Pow-swipe-stab-fireball-fireball-smashkick-shield-counterstrike-jab-hammerthrow.
Hard sweat, teeth clenched, eyes focused and hooves racing in disciplined, controlled strikes. Soarin, in stark contrast to Button Mash, was flailing about like a mad horse; laughing with delight every time his minotaur avatar bludgeoned Button Mash’s unicorn with his enormous hammer and then howling in rage when Mash caught him with a lightning bolt that sent Soarin tumbling over the edge.
They were also playing air hockey.
Stoner wasn’t sure if moving the games around was against the arcade rules. Maybe they were letting Soarin get away with it because he was a Wonderbolt… or maybe because the one time the manager came and looked at them, Soarin glanced at him in a way that made Stoner want to pee himself.
Soarin was using both front hooves to play Super Smash Bronies and his right wing for the hockey mallet. Button Mash used one hoof for each game, somehow using his elbow as a second hoof for Smash Bronies like some kind of ambidextrous prodigy.
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had played a few of the dance games together down the aisle, but for the last twenty minutes had just been watching Soarin and Button Mash smash heads in two or three games at once. Rainbow Dash smiled and then leaned down and whispered to Scootaloo, “Do you think either of them would notice if we left?”
“Sure we would” Quipped Mash, deflecting the hockey puck and then throwing a fireball, “You’re helping with emotional support.”
“Or maybe guys just perform better when they’ve got girls to show off for; right Soarin?” Soarin didn’t notice he was so hacking at the buttons to make his minotaur do a barrel roll.
Scootaloo grinned up at Rainbow Dash, “I think I have the better date.”
“You’re the only one with a date.” Growled Rainbow Dash, “Soarin, it’s not working out between us; I’m breaking up with you.”
Soarin snapped his head round, “What?” BANG The hockey puck shot into Soarin’s goal. “Huh?” POW Soarin’s minotaur fell into lava.
“Scootaloo and I need to get in a flying lesson before the days out. You boys stay here and play your games.”
Soarin slammed the hockey puck towards Button Mash who caught it under his mallet, “You two are coming back so we can do something together later, right?”
“Sure” smiled Rainbow Dash, “What time?”
“What time does the arcade close?”
“Maybe we could come;” Suggested Soarin, pointing at Button Mash suspiciously. “I could give him a flying lesson.”
Rainbow Dash laughed at both of them; picked up Scootaloo and flew away. “…Soarin.” Said Mash hesitantly.
“Yeah?”
Mash shot the puck into Soarin’s goal, and then slammed a button on Smash Bronies which exploded Soarin’s minotaur, winning both games simultaneously, “You lose.”
Soarin flipped. Stoner knew Soarin never like losing, but this was something else; the way he stomped his hooves and yelled a brief and vicious tirade of profanity which Button Mash weathered with a relaxed smile, “If you really don’t like falling so much, you shouldn’t keep letting yourself get thrown off cliffs.”
Soarin picked up the entire air hockey table and rammed it through the Smash Bronies console. Button Mash stared at the carnage as if Soarin had just killed a baby, but before he could scream Soarin had grabbed him with one hoof under his ribcage and was lifting him in mock imitation of the way Rainbow Dash had carried away Scootaloo just moments earlier. “Time for your flying lesson little earth-pony.”