//------------------------------// // 13: Secret Rivalry // Story: Button Mash and Sweetie Belle Love // by Masked_Frenchman //------------------------------// Chapter 13: Secret Rivalry Sweetie Belle woke up from the sun’s rays of light bathing her room with it’s welcoming glow. She stretched outward from under her covers and tossed them aside. She climbed out of bed slowly and looked outside her bedside window. The weather team had a scheduled downpour this afternoon, but the rest of the day was partly cloudy. With a sleepy sigh, she stretched once more and started to make her way down the stairs. Down the elegant flight of stairs, she saw a note on the table. It was obviously her sisters writing style. She walked over and looked at it sheepishly, picking it up, yawning while she started reading the text on the little piece of paper out loud. “Dear Sweetie Belle. I am off to Canterlot to make a very important delivery to a very important client. I am trusting that you won’t burn down the house again so make sure to behave. I’ll have Fluttershy visit every now and then to make sure everything is ok. I will return tonight at 8 pm tonight. Love, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle reread that and a smile crept over her face. “Yes! Now I can finally practice cooking! Oh I can’t wait!” The little excited unicorn filly looked back down on the note and found something more written. “Oh, I didn’t see that. P.S. Don’t try cooking anything, I just redid the kitchen and I can’t have you burning it down again. Oh come on!” She tossed the note aside, now grumpy. “I should have known she would say that!” Sweetie Belle poured herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast, eating it and looking outside for any ideas on what she could do. Every spoon full of colorful spheres took it’s time to make it’s mark, her mouth. She dragged out every bite and every swallow, stuck in her own little world. “I’ve never felt so. . . so bored, and the day hasn’t even started!” She sighed and placed her forehead on the table, sighing in annoyance. She looked over at the clock and saw it was 8:39 in the morning. “It’s Saturday, so my friends shouldn’t be too busy, although Applebloom is probably doing her chores. I wonder what Scootaloo is up to,” Sweetie Belle finished her cereal and washed up her dishes in the sink. Afterwards, she stretched out one last time and headed for the door. She opened the door and was about to storm off but was stopped when she saw Fluttershy standing there, her hoof extended for the door. She was startled by the door opening before she could knock but smiled down when she saw Sweetie Belle. “Oh! Umm, good morning Sweetie Belle. I hope you don’t mind that I came over. Rarity told me to check on you and make sure that you are ok,” Sweetie Belle smiled shortly back up at her. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just heading out,” “Oh? Where are you going so early in the morning?” “I was gonna see if Scootaloo or Button Mash wanted to hang out today,” Fluttershy smiled warmly down at the little eager filly. “I’ve heard about your new friend, Button Mash. He is from your class, right?” Sweetie Belle nodded up at her. “How are you ponies getting along?” Sweetie Belle was about to answer quickly but stopped, thinking about the said colt. She imagined his smile and the times they had hung out in the near past. She smiled as well and looked back up at the yellow pegasus. “I think we are great friends actually! Things have been a blast since he decided to hang out with us,” She explained cheerfully, the smallest blush barely glazing her cheeks. Fluttershy closed her eyes and smiled a big smile down at her. “Well I’m really glad to hear that. I’m sorry for delaying you, you go on ahead,” Sweetie Belle nodded and closed the door behind her. Fluttershy stepped out of the way for her as she stormed off. “Thanks, see you later Fluttershy!” And like that she was gone. Fluttershy smiled happily towards the direction she ran off in, mostly to herself. “I think they are going to be great friends!” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * “Of all the days, why today?!” Button Mash pleaded in agony. He laid in bed with the blankets tucked around him. A thermostat poking out of his mouth and a faint red lining was shown from his cheeks. His eyes were droopy as a sickness has hit him hard. He looked out the window as the sun shined brightly. “Why did I have to be sick on a Saturday of all days!” The door opened and his father, Rage Quit, walked in with a small tray of what looked like a bowl of soup and crackers on his back, his brother Cheat Code followed closely behind him. “Hey there, champ. How is my little, strong colt doing?” Button Mash sniffled a little and looked up with sickly eyes. “I feel like I drank down a potion of weakness,” He announced. Rage Quit chuckled lightly at that, stopping at the edge of his bed. “Well I promise that there are no witches around here, and this may not be a potion of regeneration, but your mother took extra care to make it to make sure you get better real soon. Now let me look at that thermostat,” Button’s father took the thermostat and looked at it, thinking. “Ummm, hey Cheat Code, is a temperature of a hundred and two bad?” Cheat Code face hoofed himself. “Yes dad, that is a little bad,” Rage Quit looked back at him and then back to Button Mash. “Don’t worry, sport. You’ll be right as rain again soon. Your mother went to town to pick up some extra special things for you to get better. She’ll be back here in a couple of hours. If you need anything, anything at all, me and Cheat Code are here for you,” Button Mash smiled weakly up at him. “Thanks dad, you’re the best!” Rage Quit smiled proudly down at him. He pulled of the tray on his back and placed them down softly on his night stand. “You stay in bed and rest. The only reason you should leave it is to go to the bathroom, nothing else, got it?” Button Mash smiled and nodded his head firmly. “Yes sir!” He exclaimed weakly, giving him a salute. Rage Quit saluted back playfully and patted his head gently. He got up and started walking to the door. “Rest well, Button. Oh, and that soup is hot, so give it a minute to cool,” At that he left the room and went back down stairs. Cheat Code stood in the room now, alone with Button Mash. “Hey there, squirt. How are you feeling?” Button Mash’s smiled faded a little at the question. “Not so good. I wanted to hang out with my friends today, but I guess that’s not gonna happen,” He sighed and looked out the window, his expression more depressed. “It looks like it’s gonna be a nice day too,” Cheat Code chuckled, walking over to the bed. “Relax, it’s not. There is a scheduled rain today, so this won’t last very long,” Button Mash looked back over at him with a reassuring smile. “Well then I don’t feel as bad,” Cheat Code chuckled, leaning over and ruffled his little brother’s mane. “Keep your spirits up, squirt. You’ll tough out of this soon. I need to go to town for a little bit, but I will be back in the afternoon. Do you need anything in town?” Button Mash shook his head. “No, I got everything,” He looked over to his dresser and saw his joyboy and he pointed over to it. “But could you bring that over here?” Cheat Code looked over at the direction he was pointing and smiled. “No problem. Say, did you get any new games since the last time I was here?” He asked as he walked over to the dresser. “A couple, I got the new ‘Slayer Dungeon’ for my Pony Cube. I got one for my joyboy, but it broke. Now I have this new one called Destiny, it’s weird,” Cheat Code smiled innocently as he picked up the joyboy and carried it over in his mouth. “It has this weird setting where if you die in the game, you can’t start a new profile. Luckily there hasn’t been anything difficult so far,” Cheat Code brought the hoof held device over and placed it on his bed right next to him. “Sounds like a weird game. What kind of stuff has happened so far?” Button Mash rolled his eyes at that. “It’s kinda boring. Level grinding, looking for new locations. I have a group now and the ponies don’t really like me for some reason. We got trapped in a dungeon recently, so that was kinda neat and luckily we were saved by a forest guardian before an army of trolls could finish us off!” Cheat Code laughed a little, patting his head. “Sounds like a fairly interesting game. I’ll tell you what. When I head back, I’ll bring over some milk shakes and you can tell me all about your new game. You still like chocolate, right?” Button Mash nodded his head. His older brother got up and walked towards the door. “Then I will be back before you know it. Take care, squirt and make sure you get some rest!” With a final smirk he left the room, leaving Button Mash in bed with his breakfast and his game. “Well, I may be down, but at least I still got mah-mah. . ah. . ah-” He grabbed a tissue but was too late. Before he could get the tissue ready, he sneezed and all of the snot projectiled out of his nose and onto his joyboy. “(Hungarian) Damn it!” Cheat Code dwelled around the corner, chuckling to himself softly as to not be heard. He glanced in there one more time to see Button Mash cleaning off his precious device with a very annoyed expression. He showed a final smile at him without him knowing and he turned around to walk down the stairs. Rage Quit was reading a newspaper in his favorite chair, leaning back a little comfortably. Cheat Code poked his head in and put on his saddle. “Hey dad, I’m heading into town for a bit. I’ll be back before supper,” Rage Quit looked up at him from his newspaper. “Alright, be safe,” Cheat Code chuckled at that. “Yeah yeah I know, I’m your father, it’s my job to say that,” Cheat Code rolled his eyes. “I get it. Just like it’s my job to say I will,” He waved good bye and walked out the door. He looked around to see ponies walking around with bags heading back home, not wanting to get caught in the rain. “Now that I actually have some time off, I’m not sure what I want to do,” He started walking to nowhere in particular, just trying to find something to do. “Maybe I could hit the arcade? No, I don’t have a lot of bits on me. Maybe I could see how my old friends are doing? No, most of them have moved on. Hmmm,” Cheat Code thought out loud, looking around. Cheat Code turned around a corner and saw one thing he did not want to see, the last thing he wanted to see. He spun back around the corner and gripped it tightly. “No, no! Not now! I finally have some peace, why does she have to be here?!” He turned back slowly, trying his best not to be seen. “Of all the times, it’s my day off she has to be around,” Down the road he saw his one true weakness. The one pony who could get anything out of him. The one who could figure out anything without getting all the facts. Down the road was his own personal kryptonite. . . . Pinkie Pie. “Damn! I thought she was hanging out with her friends today. It’s a good thing I spotted her first,” He turned back and pressed his back against the wall. “Everytime she finds me she always pops up out of no where and scares me. She is the only one who can get the jump on me. Now in order to avoid her, I’m gonna have to-” “Hi there!” Pinkie Pie shouted out, popping out of a rain barrel next to him. Cheat Code cried out in shock and jumped up into the air, crashing back down onto his back. “Whatcha doing?” Cheat Code stared up at her, trying to get his breathing back in order. “Pinkie! How many times have I told you to stop scaring me like that?!” “Four hundred and thirty two times including this one, why?” She asked without any hesitation. Cheat Code groaned with annoyance and slowly got back up. “Well don’t do it! I don’t know how you do it, but it bugs me,” he explained, dusting himself off, standing back on all fours. “Aww, it’s so much fun though! I always think like ‘He’s sneaking around, let’s see if he can hear me coming’ but yet you never do. Just like the time you came back on your first trip from boot camp! You were visiting your friends and I saw how cool you looked and I was like “I should totally go see him’ but you were around so many ponies so i was like-” Cheat Code put a hoof in her mouth to get her to stop talking. He knew all too well that she would just keep talking for years if he didn’t get her to stop. “Pinkie. . . just stop, ok? I never write to you, I never come to visit just you, why do you keep doing this?” He took his hoof back and wiped it off clean off his chest. “Well even if you don’t wanna hang out, I still wanna hang out with you, silly!” Cheat Code took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Pinkie Pie, look, what we had was great-” “Super great!” “Yes. . super, but I broke up with you. I moved on, you know that. I can’t be friends with you,” “Why”? Pinkie Pie asked quickly and innocently, still wearing her bright, cheerful smile. Cheat Code took a moment to think carefully about his words before he continued speaking. “Well. . . it’s. . . . it’s just. . . it’s just that. . . . I don’t know how to explain it,” Cheat Code finally said, looking away from her. Pinkie Pie took a couple steps towards him, still keeping a little distance from him to make him comfortable. “Because you haven’t really moved on? You’re scared that you will get those feelings back and want to go out with me again?” Cheat Code looked back up with an almost vulnerable expression. “Look, as long as I’m in the military, dating is just bad. I can only come over once every year, sometimes less than that. You need more than that. I still remember you freaking out about Rainbow Dash going to Wonderbolt Boot Camp,” Pinkie Pie’s smiled faded by the smallest degree but held firm. She crossed the last bit of space and wrapped her arms around him, confusing him. “You’re right, I like seeing my friends and loved ones every day! It hurts to be away from them, but if that’s the case-” She pulled away and looked him in the eyes. “-Maybe we could try again when you come back?” Cheat Code frowned sadly to her, gently pulling away from her, breaking her loose grip. “Look, that’s many years away. By then-” Pinkie Pie put her hoof to his mouth, stopping him. He looked up surprised and confused to see a tear in her eye but her smile held. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Just think about it. I don’t mind waiting, It’s like waiting for a super duper cool birthday present that you found out about! I’m sorry for scaring you, I just love seeing you,” Pinkie Pie explained, looking deeply into his eyes. She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek and wiped her tear away. “I’m usually at Sugar Cube Corner, stop by for a cupcake, on the house!” Cheat Code couldn’t help but smile back at her. “I’ll think about it,” Pinkie Pie jumped up excitedly and hopped away, leaving him there dazed. “I swear, she knows me too well!” He couldn’t help but smile to himself. She knew that he missed her, she knew he regretted the decision and she knows why he hasn’t asked her back out yet. He looked up at the sky and saw the weather team assembling. “It looks like rain,” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sweetie Belle walked up the steps of Scootaloo’s house and knocked on the door eagerly. She looked up to see the it was still a beautiful, sunny day. She looked back at the door just in time to see the door open and Scootaloo standing there with a friendly smile. “Oh, hey Sweetie Belle! What’s up?” She asked calmly. “Hey Scoots! Wanna hang out today?” “Totally! Just let me get my bag!” Scootaloo dashed into her house. Sweetie Belle could hear some things getting moved around from inside the house,but she couldn’t see anything. “Hey! Where’s Applebloom?” “I don’t know. I think she is still doing chores for her big sister. I came to get you first,” Sweetie Belle explained, waiting around eagerly at her door step. Scootaloo popped back with her saddle bag on her back and a smile. “Well come on, let’s go then!” She exclaimed excitedly, walking past her friend. She closed the door and the two fillies walked down the road towards Sweet Apple Acres. After a short walk later, they went past the fence gate and up the road where they saw Applejack bucking trees as she usually does. “Hey Applejack!” Sweetie Belle called over, waving over at her. Applejack stopped and turned to see the two fillies walking over to her, waving back. “Well howdy ya’ll. Whatcha ya’ll up to?” “We are looking for Applebloom. Can she come out to play?” Applejack smiled down at the little ones and nodded her head. “Well shucks, ah guess she can leave early today. Ya’ll got some plans or somethin’?” Scootaloo smiled up at her, shaking her head. “Not yet. We are gonna brainstorm some ideas for new cutie mark ideas,” Applejack looked back to see Applebloom carrying over some buckets for apples. “Hey sis, I got those buckets!” Applebloom called over. She looked past her to see her friends standing around near the toned, strong mare. “Hey girls! Whatcha doing here?” “Looking for you!” Sweetie Belle replied back quickly. “Yeah, Applejack said you could come with us! We’re gonna try out some new ideas to get our cutie marks,” “That sounds great! Applejack, ah can leave early today?” The earth pony farmer chuckled lightly at that, nodding her head. “Ah don’t suppose it can’t harm nothin’. Just fer today though. Ah expect twice the work tomorrow though!” Applebloom smiled excitedly and dropped the buckets next to her big sister. “Thanks big sis! You’re the best!” She ran up and hugged her tightly, Applejack returning the hug happily. “Now you run along now, ya hear, and make sure yer back home before it gets too dark,” Applebloom nodded up happily and ran along with her friends. “We’ll make sure she gets back by then!” Scootaloo called back. The now trio walked down the road, all talking excitedly to each other. Applejack watched for a while, giggling to herself. Her big brother Big Mac walked up to her, watching the same cheerful sight that she did. “Aren’t they just adorable?” “Eeyup!” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The three joyful fillies walked down the road, talking to each other about new things they could do to earn their cutie marks, listing off things they have done and things they could try out next. Even with all of the things that they haven’t done, none of them they could do at this time due to lack of materials and/or funds. “Pet sitters?” Applebloom suggested curiously. “Done that, that ended badly,” Sweetie Belle commented. “What about sky diving?” “Did that too,” Scootaloo replied back quickly. “Well darn girls, what haven’t we done?” “Why don’t we get Button Mash and the four of us can brain storm together?” Scootaloo suggested hopefully. Sweetie Belle’s and Applebloom’s ears perked up at that. “Yeah! With the four of us, we are bound to think of something!” “Ah second that opinion!” “Then it’s settled! Let’s go pick up Button Mash and head for the Cutie Mark Crusaders Tree House!” Scootaloo declared. They brought their hooves together and lifted them up with a confident cheer. They all made their way to Button Mash’s house in a hurry, half running half walking. “Hey ya’ll. Isn’t it suppose to rain today?” Applebloom asked worriedly, looking up at the sky to see the weather team flying through the sky. “Don’t sweat it! They won’t start the rain until lunch time,” Sweetie Belle looked over to her curiously. “How do you know that?” “Rainbow Dash. She told me about it yesterday when I was heading home,” Appleblom smiled at that. “Thought so. We still got plenty of time!” They found his household thanks to Sweetie Belle with some ease. After letting themselves catch their breath, Sweetie Belle leaned forward and knocked on the door. “Are you sure this is it?” Scootaloo asked cautiously, straightening herself up. Sweetie Belle turned to face her with a confident smile. “I’m sure. I’ve been here before,” Sweetie Belle noticed that Applebloom was looking into a window, fixing up her mane and wiping off some dirt from her fur. “What are you doing?” Applebloom looked back and smiled nervously. “Nothin’! Ah just had somethin in mah mane and wanted to get it out,” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow curiously. “You never care about your mane,” Before Applebloom could say something, the door opened up. A tall, lean stallion with a blood red mane, golden eyes, and with dark brown fur stood in the open door way. Scootaloo leaned over to Sweetie Belle, whispering. “Who is he?” “I don’t know,” She whispered back. She cleared her throat and smiled up at him. “Hello sir. Umm. . . is Button Mash here?” The earth pony at the door smiled cheerfully. “And you three must be his new friends! I’m happy to meet you, my name is Rage Quit,” He lowered himself and offered a hoof towards them. They each gave their names and shook his hoof, starting to relax a little. “I’m glad to see you girls, actually. Button Mash could use some friends right now,” The trio looked up at him confused. He chuckled lightly and moved aside for them. “He is up stairs, first door to the left,” They nodded up to him and walked past him, heading up the stairs. They peeked around the corner and saw Button Mash in bed. He looked very sick just laying in bed, playing on his joyboy with an empty bowl next to him. The Cutie mark Crusaders leaned back and whispered to each other quietly. “He looks mighty sick. Do you think he is ok?” Applebloom asked concerned, looking worried. “He’s fine! he just came down with a cold or something,” Scootaloo reassured confidently. “We should go in there and hang out with him. Like that stallion said, he could use some friends,” Sweetie Belle commented, unsurely. They nodded their heads together and walked on into his room. “Hey there, Button Mash!” Scootaloo called over. Button Mash turned to look at them from his game and he smiled weakly over to them. “Hey guys! What are you doing here?” “Well we were gonna hang out with you and talk about cutie marks, but it looks like you got sick,” Applebloom said sadly, her ears drooped down. “Yeah, i got sick. Mom thinks I caught something from that cave exploring thing we did,” The trio of fillies looked down nervously. “Yeah, that was kinda bad, huh?” Scootaloo asked embarrassed. “But we managed to pull through as always, right?” Sweetie Belle replied cheerfully. They agreed to that. “So how have ya been doin’?” “Well, I can’t get out of bed and I’ve been playing on my joyboy, so it’s not all that bad,” Sweetie Belle tapped on her friends’ shoulders to get their attention and pulled them over away from his ear shot, now whispering. “Button is sick and he needs our help. Are you girls thinking what I’m thinking?” The other two start smiling to each other. “Cutie Mark Nurses?” Scootaloo smiled for a minute but then looked at them concerned. “Wait, didn’t we try something like this already?” They thought about that for a moment, looking back on every cutie mark idea that they had so far. “Ah don’t think so. Ah mean we accidentally caused a medical dilemma but we didn’t try anything in the medical field yet,” They all smiled at that. “You know what that means?” They all brought their hooves together at the center, now talking at normal volume. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Nurses!” Button Mash’s ears perked up at that, not fully understanding what is going on. The three eager fillies turned back and started walking towards him. “So. . what’s going on?” Button Mash asked timidly, pulling the covers up a little more to hide himself. “Button, we are going to help you!” Sweetie Belle stated cheerfully, looking warmly into his eyes. He seemed to relax when he stared back. Applebloom looked at Sweetie Belle and over to Button Mash and narrowed her eyes. “Anyway-” Scootaloo interrupted, the three of them snapping their attention to the little pegasus. “We are gonna make sure you are feeling better in no time!We will be your own personal nurses!” Button Mash’s eyes shrunk in fear at those words. “Do you guys know anything about this sort of thing?” The Cutie Mark Crusaders thought about that for a moment, trying to think back on anything on the subject. “No, ah don’t think I do. I mean I know how to handle bruising. Does that count?” Applebloom asked, unsurely. “I get scraped up sometimes from using my scooter sometimes. That is medical stuff, right?” Scootaloo asked almost confidently. Sweetie Belle took an extra minute to think about her past experiences. She tapped her chin with her hoof and a light bulb flashed in her head. “Wait! Rarity was sick once and she told me what to do to make her feel better! We can totally do it!” Button Mash smiled faintly from under the blankets. “Do ya remember everything though?” Applebloom asked in a unimpressed tone. Sweetie Belle smiled nervously. “Well, almost everything. Look, we need to make sure the patient is comfortable, eats healthy, takes medicine, and gets lots of rest,” The other two fillies jumped up in excitement, their eyes growing wide with joy. “I’ll get the medicine!” Scootaloo exclaimed with enthusiasm as she bolted out of the room.   “I’ll make sure he is comfortable!” Applebloom declared with pride, walking over to Button Mash with life in her step. Sweetie Belle frowned faintly at that. “Aww, I wanted to do that. Ok, then I will make him something healthy to eat!” Sweetie Belle announced with cheer, jumping up in the air with lot’s of energy. She made her way downstairs towards the kitchen. Rage Quit was reading his newspaper on his favorite chair, humming away. His ears twitched at the sound of Sweetie Belle running down the stairs. He tilted the top of the newspaper downto peek over it, seeing her head for the kitchen. “Hey there. Your name is Sweetie Belle, right?” Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks, skidding a little before she came to a stop, looking over in the living room. “Yes sir, that’s my name,” Rage Quit chuckled at that. “Great manners. You must have been raised real well,” Sweetie Belle was flattered and blushed lightly at that. “Oh, well my sister likes to believe she is of-” She flipped her mane to the side as if to be classy, mocking her sister and copying her tone. “- High class,” Rage Quit laughed at that. “Well, sounds like you girls are close then. Good to see ponies having good manners these days,” “Thank you, sir. Would you mind if I were to borrow your kitchen to make something for Button Mash?” “Darn, died again,” Rage Quit muttered under his breath. Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow confused seeing Rage Quit looking down at his paper. “i’m sorry, what did you say?” Rage Quit looked up and smiled embarrassed. “Oh, it’s nothing. Go ahead, just clean up after your mess is all I ask. Button’s Mom would be furious if she came back home to see her kitchen a disaster,” Sweetie Belle smiled at that and nodded with joy. “I will, thank you!” She turned around and ran in. Button’s father watched to make sure she was out of earshot and then he smiled down, flipping his paper back up to block his head and returned his focus back down at the paper. On the other side, he had a black and red joyboy in his hooves with a screen reading ‘Game Over, three lives left’. He chuckled and selected try again. “Stupid fire balls. This time. . . Bowser is dead meat!” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Applebloom stood alone in the room with Button Mash, smiling shyly at him. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed next to him. He looked up at her confused and a little nervous. “So, ummm. . . do ya need anything? Do ya want me to. . . fluff yer pillows maybe?” Button Mash was confused why she looked so nervous but smiled weakly anyone. “Well. . . if you don’t mind, the would be really nice,” The little earth pony’s eyes lite up as she leaned over to place her two front hooves on his pillow. She had to lean over him to do so, their bodies close together. Button Mash could almost feel her body heat trailing down to him. He could hear her heart beat even. She tried to fluff his pillow but it was impossible to do it properly with his head still laying in it. “Hey button, could ya raise yer head a little?” “What? Oh, yeah sure,” He replied quickly, snapping out of his thoughts. As he did so, his cheek brushed up against her’s, making them both jump. “Oh, uhh, I’m sorry,” Applebloom smiled nervously and shook her head. “Naw, it was my fault,” She leaned a bit more to the side and bounced his pillow around to gather all the feathers back into the center. Button Mash could feel sweat trailing down from his forehead. Applebloom fluffed it a couple more times then leaned back over and sat back down in her original spot, smiling at him. She had a faint blush forming across her cheeks. Button Mash wanted to say something but felt his own blush forming and his tongue felt swollen. “Umm. . . so do ya need anything else? Ah really don’t mind!” Applebloom asked innocently, twiddling her hooves. Button Mash shook his head quickly, ducking down a little deeper in his shelter of blankets. He coughed harshly, lasting a good moment, then rubbing his throat. “Here! Ah’ll get cha some water!” “No wait, you don’t-” It was too late. She had already grabbed his empty glass and ran downstairs. She walked down the stairs with the cup in her mouth and went to the kitchen. In there, Sweetie Belle had an apron on and was stirring a small cooking pot. Inside was a creamy green liquid slowly swirling around and lightly bubbling. “Hey there Sweetie Belle. How’s the cooking going?” Sweetie Belle turned to Applebloom who was at the sink, filling a glass of water. “Great! I put a bunch of vegetables in and I think it is going to be great! I think this will make him all better again!” Applebloom peeked over and looked into the pot, sniffing it. “It’s smells. . . odd. . . what exactly did you put in it?” “I put in some tomatoes, celery, carrots, cabbage, apples, and chocolate for flavoring!” Applebloom cringed at hearing all of that, backing away from the strange brew. “Ummm. . . sweetie Belle. . . ah’m not sure he will be able to eat that. Ah mean ah don’t think those are supposed to go together like that,” “Don’t worry! I’ll make sure that he will love it! You have my word!” Applebloom shrugged her shoulders. “Well, alright. I’ll leave you to that. Say, have you seen Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “Nope. I haven’t seen her since we split off,” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Scootaloo was in the bathroom, looking at different bottles at boxes, her face scrunched up in thought and confusion. She held a bottle in one hoof, and a box in another, glancing at them both one at a time. “This one says reduces fevers, but this one says it’s good with a sore throat. The one back here-” Drops the box and picks up a pill bottle.”-Says it’s good for sleep. Does he have a hard time sleeping? I don’t know what to do here! They all are helpful!” Scootaloo sighed in defeat, unable to figure out how to help out her friend. “There must be something I could do, but I can’t just choose one,” She sighed again and let her head drop on the sink counter with a thump. She looked at all of the medicine around her and then at an empty glass cup. An idea popped into her head. “They all would help them, so maybe I should use all of them!” She poured the liquid medicine into the cup and started crushing a pill from each of her chosen selections. “This will make him better as fast as Rainbow Dash flies through the air!” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Applebloom walked back into Button Mash’s room, holding the cup of water with her mouth. She walked over and placed it back on the night stand in it’s original position. “Hey, ah’m back. Sweetie Belle will be back up real soon with a meal for ya,” She reassured him. Button Mash smiled up at her, looking a little pale. “Thank you, for everything. You guys are the best friends a pony could ever ask for,” Applebloom smiled at him, looking away shyly. “Oh come on now, we would do this sort of thing for any of our friends,” “But I’ve never had friends,” Applebloom turned back to him shocked. “My dad’s job makes him travel often to help out different companies. I stay in one place for a few years and then I move again, so I stopped trying to make friends. Ponies don’t really like me anyway since I play video games anyway. So I just play on my joyboy and just go by, day by day. I don’t know anything about having friends,” He exclaimed blankly. He didn’t show any sort of sign that he was upset, but his words were coated with sorrow. “Oh Button Mash, ah’m so sorry,” Applebloom leaned over and wrapped her hooves around him, trapping him in a warm, loving embrace. Button Mash was shocked by her sudden move but hugged her back, nuzzling her neck. He felt so warm inside. He felt an emotion he could never hope to describe, but it felt off. . . like something was missing. Button Mash pulled away slowly from Applebloom. She looked at him with a sad smile, her eyes watering. He smiled back at her, weakly but cheerfully. She was about to say something but he shook his head, stopping her. “It’s ok. That was in the past. Now I have the best of friends I could ever ask for!” Applebloom smiled brightly at that, her cheeks turning red. She let go of him but stayed close to him, looking down at him with dreamy eyes. Button Mash saw this and his face got red. “Uhhh. . . Applebloom?” * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sweetie Belle left the kitchen, letting her long prepared meal sitting on the stove. She went upstairs and looked in the bathroom, seeing Scootaloo at the sink, mixing something. Her back was turned to the opened door, blocking what ever she was doing from sight. “Hey Scootaloo! Do you have Button Mash’s medicine ready?” Sweetie Belle asked curiously, staying in the open door way. “Yeah, it’s almost done,” “Why has it been taking so long?” “Well I have been trying to find the right stuff for him,” “How much longer?” “Almost done, alright? Just give me a minute!” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes at her. “Ok, fine, just hurry up. I want Button Mash to have some food to eat after he takes his medicine,” Scootaloo turned over to her, smiling deviantly. “Hey Sweetie Belle. . . Hey do you feel about him anyway?” Sweetie Belle raised her eyebrow at her questionably. “He’s a good friend, why?” Scootaloo snickered to herself quietly. “Well. . . do you like him?” “What. . . you mean. . . like. . . like like him?” “Yeah, as a certain special somepony!” Sweetie Belle’s face got beat red. SHe shook her head furiously at that. “No way! Eww. . no, I would. . . I would never do that!” Scootaloo rolled her eyes at her. “Yeah, sure. Look just go ahead and check up on him, make sure Applebloom isn’t boring him to death with some sort of farm story,” Sweetie Belle chuckled at that, think about some of her stories they had to sit through in the past. “That sounds like a good idea. Alrighty, just hurry up with that stuff!” She spun around and half ran, half walked to the bedroom. She poked her head around the corner and her jaw gapped open in shock. What she was seeing was Applebloom’s arms wrapped around Button Mash and her face close to his. A red blush could be seen and judging by the looks of Applebloom and the nervous laughing, it looked like she was flirting with him. “No way! Applebloom likes likes him?!” She dropped into a seating position, her eyes frozen on them. She felt her eyes water faintly and a small throb of pain in her heart. “Why does this hurt so much then? It’s not like I like like him or anything. . . .” Sweetie Belle looked away from them, squeezing her eyes shut as if she was trying to wake up from a bad dream. She opened her eyes again and peeked over again. Applebloom was now leaning away from him more but she kept a hoof on one of his while they talk. “. . . Right?” Sweetie Belle asked herself, sad and unsure. She finally stopped watching and looked down at her own hooves. “Right?” She whispered one last time to herself.