//------------------------------//
// 2 - Where It's Always Sweet 
// Story: Sweet Button Mash 
// by David Silver 
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With both morality explained and their mission set, they set off together down the main road of Ponyville, towards their target. Button crashed into a new obstacle, placed there suddenly by Sweetiebot in the form of a suddenly extended bar that projected from her side.

She already had a leg up, a targeting reticule popping out from that leg's knee as she glared death at what she saw before her.

"Um, Sweetie? What are you doing?"

"Assuming defensive position."

"Against Big Mac?!" He waved a confused hoof at the large stallion that had no idea what danger he was in.

"He could hurt you. I do not want you to be hurt." To Sweetiebot, simple logic.

"Do not hurt Big Mac! He's a good pony." Button's beanie swirled with his frantic fear of the escalating situation. "No hurting any ponies that aren't already trying to hurt you… Um, scratch that. Ask me first if you're considering hurting somepony."

There was a moment of quiet, but the targeting reticule popped back into her knee and she lowered her leg. Her barrier slid back into herself. "Instructions received. Hello, Big Mac."

"Hey there, Sweetie." He blinked, realizing neither the voice nor the rest of that was quite right. "Huh? Um…?" He peered at Button with some confusion.

Button let out a huge breath of relief as Sweetiebot's weapons retracted back into her chassis. Crisis averted! "Phew, sorry about that Big Mac! This is uh, my new friend here..." He gestured to his automaton companion.

Sweetiebot smiled brightly at the perplexed stallion. "I am Sweetiebot! A robotic companion created by Button Mash to facilitate social connections among Ponyville's residents." She turned to Button and apologetically added, "I should not have escalated before receiving your confirmation of zero threat level. Thank you for your swift safety clarification."

Turning back to Big Mac, she beamed and offered a hoof. "I am still learning friendship. Please accept my apology if I alarmed you!"

Big Mac still looked mildly bewildered, but heartily returned the hoof bump. "Uh, no worries! Jus' didn't expect t'see Sweetie Belle suddenly all metal-like." He tilted his head with an impressed smile. "Gotta say, that's some mighty fine tinkerin' ya done there, Button!"

Button blushed, scuffing the dirt happily. "Aw shucks, thanks! I was lucky to find all the right parts." He gave Sweetiebot an affectionate side hug. "Still got some bugs to work out obviously, hehe..."

Sweetiebot just nodded agreeably, filing away notes on yet another promising social connection logged for Button Mash. Big Mac seemed quite friendly! Perhaps they would become better friends over more interactions. Yes, an excellent probability.

She beamed at them both. "I look forward to future fun encounters with you, Big Mac friend!" Sweetiebot declared brightly. "Button and I are currently heading to a place called Sugarcube Corner to take in sustenance!" She glanced to Button for affirmation. "Would you care to accompany us?"

Button facehoofed, but had to chuckle. "Heh, still figuring out casual conversation flow...but yeah! Wanna come hang out with us Big Mac?"

The farmer shrugged amiably. "Don't mind if I do! Could go fer some sweets." He fell in step beside the odd duo en route to everyone's favorite bakery, subtly eyeing Button's peculiar invention as they went. He sure hoped Granny Smith never saw this thing.

“I can’t wait for see Sugarcube Corner!” Button Pranced excitedly. “The Cakes are the best! And sometimes, if you're lucky, Pinkie Pie is actually working the counter!”

“Ee’yep.” Big Mac chuckled at the young colt's enthusiasm.

“It’s just too bad you can’t actually try their food.” Button was cut off by a pink blur of motion that suddenly shoved a bite sized cupcake into Sweetiebot’s mouth.

“It’s gear-oil flavor with silicate sprinkles, do you like it?” Pinkie grinned at the little robot expectantly.

Sweetie brought her jaws closed. Soft grinding noises issued from within her snout as she processed the food with all due diligence. "Grading…" Pinkie leaned in with wide eyes. "Texture: Ideal." Pinkie pumped a hoof. "Nutrition: Unknown." Pinkie shrugged. "Use, See detected ingredients."

She began listing the various parts she could make use of, which she has sorted out from the rest of the cake. "Your gift is accepted. Thank you --" Her voice shifted subtly. "Pinkie Pie."

Pinkie blinked with rapid giggles. "Wow, wait, how'd you know my name?! It's my job to know that before creatures tell me! Who fibbed!" She didn't actually look all that upset about it. "Also, Sweetie is going to kill you." She flashed a grin at Button Mash.

Button cringed, already envisioning Sweetie Belle's indignant reaction to her doppelganger. "Hehe, yeahhh maybe don't mention her to the actual Sweetie just yet..." 

He gave Pinkie a helpless shrug. "I wanted to surprise everypony with my cool new friend! Her name's Sweetiebot - I built her myself!" He patted the robot proudly.

Sweetiebot nodded eagerly. "Yes, I am an autonomous robotic pony fabricated by Button Mash! My hardware and software are designed to facilitate organic friendship processes." She smiled at Pinkie Pie. "And confection delivery for field testing, in this instance!"

Pinkie nodded so rapidly her head bounced. "Oooh, that makes loads more sense! Because I definitely haven't partied with any Sweetie robot lookalikes before. I'd remember an awesome robo-pony friend!" 

She leaned in inches from Sweetiebot's face with an intensity few non-eldritch entities could match. "Soooo! Wanna help me plan Button and Sweetie Belle's first date for when she finds out??" Pinkie arched her brows up and down playfully.

Sweetiebot's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, facilitating successful courtship rituals would be delightful!" She turned an innocent smile toward a furiously blushing Button Mash. "Improving your romantic prospects aligns with my friendship priorities for you!"

The poor colt looked ready to implode, wheezing something incoherent. Big Mac just chuckled and shook his head wryly. He wondered what exactly had he just wandered into?

“Or… just hear me out…” Button chuckled nervously as he pleaded for his very life. “Or, we could not do that, and instead of that we could do literally anything else!”

“Nope-a-roony! It just so happens all three Crusaders are at Sugarcube Corner right now! That place you were already going anyway! How crazy is that? What do you think, Sweetiebot?” Pinkie grinned even wider as Button Mash shrunk to the inevitability of fate.

Having won for the moment, there was nothing stopping Pinkie from leading that band of ponies into her place of employment, Sugarcube Corner. "I'm back! With customers and friends. Which is easy, since those are the same thing." She bounced out of the way, giggling with delight.

Big Mac went up to the counter to get something for himself, one eye on what was going to happen.

The Crusaders were there, as promised. Apple Bloom was the first to look up, her jaw slack.

Sweetie Belle saw her reaction. "What is it?" She turned to have a look. "... What? What?!" She hopped to the floor. "What is that?!"

Button flashed his best smile, which wasn't that good in that moment. "You see--"

"I do see." She glared at Button viciously.

Sweetiebot approached with a kind smile. "Hello! It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Sweetiebot. Can we be friends?"

Sweetie Belle came up short. "O-oh, um. You want that?"

Sweetiebot inclined her head. "Of course. It is my responsibility to make friends and encourage social activities in a harmless and productive fashion." She thrust out a hoof. "Have you tried the grease muffin? I cannot recommend it for a creature of your biological needs." She said it as if she were highly recommending it, yet her words said otherwise.

Sweetie Belle gaped between her doppelganger and the offered hoof, at a complete loss. She managed a strangled chuckle. “Uh...nice to meet you too?” Tentatively she bumped the hoof, Sweetiebot beaming happily.

“This is SO COOL!” Scootaloo zipped over to inspect the robot closely, practically bouncing in excitement. “A Sweetie Bot! Does she have rocket launchers? Laser vision??”

Sweetiebot tilted her head thoughtfully. “I do have friendship facilitating tools like confetti launchers and mood lighting capabilities!” She demonstrated by ejecting a small cloud of glitter and cycling her eyes through a rainbow of colors.

“Whoaaa...” Scootaloo grinned hugely, enraptured by the display. “That’s the coolest thing I’ve EVER seen!! Right Sweetie Belle?” 

The unicorn just stood there, blinking slowly. “I...guess so? This is really weird though.” She shot Button a bewildered look. “Why does your robot look just like me??”

Button scuffed a hoof, blushing. “Oh! W-well I uh, was thinking of you when I designed her! B-but in like, a friendly way!” Scoot and Apple Bloom exchanged amused smirks. 

Sweetiebot meanwhile nodded agreeably. “Yes! My aesthetic facade and personality programming were modeled after Sweetie Belle to optimize perceived non-threatening approachability.” She smiled affectionately at the stunned filly. 

“We even have the same beautiful singing voice!” Pressing a hoof to her chassis, Sweetiebot flawlessly mimicked one of Sweetie’s songs. The Crusaders gaped in awe as Button cringed nervously...

“O-okay I know how this must look…” Button stammered the propeller on his beanie spinning from sheer embarrassment because that suddenly worked that way and the universe rightly blamed Pinkie Pie.

“What the heck?!?!” Button was broken back into reality by the angry voice of Scootaloo. “Me and Bloom literally asked you to your face if you liked Sweetie Belle last Hearts and Hooves day, and you rolled your eyes! And then you pull this?”

Sweetiebot casually slid herself between the quivering Button and Scootaloo. "He is attempting to improve himself. He successfully completed my construction." Victorious music swelled from within her, as if one had just laid low some great boss enemy in a game. "You are… Scootaloo. Hello. Can we be friends?"

Apple Bloom snorted, but was smiling. "As stupid as he was, ah kinda like her." She tossed out a hoof towards Sweetiebot. "Howdy, Sweetiebot. Apple Bloom here. Let's be friends."

Scootaloo grumbled, but couldn't suppress an amused smirk as Sweetiebot eagerly high-hoofed Apple Bloom. "Ugh, fine I guess she's pretty cool," the pegasus admitted. Shooting Button a wry look, she added "Buuut I've still got my eye on you, buster! No funny robot stuff with Sweetie Belle, got it?"

Button gulped, nodding meekly. Sweetiebot just smiled patiently between them all. "Positive social dynamics detected! I shall archive this progress." Turning to Scootaloo cheerily, she said "Query - what activities do you propose we engage in to strengthen our burgeoning connection?"

Scoot tapped her chin thoughtfully...then grinned. "Hang out at my place after school tomorrow! We can listen to my new Wonderbolts album!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nodded enthusiastically. 

Sweetiebot's eyes lit up. "Affirmative! Auditory analysis and rhythmic motion synchronization seem enjoyable friendship methods." She tilted her head curiously. "Query - do you have baseline scans of typical youth hangout biochemical output levels? I am still optimizing my sensors for such."

The crusaders exchanged bemused looks. Sweetie Belle giggled. "Hehe, she's kinda weird. But I like her!" Moving over, she grinned up at Button, residual irritation fading. "Sooo...you made her just for me?" 

Blushing harder, Button scuffed the floor shyly. "W-well, kinda! I mean, for all my friends! But yeah..." he smiled at her. "You were the inspiration." Sweetie Belle returned the smile with surprising warmth. Things were maybe looking up!

Behind them, Apple Bloom nudged Scootaloo with a smirk. "Think our matchmakin' days are numbered?" Scoot just snickered. Sweetiebot observed silently, eagerly archiving more social nuance for her friendship archives!

“It’s kinda like making fan art of your friends, you big dummy.” Sweetie Belle chided. “You should always ask first. That said, I’m flattered and it’s pretty clear you weren’t just doing this to be weird…”

“We played dress up and he helped me try on yoga pants!” No one knows why Sweetiebot chose that one moment to bring up that one thing that happened completely without context. Discord denied even denying anything to do with it. Though the universe could never prove it, they suspected Pinkie Pie.

Sweetie blinked softly, then realized, yep. That robot was, actually, wearing yoga pants. "That color is hideous. I'd never wear it, and you share my color palette, so…" She leaned in. "Look, Button has no fashion sense. I have an expert for a sister. You can incinerate those, and we'll go shopping for better later, okay?"

"Incineration in progress!" All of Sweetiebot began to heat dramatically, her entire body tinting increasingly red as heat washed from her in palpable waves. The pants didn't stand a chance, combusting violently from her.

Pinkie dumped a bucket over Sweetiebot. "No smoking, thanks!"

Sweetiebot sputtered, steam hissing as the water doused her searing chassis. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo tumbled over themselves cackling, as Button sighed in relief.  

"Hehe, uh, thanks Pinkie..." he managed weakly. 

Sweetiebot meanwhile shook herself off vigorously. "Apologies! Incineration subroutines disengaged." She frowned down at her lower half. "The yoga pants have indeed been eliminated though."  

Sweetie Belle suddenly brightened. "I'm so glad I have an awesome pony for practice now! Rarity always gets impatient with me." She turned an eager smile to her twin. "Wanna come over later for a makeover after Rarity gets home from work?? It'll be great practice for both of us!"

Sweetiebot's eyes shined. "That sounds delightful!" She glanced between Button and the others. "I am still optimizing social activity balancing priorities..."

Button quickly waved her off. "Are you kidding? This is perfect! You totally should hang out with Sweetie Belle more." He blushed, rubbing his neck. "I-I mean, if that's cool with you Sweetie..."

The unicorn beamed. "That settles it then!"

Pinkie Pie suddenly popped up between them. "Ooh I can come too for emotional analysis sampling! It's for science."

The girls giggled while Sweetiebot's eyes whirred processing this new concept. "I like science..." she finally concluded brightly. This earned another round of laughter.

Button just beamed proudly. His robotic friend was getting along so well already! Her social learning algorithms must be incredibly advanced... Sweetiebot shot him a quick happy smile. Yes indeed, so much fascinating friendship data to analyze!