The cool children

by therandomone95

2. Buying a magical solution

After Spike talked with Rumble and headed to Button's, he was greeted with Button's mom, who was kind enough to let him enter even though it was getting late. Once he was inside, Spike saw his friends playing Smash Brawl, and he happily joined them playing as Sonic.

"Dude, are you really so bad at videogames you have to spam special moves all day long?" Asked Button to Pipsqueak, who was playing as Game & Watch.

"Says the guy playing as the character with the most braindead final smash." Replied Pipsqueak to Button, who was playing as Marth.

"So, Spike? What did Rumble want to talk to you about?" Asked Button Mash, trying to change the subject.

"It's a funny story." Said Spike with a nervous smile, afterwards, he told his friends about the magical potion Rumble told him about and he told them about Rumble's embarassing past and how he got through it. "So? What do you say? I already told Rumble to prepare for us three of those things and sell them to us tomorrow."

"I don't know, Spike, it looks like a scam to me." Replied Button, still focused in the game.

"But what if he is right? What if this thing actually exists and it works?" Said Spike in a hopeful tone.

"Didn't we already have a solution to our problem though? Why did we sign up for the talent show, then?" Asked Pipsqueak with a small glare at Spike.

"Then this will be even better! Maybe this potion can help us prepare for the talent show! Just think of it as a small help!" Replied Spike with a smile that didn't go unnoticed.

"Wow, you REALLY want this thing to be real and to work." Said Button in a serious tone while he attacked Spike in the game.

"Well I'm sorry for being tired of being a loser!" Said Spike as he knocked Button off the stage.

"ALRIGHT, PAUSE!" Shouted Pip as he paused the game.

"What's going on in here?" Asked Button's mom who suddenly entered the room, and breaking whatever tension that seemed to be growing in the room.

"Oh, nothing, mom, we were just arguing about something about school." Said Button, dropping his controller.

"Well then you have to stop arguing and settle this like what you three really are!"

"And what's that?"

"A team." The three of them looked at her when she said that and then looked at each other, smiling afterwards.

"You're right, mom, thanks." Said Button, reaching for his mom's cheek and kissing her there. Button's mom smiled and left them to solve whatever they needed to solve in peace.

"Look, Spike, I'm sorry for whatever happened there, I was just-" Started Button before Spike interrupted him.

"No, I'm the one that should be sorry. I'm just REALLY tired of just trying to survive school. Look, I'll go tomorrow and I'll see if I can get Twilight to give me those 100 bits. What do you guys say?" Said Spike, already sounding better.

"I'm sorry, but I won't." Said Pipsqueak, both of his friends' eyes turned to him as he said that.

"Why not?" Asked Spike.

"Look, this whole thing sounds way too weird. I already told you that we have a plan, I'll just stick to it. Aside from that, I think I can figure out a way to become popular without letting some weird potion doing it for me." Replied Pip, to which Spike looked down. "Besides, what if it actually works? Would you be too cool for us?" Asked Pipsqueak.

"Hey, I never said anything about leaving you, you heard what Button's mom said, we are a team! And we will always be a team! No matter what!" Replied Spike with confidence and pride in his voice.

"You know what? I'll go with you. Someone has to save your butt just in case something goes wrong, right?" Said Button, to which the three of them laughed. "And Spike is right, if you don't want to do it then don't. We are still cool, right?"

"I still don't agree, but yes, we're cool." Replied Pipsqueak, Button gave him a brohoof afterwards.

"Alright, now that's out of the way, can we get back to me kicking your butts?" Spike and Pipsqueak put on their gaming faces and continued to play for the rest of the afternoon.

Spike and Button Mash just got out of their homes, and they had previously agreed to see each other in front of Sugarcube Corner. Once both of them got there, they reunited and casually strolled to the back of the building.

"So Rumble said that you were supposed to meet this guy in the back of a building? With no one looking?" Asked Button silently to Spike.

"I know, it sounds weird even to me, but we have to at least verify it's real." Replied Spike before stopping in the corner that went to the back of the building.

Spike and Button Mash took a small glance out of the corner, and all they saw was a grey stallion unicorn that had a similar body structure to Big Mac, he was wearing black clothes and sunglasses, and the jacket he was wearing had a hoodie that covered his mane almost completely. He was standing next to a box, Spike and Button assumed that inside it were the so-called potions. Taking in one final breath of anxiety, they walked slowly to the stallion.

"Uh... I like your outfit. Very 'Terminator', right?" Said Button, trying to break the tension in the air.

"My little friend said that there were going to be three of you for the product." Replied the stallion with no outstanding emotions in his voice.

"Uh, yes, he couldn't make it. We'll just have two." Replied Spike before asking again. "Wait, and how do you know we are the ones you were waiting for?"

"I have to admit, I had doubts, but when this one spoke I knew you were the ones." Said the stallion, pointing at Button, who just frowned. "And where is the money?"

"Oh, yes, it's right here." Said Spike, giving the unicorn a bag full of bits.

"Are they 80 for each of you?" Asked the stallion.

"80 bits for one?!" Replied Spike and Button at the same time.

"Is that a problem?!" Replied the stallion menacingly.

"Oh no, there's just this guy in my school that..." Started Spike before Button acted.

"COUGH COUGH" Button motioned to Spike, bringing him back to reality.

"Oh, nevermind, if you insist in 80 then that's completely fine." Stuttered Spike.

The stallion teleported the bag away and he levitated the box closer to them. "Just take one for yourselves. Listen kids, I would like to stay and chat but I'm actually running out of time, so just take it and I'll leave you." Said the stallion with some nervousness in his voice.

Spike and Button noticed a red glow in the stallion's eyes, just behind his sunglasses, but they knew they would be dumb if they actually said anything about it to a guy like this. They took one bottle each, and the stallion closed the box before teleporting it away as well. Spike and Button Mash looked at the bottles, they looked like regular water bottles but when they opened them, they realized that the outside of the bottle was painted so that it would seem that it's regular water. The liquid that was inside actually had a shade of dark purple, plus they could feel warm coming from it, almost like energy or... magic.

"Just so we are clear, this is a potion that 's not exactly well tested and the princesses don't know anything about it; or at least they haven't found out that we're selling them, that's the reason you are paying it personally at the back of a building. I take no responsability to its effects on you or your life." Said the stallion, the glow in his eyes sometimes faded away and sometimes it became stronger and more noticeable.

"Wait... The effects on our lives? What do you mean by-?" Started Spike before being cut off.

"Just drink it and it should be doing its thing instantly, but it varies depending on the pony. And you're a dragon, so I don't exactly know how long it will take on you." Said the stallion more directly to Spike. "OH! And this is very important, don't by any reason, motive or circumstance attempt to-" Before the stallion could finish his sentence, an alarm rang nearby, causing the stallion to flinch. "Oh, that's my cue to leave. Good luck kiddos!" And with that, the stallion teleported away leaving behind a very confused Spike and a concerned Button Mash.

Button and Spike walked to the park and sat in a bench that was located a bit farther away from the rest of the park, both of them lost in their own thoughts. They remained silent for what seemed like an eternity until Spike broke the silence.

"Wow, so we really are speechless."

"Yeah. But I'm just thinking about the price, didn't you say Rumble told you it was 100 bits?" Asked Button.

"Yes, so I guess either that guy just felt pity towards us or Rumble tried to scam us by bringing him the money and making him pay for us." Replied Spike.

"Or maybe he just got confused." Said Button, trying to lighten up the situation.

"Yeah. Anyway, do you want to do it at the same time?" Asked Spike, looking at Button.

"Yes, we're in this together and we will do this together." Stated Button, lifting his bottle, inviting Spike to do the same.

"Do you know what this could mean if it works?" Asked Spike to Button.

"That maybe we'll know if we just got scammed?"

"No, dude, if this works out, our lives will be completely different. Maybe nothing will be the same anymore."

"Holy guacamole, you're right."

There was a brief pause before Spike lifted his bottle. "Here goes... Everything, I guess."

"To us, to the team and to be popular." Said Button.

"To us, to the team and to be popular." Repeated Spike with a smile.

After saying it, both of them drank the content of the bottle in one zip. After emptying the bottle, they threw the bottle away and they looked at the floor, waiting for something to happen.

'It's salty, it has a bitter taste. It stings to the gums, warm in the tongue... Dear Celestia, please make this work.' Thought Spike as he swallowed the potion.

'I kinda like it. It's warm, though it's a bit salty. Mmm.. That's weird, why do I feel heat throughout my body?' Thought Button as he did the same.

"Do you feel anything yet?" Asked Spike to Button, who looked bored.

"Well, not anything special, what do you feel like right now?" Asked Button back.

"I feel like we just wasted our money on some weird energy drink." Replied Spike.

"WHAT?! Aw man, I just wasted all that money for nothing?!" Yelled Button.

"Tell me about it! I had to sacrifice that one favor Twilight owed me to get that money!" Replied Spike, noticeably angry.

"And I just sacrificed two months' worth of the money my mom gives me for this garbage!" Said Button, raging really hard.

"Oh, what a disappointment!" Said Spike, kicking the grass.

"Well, see ya Spike!" Said Button before stomping off in the direction of his home.

"What? Where are you going?" Asked back Spike.

"I'm going home, now I have to sweep and to the dishes for free!" Replied Button as he trotted angrily towards his home quite visibly annoyed.

"Oh, ok then. I have to go home too. I have to re-shelf the library again." Said Spike before stomping off to see Twilight.

Twilight was inside her castle walking towards the library when she heard the doors open. Twilight looked at them and she saw a very annoyed looking dragon walk right through them. "Oh! You're back already, Spike? I didn't think you would be back so soon!" Said Twilight as Spike entered the crystal castle.

"Yeah, I didn't think so too." Said Spike in a tone that was both irritated and sad.

"Hey, what happened? Are you alright, Spike?" Asked Twilight, getting closer to Spike, who just passed by.

"I'm fine Twilight, I just wasted money and time. I'll just go and re-shelf the library and pretend that the last hour didn't happen." Said Spike before heading off to the library.

"Spike, if you are really that sad then just go to your room and try to relax, I'll take care of the library myself." Said Twilight, pike just looked back at her when she said those words.

"Really? You would do that for me?" Asked Spike, to which Twilight nodded and Spike ran towards her to give her a hug. "You're the best pony in Equestria."

"Oh, it's nothing, really. You know how much I like books and re-shelving." Said Twilight blushing with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Thank you, Twilight." Said Spike before turning away from her and going to his room.

"Mom! I'm here!" Shouted Button Mash when he arrived at his house.

"Already? Huh, I thought you wouldn't be back so soon. Did something happen?" Asked Button's mom from the kitchen.

"Oh, nothing special, I just wasted a lot of money and time!" Said Button, grunting.

"Well, however much it was I'm sure that it's not the end of the world." Said Button's mom, coming out of the kitchen. She saw Button on the couch, so she sat beside him; before Button realized it, he was resting on his mom's side and she hugged him shortly after.

"Mom, I'm talking about two months of the money you give me each week." Said Button, looking up to his mom.

"Don't worry Button, It's not so bad. Look, if it makes you feel better, I'll let you play until the food is done, alright?" Said Button's mom, booping his nose.

"Heh, okay mom." Replied Button Mash before hugging his mom and kissing her on the cheek. And with that, he left to his room.

Spike was entering his room, and unpacked a comic book to read in peace. "Huh, what a frickin' waste of money." Spike muttered to himself.

"A comic book, huh, so that's the kind of dragon I'm working with." He heard a feminine voice say.

"What the-? Who said that?!" Asked Spike to no one in particular, waiting for an answer.

Button Mash lazily strolled into his room, he plugged on his console and sat down on the floor. "Maybe if I get an A on Equish she will give me a little bit more." Button whispered to no one in particular.

"What's this? Various consoles? Comic books? Dirty clothes spread thrpughout the floor? Unf, this will be hard." Button Mash heard a mysterious male voice come from nowhere, though it seemed familiar to him for some reason.

"Huh? Who's that?! Show yourself!" Shouted Button, afraid that some stranger might've come to his room.

Spike suddenly felt like someone struck a bunch of needles and knives inside his brain, and he threw himself to the floor in pain. "OW! What is this?!" Asked Spike.

"You'll feel some mild discomfort in certain parts of your brain while I enter it. Please try and keep calm." He heard the voice say.

"MILD?!"

"Ow! Please! Just stop!" Button said to this mysterious voice.

"Alright, I've entered your brain, now this pain will stop." And so it did. When his brain stopped hurting, Button tried to get up.

"Oh, Celestia, I'm glad it's ov-"

"And it will be replaced by another type of pain." Said the voice.

"WHAT?!" Asked Button before dropping down again, this time he felt like his whole body was in fire, Button rolled in the ground but it didn't help. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"

Spike wasn't used to the feeling of being burned, since his scales protected him from hot temperatures, he was even able to swim in a pool of lave like it was hot water. So when this pain arrived, he was far from prepared, and he screamed like he never had done before.

"Alright, I've accessed to your muscles and you neural memory, I think we are done here." After the voice said that, Spike felt the pain go away, and he saw the figure of a mare appear in front of him. A mare who he recognized too well...

"If I'm correct, this should be done right about... Now!" Said the voice, Button Mash felt better suddenly, he felt like he could actually move, and when he looked up, he saw the figure of a tall stallion in front of him.

"From now on, your life will be better thanks to me, from now on you will be the best you can be!"

Spike was trying to get his senses back, and when he got his vision clear, he saw Rarity, though she had a slightly darker shade of fur and mane, she was about the same size of him and she had the heart gemstone Spike gave her on his birthday as a necklace.

"Thanks to me, you will never be alone again."

Button Mash stood under the figure of his father, a handsome stallion in a pink suit with a matching hat, a cane and a small but attractive moustache, Button hadn't seen him since forever, but he always imagined him to be like that, or he would envision his father looking something like that in his dreams.

"Thanks to me, you will never be a loser again."