A stroll through the changed streets

Follows https://mlp-fim-oc-rp.rpg-board.net/t552-a-place-to-rest

Blackberry quietly strolled through the streets of Ponyville. It was odd how much had changed in just the two years he had been gone. So many ponies had moved away, so many new ponies had moved in. There was hardly anyone he even recognized any more.

Blackberry stopped and looked at the home he had grown up in. He was tempted to go up and find out who was living in the home now, but decided it would be best if he just let sleeping dogs lie.

He sighed and lowered his gaze to the ground as he continued down the dirt road.

Pirouette was walking her way home, she had been really busy that day, she walked by the school she had gone to when she was just a filly. She smiled to herself. She started to remember all her good memories and how happy she felt back then.

As she was wandering, she bumped into somepony. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I was just..."
After she looked at him she realized it was somepony she already knew.

"Black... Blackberry is it you?"

Blackberry had been heading down the street, with no real plan in particular on where to go. He began to wonder if any of his friends were still living here anymore. It was around that time that another pony ran into him. He stumbled back and began to look up.

"I'm so sorry--" he began to say until his eyes washed over the skinny pink mare. He froze and blinked-- the one pony he was hoping to run in to-- and here she was-- his best friend from school.

"Pirouette..." Blackberry began to say-- a bit shocked that here she was. He was so happy but suddenly he found himself completely unable to express himself.

"It is you!!! It's been so long! You are back I can't beleive it! She was so happy she started talking really fast, she didn't even know what she was saying. Suddenly she stoped talking and she looked at him for a moment. She looked at him with a really serious expresion.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back! You could have told me with a letter or anything! I though..."

She thought she would never see him again... but there he was. She didn't know what to say or do, she just couldn't stop smiling.

"Pirouette!" Blackberry said louder, snapping out of his state of shock, "I've missed you so bad..." he said with a sincere voice.

"I-- I came on some difficult times..." he said, looking downwards, "I've been struggling just to make ends meet-- coming back was kind of a sudden decision so I could try to get my hooves back on the ground..." he explained to her.

"I just got back today!" he said, trying to liven up again, "just got my stuff dropped off at where I'm staying and came out here to see what all has changed" He said with a pretty smile on his face.

She listened to his story "You had to come back? What happened? Are you ok?" She said really worried. She then smiled at him "Oh no, it doesn't matter you should have told me so I could welcome you! Now you will have to find a way to make it up to me" She looked at him the way she always did when she was kidding.

She looked at him and smiled again "Look at you, your face is as cute as always! Are you going to finally tell me your secret for those beautiful eyelashes?" She laughed, she felt like they were those little ponies again.

"Well..." Blackberry said biting his lip, "it didnt go like I wanted-- I'll tell you more about it later, okay? I promise," he told her forcing a smile.

"Make it up to you how?" he raised an eyebrow curiously. He was not sure exactly what she was referring to, but he felt he'd probably be willing to do whatever she wanted right now in order to spend some time with his fillyhood friend again.

Blackberry rolled his eyes, "you know they are just always like that..." he said trying to not let himself get agitated by her ribbing.

She smiled. "Well... I don't know, you will have to think of a way". She winked at him and then started laughing "Sure sure, you just don't want me to look prettier than you"

"Are you going to be back for good?" They started walking together. "Where are you living now? Because you have somewhere to live right?"

She didn't know why but she was feeling a little worried about him.

"I'll let you come up with something," Blackberry blinked, "I'm a bit dry on ideas with everything going on, and you've always been prettier than me, you are the filly afterall..." he told her.

"I'm here to stay," he said with a smile, "I had my fun in the big city-- made me appreciate what I was missing here in my home town... I really missed it here-- and with my friends" he smiled genuinely at her.

"I'm living with a mare named Shala," Blackberry explained, "she was kind enough to offer me a room."

"Shala? I don't think I have met her yet, However, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate telling me, I live in the same place" She smiled "The only difference is that I live there by myself, and well, I'm now in charge of the dancing studio"

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"You're in charge of your grandmare's studio now?" Blackberry blinked, a little surprised, but that faded away as he remembered how good she was at dancing growing up-- and surely she only got better, "no surprise there," he grinned at her.

Blackberry frowned a little, he had no idea what they could do either, he'd been away so long that he had no idea what to do once he got back.

"We could go back to your studio and catch up--" he suggested, glancing over at Pirouette

"Hahaha, yes I'm, she decided she was to old for this stuff, so she gatered her things and said she was going to travel around equestria" She smiled "She also said it was my time to shine" She listened to his sugestion and smiled. "Sure, you'll get to see what I have done with the place"

They continued walking just for a little. "As I hope you may remember here we are" She opened the front door, and let Blackberry enter first.

"How could I forget where my foalhood friend lives?" Blackberry said with a smile as he walked along with Pirouette, a small happy smile on his face, "I'm really happy to hear everything is going great for you, at least one of us is having luck with their endeavors." he said casually.

Blackberry entered the building and looked about, it looked similar-- but different. "So this place is all yours now, huh?" he said with a smile as he looked about.

She noded "Yeah, all mine, I don't know if I have earned it yet but here I am" She smiled as she turned the light on. "I just did minor changes, like that mirror over there, or the floor, also the walls, wel almost every part of it"

She smiled and walked to one corner of the room, she took the framed picture that was in it and showed Blackberry the purple paint spot that was where the frame used to be. "Do you remember when we did that to the wall? My grandmother was furious!" She started laughing

Blackberry laughed as he looked at the spot on the wall, "I had forgotten about that," he said with some amusement, "to be fair, I probably could paint over it and make it look like its not even there" he said with a light laugh.

"You know Pirouette..." Blackberry said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I really envy you... you worked hard and stayed close to home and things worked out perfectly for you-- I screwed up-- I left-- and these last two years-- well-- they were pretty awful..." he explained to her.

"Hahaha oh no, I would like to leave it like that, I love all the memories that are traped in that simple stain" She listened to him and smiled at him.

"My dear Blackberry, we are young, we are aloud to screw up, I mean, I may seem happy today, but we never now what tomorrow holds, the important thing is to never stop learning"

She looked at him "What happened to you? Why didn't you ask for help, I would have gone to you in a second"

Blackberry sighed and looked about the room. Finally he found a large enough piece of parchment for him to show her. His horn glowed and his paintbrush came out from where it was tucked behind his ear.

Not going to re-post it, but here is the link for the previous use of this explination
https://mlp-fim-oc-rp.rpg-board.net/t480p45-home#6826

Blackberry's horn and eyes stop glowing and he gasps as he colapsed to his knees, breathing hard, "I've never done that for so long before..." he said, exhausted, "and now you know..." Blackberry said, looking down and away from Pirouette, a little ashamed of what he put himself through in Manehatten for his art.

"Oh Blackberry" She huged him hard without hesitation. "If I had gone after you... if I had been there maybe things would have been diferent, I'm so sorry" She looked at him "Those ponies in Manehatan were all so blind, your art is the most magnificent thing I have ever seen"

She didn't know what to say or feel, but the only thing she was sure about was the happiness she felt that her friend was in there with her.

Blackberry looked surprised when Pirouette hugged him, he didn't even know what to say as she embraced him, but found a sudden comfort within it. Something he had been missing for a long time. He'd been hugged by her before-- on his birthday for example-- but this one felt different-- it made him feel warm.

"I don't know what would have happened if you came after me..." Blackberry said as he got back to his feet weakly, "I was pretty focused on leaving-- if you had come after me, I might have gotten upset-- we will never know, the important thing is I came back and I'm never leaving this place again..." he explained.