//------------------------------// // 5: Sweetie Belle's Stand // Story: Button Mash and Sweetie Belle Love // by Masked_Frenchman //------------------------------// Chapter 5: Sweetie Belle’s Stand “Sweetie Belle! It’s time to get ready for school!” Rarity’s voice rang out from downstairs. Sweetie Belle grumbled and mumbled as she slowly poked her head out to look around the room and fell back in. “I think not,” she whispered annoyed. She tucked herself right back to bed, snuggled in deep in the covers. After a few minutes, Rarity came up to check on Sweetie Belle to find her still in bed. She sighed annoyed, rolling her eyes. “Honestly darling. Why must we go through this every school day,” She walked over and grabbed the blankets with her magic and tugged them away, revealing a sleeping Sweetie Belle. “Sweetie, it’s time to get ready for school!” Rarity called out to her. She grumbled some more, looking for the covers to find that they have been removed from her slumber’s domain. When her hooves grabbed air, she opened her eyes to see Rarity standing over her. “Rarity! Give me five more minutes,” Rarity rolled her eyes at her followed by a sigh. “Sweetie Belle, stop whining, you have to get ready for school,” Sweetie Belle smirked up at her older sister. “This isn’t whining. . . Thiiis is whiiiinnning!” Rarity glared down at her, making Sweetie Belle smile up nervously. “Ok, ok. I’ll get ready for school,” Rarity smiled victoriously to herself and turned to walk down the stairs. “Breakfast is already made, come down when you are ready,” When Rarity was out of sight, Sweetie Belle laid back down, picking up the covers from the floor and pulling them back up over her. “And don’t you even THINK about going back to bed!” Sweetie Belle opened her eyes alarmed and got out of bed quickly. She trotted downstairs and sat at the table, seeing a set of pancakes, a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of orange juice at her place at the table. With an excited smile she trotted over and sat down in her chair, looking over at Rarity. “Thank you for breakfast Rarity, would you like me to help you clean up after?” Rarity’s eyes opened wide in alarm but quickly turned to a nervous smile. “There is no need for that darling, I can take care of it,” Sweetie Belle took a big bite out of her pancake, savoring the flavor with a cheerful smile. She continued to munch away without paying too much attention to her older sister. “I don’t mind, Rarity. I have plenty of time,” Rarity looked around the room carefully and spotted the clock behind Sweetie Belle. With a quick thought she used her magic to set the cloak forward fifteen minutes as Sweetie Belle was almost done, the clock now saying it was 7:32. “Are you sure about that, darling?” The young unicorn looked at her sister with a confused expression. She turned around to look at the cloak and see it was now 7:34. “Oh gosh, where did the time go?!” the white filly cried out in alarm. “You better hurry, Sweetie Belle. You don’t want to be late for school,” Sweetie Belle chugged her orange juice and ran to the front door, grabbing her saddle and placed her books and other school supplies into it. “Have a wonderful day at school, darling. Stay out of trouble!” Rarity called out. Sweetie Belle poked her head out from behind the corner. “Come on Rarity. You know me,” She replied with a bright smile and she ran out the door. Rarity smiled and shook her head slowly. “That’s why I said it,” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sweetie Belle trotted quickly to school, smiling to herself. She looked around to see all of her other classmates walking to school with her, except they were no where in sight. “Huh?” She looked up at the clock tower and saw it was only 7:28 am. “But. . . . when I left. . . “ She thought for a moment for an explanation. After a moment she glared down at nothing in particular. “Rarity!” She stomped the ground in frustration. She pouted up at the sky. “I’ll get you back for this!” She looked over and saw Princess Luna flying up in the sky, looking a bit like she was deep in thought. “What is Princess Luna doing here?” She ran off after her, following her from the shadows. She tried to keep a visual of her as she ran around the corners of buildings and trees. After some time of following her Luna turned to an alleyway and touched down, Sweetie Belle following a safe distance away. “We know you are following us, you should come out,” Sweetie Belle gulped nervously and came out to approach her. “I’m sorry, Princess Luna. I saw you flying and I wanted to know where you are going. I didn’t mean to follow you,” Luna turned to her and smiled faintly. “Curiosity is a mystical thing. It can make us do things that most ponies would normally not do on their own accord. Do not fear, we shall not punish you for such a thing,” Sweetie Belle whipped off a bead of sweat and sighed in relief, looking at Luna curiously. “So where are you going?” “We are here for important business. There is a pony that requires our help in order to find out what they truly wish. This one is trapped in a different realm of reality and needs to be pulled out of it before it consumes their mind entirely,” Sweetie Belle looked upon Luna in astonishment. “Wow! That sounds like a hard, uhh, mission. I didn’t know that something like that was happening right here in Ponyville,” Luna smiled again down to her, nodding her head. “You would be surprised what is happening in this peaceful town. One can not simply see the unseen. The issues that occur in every ponies lives can not always be as easy to see as others. Some hold their problems so deep inside, that they forget it still remains. So it festers deep inside until the pain is scared into their being, but the reason remains forgotten. They try to act like their life is perfect, but deep down inside they are broken, the pain hidden away from even the closest of loved ones,” Sweetie Belle’s looked at her confused. “What exactly does that mean?” Luna shook her head, trying to hide her smile. “In due time, you will find a pony that is broken beyond repair, filthy beyond cleansing, and injured beyond healing, and you must then ask yourself, can you save this pony when no one else can? When you found the answer to that question, everything else will become clear to you,” Sweetie Belle still held her confused expression but nodded. “Now if you have nothing else about the matter, I must be off. I only have a small amount of time to put things in motion. It would be best if you kept this encounter our little secret for now. Can you do that for me, Sweetie Belle?” The little filly in question nodded her head, giving her a salute. “You can count on me, Princess Luna!” Luna giggled at the small filly’s enthusiasm. “Thank you, have a good day at school, learn as much as you can!” And like that she took up to the skies, flying off and out of sight. Sweetie Belle watched for a moment in amazement at the last spot she saw Luna, smiling to herself. With a confident nod she turned around and headed back towards the school. One her way she met up with Scootalooo and Applebloom. They walked to school together, now only a short distance away. “Hey Sweetie Belle, how’s yer morning?” Applebloom asked curiously. Sweetie Belle smiled excitedly and was about to tell them everything but then remembered that she promised not to tell anyone so she tried to think of something else to say. “Oh, you know. The usual. Woke up, ate breakfast, packed up for school, nothing special,” Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders. “Sounds kinda boring,” “Yea, it kinda was. So you girls ready to go to school?” “Yeah!” Applebloom and Scootaloo cheered out in unison with excitement. Sweetie Belle smiled at their enthusiasm. She walked with them to school, chatting away about new ideas about how to get their cutie marks. They saw other colts and fillies rushing up to get inside. Sweetie Belle stood in front of the school with her friends seeing that they had some time to kill before the school bell rang out. “So what will we need for the cave exploration cutie mark?” Applebloom asked. They all thought for a quick moment, Sweetie Belle tapping her chin with her hoof. “A lantern for sure,” “A lantern. . . for cave exploring. . . how boring! We should bring a torch!” Scootaloo stated. Applebloom nodded in agreement. “Yea, that will get us in the mood fer some cave exploring! Whatcha think Sweetie Belle?” Sweetie Belle was about to answer with an eager smile but saw somthing past her friends. Out in front of the gate she saw Button Mash walking along side with his mother, by the looks of it at least. Button held a look of depression. “Hey, Sweetie Belle, what are you looking at?” Scootaloo called out, waving her hooves in front of her face. They looked behind them as well to see Button Mash. “Hey, isn’t that the pony who stood up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?” “Yea, but it looks like somthin’s troubling him, don’t cha think girls?” They nodded in agreement, watching Button Mash from the other side of the yard. “Maybe we should let his friends cheer him up or something,” Scootaloo suggested, shrugging her shoulders. Applebloom lowered her head. “Ah don’t think he has any friends. Ah’ve never seen him hangin’ out with anypony. He’s always just, playin’ on that thing he carries around with him,” Sweetie Belle looked at him, her ears dropping down to the sides of her head. No friends? Not a single one, none at all? He is always smiling when he comes to school, how could someone be so happy and not have a single friend? Sweetie belle’s eyes were glued to Button Mash as he said his goodbye to his mother and slowly walked to class. “Maybe we should be friends with him?” Sweetie Belle suggested quietly. Scootaloo and Applebloom turned back to her. “What?” “You know, he doesn’t have any friends. He must feel so alone.We should be friends with him so he doesn’t feel lonely,” Applebloom and Scootaloo gave each other nervous glances and unsure looks. “What?” “Well, it’s not that we don’t like him or anything-” “But the little fellow seems kinda, ah don’t know, off?” “Yea, like he doesn’t really care about other ponies,” “Or that nothing really matters to him,” Sweetie Belle looked at her friends with disappointment. “Well what about how he stood up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, Scootaloo, you even said he seemed cool,” “Well, yea but that doesn’t mean he would want friends. Don’t you think that he seems kinda weird?” Sweetie Belle furrowed her eyebrows at her. “Come on girls, that is right, and you know it. If we were to judge him by how he looks and acts, would we be any better than Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?” Her two friends looked at each other sympathetically. She was right, they knew it. Even if they weren’t being mean about it, they were acting just like those two spoiled fillies. Applebloom was the first to speak after a moment of silence. “Yea. . . ah guess yer right, Sweetie Belle. We shouldn’t judge him so quickly. Maybe we should go over and say howdy or somethin’,” Sweetie Belle nodded at her, now smiling. With a determined nod to each other, they ran off to class. Once inside, they saw all of their classmates talking to one another. They scanned the crowd and saw Button Mash in his usual seat, his head down in his arms, sulking. Sweetie Belle gave a sympathetic look towards him, feeling sad for him. “Come on, girls, let’s go say hi before-” “Good morning class! I have forgotten something for class today, so you may have some free time while I am gone. Please behave, I will only be gone for about 15 minutes,” Explained Cheerirlee with her usual, welcoming smile. She nodded towards the class and walked out. The students began talking amongst themselves about their week ends and all the activities they have accomplished. The cutie crusaders ignored them, starting to walk towards Button Mash, but they saw their two most disliked fillies walk up to him first. “Well this isn’t good,” Scootaloo said quietly to herself. Sweetie Belle glared at them. “Come on!” The two walked up to him, smiling cruelly at him. “Hey blank flank!” Button Mash didn’t move an inch. They looked at each other annoyed and turned back, getting closer. Sweetie Belle and her friends walked up to them, her glare intensifying. “Hey, I’m talking to you!” Button Mash’s ear twitched at that one. He raised his head to see who it was, which he wasn’t surprised to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon standing before him, smiling harshly at him. “What do you guys want? Just leave me alone,” They snickered at that, only making them get closer. “Aww, what’s wrong? Still crying over your little game that broke yesterday?” Button Mash’s ears perked right up in shock. He stared at them dumbfounded. Half the class turned their attention towards the three of them. Sweetie Belle stopped, her expression turned to surprise. She was already half way there. “Is that why Button Mash is upset? Was it that game he is always playing?” Scootaloo placed a hoof on her shoulder, making her turn to her and Applebloom. “Hey, this isn’t really our fight. They make fun of us a lot as is. Maybe we should just stay out of this one,” Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes at her. “How could you say that? Picking on us is one thing, but I am not gonna stand here and watch them pick on somepony who is hurt enough as is without their bullying!” With a determined look she continue to make her way towards them. Scootaloo gave a confused look to Applebloom, who shrugged her shoulders in return, catching up to Sweetie Belle. “Please guys, stop it already!” Button Mash fought hard to help back his tears, but they were getting ready to make a grand appearance. He squeezed his eyes shut to try to delay the inevitable, he didn’t want to help prove their point. Sweetie Belle got to them, her face was slowly turning red with anger as she glared at them. They seemed to not notice her yet. “Hey Silver Spoon, how much do you wanna bet he still sucks his wittle hoof every night before bed? In fact, I think that-” THAT’S ENOUGH YOU TWO!!!” The voice shouted outward in a surprisingly booming voice. The two jumped a little by the sudden shout. When they turned to see who it was, it was Sweetie Belle, and she looked enraged. She was huntched over as if she was preparing to tackle them. Applebloom and Scootaloo were right behind her, looking fairly annoyed themselves. “Wow, Sweetie Belle, I didn’t know that you cared about him. What is he your coltfriend or something?” Asked Diamond Tiara sarcastically. Sweetie Belle had a faint blush across her cheeks but she held her firm glare at them. I really want to hit them sometimes. . . if only I could! “No, I just can’t stand you two picking on someone who clearly is not in the mood to be dealing with your stupid drama!” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked at her shocked, and even her friends. Applebloom leaned forward next to Sweetie Belle and whispered quietly quietly in her ear. “What has gotten into you? They way you are acting it really does seem like you are his marefriend.” Sweetie Belle glanced at Button Mash. Her eyes locked onto his. He kept his eyes fixed on Sweetie Belle, his eyes open wide in shock as well. “Yea, yea I know, I’ll explain later” Sweetie Belle whispered back to Applebloom, loud enough for Button Mash to hear, but just bearly. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon got over their shock and rolled their eyes at them. “Anyway, I guess we will leave, we don’t want to waste our time with blank flanks anyway. Come on Silver Spoon, let’s get back to our seats,” Said Diamond Tiara with her snout in the air. Her and Silver Spoon walked away and got back to their seats. Button Mash sat there in disbelief, Sweetie Belle and her friends watched them leave for a second. Once they were gone, Sweetie Belle relaxed and returned to a proper standing position, taking a deep breath to help relax herself. She now focused her gaze to Button Mash, who was staring back at her, his mouth slightly open in shock. “Hey, are you ok?” She asked in concern. Button Mash held his gaze a moment longer and shook his head. Yea. . . he is a little weird, but he doesn’t seem that bad. “Why did you stand up for me?” He asked innocently and confused. Sweetie Belle thought for a moment and took a couple steps towards him. “I can’t stand those two! They think they are better than everypony else. I mean they pick on us, for sure, but to see them pick on somepony else like that. It really makes me mad,” Applebloom and Scootaloo nodded their heads in agreement. Scootaloo was the first one to walk up to Button Mash, offering a hoof. “My name is Scootaloo, it’s nice to meet ya!” Button Mash looked at the hoof for a moment, hesitating on what to do. With a smile he raised his own hoof and grasped hers, giving it a little shake. Applebloom was the second to walk up to him, raising her hoof to him as well. “Mah name is Applebloom, You’re Button Mash, ah rekon,” Button mash shook her hoof as well, nodding his head. “Yeah, how did you know?” Applebloom and Scootaloo turned back to Sweetie Belle he glared back at them and they turned back to Button Mash,” “We, uh, heard about you. No one in particular though,” Applebloom muffled a giggle to herself, earning a confused expression from Button Mash. Sweetie Belle walked up and offered a hoof up to him as well. “My name is Sweetie Belle, it’s nice to make your acquaintance,” She offered her hoof to him, and he accepted it happily, shaking her hoof as well. “Hi Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo. It’s nice to meet you all. Thanks for standing up for me. No one really does that,” Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, no sweat it. That’s what friends are for, right?” Button Mash stared at her with a stare of amazement and surprise. “So. . . are we friends?” The three fillies looked at each other with a friendly smile and looked back over at him.  Has he never had a friend before or something? “Yeah! I rekon that we are friends, that’s if ya wanna be friends,” Applebloom said cheerfully. Button Mash nodded his head happily towards them. “I would love to!” He exclaimed with a bit more enthusiasm than he intended. Sweetie Belle giggled a bit towards him, Applebloom laughed softly and Scootaloo was laughing, making Button Mash look at them a bit embarrassed. “That’s great to hear. Hey, maybe we can all hang out after school!” Sweetie Belle suggested. Button Mash looked over to her with a smile. “Yeah, I would like that. Maybe we can-” Cheerilee walked through the door, carrying a box carefully on her back. “Ok class, I managed to get the things we need, everyone take your seats!” She announced to the class. Everyone started going back to their seats as instructed. “Well, I guess we will have to talk later. We’ll see you after school,” With a happy nod Sweetie Belle started to go back to her seat. “We’ll be seeing ya after class, bye Button Mash!” Applebloom said excitedly as she walked back to her seat. “Yeah, what they said. It will be cool to talk to you then. Later Button Mash,” Scootaloo said calmly but still friendly as she returned to her own seat. Sweetie Belle leaned in closer to her friends as Cheerilee was writing stuff down on the chalkboard. HEr friends leaned in as well, trying not to draw her attention, whispering to one another. “So what was all the rukas about, Sweetie?” Applebloom asked curiously. Sweetie Belle looked away nervously but looked back at her. “I just can’t stand them picking on ponies like that, it’s not right!” “Yea, but ya were more angry than before. What gotten into ya?” Sweetie Belle was about to answer the question but stopped. It took her a minute but she couldn’t answer herself. “I’m not sure, I guess I got tired of seeing her act so mean,” She leaned back into her seat, thinking to herself out loud. “Why did I act like that?” She turned back to see Button Mash spacing out, smiling to himself. She giggled softly and turned back around. “Well. . . I guess he is kinda cute,”