//------------------------------// // 197. Button Mash and Burn - Part 2 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// “I’LL CRUSH YOU!” Button yelped and dove to the side to avoid the massive flaming skeletal fist hurtling towards him. The monster attached to the fist howled with rage as he slammed into the ground, forming a small crater. “Oh geez, oh geez, oh geez- How did this happen!?” Button yelped in a panic dodging another attack. His panicking meant nothing to the hulking creature trying to kill him. “GET BACK HERE, VERMIN!” the monster roared, spreading its huge bat-like wings and taking to the sky. His draconic face glared with malice at Button, its burning eyes awash with flames. “I AM THE AVATAR OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION! I AM THE ULTIMATE EVIL! I AM EREBUS AND YOU WILL FACE MY DARKNESS!” As the beast rose into the air, his form blocked the sun revealing his shadowing body. His lower body was made of nothing but shadows and inky black ichor. His upper body was a bipedal skeletal form, shrouded in blackness and burning hellfire. His face was a dragon-like skull, surrounded by burning crimson fire and black smog. As the demonic creature loomed above him, Button finally caught a break in this one-sided battle. Scattered in the remains of this monster’s unlucky victims was a large sword, covered in a deep lapis lazuli magical glow. It was almost black, the blue was so dark and bright glittery shapes seemed to move about within the magic surrounding the blade. The self-identified Erebus realized what had caught Button’s attention, and with a roar in flapped its hellish wings and zoomed towards the young colt. Button was faster. With a hoofaclean leap, Button dived into the decaying remains and grasped the blade firmly in his mouth. He turned, looking out the remains’ rib cage with determination in his eyes as Erebus hurtled towards him, rage in its burning eyes that wavered with the faintest hint of fear. With a war cry Button galloped out of the rib cage and forwards, sword ready to strike, as the monster unleashed a blood red flames from its gaping maw. The flames burned towards him, but Button’s was ready. He was confident. He could do this… “Button, sweetie! It’s dinner time!” Button yelped in fright, fumbling the hold on his controller and watching as his character stumbled and was engulfed in the burning flames. “Mo-om! I was just about to defeat the evil lord of Tartarus, Erebus the Great Shadow-ho-ho-ho...!” Button cried petulantly as he watched the demon monster on the screen laugh in triumph at the ashes that were once Button’s level 39 warrior stallion, before a big ‘GAME OVER] flashed across the screen mockingly. Love Tap just stood in her son’s doorway, rolling her eyes at her colt as he angrily shut his game console off. “I’m sorry, dear, but dinner is ready. If you don’t want me to disturb you then you need to be more mindful of the time.” Button just grumbled as his mother retreated from his doorway and started for the dining room. The young colt had been completely hooked on his new game ‘Light Warrior’ about a noble warrior sent to capture or destroy several demonic entities that had escaped Tartarus. Erebus was the boss of the game and responsible for the breakout. He had been so close to finishing it and winning and now he would have to start the fight all over again. Button gave an annoyed sigh before he started making his own way from the room, when suddenly something caught his attention. There was a note pinned to the back of the door. It got the young colt curious. He knew he could sometimes get a bit absorbed in his gaming, so he left himself reminder notices on his door to help him remember things. Evidently, this note had been on his door for some time, as he couldn’t remember when he had left it there. Button pulled the notice off the back of the door and held it in the light of the hallway so he could read it. As his eyes scanned the note, he suddenly turned pale and his eyes became pin pricks. With a yelp of terror, the young earth pony bolted through the house, straight past his mother setting the table and out the door into the darkened streets of Ponyville in a mad dash for the theater. Love Tap just stared confused for a moment, before spotting the note now lying on the floor. Picking it up, she read its message aloud. “‘Don’t forget Sweetie Bell’s show’. Huh, the date he left is for today… and it was two hours ago,” Love Tap realized before letting out a sigh. “Well, he got himself into this mess, so he’ll have to suffer the consequences. I guess I’ll put his dinner in the fridge, he probably won’t be back for a while.” “Isn’t there anypony here who remembers something BESIDES the dresses?!” Sweetie Belle practically yelled, her narrowed eyes scanning the room. She, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had just entered into the main hall after having discarded their costumes, only to find, that besides Spike, Twinken and Rumble, nopony seemed to really care that much about the show. All they could talk about were her sister’s dresses. In answer to her angry question, everypony in the room either diverted their eyes, developed an interest in their hooves, or stumped their brains trying to think of a response. The lack of answer just made Sweetie Belle give a growl and thump on the floor. However before anypony could say anything, the doors to the hall slammed open and Button’s galloped into the room, wheezing and covered in sweat from the run all the way across town. “I’m here, I’m here, what did I miss?!” he cried, scanning about trying to find why nopony was still in the main hall watching the show. “What you missed was the whole thing, Button,” came an annoyed voice and the young earth pony turned to see Twinken, Rumble, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom approaching him, all looking miffed at him. “What- But… but I…” the propeller-hatted colt stuttered hoping to try and come up with an excuse when he heard a growl from across the room. He turned and gulped as Sweetie Belle marched right up to him and poked him roughly in the chest. “Where were you Button Mash?! I spoke with you just a few hours ago this afternoon asking you to come to my show. You knew how hard I worked on this and I really wanted all of my friends to be there. Apparently my sister and her friends were too busy to show up but at least Spike came along with Twinken and Rumble, like the promised they would. But you didn’t, so tell me: Why?!” The harsh glare she gave him, along with the annoyed expressions of the rest of his friends, and the confused but no less judgmental looks of the surrounding ponies knocked off any lies or excuses Button could come up with, so he sighed and started to speak. “… Well, since I did so well on Miss Cheerilee’s pop quiz this afternoon, I... wanted to play the new game my mum got me. She said she would only give it to me if I aced my next test at school and since I did she gave it to me as a reward. I was having so much fun playing that… well that I lost track of time and forgot about your show… I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle…” Before he could finish though, Sweetie Belle just poked him again and started to growl, “Your stupid game!? I should’ve known! Any time you get a new game this always happens! Nothing else matters except getting the new high score or beating some dumb boss! Well I hope it was worth it, Button Mash! In fact, next time your friends have something important going on, how about you don’t bother coming at all! Obviously your games mean more to you!” Then with a huff, Sweetie Belle about faced and headed out the door, making sure to flick Button in the nose with her tail as she did so. As the young colt rubbed his sore nose, he saw the disapproving looks of his other friends (although they did express a little sympathy for him from the riot act he just got), as well as a few of the adults present while the rest looked awkwardly away. Feeling ashamed of himself, he turned and bolted out the door, heading for home. Button just poked at the spaghetti and wheatballs his mom had made, which worried her. After all, this was his favorite dinner, and seeing her little boy not interested in his favorite dish really worried Love Tap. Especially since he looked so sad and ashamed. She’d almost settled in the living room to read after putting Button’s dinner in the fridge when he’d come back. She’d ask why he was back so early but he’d said nothing and went into the kitchen and she’d brought out dinner. Again. And still Button didn’t eat. “So… how was the show?” Love Tap tried, attempting dinner conversation. “I dunno…” Button mumbled in a morose voice. Love Tap was able to put two and two together, “You missed it, didn’t you?” Button whimpered, feeling even worse, which his mom noticed so she dialed it back. “Honey, what happened?” “...I missed the whole show!” Button started, attempting to keep calm and failing miserably. “When I got there, everypony was already at the after-party, and Sweetie Belle… Sweetie Belle…!” Button tried to stifle his crying, Love Tap getting up and going over to hug him, and he let it out a little, as Love Tap gently shushed him, whispering ‘it’s okay’ only for Button to cry, “NO! It’s not okay-hay-hay…!!! Swe-Swe-Sweetie Belle will never talk to me again!!” “Oh baby…” Love Tap whispered in her best comforting mom voice when she grabbed a napkin and held it over Button’s nose. “C’mon, honey, blow.” Button managed to calm a bit, and accept the napkin, making an adorable little ‘toot’ noise as he blew his nose. Love Tap bunched the napkin and expertly threw it into the wastebasket next to the counter. Seeing her baby had calmed down a little, Love Tap spoke. “Button, sweetie, you know how sometimes Dad or Cheat Code say they’re coming to visit, but then something comes up and they have to cancel? How you and I get so sad when that happens?” Button sniffled and nodded. “Well, baby, sometimes the ponies we care about disappoint us, but as long as we remember how much we care about them and vice-versa, we can always make up, and we strive to do better!” Button considered his mom’s words and wondered, Do Dad and Cheat Code feel this bad when stuff like this happens…? “Button, you let Sweetie Belle down, but all you can do is apologize and swear to be a better friend,” Love Tap went on. “If Sweetie Belle cares about you as much as you care about her, she’ll forgive you and give you a chance. Just apologize, and don’t worry!” “Why not…?” Button asked, doubtfully. “Because I know for certain Sweetie Belle cares about you,” Love Tap assured. “How do you know?” Button still doubted. “Because moms know these things,” Love Tap said with a proud smirk on her face. The smirk was silly in just the right way that it prompted Button to smile a little, the tension and guilt lifting just a little, and mother and son shared another warm hug.