The movie had a selection of options available, but Button's eyes were on just one. "See?" He waved a hoof at it. "I can't even believe they'd make an actual movie about it."
Sweetie seemed equally amazed, even if her lady friends were less impressed. "Wow, they actually did it." She reared up to put her hooves on the poster just outside the theatre. "Ponycraft: Origins! That sounds amazing! I wonder if they managed to capture the thrill of exploration and crafting in with everything else."
"Doubt it." Buttons headed for the ticket window. "But I'm looking forward to seeing it!"
Sweetiebot ambled along behind them. "I am familiar with this game, but have never played it."
Sweetie perked an ear with amazement. "Really? I figured it'd be one of the first things he'd make you play with him."
Sweetiebot inclined her head. "Button has 'made' me play no games with him. He is a good creator and has only asked me what I want to play, then played that with me." She bounced in place. "Now we will watch this movie. I want to see it."
“Cellestia buck literally everything…” Scootaloo blasphemed to the core of her literal soul.
“You owe me… Next Payment Due = 20 bits!” Sweetiebot victoriously exclaimed…
“That doesn’t count! That was totally a gag bet!” The orange filly argued.
Apple Bloom laughed at the both of them, headed to grab some popcorn as they argued.
Sweetiebot paused in her enthusiastic argument with Scootaloo...then turned an apologetic smile to the bemused tomboy. "You are correct, attempted leveraging of verbal gag for monetary gain is unethical and violates interpersonal trust standards." She extended a conciliatory hoof. "Please forgive the misstep! I am still refining aspects of moral judgment protocols."
Scootaloo snorted, but accepted the hoof bump. "Yeah yeah, you get a pass THIS time, Botsy. But no more sneaky bits schemes!" Sweetiebot nodded agreeably. Behind her, Sweetie Belle giggled at the byplay.
"Aw c'mon Scoots, go easy on her! You heard Button - she's still learning." Sweetie smiled affectionately at her robot twin. "And doing a great job if you ask me!"
Button beamed from the ticket line. "She really is! Her learning algorithms are state of the art." He shot his automaton a grateful wink. "Sweetiebot picks up more about friendship every day!" Said bot whirred happily at the validation.
Apple Bloom returned just then, holding up buckets of popcorn. "Got enough fer everypony! Although, not sure if Sweetiebot can actually eat..." She peered curiously at the artificial pony.
"Oh! I cannot process organic material consumption," Sweetiebot explained cheerily. "But I would still enjoy the communal social experience of movie fuel partaking!" To emphasize her point, she opened a tiny hatch and retrieved a single piece of popcorn, holding it up proudly. The Crusaders giggled at the display, heading together into the theater.
“We’re actually gonna go to a movie about a video game? Lame!” Scootaloo inserted as they reached the front of the line.
“Two for Ponycraft Please!” Button politely requested,
“Two?!?!” Scootaloo argued. “I Count four! Unless you count Sweetiebot…”
“The robot counts as a foal-ticket,” the bored ticket clerk with a movie ticket cutie mark responded.
“So five foal-tickets for Ponycraft?” The clerk rolled her eyes. “Ponymount studios policy states that all digital recording be disabled for copywrite protection purposes…”
Sweetiebot gasped with artificial horror. "But I must record or I won't have any opinions to share with my friends!"
Button threw an arm over her. "She's talking about giving the recording. No recordings outside of your head. We all record in our head. That's, you know, normal."
"Oh." With that put aside, Sweetiebot advanced with a cheerful smile.
As the group settled into their seats, Sweetiebot nestled in beside Button, optics already fixed eagerly on the screen. "I have run previews and this film looks most entertaining!" Raising her popcorn piece, she exclaimed "Let the optimal cinema experience commence!"
Button clapped eagerly. "You said it." But he turned to the other fillies, eyes on Scoots and Apple Bloom. "You two ready? I… um… know this isn't your first pick…" He laughed tensely. "You get the next one, alright?"
Sweetie Belle swatted Button's contrite snout away. "You paid for today's tickets, you get to pick the movie. That's just good sense."
Apple Bloom waved a hoof dismissively as the theater lights began to dim. "Pssh don't sweat it Button! Ah figured this nerd movie marathon was inevitable once ya built Sweetie-bot over there." She smirked over at their robotic companion. "No offense!"
Sweetiebot blinked. "None taken. My specifications favor intellectual stimulus and creative simulations. Hence the appeal of gaming content." Scootaloo leaned past Button to give Apple Bloom a sly nudge.
"Yeah, she's already way more egghead than Sweetie Belle! No wonder she's Button's perfect fillyfriend." Sweetiebot and Button both perked up and shot each other a suddenly shy smile at that. Behind them Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes...but was also hiding a little grin.
Dramatic music boomed. “The Previews are the best part!” Apple Bloom Bloom cheered.
“In a world where ponies failed friendship, war never changes.” A zombified pony marches across a scorched wasteland, as the narrator speaks. “And yet friendship prevails.”
Sweetiebot inclined her head. "I would like to see that as well."
Actual Sweetie gently nudged her metal doppelganger. "That one isn't out yet. They're trying to tease us to come back."
"It's working." Button clapped his hooves with building excitement. "Maybe we'll see that one next time?"
The chatter ceased as majestic orchestral music swelled over the speakers, the screen coming alive with the starry vastness of space. The famous cubic PonyCraft logo drifted across the celestial vista as the titles opened dramatically.
Sweetiebot's eyes shone, enraptured as the sweeping shots carried viewers through blocky alien worlds. "The production design exhibits immense attention to detail emulating the game..." she whispered. As the epic strains rose to introduce the protagonist mining their very first cubes of stone, her smile threatened to split her face. "This experience was absolutely worth the normal price of admission!"
Beside her, Button was equally engrossed, gripping the arms of his seat. The Crusaders were perhaps less enthralled, but even Scootaloo had to admit it was pretty darn cool seeing the big flashy adaptation of the iconic game...
“Which Sweetie is he on a date with again?” Scootaloo whispered to Applebloom.
“Celestia!” Sweetie Bell clutched Button’s foreleg. “Its the ender dragon!”
“She’s only defending her nest.” Sweetiebot noted sagely.
“It make’s sense when you think about all the dragon skulls on all the Ender Pony airships.” Sweetie noted sadly.
“The Ender Ponies were the villains the whole time.” Button agreed.
“Ah think it’s pretty much moot at this point, they are a nerdy triumvirate,” Apple Bloom noted.
But was Button dating either of them? He emerged excitedly rambling about the movie. "I'm amazed they got…"
"But they missed." Sweetiebot nodded as she walked along, bringing up a missed plot point.
"True." Sweetie glanced at the other two. "But, for a movie, I think it worked out."
As the five young ponies spilled back out into the sunlight, chattering extensively about the film, Button was still riding high on exhilaration. "That was SO awesome though! Way better than I figured for just a licensed movie."
Sweetie Belle trotted alongside, equally enthused. "Oh my gosh I KNOW! Like, the end battle with the Ender Dragon? I totally thought she'd win but that dramatic turn with the main hero sacrificing themself?" She fanned her face, swooning dramatically. "Gets me every time!"
Scootaloo pretended to retch as Apple Bloom snickered beside her. Sweetiebot meanwhile was uncharacteristically silent, staring distantly ahead.
Noticing her distraction, Button touched her shoulder gently. "You alright Sweetiebot?"
She blinked, refocusing on him with a small smile that seemed...sad? "Optimal functionality confirmed! I just found that sequence rather emotionally intense, given our bonding." Reaching over, she pulled Button into an affectionate hug. "I do not know if I could endure your loss, even fictionally..."
Button blushed but hugged her back with a little laugh. "Aw, well it's all fake! No need to worry." Still though, her reaction gave him pause. Had he maybe crafted her empathy and attachment functions too acutely?
Scootaloo faked spewing again, jolting the tender moment. "Ugghh get a ROOM you two!" Sweetiebot released Button, looking bemused as the others giggled. Strange organic responses...perhaps the film had overloaded their emotional matrices! Hers certainly required some defragmenting...
Fortunately, her friends seemed to recover rapidly as they all raced off towards their next escapade! More friendship data to archive after she finished self-analyzing...
“It’s so sad!” Sweetie Belle cuddled up to Button, “The Ender Dragon only wanted to protect her last egg!”
“Gahh!” Scootaloo wailed, as they exited the theater. “Get two rooms!”
“Ah’m pretty sure they still only need the one room…” Apple Bloom helpfully intervened.
“Gross!” Scootaloo continued her rant. “You’re not helping!”
Sweetie glared at the other two. "I don't know what you two are imagining, but we're comparing notes on the movies." She huffed softly. "Did you two even watch it?"
Apple Bloom curled a hoof to her chin. "Well… ah did get a kick out of that fight part. They really tore it up! Real excitin' like."
Sweetiebot beeped in agreement. "The excitement levels were beyond easy measure! Capturing such excitement from a normally peaceful game was beyond my imagining."
In truth Scootaloo had found herself unexpectedly gripped by the dramatic dragon battle despite her earlier disinterest. But no WAY was she about to admit enjoying some super nerdy movie!
"It was fine I guess." She waved a dismissive hoof, trying to sound aloof. "Definitely got cartoon-y crazy. I mean that part where they were hopping between worlds on the horse? Puh-leeze. So dumb!"
Apple Bloom shot Scootaloo a knowing smirk. "Is that why ya were on the edge of yer seat the whole time?"
Scoots snorted derisively. "As if! I was jus-"
"SRYI Detected elevated cortisol, adrenaline and vocal modulation anomalies suggesting dissemblance," Sweetiebot interjected brightly. Scootaloo sputtered indignantly but Sweetiebot continued on heedless of decorum. "Given physiological and audio data gathered during viewing, I must conclude you did in fact experience significant engagement and enjoyment of the narrative despite objections to the contrary!" She beamed proudly.
Scootaloo facehoofed as the others snickered. "You...you stay outta my head, Botsy!" Though she couldn't quite hide an embarrassed grin. Stupid perceptive robot...
Sweetiebot merely filed away the response for analysis. Organics seemed to apply odd logic filters regarding media preferences! Her friendship lessons continued apace...Glancing around the group she asked eagerly "What activity shall we engage in next?"
"Oh! We could hit the arcade!" Button piped up excitedly. Sweetiebot nodded approvingly - more opportunities to analyze her companions' gaming metabolics! She did NOT understand Scootaloo's reticence though...clearly she harbored great passion for adventurous games! Just like Button Mash's clever design intended...
Sweetie Belle giggled to herself, having read Scootaloo easily. Looked like everypony had fun despite themselves! Linking a congenial foreleg with her robot twin's, she strode off towards their next fun misadventure! "C'mon Botsy, let's go play!"
“Oh!” Button exclaimed excited. “They actually have a Mortal Wormbat 3 machine!”
“Oh yeah!” Scootaloo grinned at Sweetiebot. “That is my game! I am going to take you down and make you out, Botsy!”
“That’s not what any of those words mean!” Apple Bloom face hooved.
“I know what words mean!” Scootaloo argued fervently. “It’s like how when your sister and Rainbow Dash get really competitive, but how I hear it Rainbow always comes out on top!”
Applebloom froze mid walk, her left eye twitching. Sweetie Belle was left speechless. Button’s brain just had a small seizure. “Challenge Accepted!” Sweetie Bot declared. “I shall emerge on top in this competitive session of make outs!”
“See?” Scootaloo smoothly interjected. “Botsy gets it.”
With determination, in at least two of them, they marched up to the competitive game console. Four joysticks were spaced apart for just as many ponies to play at the same time. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom sat to the side. "Good luck," called Apple Bloom, happy to watch without taking part.
Button gulped seeing Sweetiebot take Scootaloo's wildly inappropriate phrasing in aggressive stride. What exactly was he unleashing here?? Still, he had designed the robot to excel at games...
"Alright you two, go easy on each other!" he chuckled anxiously, taking his place beside his automaton partner. Sweetiebot gave him a cheerful nod. "Do not worry Button! I have thoroughly analyzed these fighting simulations. My victory is 97.8% assured!" Scootaloo snorted in challenge as she grabbed her own joystick.
"In your robot dreams! I'll wipe the floor with your metal butt!" Cracking her neck theatrically, she glared over with a fearsome game face on. "Fight's on, Botsy baby!!"
As the opening cinematics for Mortal Wormbat III boomed out, Scootaloo and Sweetiebot locked deadly focus on the screen. Button could practically see adrenaline and coolant pumping furiously in preparation. This was gonna be INTENSE...
"Go Sweetiebot go!" cheered Sweetie Belle from the sidelines, waving a little flag. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes in amusement. She had to admit though, the competitors WERE pretty evenly matched here. Strength, cunning and lightning-fast reflexes against advanced analytics and precision calculation. Either could take victory!
"My bits are on Scoots!" she finally declared. Sweetie shot her a mock glare. "As if! Girl power all the way!" As the first punishing blows began onscreen however, it was clear this battle would be one for the ages...
Button rubbed at his cheek lightly. "So… this is what making out is like?"
Sweetie bopped Button in a firm strike across the head. "It is not. And don't ask what it is. You're better off not knowing."