//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13: Training 
// Story: Little Ninja 
// by DanishDash 
//------------------------------//

Button Mash trotted up the path he was so familiar with. It was dark, the sun had gone down. Button had never snuck out of his own house before, and it was kind of creepy to be trotting around at night all alone. Taiko however had insisted that he found them a place where they could be alone.

If there was one place Button knew nopony would be at this time of the evening, it was the school playground. It was pretty creepy going out this late, he had to wait until his mom would believe that he had gone to bed, even gone so far to stuff his blanket with a few pillows, trying to make it look like he was sleeping soundly.

"My mom is going to flip out if she finds out I've snuck out..." Button said to the little ninja.

"She won't, don't worry." Taiko assured him, climbing onto Button's back from his saddlebag. 

"You don't know that."

Taiko shrugged. "No, I don't, but I say our chances are pretty good. She trusts you."

The word trust made Button cringe a bit. He had a point, his mom did trust him, and right now he was doing something behind her back, something he had never done before. He tried to tell himself there was no other option, he couldn't tell his mom that he was going to fight somepony, she would flip out, and then that would open a whole can of emotions, and revelations. Button couldn't tell that Taiko was alive either, for one she would never believe him, not to mention Taiko had made him promise not to tell anypony.

Button made his way up the familiar path, and suddenly found himself on the road leading up to the school. It looked really strange in the moonlight, almost like a small castle. Button thought back on all the games he had played where he had to fight his way through some evil castle to save the princess. Button had always felt so brave when he was clearing levels with his little hero, now he wasn't feeling so sure.

They made their way up to the school, then trotted to the side, and got to the playground itself. Taiko had seen it before, but had never really studied it probably. There were a wide variety of playground activities. There was an activity tower, with small bridges, climbing nets, two slides, and towers that formed a square, with a large sandbox in the center of it. There were balancing tracks, monkey bars, a swing set, climbing walls and a carouse. 

Taiko nodded satisfied. "This place will do nicely." Taiko said, jumping off Button's back, and trotted towards the playground. 

"What exactly are we doing here?" Button asked.

Taiko drew his little sword from his bet, and stuck it in the ground. "Over here." He said, and walked to the center of the playground. Button followed, but stopped again when Taiko halted, and turned around taking a fighting stance. "Okay, let's say I'm Bulky."

Button looked confused. "Uhm, you don't expect that I'll fight him, right?"

"What's the problem?"

"I can't do that..."

"What do you mean by can't?!" Yelled Taiko angrily. "The only thing that makes you unable to do it is because you think you can't!" Taiko gestured for Button to stand across from him.

Button did as Taiko asked, although be it a bit hesitantly. "Bulky is bigger than me..."

"You're bigger than me, right now." Taiko said, and then suddenly leaped forward, rolling underneath Button Mash. He felt a punch in his underbelly that made Button wince and crumble a bit. The little ninja then grabbed Button's hoof, and used his weight to fling him onto his back. "But not now." Taiko chuckled.

Before Button could even think a single thought, the little ninja once again grabbed his hoof, and bent it a certain way so Button felt as if it was going to break. He was really strong for a soft little plushie. Taiko let go, and Button let out a small whine. 

"That wasn't fair..." Button mumbled.

"What?"

"It's not fair to hit ponies in the groin..."

Taiko snorted. "It was the groin, now come on." Button got up, but still mumbled that he thought it was unfair and cowardly. Taiko pointed at him. "Listen here, Button. You're already a coward, so you might as well use it to your advantage. Now come on, try and kick me." Button hesitated. "Come on, chicken shit, kick me as hard as you can!"

Button bit his lip, and then stepped forward, raising his hoof to kick the little ninja. However Taiko simply stepped aside, and wrapped his tiny hooves around his fetlock, giving it a certain amount of pressure that made Button cringe. Before he knew what was happening, Button flew over Ninja in one powerful swing, and landed on his back, with the little Ninja following.

"OW!" He said into the little plush rear of Taiko as he landed on his face.

Taiko jumped off. "Ow? You say that a lot." Taiko laughed, but then became serious. "It's one thing that is hurts, alright, but does the whole world need to know? Keep it to yourself, and come back at me.

Button felt some embarrassment for being such a wuss, but he didn't say anything. He stood up, tried to gather some courage, and got into a fighting position. Taiko nodded, satisfied, and then leaped into the air towards Button's face. Button made a wild motion with his front leg, hoping to block Taiko's attack. It looked way better in his mind than it did in reality.

Taiko caught Button's ear, and with a yank got Button on the ground once more. Then, still holding onto his ear, moved over his head, dragging the ear along, forcing Button to follow so he moved onto his back. Taiko jumped, and gave him a light kick to the gut.

Button didn't say anything this time, but it really did hurt. "You're moving too much," Taiko stated. "You have to fight with lightness, as if you're picking an apple." Button sat up, looking at Taiko as he explained. "If you're picking an apple and there is a branch in the way, you wouldn't move like this." 

Taiko started to pretend to pick an apple, making his moves big and dramatic. With one big circle movement of his right hoof, he moved the branch aside, and then picked the imaginary apple with the other. He looked at it, nodded satisfied, and polished it dramatically on his blue suit before taking an imaginary bite. Button laughed a bit.

"Do you see? Don't make a big deal out of it, just pick the apple." Taiko then did it again, but this time he moved calmly. In one movement he moved the branch away, picked the apple, and took a bite. Taiko moved lightly, and with purpose, just as when he fought.  "Get it?"

Button understood, and nodded. "Yeah, but I don't understand how you can take a bite without biting down on your hood."

Taiko chuckled. "Let's try again." They got ready, and Taiko launched another attack towards Button's face. This time Button moved much less. "Better," mumbled Taiko, before attacking again and again. He repeated the same attack over and over again, and each time Button moved more and more calmly. Taiko nodded satisfied.

Button thought about how insane it was to be taught martial arts by a ninja doll. If this was a dream, then it was pretty cool. They kept training until Button felt his entire body sweat, and he had to lay down to catch his breath. "Nice!" Yelled Taiko. "You're making progress, Button. Let's head back for today." Button panted and got up, his green hat with a propeller fell to the ground. Taiko frowned. "Why are you wearing that?"

"Hm?" Button looked down at it, then picked it back up. "Uhm, I don't know... I've kind of always had it..." The little propeller started to spin as soon as Button put it on.

Taiko looked around. "How does it spin when there is no wind?"

Button chuckled. "It's a secret!"

Taiko rolled his eyes, or at least Button imagined that was what he was doing. "Whatever, let's go!" He picked up his sword, and jumped back up onto Button's back. 

Then the two of them started to make their way back home in the moonlight.