. It occured to her that she should probably start thinking about what they said at this point. One offered a couch. Another a place in Canterlot. While the couch may not be a bed, its better than the ground. But the fact it would be at a Colts house might give ponies the wrong idea. On the other hoof a filly alicorn was offering what she assumed to be a nice place to stay. At least thats what she thought since she was prejudice about alicorns being so special and all. But Canterlot was not Ponyville, and she moved here specifically for the small town aspect.

After spending a few moments in her thoughtful gaze at the ground, she shook her head to get her mind back on what was going on now. Things were going a bit fast for her with this whole strangers inviting her into their home thing. Maybe they were serial killers that just wanted to chop her up. In any case, being strangers any further wasn't going to work if she was going to be offered a place to stay.

"I...Dont even know you two yet...." She paused before forcing a smile. "Im Shala Wood." It felt a bit awkard for her to make it so formal, but usually she wasnt the one to start such introductions.

He smiles and raises his right hoof for a hoofshake. This is going much better than expected, normally he'd have to hang around for a few days before anypony would consider coming up to him. "Indigo Surprise. I run the local newspaper, well I don't own it but I decide what gets published and what doesn't. Where are you coming from?"

Shala eased up a little more. "Manehattan...." She stared at him for a moment, trying to rejudge him now that she had some idea of what he does around here. After a few moments she determined he was still a crazy pony. "Funny, i cant imagine what news there would be to report around here. Other than maybe the rare normal pony..."

"Manehattan huh? Good town if you have cash to spend, not so much if you don't. It has to be a culture shock for you coming to such a small town." He chuckles a bit "I suppose that's a joke at my expense?"

Shala ignored his last comment. "Culture shock. I guess you could say that. More like letting a balloon deflate." She shuddered at thinking about that large but cramped city. It didn't help being afraid of the small spaces. "I came here for the lack of population and development here. As i was advised to at least..."

"Well it's a pretty good transitional town. It's not as populated, but still pretty developed compared to most rural communities. Just about anything you can find in the city you can find here. The difference is a lower price and lower quantity... And probably quality too."

"You would be surprised what kind of quality you would get in the queens district...." She said with a rather longer-than-normal sigh. Thinking of living there already seemed like a past memory. It was nice to just be able to see the sky here.

He tilts his head to the side back and forth, looking off to the side. "Ehhh.. well I meant regarding services, the food in Earth pony communities is always good. It's fresh."

"Huh? Oh, I'm Canvis," said the white filly, flicking her tail with grace. "I suppose you want to stay in Ponyville, Cantelot is quite a distance away..." Her voice trailed away as she remembered she needed painting supplies, berries for the Everee forest could be handy and cheap.

Shala nodded to Canvis. "It...seems that is the case...I have not ever been to Canterlot before. Some day i will have to see it...hopefully on a less than busy day..." She hoped the place was less packed than Manehattan. "Well...I guess ill have to take you up on your...housing then Indigo."

"Well, can I treat you two to a dinner?" Canvis asked, but it was more of a statment than a question. She tossed her now messy mane proudly.

Shala blinked. More acts of kindness from random strangers. This was very new to her. Were all small towns like this? "Oh..Um...Sure." She said a little hesitantly. She had a feeling that it was in her best interest to just follow along. Its not like she had other things to do. Looking for a job and house didn't exactly seem like a fun way to end the day right now anyhow.