//------------------------------//
// Dress Rehearsal 
// Story: Oedipus Wrecked 
// by Shakespearicles 
//------------------------------//

"Alright everypony, gather round!" Sunburst said, to the assembled students in the school theater. 

"Um, Principal Sunburst?" one filly asked.

"Ah ah!" Sunburst chided, and pointed his hoof at the fancy beret he was wearing. "It's Director Sunburst in here."

"Director Sunburst," she amended, "I forgot my copy of the script."

"Alright, well share with another student."

"Director Sunburst?" Button Mash asked.

"Yes?"

"I don't understand the story of this play. It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Alright, I'll give you the short version," Sunburst said. "The play, Oedipus Rex, is an ancient Pegasopolis story about a king who unknowingly married his mother by mistake. That brought about a terrible curse upon the city and-"

"Yeah, that's the part I don't get!" Button said. "How does A lead to B?"

"Well that's a..." Sunburst chuckled. "That's a complicated question. You see, the ancient pegasi believed in a whole pantheon of gods and goddesses that controlled the workings of nature and the fates of ponies. And so, because Oedipus had married his mother, as the oracle foretold in her prophecy, the city was cursed by a plague from the gods as it was a sin in their eyes."

"Yeah, but why?"

Sunburst took a deep breath. "Featherweight, grab me some water?" Featherweight fetched him a glass of water. "Thank you Featherweight." Sunburst took a deep sip of water and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Well you see... at the time when this story was originally written, the three tribes were still split before the unification of Equestria. And each of those three tribes had leaders of their race. But there were also others who ruled under them called 'nobles'," he explained. "The power of these nobles, Dukes, Duchesses', Lords and what have you, their power of rule was passed down through their family line. And as with most any ponies with power, these royal families didn't want to share it. Not with other royal families, and certainly not with the commoners. So, as was often the case, they would intermarry within their own families."

"Eww!" Several fillies cringed.

"Yes, yes. That reaction is to be expected," Sunburst said. "But as I said, it was quite common back then. But after the unification of Equestria, there was a commoner uprising to overthrow the ruling class. And part of that was a propaganda against family intermarriage and..." he cleared his throat. "incest," Sunburst explained.

Button Mash flipped through the pages of his script. "So this play... billed as a tragedy, is ancient propaganda that we are continuing to... propagate?"

Sunburst stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment. "... Yes."

"Can I make some constructive criticism?" Button asked.





That evening, Button Mash opened the door to his home. Cream Heart was in the kitchen, doing the dishes when she greeted him. "Hey sweetie. You're home late. How was school?"

"Fine," Button said, giving the standard response. He was about to walk past her without nary a second glance. 

"You didn't get detention again, did you?"

He paused. "Actually, I got a part in the school play," he said.

Cream Heart immediately stopped what she was doing and dried her hooves with her towel. She turned around and whisked him into a hug. "Really! That's amazing! What play?"

"Oh, uh..." Button hesitated, "You'll see."

"Oh? What, are you a tree in the background or...?" she asked. trying to not sound disappointed.

"Actually I got the lead role," he said.

Cream picked him up in her hooves and kissed him on the cheek. "That's amazing sweetie! Ooh! My little thespian!"

"Mom! I'm a stallion!"

Cream Heart laughed. "I said thespian, not..." she just giggled. "But really, the lead role!?" she asked again. Button nodded. "Well I'm sure you'll need lots of time to practice your lines and rehearse!"

"Yeah..." Button said. His mother turned back around to resume her work on the sink full of dishes. He turned to go up to his bedroom, where his video games were. "Actually..."

Cream Heart looked back over her shoulder. "Yes?"

"There's a... um..." Button cleared his throat and choked out the words, "...a kissing scene."

"Ooh-hoo-hoo!" Cream tittered. "Is it Romeo and Juliet?" she asked. Button gave no response. "Ooh, I bet it is! That's how I met your father, you know!"

Button groaned, "I know."

"Oh, my little Romeo!" she cooed. "I bet you're looking forward to rehearsal with your Juliet!"

"Well that's just it..." Button said. "I don't want my first kiss to be... bad."

"Well, yeah, that's why you rehearse!" Cream said.

"No, I don't mean for the play. I mean... I don't want my first kiss with a filly to be bad," he said.

Oh, well... Button, the first time you... do anything, it's going to be a little awkward."

"Yeah but... I don't want her telling the other fillies I'm an awkward kisser, you know?"

"Button..."

"So can we just..."

"Button..."

"practice a little?"

"Button..."

"Mom?"

"Button, no."

"Please?" he begged.

Cream Heart winced and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. It was just a kiss. It wasn't even that. It was just practice. Pretend practice for a pretend kiss in a pretend play. For goodness sake, this colt used to drink from her teats. What was a little kiss on the lips? "... Okay."

"Really!?"

"Yeah. Pucker up, Romeo. Come on, quickly, before I lose my nerve," she said. He licked his lips and did so, closing his eyes. She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "There you go."

Button opened his eyes and glared at her. "That wasn't a kiss."

"Yes it was."

"It was barely a kiss!"

"It- it's good enough for a play."

"Really? Is that the kind of kiss Dad gave you on stage?" he asked.

She looked away, unable to look him in the eyes, but also unwilling to lie to him, "No."

"Mom, you have no idea how important this is to me! I really don't want to screw this up!" he pleaded.

"Alright, alright! Just... just give me a second..." she said, taking a deep breath to ease her nerves. He was supposed to be the nervous one, after all. "Alright let's... try again." She closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him again.

His lips met hers. Instead of a quick peck she forced herself to linger there. His lips parted slightly, leading her to do so as well. The moment she did, he put his hooves on her shoulders. His tongue rushed out to her lips, seeking hers. Her tongue met his briefly, and his dove into her mouth to dance with hers. She felt the hot breath from his nose against her cheek, joined by his hoof, holding her closer. It was so incredibly passionate and intimate all at once. Cream heard herself moan into her son's mouth, snapping her back to her senses. Her tongue pushed his away and she pulled her lips away from his. He followed her as she pulled away, but her hoof planted against his chest put a stop to his advance.

"That- that's enough," she said, a bit more terse than she meant to. "I- I think you've got the gist of it," she breathed.

Button Mash's face was awash with a myriad of emotions, from ecstasy, to disappointment, before finally settling on gratitude.

His eyes glanced at hers for just a moment before he looked away again. "Thank you."

"Button, are you okay?" she asked, with concern.

"Yeah," he answered, still looking at the floor.

"Button, I can always tell when you're lying to me, because you can never look me in the eyes when you do it." She put her hoof on his shoulder. He shrugged her away.

"I said I'm fine!" he snapped and trotted upstairs.

The angsty colt remained an enigma to her.