//------------------------------// // Part 1: Its not safe to go alone. // Story: Button Mash: High School Life // by rock4u7 //------------------------------// “SHIT!” Button mash screamed as long and loud as his lungs permitted as a low boom resounded through his speakers, along with a splattering of digital blood all over his in-game HUD, announcing the slaying of his avatar by a high speed sniper bullet. “Buttons! What did I say about language!’ Button’s mother called up to him in a less than polite tone. “Sorry mom, It’s just…" said Button, his eyes never leaving the screen, "hacks, someone was hackin’ and.. " Button’s go-to answer was cut off by his mother. ‘I don’t care, no more crap this and ass that, it sounds like the middle of manehatten up there, enough with the war shooters and go play... I don’t know? Play anything else that doesn't induce you to scream swears like a cat in labour!’.called his mother curtly from the kitchen. Button's hooves quivered with the slightest hint of irritation with the controller wedged between them, as he replied with a ’kay’ and returned to sending a hateful comment to the enemy player who ended his precious 25 killstreak. He was easily riled up by such gamers, having never grown up from a stubborn and competitive attitude towards shooters. He flexed his forelegs and wound himself up for the next round. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Most young colts and mares left school around 12-14 years of age when they found their talent and would proceed to find a way to profit off of it. The problem was, Button Mash had a cutie mark of a D-pad, so everypony construed that he would be a game-maker, or be an expert in games (the latter was the most commonly refuted by everypony asked except for Button). It wasn't a lucrative business making games in Equestria, where most ponies were social and outgoing beings who relished the sun and didn't have the slightest idea (nor were they interested in) knowing the 'joy' of being holed up in a room, back bent over either a computer or a console making games or playing to one's heart's content with everypony else in a wide, social network-driven game. Well, the latter would happen, if harsh competition and expletives didn't go hand-in-hand with social connection, and thus nopony who played such games ever was content. Button included. "Please mom, I’m just too tired and I'm not even able to work," Button whined, "so it's no harm, no foul?" “Button Ashley Mash, you’ve been on your X-bone playing that old shooting game till 5 am. In the morning. For the last 3 damn days, You're filthy, your eyes are red and your mane looks like its 10 centimeters away from the ceiling, of course you’re going to school,” Button’s mom said calmly without raising her voice. Button heaved a great sigh, looking at the bright screen of his television set with a piercing crimson stare. His hoof reached over to the 'off' button and hovered, an inch away from contact. When his mother called his name again, he couldn't stand her grating tone and pushed it. “FINE! But woman, I demand pancakes for breakfast!” Button replied with new found gusto, the strenuous world of shooter games behind him. The day wasn't going to start on a negative note for him. “I’ll pour you a bowl of coco-puffs…” Button's mom said in a disinterested voice, her eyes rolling at his words. "With a cup of coffee!” negotiated Button, hope rising in his voice. “…….fine” she said with the same tone. Button’s raised his hoof in victory and he rushed down to the kitchen. Though initially, Button's mom was grumbling at her son's laziness, her countenance brightened up, when Button came down, his enthusiasm to start the day a sharp contrast from his bent-back posture when he was gaming earlier. She smiled meekly as she poured a cup of coffee at the kitchen counter as Button sifted through the refrigerator for some milk. Even with all of his flaws and the pitfalls life kept throwing at him, Button didn't look the slightest bit weathered by it. and his mother permitted herself to smile at his youth; She was growing old and scolding him couldn't possibly become an hourly routine. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Button’s family decided that he needed to go to higher learning in Canterlot so he could learn to MAKE games and finally leave home to allow his talents to thrive. Other ponies landed less prestigious locations for their jobs. Take Snips. “Dude, yo Mutton, I need your help,” said a green colt with a pair of scissors of his flank. The two colts were at a bus stop, with Button ready to leave for Canterlot. Snips left school around 12 to become a barbers apprentice, and was great at cutting manes but after a drunken miss-hap with a customer, (which ended with a bad back and a mutilated ear), he was fired, After that, he spent his days living as a nomad, pawning off stolen goods from houses he'd break into time and again when he would lose his dirty, gamble-earned money. Button pretended not to hear. "Yo, Butt Mash, can you spare a Bit? I gotta catch the bus and I’m a few bits short, just this once I swear,” Snips said, and he seemed half intoxicated. His eyes were red and his speech was slurred. “Sorry snip, but I gotta stop by the Canterlot canteen for a pie, you know how it is, man,” Button replied. But neither colt really knew whether Snips knew how it was then, as all signs showed positive for Snips having introduced something illegal into his body recently. “Yeah yeah, you enjoy that pie…while I’m walkin’ 30 kilometres to get to Canterlot," Snips said begrudgingly. “Sorry man, hey why are you heading to Canterlot anyway? Button said, his curiosity piqued. “There's a... a guy who’s offering a job selling zebra potions in town, not sure why but its good pay and he’ll hook me up with a sweet apartment,” Snips replied with a smile. “Is it snails? …or maybe even Berry." Button wanted to know before the bus coach came by. Snips sighed in response. “First of all, I haven’t seen Snails since he got that big CEO job at some pesticide company in Fillydephia a few months back, ” Snips said with a hint of sadness. The roar of a bus sounded and a yellow coach pulled up. “As long as it doesn’t go to your liver, here, a few bits to tag along” Button gave snips 5 bits. They both chatted on the bus till they got to Canterlot. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Canterlot higher learning campus consisted of 60 different classrooms inside 6 different blocks. To the left of the school entrance was the gym and to the right was the drama theatre as well as a canteen. The theatre was always kept in pristine condition , and if you weren’t part of the theatre troupe, you couldn't even go near it. The whole place was full of ponies chatting about how mundane and boring their holidays were and teachers raced each other towards the staff room to get some of Mrs BunsenBurner’s back-to-work coffee which was as good as it was expensive. As Button’s bus parked he couldn’t help but sigh at the prospect of toiling another year here. This was a whole different level of educational institute; if one didn’t put in sufficient effort, he would be a goner, and if you stepped out of line, you had to deal with Mr Whipinglash, the short-tempered disciplinarian. Button stepped out of the bus and looked around, it’s amazing how cliques worked: you had the classic sporting ponies, destined for fame, to become the next fleet hoofed football goalie or Wonderbolt trainer. Thankfully you never had the less than pleasant rich daddy mares like in regular school, since, they’d probably have already been bedded and wedded by some rich business colt. Take Silver Spoon; she wasn't at the high school as she found romance and shelter with Snails a while back. As Button looked to the gym he saw the noticeable Goth ponies, the ones who worshipped Discord and Nightmare Moon and claimed they had evil gypsy magic if you even dared to provoke them. Science ponies (Scones), book crazy ponies, colt crazy mares, mare crazy colts and either way here and there. Chef ponies, artist ponies and the head honchos, the Drama Ponies, these are your actors, writers, musicians and comedians, basically the ones with their heads so far up themselves that they're smelling the low-fat soy latte’s in their stomach. Button walked into the library to find his group: the ones that were not too nerdy but not cool. They could hold up a conversation but couldn’t tell the difference between football and tennis. That's right… the meh ponies. “Welcome back to the less than rewarding grind Mash, where your hopes and dreams become as processed as the food here.” this voice belonged to Equestria’s best (and least self-absorbed) graphic artist Ink Spot.. “Hey spotty where were you last week, me and 8bit were making serious bank on Grand Theft Magic VII,” Button said with a smirk. “Soz, bro,I was playing Fallout Equestria then I did some fan-art for MLH,” Ink spot confessed. This elicited a look of anger from Button. “Seriously! My Little Human, you.. do know that show's for little fillies?" said Button, his face bearing a disappointed look. Ink spot cut Button mash off, and leaned in to whisper, a grin across his face. “That didn’t stop you in writing a ship fic between Dashie and A-jack, that's right, I’ve seen your computer docs!” Ink spot said with a large amount of self-satisfaction. While Button blushed crimson red. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Button bickered with Rumble and Manga about JRPG’s versus MMORPG’s, when an awkward orange pony with a ¾ blue square of his rump skittishly wandered into the library towards his only friends (besides his therapist). “hey…guys, good to see you again…” 8bit mumbled with a whisper. “…because they have to keep the servers chugging along at 60 FPS, that’s why they need to keep the graphics low” Button said to his friends not hearing 8bit's greeting . “..either way the game came out 15 years ago, servers or not TimberWolf: New Blood looks amazing and has Lens flare for days!” replied Rumble. “ファンタシースターは明らかに最適です," Manga said in a monotone voice. “….that’s right manga, it can’t compete to a tried and true questing system.” Said Button. “Yo, buttons come with me; I need to borrow a book on how to draw hands before Ms Heartstrings does,” Ink Spot said while walking towards the art and music section. “Kay, hold up, man,” button said while catching up. Button and Ink Spot went down the isle looking for the book, and while Ink Spot searched the visual art section Button wandered around the corner to 'music', looking for a book on chiptunes until he smacked into somepony familiar. “Hey! Watch it creep!..oh, um hey, Button…” said a beautiful 16 year old white mare with a purple mane with pink highlights. Button's eyes widened. Silence ensued. “Oh hey Sweetie Belle..um how was your break? Button said awkwardly, after a long pause. “Oh erm... fine, I guess, I took a job singing at the Hearth's Warming Festival... and um, rarity wants me to try out a job next holidays as a Broadway singer..but, um, how about you?” she said, her voice strained. “Oh you know me, video games and video games, just as one dimensional as ever, heh.” They laughed awkwardly but not as awkward as the awkwardness the previous sentence had which was more or equal to the awkwardness of the previous previous sentence. Button gave a heavy exhalation. “Look, sweets, we're gonna have to talk about this sooner or later," started Button, and Sweetie's ears perked up in attention, though it was clear both ponies knew what Button was about to say. "Never really said this, but I’m so sorry about being a jerk when we broke up..”. “I understand, Button, you were angry and sad, I completely understand it's just... why you would leave me at Sugarcube corner …at 8.00pm….in the rain…” Sweetie Belle said, her voice growing increasingly bitter. Button's ears drooped. “Ok, maybe I wasn’t so gracious in defeat?” Button said awkwardly, drawing a cold laugh from Sweetie Belle. “Your mother told me you cried like a bitch, her words by the way,” she replied with conviction. Button bit his lip in embarrassment, with a little sadness on the side. “You ran off before I could tell you anything, then you ignored me for a year and… If it’s worth anything I’m sorry…” Sweetie said with as genuine a tone as she could muster. Button's mood changed instantly, and his nostrils flared at her show of forgiveness. “Don’t be,” Button said roughly “If I've learned anything from it, it’s to never bother to put anything ahead of yourself, I’m what's most important to me, and that’s why… I’m sorry, Sweets.” Button walked away fast as he could so he wouldn’t hear a reply from the dumbfounded filly he once called marefriend. Button returned to see his friend looking at pictures in a book labelled the ‘The Beauty of the Mare Body’. He was flustered with anger, but permitted himself a chuckle. “Oh, um I’m just learning…proportions?” Ink Spot said slowly while blushing nervously. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ “…and that’s why Macbeth grew to hate everyone else, as his power grew his morals shrank until…" (*BRRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGG*) "..until tomorrow, mares and gentlecolts," Said Ms Tapestry. The entire English classroom emptied out towards the sweet smell of lunch. Button and 8bit headed towards the canteen when Button realized he gave today's lunch money to Snips. “Shiet, I got no cash for lunch,” Button said while searching his saddle bag. “Uh, well I got money you know…if you want any,” 8bit said so quietly you could swear the wind was stealing his words. “..Rrrr, come on , zapapple jam-sandwich, apple slices, heck even last week’s oat bar!” Button said to himself in irritation. "Well you know I've got like 78 bits in my saddlebag if you want a little….” 8bit offered, but to no avail. “Eh, I guess I’ll have to go hungry today…Wait! Take cover!” button said to 8bit as he pulled on his shoulder. 8bit wouldn't budge, as he wore a confused expression on his face. “What? Oof!" .8bit soon got a punch in the shoulder and noticed that 3 Drama ponies were walking past. “So it’s about high school life but it’s through the universe of humans…oh hey Mutton Bash, nice bag!“ called Backslash, the infamous yet pretentious writer as they walked towards the theater. “What a turd sandwich,” Button whispered towards 8bit as his stomach rumbled at the sight of a chocolate stuffed donut, held in the hoof of somepony exiting the canteen. Button looked at 8bit, but the other pony seemed to be deep in thought. "What's the matter?" “I saw you talking to that white pony in the library…what was that about? If you don’t mind me asking?” 8bit said quietly. “She's just...some mare that I loved..DATED! Long ago, back in my late school days, she…she hurt me bad.” Button said trying to sound arrogant but sounded more naive than confident. 8bit chuckled. “Pfft…. 'she hurt me bad', hah!" 8bit mimicked, drawing a grunt from Button, "you sound like a little bitch." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ As Mr Papyrus finished talking about the secret assassination of a Saddle Arabia ambassador at the hooves of A New Lunar Republic sniper, the sweet *BRIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG* of the 3:00pm bell went. Button and Rumble watched the crowd first wave of Ponyville East students funnel into the bus when horrible news struck. “Ponyville West on as well, second bus is in for maintenance. All in or ya not makin’ it home.” Said the pegasi bus driver strapped the front of the bus coach. “Sheiiiit!” said Button as he and Rumble hoped aboard. After wading through the crowd there were only 2 seats left, Only problem, there was a certain purple maned mare sitting behind, a mare that made that seat the last place he wanted to be. Rumble took the seat without even a blink and patted the second seat to usher button in. Button mash sat on, trying to make it look like he didn't even notice her. “Oh hey Sweetie, haven’t seen you since Scoot's birthday,” Rumble said happily. “Well, that was only 3 months ago, so it's no prob. How've you been?” Sweetie said. Button cringed but kept his mouth shut. “Fine, fine, I finally got my license to use a coach, so now I hall boxes from Filthy rich’s tool store to the train station on weekends, Crap pay but the train curator is a good talker.” Rumble was always good at pretending something wasn't wrong, by just maing the best of a bad situation. “Well, that’s good I guess, what are you using the money for?” said Sweetie Belle while Button pulled out his joy boy, shutting himself off from the rest of the world. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ After an excruciatingly long bus trip, the bus was finally at the Sugarcube corner bus stop. As Rumble, Sweetie and Button hopped off the bus there was a buzzing sound in the air. They looked around as an orange blur zoomed toward the 3 of them, Rumble flew into the air and opened his arms as the orange blur smacked into him, and whilst they were propelled by the momentum, Rumble and the new pegasus did a triple spin and landed in the dirt laughing. “Caught ya!” Rumble said happily as the 16 year old Scootaloo wrapped her arms around Rumble, kissing him on the cheek. “I haven’t seen you all week, you ass,” she responded playfully as Rumble returned her peck. She lifted the both of them up, “Come on, I gotta show you my new quadruple hard flip triple fade. Learned it from the Dash herself!” said Scootaloo excitely as she flapped her wings slowly, preparing for takeoff. “If it involves a make-out session, I’m fine with anything,” Rumble snarkily said. “Yeah yeah, come on hotshot, Oh, see ya Sweetie, see ya Button,” she called below as she dragged Rumble with her . “I’ll see you tomorrow…..” Rumble said as his voice faded away. By this time Button had already started to walk fast with the volume on his JoyBoy turned on full, Sweetie belle yelled at him before he could turn the corner. “Button Mash!, stop right there!” Button stopped dead in his tracks but still acted like the only thing that mattered was his JoyBoy. “What is wrong with you!, you act like I don’t exist! You say shit to me and just turn around…look at me, dammit!” Sweetie shouted, and was starting to tear up, her voice cracking with loud pitches. "If you wanna know, why I broke up with you…it’s because you hide all of your feelings behind videogames, I know that’s who you see yourself as but, you’ve only been bitter to me since then,…And I hate it! Please…just say..something!” She was bawling by now, her green eyes reddened with tears, her voice was cracking. Moisture filled Button's eyes, which were hidden behind his mane and he put the JoyBoy up to his ear to drown out her sob. Without a word, he turned the corner leaving sweetie belle sobbing while she sat at the bus stop, while leaving with a small murmur, said to nopony in particular. "It's so damn hard.