Chapter 36: Stepping Up
"Why should we get involved? It's not our problem," My human self said while taking a sip of water. I was back in that featureless room that these two seemed to be obsessed with meeting me in.
"It's our problem because Button shouldn't have to go through this," My pony self countered before smacking the water out of my human self's hand. "Quit being selfish!"
"I'm just saying that all we'd do is make things worse,"
"The least we can do is be there for Button," I was just sitting in a chair I conjured up while listening to both of them. Normally by now I'd tell them both to fuck off, but this is the only time that I can truly think about the situation and how to fix it.
"I feel bad for the kid, but he needs to learn that life sucks,"
"Are you even hearing yourself talk? Chance, do you really think Button should go through this?" I looked up at my two selves. They both were staring at me with big eyes. Why can't they leave me out of their arguments?
"He's eight. My dad left us then and I turned out fine," I said while looking away from them.
"You promised you'd fix this!" My pony self practically yelled at me. I know I promised to help Button, but I have a lot of my own problems to deal with. Do I really want to add more to them for Button's sake?
"Why should we care?" My human self said while folding his arms. The pony me walked up to me before looking me in the eyes.
"He already has to deal with his brother being turned into a slave! Do you really think that you can live with yourself if you left him alone?" I focused on my pony self. He had a point; what kind of person would I be if I left Button alone. The last thing he needs is to be in this alone.
"Alright, I'll try to help him. You guys just...just don't talk to me while I'm awake." I said while walking over to the door of the room. I turned the handle before looking back at them, "I'm still not sure about that mind wipe,"
******
I woke back up in my bed early in the morning. At least I think it was early since the sun was just peaking out over the horizon; damn dreams making time keeping impossible. Looking over to Button's bed I saw that he was still asleep after last nights revelations.
"I'll make things right," I whispered to myself as I went through my normal morning routine until I got downstairs and saw Loving asleep on the couch. I sighed before making my way to the kitchen so I could try to make breakfast again. These guys have been through enough so I should try to make things a little easier on them.
When I was in the kitchen however I smelt smoke and burned hay. Looking up I saw Gibson looking over the stove with a small mushroom cloud coming off it.
"Dude, the microwave is where you nuke things," I said while walking up to him. He just looked at me with a annoyed expression,
"I just figured I'd try being helpful," He sighed after that. I guess I thought Gibson wouldn't have known about the whole situation yet, but I guess he put 2 and 2 together. It was nice to see him trying to be helpful, but cooking clearly isn't his specialty so I grabbed the pan and dumped it's contents into the trash can. "Hey! I was-"
"I'll cook breakfast. If you don't mind, can you go get me some blueberries?" I said while I began to recreate the pancakes that I made my first day here. Gibson just stood there a minute before he started searching for what I asked for. I know that this isn't going to fix anything or make anyone feel better, but maybe it will take their minds off their problems, even if it's for a moment. Gibson returned a few minutes later with those blue berries I asked for.
"Here you go," He said while dropping the berries next to me which I quickly added to the pancakes so that they had a bit of extra flavor.
"Thanks...Gibson can I ask you a favor?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Can you keep an eye on Button? He's...He's going to be in a very dark place for awhile," I said while looking up at Gibson. His expression was unreadable, but he gave a firm nod before walking out of the kitchen to let me work in peace. "I hope you can help him," I said to myself as I looked out the window towards the rising sun.
***10 years ago***
"It's alright mom." I said with tears in my eyes as I hugged my mother. She was crying at the dining table with my brother to her other side. She didn't even seem to notice that I even said anything as she continued to sob even harder into to the table.
"I'm sorry *sniffle* I couldn't fix-" My mom broke down into more sobs before she could finish what she was saying. I just hugged her tighter. This stuff only happens in movies so how could it have happened to us.
"Don't be sorry. Let the fuck rot for all I care," Ryan said while storming away from us. He was hit the hardest by all of this if you ask me because after we got the letter he's just been so angry all the time. It still didn't give him a right to be an ass to mom though so I decided to try talking to him. *Whaling* after mom stops crying.
***Back to now***
I was pulled out of my memory when a small ding rang next to me. Looks like breakfast should be done. Piling up all the pancakes onto a plate I carefully used my magic to levitate it over to the table. Thankfully it didn't burn while I did that. A moment later a very bedraggled Loving came slowly into the kitchen and sat down at one end of the table.
"Morning," I said with as much of an upbeat attitude as possible. I was hoping that acting happy might rub off on them, and make everything seem a little less bad. She looked up toward me with very dark bags under her eyes.
"*yawn* Good morning, Chance," She said while stretching out her hooves and back. A few minutes later Gibson came in with Button resting on his back with tears still staining his face's fur. I really wish he had listened to me when he could of.
"Good morning!" I said faking my enthusiasm again in hopes of spreading a little bit of cheer. Button just raised his head and looked at me with a pitiful expression on his face before laying his head back down on his brother's back. This is not good especially since this is all still new.
I set up four stacks of pancakes on the table while taking a seat opposite of Loving. Gibson set Button down next to their mother before taking his own seat on her other side. Loving took agonizingly slow bites of her food while Gibson just ate as he normally did, but Button...Button wasn't eating at all.
"Button? You need to eat," I said to him. He just looked at me before grabbing his fork and almost took a bite of food, but he pushed his plate away instead.
"I'm not hungry," He said. This has definitely hit him hard so I got up from my chair and made my way over to him.
"Button, please eat. If not for me do it for your family,"I said while motioning towards his brother and mother who were looking at him with worried looks. He reluctantly took back his plate before taking a bite of his food. That's good, If I can keep him from shutting everyone out then I can help him through this.
A knock resounded from the front door which I reluctantly excused myself to answer. Making my way over to the door I opened it to see Arrow with a worried expression on his face.
"Chance, are you alright?" He said while examining my face with a hoof. I swatted it away before I spoke,
"It's just been a long night. I think I might be the only one heading to school today," I said while looking back towards the kitchen where Button had begun crying again with Loving hugging him close to her chest.
"What happened?"
"It's a long story. Can we just get going?" I asked while walking out of the house. I really don't need to deal with anymore problems today or I think I might just snap.
I see the cover.
I see your profile pic pony.
DUDE YOU HAVE A FREAKING POPULAR STORY!!!! AWESOME JOB!!!!!!!!!! I SHALL HAVE A PARTY WITH THOU ANIMATRONICS!!!!
Great job One of the Crowd, you manage to show why that Chance would wants to help Button, in his issues with his parents, and make it sound naturally without it feeing force in any way on the character or the story. The internal debate that Chance had with himself was a great way to show his internal dilemma on the mater of why he should be involving himself in somepony that he doesn't know all that much in actuality, and was previously pretty dismissive about him before. The arguments where well placed and you played well in involving his personal convictions and emotions in opposition to his personal interests. You masterfully played it. It was good to see Gibson trying to help out his family as disastrous as it was and showed that that he was willing to set aside his piety grudge match for that moment. This good to see that Chance go out of his way to help the family out, It help to show that he his getting involved inside the their family dynamic to start being apart of it and not just stay on the sidelines.
It is good to see more of Chances background info on him
I wander if Cold is going to make his day hectic for Chance today?
6495846 I can't take all the credit for the stories popularity. If it wasn't for mix-up or Radio it probably would have flopped badly. Also mix-up was the one who drew my profile pic and the cover art.
6495924 Yay! I succeeded at the main point of this chapter! I was really worried that I might have messed up somewhere along the line actually.
Sadness.....
6495942 is Button going to be in denial about his situation?
Will Button try to cling desperately on anything on what he used to be normal for him, before he starts to realize that it is all true and that nothing is going to be the same anymore?
6495958 It sucks, but it is a real problem. The worst part is that this was one of the planned problems in the story. I feel so dirty!
6495962 More than likely. Right now he hasn't quite gone into the stages of grief, but if he does it's going to be soon.
6495971 I think Button will try to find refuge in his video, but I don't think that will help the story all that much, especially that his brother Combo is in.
6495998 I can't reveal anything! Alright I can reveal that Button can't handle this stress.
6495971 could Sweety Bell try help him in her own way; knowing her she might make things worst for him. Would Change explain the situation to their teacher maybe. would Change tel any of it to the class, (I don't think so on the immediate, sens might understand that Button would feel humiliating being pitted like that). Also it could be interesting ti see how the class would react to this event.
You can almost taste the feels.
6496086
38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7ucxqiuFR1rv1ckao1_400.gif
Felt short. (just like this comment excluding this and the following text.)
More info on Chance's backstory has me interested.
6496140 It was the average length. Also Chance did in fact have a life before ending up in equestria.
6496149 I know it was average, but it felt a little short for what it contained, and yeah I know Chance had a life before I'm just interested to know more about it.
6496220 I'm joking with you. As for the chapters length it's more or less that I don't trust myself to go further than that.
6496228
Okay I wasn't sure.
6495932 well, then, GREAT JOB ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!
I have brought toast, crackers, and an assortment of balloons to feast upon
6497391 I was with you until you said balloons. Those bring up bad memories of animatronics and batteries.
Goddamit I looked hard to find an error in this chapter... but right now school.
Anyway, pancakes seem great right now!
6497638 Pancakes are always great!
I hope Seas doesnt get violent...
6497515 well... One animatronic likes to eat them, odd as it may seem.
And yes... THAT thing stole my sweet succulent double A batteries
6498919 *pulls off freddy mask* IT BE THE NIGHT GUARD!
6499035 The Night Guard? The Night Guard? Batteries?
Grab your flamethrower, we have a balloon boy to kill
6499051 I don't have a flamethrower, but I do have a flashlight...where are my batteries?
6499090 looks like BB ate them.
I have a knife?
You know, you could always take a crowbar to that little empty boy's head
6498876 Sorry it took me so long to reply. Seas will do things and stuff...I can't say what he will do yet so be patient.
6499233 YAY! I get to be Gordan Freeman!
6499236 yes, yes you do
mom
------------------------------
Possible plot hole here
Chance got into a fight with Cold yesterday, Cheerilee suspended him and Cold for a days. he's still suspended, he's not going to school today.
------------------------------
Man...things got complicated Fast for Chance
lets see what he's got to deal with
-the fire demon
-the book he stole from said demon
-his brother is alive (sorta...it's weird)
-cold just moved to ponyville and is a jerk
-Dinky likes him
-Dinky was mind wiped
-He's going to be mind wiped if he doesn't act normal
-he still has to fix the Cmc-X-Diamond thing
-Jungle Vine is still out there
-Lyra wants to teach him magic
-Button (Enough said)
And that's just the stuff he WANTS to know about
There's still more stuff
-Has he had a Pinkie Party yet?
-He has yet to meet Twilight
-Arrows past in ponyville and the weird Cheerilee thing
-Luna in counseling (sounds like fun)
-Jungle Vine her son thing
-how is F.C. doing
-Sweetie Belle likes button
Ugh, that's a lot to keep track of
And I probably missed some stuff
this reminds me of real life, too much to keep track of and not enough time to think
good chapter though.
6499343 I realized the plot hole after I posted the chapter, but I have an idea to make it so it's possible...sort off. Okay I'm just going to bullshit my way to making it work.
6499628
just like a real writer.
haha, i'm sure you'll do fine
6500395 Thanks. Hopefully my reasoning will be good enough to advance another sub-plot I have going on.
Love your stories man
<3's all the way <3 <3
6503166 Thank you.
Also thanks for the follow.
If you've got too many ideas, can you mash them all into a single story?
6505518 Some of them yes, but the majority no.