//------------------------------// // Green Garden Act 3 (Patched) // Story: Button Mash and The Quest to Rescue Sweetie Belle // by JamesBurton //------------------------------// Now Loading… Green Village "Well here we are,” Silver Song cheerily said as she opened the modest wooden door with a brown pony and light blue pegasus trailing behind her. “Home sweet home.” Thunderbird hopped around Button Mash excitedly with the propeller cap spinning faster and faster with every hop. "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, Misty and Dazzler are going to be so excited tonight!" The young pegasus colt rushed inside the house. "Come on Button!" "Okay, okay, I'm coming,” Button grinned, looking at the small wooden house. Actually, he would say it was more of a cottage than a house. "Huh, I wonder if its bigger on the inside?" he wondered to himself as he walked in the house. It wasn't. In fact, it looked smaller on the inside. There was no furniture except a fire pit with a small cauldron in the middle, and a hallway that led to two rooms. Silver Song puts her bags on the floor. "Misty, Dazzler, come to the front room please,” she called out in a sing along tune. "I have a surprise for you!" Two young little fillies came out of one of the rooms rubbing the sleep from their eyes. One of the was a light blue unicorn with violet mane and had light green eyes, and the second one was a white earth pony with a red mane and blue eyes. And like all the other townsponies in Green Village looked very thin. Button Mash rubs his chin in thought, he didn't know why, but those two ponies looked oddly familiar somehow. " What is it mommy?" asked the light blue unicorn. "Did you find us some food?" Silver Song smiled brightly as she took out two carrots from her bag. "That's right Misty, here eat this until I get dinner started." She gave the other one to the earth filly. "You too Dazzler." The two fillies looked at their food, then at each other, then at Silver Song. "Mommy, wh-where did you get this?" Misty asked unsurely. "Because it looks like food that Black Breath creep would give out if you said that Codex was your king." "Oh no." Gasped Dazzler. "Mama Silver, please tell us you didn't give in, It would break Golden Heart's, well, heart." Thunderbird laughs at his younger siblings. "Really, you two know that Silver would never submit to Codex." He jumps on Button Mash's back. "And besides, we have Button Mash to thank for the food." The two girls look at Button Mash with a look of disapproval on their faces. "Don't worry, he's not trying to steal Silver from my brother." Silver Song rubs her forehead in exasperation as her two girls frowns instantly turn into smiles. "Oh, well in that case..." The blue unicorn walked up to their new guest and points her left hoof towards herself. "My name is Misty and I'm nine years old." "And I'm Dazzler and I'm nine too,” her earth pony sister added. Button Mash smiled at the two young fillies and proceeded to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Button Mash, I'm fourteen years old and I like video games." Dazzler, Misty, Thunderbird, and Silver Song looked at Button Mash with the utmost confusion on their faces. "What's a video game?" Misty asked. Thunderbird hopped up and down. "Oh oh I know I know!" He exclaimed. "Please, enlighten us then Thunderbird,” Silver Song encouraged her brother. The pegasus colt crossed his hooves as he confidently gave his answer. “It’s where Button Mash learned all of his cool fighting moves,” he did different karate poses for emphasis, “right Button?” Button Mash coughed on his hoof. "Err, right." He’d rather not remind them it was his girlfriend who taught him most of those moves. "Interesting,” mused Silver Song as she rubbed her chin in thought. "Did you play these video games a lot Button?" The earth pony's face ligt up like a happy colt who got exactly what they wanted for Hearths Warming Day. "Oh yeah, all the time,” he said. "When I was eight I would play them all the time, sometimes even pull some all-nighters." "See, I told you!" Thunderbird excitedly chimed in. "That's how he was able to beat Black Breath and his guards so easily." "Yeah, those were the days," Button spaced out as his smile becomes a little less bright. "But then I got older and had more responsibilities, got a fillyfriend, and started focusing more on my schoolwork and other things rather than playing video games. I guess I've been too busy to play them now." He leans his head on his hoof still smiling. The four ponies look at Button Mash while he's lost in his thoughts. "Well I guess I better get dinner started," Silver said as she looked out the window. "Golden Heart will be home soon." She takes a small bucket and heads out the door leaving Button Mash and the three young ponies in the front room. "Hey Button tell us about your fillyfriend,” Misty coaxed as she snapped Button out of his thoughts. ”I bet she must be really pretty." Button Mash nodded slowly. "Yep very pretty, the most beautiful unicorn I ever known, the lovely Sweetie Belle," he said with a smile. "Ya know, sometimes I don't know what she sees in a dork like me..." Dazzler waves a hoof at him. "Oh please, you seem pretty cool to me." "Oh really?" Button chortled. "Oh, look at my little baby," Milano cooed with happiness as she fixed her youngest son’s tie. "Going on his very first date with Sweetie Belle." She took off his propeller cap, placed it on the table and began to brush his mane. "Keep it up Button and you'll end up like your brother." Her face turned into smirk as if she were planning something. "And your father and I will have a new daughter-in-law." Button Mash rolled his eyes at his mother's plans for a new daughter-in-law. Just because his brother is getting married this summer didn't mean that she had to plan so far ahead. "Mom, it’s just dinner." He glanced down at the suit he was wearing. "And do I really have to wear this monkey suit?" He looks at himself in the mirror as he pulls on the collar on the fancy black suit he was wearing. "It’s kind of stuffy." Milano slapped his hoof away. "Yes you do! You know that Rarity is going to make Sweetie Belle look like a goddess." She stopped brushing his mane and gave him a bouquet of red roses. "Now off you go. It would be quite rude to keep a lady waiting," she reminded, sounding more and more like Rarity as she pushed Button Mash out the door. "And good luck." "Thanks Mom! Oh and tell dad thanks for the suit," Button yelled as he walked away from his house. "Alright Button, you've been waiting for this since last summer,” he told himself as he walked towards Carousel Boutique to get his date. "Let’s make this a night to remember." The earth pony walks towards his objective looking at the starry night sky. "What a perfect Sunday night, Princess Luna did a superb job tonight,” he remarked.     "Oh, hey Button Mash." Button Mash looked over to see that a familiar orange pegasus was walking towards him. "Oh, hi there Scootaloo. What can I do for you?" he politely greeted. "What are you doing out here?" she asked. "I thought you would be at home playing video games with Rumble." "What? No," Button answered with some confusion. "I told him that me and Sweetie Belle are going out tonight." Scootaloo looked even more confused. "You and Sweetie Belle going out tonight, are you sure?" She checked out the suit Button Mash was wearing. "And what with the suit?" "Like I said, me and Sweetie Belle are going on a date tonight." He repeated. The orange slowly looked down. "It’s just that when I asked him if he wanted to hang out tonight he told me that he would be playing video games with you." She raised her eyes up to level with Button Mash, obviously a bit hurt. "Hey Button, you don't… you don't think he lied to me do you?" "Rumble... lie?" Button started to chuckle lightly. "Scootaloo, we both know Rumble can’t lie to save his life. He probably just forgot." Scootaloo didn't look away, her gaze intensifying. "But I haven't been seeing him around recently." A Scootaloo’s eyes began shining with tears being held in. "Today was the first time I saw him in two weeks, and he says he's over your house so he can’t hang out tonight.” She shuts her eyes tight, letting a few tears escape before opening them again. "Button, do you think he's avoiding me?" Button Mash raised an eyebrow. "Scootaloo, I don't think Rumble would ever avoid you." He put a reassuring hoof around Scootaloo, calming her down.. "He's probably been busy doing stuff, now go home and get some rest, I'm pretty sure that this is all just one big misunderstanding." "Okay… okay maybe you're right Button, maybe I'm overreacting." She took a deep, exasperated breath before walking towards her home. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, and good luck on your date." Button Mash waved her goodbye and continued on towards Carousel Boutique. "I am finished,” announced a purple maned unicorn. "Button Mash is going to pass out when he sees you Sweetie Belle." Sweetie Belle looked at herself in the mirror quite confidently, admiring her sister’s work. "Rarity, Button Mash is going to worship the ground I walk on after he sees me.” The filly chuckles to herself, "Poor little Button baby won’t know what hit him." Rarity sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye rather dramatically. "I have taught you well Sweetie Belle." *DING DONG*  , "Ah, that must be my escort for the night," Sweetie Belle rubbed her hooves together, a playful grin forming on her face. "I hope you’re ready Button." She walked over towards the door and opened it. Leaning on the door frame with his eyes closed wearing a sharp black tuxedo and a bouquet of red roses stood Button Mash. "Good evening Sweetie Belle," he said coolly as he gave her the roses. "I hope you'll find my offering acceptable." Button Mash finally opened his eyes and saw that Sweetie Belle looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing a sapphire blue dress that sparkled like the stars above when the moon would shine on it, her long mane flowed in the gentle breeze like a leaf riding in the wind, and her jade green eyes meeting Button’s amber eyes. "How do I look?" Button Mash stared at his date, still speechless. "Well, Button aren't you going to say something?" Sweetie Belle giggled, blushing slightly at his reaction. The earth pony’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed on the ground with a thud. "Told you, Sweetie Belle," Rarity clucked as she went into her kitchen to grab a bag of ice for the unconscious Button Mash. "And she never let me live it down." Button rubbed his mane in embarrassment. "She said that she never laughed so hard in her life." "Then what happened?" Misty asked, enthralled by Button's story. He scratched his chin in thought. "Well after I woke up from my sudden nap, Rarity told me it was midnight and that I've been knocked out for four hours." "Yeeach,” Dazzler grimaced. "All those dating plans down the drain." The brown earth colt rolled his eyes. "Oh, you have no idea," he bleated, eliciting laughter from the three foals in the room. The front door opened revealing a familiar blue unicorn. "Okay, everypony I'm back,” Silver happily greeted while she carried a small bucket. "I got some water, so I can make some vegetable soup tonight." She poured the water into the cauldron and lights the wood on the bottom with magic. "So what did I miss?" "Nothing much, just telling a little story about how cool I am." Button playfully boasted. "Yeah. If passing out on your first date for four hours counts as cool, then yeah you’re sooo cool Button,” retorted Dazzler. Button Mash shook his hoof in fake anger at the little earth filly. "It was my first date, give me a break." "And I'm sure you made quite the first impression,” Dazzler deadpanned, earning chuckles from her two siblings The brown pony sighed and facehoofed in defeat. "Alright now Dazzler," Silver chuckled as she dumps the vegetables into the cauldron. "Let’s not embarrass the one who gave us our meal tonight." She grabbed a wooden spoon and began to stir the soup. "Just give me a few minutes and dinner will be ready." "Oh boy!" Thunderbird exclaimed energetically. "Big Bro is going to be so surprised." Meanwhile, on the outskirts of town, a tan pegasus was quietly walking home. He stroked his fiery red mane in frustration as he stared at his saddlebag, emblazoned with a golden heart just like his cutie mark. "I can’t believe all I got for today was a single darn tomato." He sighed defeatedly, turning his eyes towards the town. "What’s the point? I know Silver and the kids believe in me..." As he approached Green Village, the tears in his eyes were becoming more and more. "But how am I supposed to feed them with this?" He walked in to town, not noticing the happier mood the small town was in. "I guess I have no choice. As much as I don't want to, and I really don't want to, I will give in to Codex." He walks towards town square with his eyes closed, bracing himself for what he was about to do. "Black Breath is going to have a field day with this." He slowly opened his eyes. And saw five empty carts just sitting there. "Uhh... what's going on?" gulped Golden Heart. "Shouldn't Black Breath be here?" He walked over towards the empty carts in confusion.  "What happened here?" He looked around to see if anypony could tell him what had transpired, and to his luck sees a stallion walking past. "Excuse me sir, but do you know what happened here?" Golden Heart asked. The stallion gave him a surprised look. "You don't know what happened? It’s the biggest story in town!"   Golden Heart just shook his head. "Well, you know how Black Breath always comes to town and offers food to those who give in right?" "Yes I know about that," nodded Golden Heart. The stallion looks around to see if anypony was listening. "Well today a young brown earth colt came into town and saw what Black Breath what doing. When he saw the Messenger of Darkness cruelly try to break a little filly’s spirit, he just lost it and challenged Black Breath, plowing through him and his guards with the strength of a raging volcano!"     Golden Heart looks back at the five empty carts. "He looks like he cleaned up alright," he commented. Suddenly, the realization just hit him. “Wait, if he beat them…. Did Black Breath drop a key?”   The stallion shrugged nonchalantly at Golden Heart's question. "I don't know. If he did, that new pony must have it. Why do you ask?" The excited pegasus ignored the question and grabbed the shoulders of the stallion with both hooves. “Is he still here? Oh, please tell me he’s still here. Where did he go?    "Yes, he's still here,” said the stallion, brushing off the pegasus’ hooves. "He left with a blue colored unicorn mare and a young pegasus colt." "Wait, did this unicorn have a note for a cutie mark?" Golden Heart had an idea of who he might be talking about. "Ummm…  yes?" the stallion answered unsurely. Golden Heart leaped into the air, wings beating with glee. "Alright Silver!" He shook the stallion’s hoof. "Thank you, sir, for the help." With his questions answered Golden Heart began to run home as fast as his legs could take him. It’s that key we need. That’s the key to all of our problems. "Okay, who's hungry?" Silver asked, smiling as she reaches for a ladle. "We have a lot of food so let’s enjoy it."   Misty, Dazzler and Thunderbird each grabbed a bowl and sat in front of Silver Song. "Here you go kids, enjoy." The trio each thanked Silver, found a place to sit down and to began to eat their meal. "Here you go, Button." She slides him a bowl of hot vegetable soup. "Without you this meal wouldn't be possible." Button Mash humbly accepted the bowl of soup. "Thank you Silver." He took a look at bowl of soup, noticing that it is nothing more than vegetables placed in hot water. Don’t be rude Button, he reminded himself, accept their hospitality. "Mmm, this so delicious Silver." Button Mash glanced over to the three kids who were enjoying their meal with smiles on their faces. He couldn't help but feel good about himself. It was just like his father says, Something something good deed something something feel good about yourself or something. Button Mash shook away the thoughts from head. "Well, down the hatch." He pressed the edge of the bowl to his lips and- "HEY SILVER! I'M HOME!" The sudden sound of a door slamming open and pony yelling caused a certain brown pony to panic, splashing hot soup all over his face.   "YOOOOOOWCH!!! HOT! HOT! HOT!" Button Mash shrieked. "Well, hello there Golden Heart,” Silver Song approached the stallion and she snuggled his cheek lovingly. "BIG BRO!" Thunderbird ran and caught his brother in a hug. "Bro, you'll never guess what happened today!" Golden Heart ruffled his younger brother’s mane. "There's no need to tell me sport." He looked over at Button Mash who was holding his chest in pain. "So, you're the one that stallion was talking about, the one who defeated Black Breath."   "Yep! He's the one who showed Black Breath what's what,” chimed Thunderbird. "He was all like ‘POW!’ ‘SMACK!’ ‘TAKE THAT!’, and Black Breath was all like, ‘Ahhhrrggghhh Button Mash, you will pay for defiling the name of Codex’, and Button was all like, ‘yeah whatever, KAPOW!"  He fell on his back with his tongue hanging out of his mouth for dramatic effect. Golden Heart walks up to Button Mash, eyeing him with interest. "Is that right? Well, Button Mash, any enemy of Codex is a friend of ours." "Eh, it was my pleasure, besides he has my fillyfriend, and we have some unfinished business,” Button said. Golden Heart's face lit up at the prospect of having an ally to fight against Codex. If he defeated Black Breath then maybe he could help us and the entire town. "Hey, Button did you take a key from Black Breath?" "Well yeah, I used one to open the carts," he recalled, pulling out the second key still in his possession. "As for this one, I have no idea where it goes or what it unlocks." "Button, that key unlocks the vault where Black Breath stores all the food," Golden Heart said breathlessly, eyes twinkling at the sight of the key. "If you truly wish to oppose Codex, then help me free this land from his tyranny." Button looked at the key, then back at Golden Heart. "When do we leave?" "So, you'll help me? That's great!" Golden Heart exclaimed. "We leave immediately." He walked up to the door. "Let me know when you're ready." Misty, Dazzler and Thunderbird walk over towards Button Mash. "Wow Button, you're going to bring food back for the entire town again?" Misty asked. "I don't think that Codex would like having his authority challenged very much,” reasoned Dazzler. "Go and give him a reality check, and tell him it’s his turn to pay the bill." Thunderbird leapt in the air. "No more hungry nights." He patted his propeller hat. "I knew this hat was a good luck charm." He takes it off and gives it to Button Mash. "But now, you need this more than I do right now, so take this, and you'll have good luck too." Button humbly took the hat and placed it on his head with a smile. Well Button it seems that you've retrieved your hat, now damage received from enemies has been reduced by half, do try and keep it on your head. "Thank you Thunderbird, I can feel lady luck at my side already." He patted the colt and walked towards Golden Heart. "Good luck Button Mash and thank you,” Silver Song said, showing a grateful smile to the brown pony. He gave her a nod continued towards Golden Heart. "Are you ready to go Button?" asked Golden Heart. Button nodded in conformation. "Well, let’s be on our way then." They both leave the house and head down the road towards the produce factory with only one objective in mind, the vault. Saving game... Save Completed... "Nggh, w-what happened? ...where am I? ...Button… oh yeah now I remember. I can’t believe I got cheapshotted like that. Alright, enough foaling around, time to get up Sweetie Belle." The marshmallow filly tried to open her eyes or move any of her limbs, to no avail. "Okay, so I can’t move or open my eyes… Not a problem. I'll just do something like… FIGURE OUT WHY CANT I MOVE!?" She started to struggle, but she still didn't move. "Please tell me that I don't have Sleeping Beauty Syndrome." She just continued to lay down, huffing in irritation. "Ugghhh, that is so cliché, its like some sort of terrible teenage romance flick where everypony knows what's going to happen but wonders what's going to happen." "Lord Codex,” The purple and pink maned filly heard a mare call out. Sweetie Belle cringed at that name. "Codex? Wait… Am I with Codex? Please tell me that he didn't fillynapped me." "Yes, what is it Scarlet?” she heard Codex snap. “Can’t you see I'm busy planning a vacation with my waifu?" "Yep, he totally did,” Sweetie groaned. “When I get outta this he WILL experience the full wrath of SWEETIE BELLE!!!" She calmed down and started listening to the conversation again. "I thought you should know that my brother Black Breath was defeated,” the mare reported. "What?!" Codex whined. "Who would be dumb enough to fight him? Was it Golden Heart? He always hated him you know." "No, it wasn't him my lord. Apparently he was taken out by some cute brown earth pony." "Cute brown earth pony?" wondered Sweetie Belle. "She must be talking about MY BUTTON!" "Who brought you this info anyway?" he quizzed his lackey. "A member of my reconnaissance unit and…” The mare suddenly stopped as Sweetie Belle heard another voice whispering something inaudible. “Yes?... Oh, I see... You may go…” "What was that all about?" Wondered Sweetie Belle. "My lord, I've just received word that Golden Heart and the earth pony are heading toward the Produce Factory,” she informed. "They must be heading for the vault." Codex laughed. "Perfect! It’s a good thing I came up with a back up. If Golden Heart and that earth pony wish to reach the vault then they first have to deal with Varga, hehehehe! A little nutritious meal for his famished body, HAHAHAHA!"   "And if he survives, he will be the perfect colt, no, stallion for me, The Crimson Beauty, Scarlet! He'll show those pathetic stallions of mine what a REAL ONE should be, hahahaha!"   "I have to help Button Mash!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed to herself, listening to the maniacal laughter of her two captors. Saving game... Save Completed...