31. Villagers
Merry Christmas! I hope you all enjoy your holidays!
(I'm sorry this chapter may seem rushed...)
I wrote an extra long chapter for you on this special day! Hope you like it 
The fillies awoke because of the rumbling noise the wall made as it descended back into the ground, with yawns and grunts. They really shouldn't have taken Pillow Fighting to the next level.
The sky was cloudy and thunder could be heard far away. The day really didn't look like it would be bright at first, but when they saw Button and Rumble waiting for them outside the hut, they smiled.
It was an incredibly nice thing to feel wanted, to have ponies waiting for you when you awake, and to watch smiles curl on their lips as they spot you. It truly is amazing.
"Good morning!" cheered Scootaloo, slightly hovering down the two steps separating the house from the ground.
"Good morning you girls!" grinned Rumble. "Sleep well?"
Sweetie kissed Button and exchanged an amused glance with the fillies. "Like foals."
Applebloom was the last one out and she carefully closed the door behind her : "Who's up for breakfast?"
"I AM!" screeched Diamond Tiara before interrupting herself as everyone stared at her.
A deep shade of red spread through her cheeks and she stared at her hooves, a few wicks of her mane falling in front of her eyes.
Everypony laughed and Scootaloo grabbed Diamond by the hoof. "Let me show you how breakfasts in a Minecraft village are done!"
She led them back through the narrow pathways separating each house and they said hello to a few ponies as they were passing. Everyone was so joyful here, as if in a mindless, happy, foolish transe. It was sometimes weird to say hello to a passing villager, and then recall they weren't actually real.
The breakfast was held in the middle of the village, and it was a common meal. A long wooden table had been set up with stools all around it. A few ponies were grilling things a few hoofsteps away and the delicious smell of meat and vegetables came to their muzzles.
Button and Sweetie sat next to each other in front of a plate, curiously watching all the activity. Applebloom and Scootaloo were proudly sitting next to Panda Brush, happy to be able to show them what they had discovered.
Rumble and Diamond quietly sighed as they were forced to sit together.
"Did you all sleep well?" inquired Timid Deer, sitting across them.
"Yes thank you very much for your hospitality!" nodded Sweetie Belle.
"This village really is amazing!" sighed Diamond Tiara. "It feels so safe..."
"Thank you... but can I then assume you've heard of us?" asked Game Controller, making her jump.
His suspicious glare made her realize her mistake.
"Well... uh... no. But you seeeee..."
"We've been to villages similar to this one," smiled Rumble, trying to save the situation.
Game Controller nodded as if the answer pleased him and moved on after wishing them a nice meal.
"Idiot!" whispered Rumble to Diamond although with a grin.
The filly's ears dropped down and she looked away in shame. "Sorry."
The food arrived and they happily ate away, glad to fill their bellies up. Ever since they had come here, food had been abundant.
"Once we're done, we can go do a few chores," said Scootaloo munching at her bacon.
"Chores?" Button looked a little lost. "But I hate doing chores!"
The group glanced at each other with amused faces. In Minecraft, Button was the leader, the one who was always there for them and would protect and defend them without hesitation, always doing the right thing.
But in real life, he was the clumsy, nerdy, lovestruck foal that would often be seen lazily throwing the bins out or dozing off next to his snow shovel outside after spending a whole night playing video games.
It's as if Minecraft changed him and made him stronger.
"Don't worry 'bout that Button!" grinned Applebloom, nudging his shoulder. "Villager chores vary from hunting-"
Button looked up with a hopeful and interested gaze.
"- to farming," Applebloom continued with a small content sigh. "Even taking care of animals is a chore!"
Sweetie Belle seemed a little excited.
"Scoots here has been helping out the alchemists and learning new crafts. She's become real appreciated since the villagers find it funny how big her eyes get once she learns something new."
Scootaloo slightly blushed.
Diamond Tiara decided she'd probably help out the hunters. Nothing really tempted her.
"Where can I go to look after a few critters?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"That's going to be me!" Timid Deer joined the conversation once again. "I'm heading for the chicken pen right now. Want to learn how to brush their feathers?"
"Yes! I have a chicken in the house we're staying in right now. It would help out loads if I knew how to satisfy that grumpy little one," chuckled the white filly.
"Oh! Then I'll come with you!"
They both stood up and walked away.
"A nice day to you as well..." muttered Button, frowning.
Scootaloo laughed and it was her turn to stand up. "I'll be off then!" A glimmer of determination flashed through her eyes. "Sweet Waffle is going to show me how to brew an invisibility potion!"
She then went to meet a brown unicorn with a skip in her step.
"It's funny how much fun she's having here," smiled Applebloom in a big sister kind of tone. "She's not even trying to fly anymore."
Her gaze wandered off in the distance as if she was recalling something and a moment of silence rolled by.
"Heya guys!"
They all turned their heads to face a handsome white pegasus with a golden mane.
"Applebloom are you going to come help the squad train today?"
The earth pony shook her head. "Sorry Moon Breeze, I'm farming again. Try your chance with the new recrutes."
He turned to Button and Diamond Tiara. "Nice muscles there you two! I was the first to see you arrive and you gave me quite the scare... Care to join us train? It could always be useful you know?"
"I'll come!" Diamond immediately said, drawing surprised glances from both Applebloom and Button. "I need to get stronger..."
She lowered her head for a few seconds, clenching her jaw. She had to become stronger.
The snobby little brat was gone. She was an unbreakable diamond and she had things other than her stupid reputation to protect now. She had friends. No one could afford to loose, and she would be the one to save them, to thank them for everything they did for her. To apologize for all those years of hardships she had given them.
"Well then lil' lady!" Moon Breeze winked at her. "Welcome to the group! How about we start training with your pal?"
"I'll pass thanks," said Button, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hoof. "I'd rather hunt. Do you know who I could go talk to?"
Moon Breeze gave him a small nudge towards a group of colorful ponies who were rounding up dogs. "That'll be the hunting group."
"Thanks," gratefully smiled Button as he quickly finished his bacon. "Have a nice day!" he said, taking off.
Diamond Tiara politely smiled back with a restrained expression, ignoring the pang in her heart. For some reason, the fact that Button was going out hunting to bring back food was extremely appealing. Like a husband going out to bring back food for his family.
He has a marefriend, he has a marefriend, he. has. a. marefriend!
Moon Breeze lay a hoof on her shoulder : "Shall we go Princess?"
"Don't call me princess. My name is Diamond..." Diamond glared and he chuckled.
"Sure thing Pinky..."
Diamond stared for a while and then her shoulders sagged: "Princess it is..."
"That's what I thought."
Moon Breeze led her up to a group of ponies doing wing push-ups or practicing with their bows.
"Here are the fierce guardians of this here village!" he said with pride. "If you want to become a part of our village and train to become the very best, that'll be with us!"
The ponies gathered around and started babbling about her, nodding their heads.
"Hello! Nice to be training with you!" smiled Diamond Tiara, extending her hoof to the closest one.
The mare nodded with a polite smile and shook the hoof a little stiffly.
"What's your name?" continued Diamond Tiara.
The mare continued to nod. "Number #5314, test 48, palette <12/>"
Diamond Tiara just stared and started feeling a little weird. She was stuck with virtual ponies. Of course she would say something creepy like that. But... who knows what they could do to her?
"S-sure."
"But you can call me Arianne!" Her voice was back to normal. She seemed okay now.
"I'm Diamond," and this time she had to force a smile on her lips.
"So tell me, when did you adopt up your chicken?" Timid Deer asked with another one of her shy smiles.
"Well..." Sweetie looked out in the distance, remembering how she had stopped Button from killing him. "It's complicated..."
"Oh I'm really sorry if I stuck my nuzzle into something that was private!"
"No, no it's fine!"
They continued in silence towards the house, and then Timid Deer started to hum. Her voice when singing was sweet and calm, like honey dripping off of the sun, glistening. It was warm, it was beautiful.
Sweetie Belle looked at Timid Deer and something occurred to her. She had a buttercream coat. She loved animals. She was shy. She could sing well.
That was a complete portrait of Fluttershy.
Sweetie shook her head. The similarities were too close. There had to be an explanation!
But she couldn't find any.
"What's his name?" Timid questioned as they arrived in front of the house.
"Helper. Because he helped us out a lot at the... beginning."
Timid Deer cocked her head to the side. "Beginning? Has he been around since you were born then?"
Sweetie bit her lips then quickly nodded and looked away. She hated lying.
They pushed the front door and approached one of the beds where Helper was snuggled in, his little beak peaking out from the covers. He'd always loved being warm.
Helper clucked a few times to protest when Sweetie picked him up with her magic.
"Hey there little buddy!" she smiled. "I've got a friend to introduce to you. Don't get all chicken crazy on her you hear?"
He didn't reply and tried to peck her mane.
Timid Deer looked at him with big eyes and slowly stroked his feathers.
"Awww look at you! Aren't you just a cute little bird? Would you like to have your feathers brushed? And how about some sunflower seeds? I have a great variety of food for you!"
Helper looked at her with interest and pecked at her mane.
"He likes you!" laughed Sweetie Belle.
"I think he likes me!" giggled Timid Deer at the same time.
They both looked at each other and wide grins spread over their faces.
"How about we go to the chicken pen? Maybe Helper can find a few friends over there."
Sweetie nodded enthusiastically. "You hear that? You can socialise!"
They exited the house, Helper perched on Sweetie's head, and Timid led them to an area a little distant from the rest. Animals of all sorts were running about in the barriers.
"Is that an alpaca?" She stopped. "Wait, no. A purple alpaca?"
"Yes it is! We have all kinds of nice animals here! Even lions..." She lovingly stroked a roaring feline and Sweetie and Helper decided they were going to stick with the lamas.
"Anyways," Timid Deer came back to them and leaned in a little. "How about we give the little one a bath...?"
Sweetie Belle looked at Helper's muddy feathers and evilly smiled. "Why of course!"
Helper desperately clucked as he was dragged towards a bubbly pot of water. He shouldn't have taken the bait...
Button decided he liked the hunting group. They were organised, they were nice and they were especially good at what they did...
Well that's what he thought at first.
I guess every game has its weak point... Button thought as he blankly stared at the ponies who were getting tangled up in their own traps. One of them was screaming in panic as a net had caught him and he was dangling a dozen blocks above the ground. A pegasus tried helping him down, but somehow forgot she was afraid of heights and was now screaming alongside him, tightly clutching onto an adjacent branch.
Things weren't any better on the ground.
A bear had found its way to the food rations, and was wrestling three ponies for the food inside. They had no fighting skills whatsoever, so ended up running in circles hitting it with their bare hooves with pitiful battlecries. Not to mention the last pony had his head stuck in a hole where he had pursued a mole.
And the dogs. Ah the dogs. To put it simply, they had been lost. One of them sat them all down somewhere in the forest and completely forgot where he left them.
Button ran an exasperated hoof through his mane and sighed. Looks like it was up to him to fix whatever you could call this mess.
He grabbed his sword, and positioned it in his mouth, feeling the hilt on his tongue. Then Button looked at the tree where the two trapped ponies were, calculated the height, seized a strong vine and jumped against a nearby tree. He propelled himself diagonally upwards and swiped his sword through the net, liberating the pony inside that plummeted to the ground. Button landed next to the pegasus, almost missing the branch but immediately took off again, grabbing her hoof. She was pulled behind him with a high pitched yelp and he caught the other one on the way down, lightly brushing the ground but not quite scraping themselves on it thanks to the vine. He let them both go and they slightly stumbled to the ground.
Button swung forth and with another swipe took the bear's head. It disappeared with a gush of smoke.
He let go of the vine, achieved a perfect landing, planted his sword in the ground and blew his mane to the side.
A long silence passed through the forest only punctuated by the muffled sounds of the pony who's head was stuck underground.
Then one of them started laughing an incredulous laugh, so surprised that it was the only way he knew how to respond. The others followed behind and soon they were all cheering.
"You were so cool!" exclaimed the pegasus, her eyes wide.
"I have no idea how you did that! We'd be in trouble without you..." agreed one of the ponies who had 'fought' the bear.
Button blinked a few times and gratefully accepted the praise. "Thanks! But no offence, how do you guys catch things? Your organisation isn't exactly..."
"Organised?" inquired one of them.
"Uh, yeah."
"We usually don't proceed like this. But today we thought we could do something different... to..." the pony speaking looked a little sheepish. "Impress you."
Button didn't manage to hide his surprise.
"It's just that we don't get new people here often!" cut in a unicorn mare with bright eyes. "You looked experienced so we thought we'd change our plans and go out front hunting instead of waiting for animals to get caught in our traps."
"Turns out you forgot where the traps were..." said Button, amused.
They all looked down like little foals that did something wrong at school and who were waiting to be scolded.
"How about we go help your friend out?" he proposed. "If he hasn't suffocated yet..."
They all jumped and rushed to the pony who was still struggling to get his head out of the ground under Button's amused look.
Turns out hunting will be pretty fun if it's with these guys...
The sun was starting to set when the group was reunited.
Scootaloo was in the middle of the village with her Blockling, letting them admire its cute form when Sweetie Belle came back with a shiny Helper on her shoulders. She was wearing her saddlepack and it was completely full.
"What do you have there Sweetie Belle?" asked Scootaloo, curiously looking at the tiny black things dropping out from the saddlepack. "Nice look Helper!"
The chicken looked away a little crossly.
"Yeah that's what I thought..." the orange pegasus muttered.
"Forget about what I have!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, leaning in with sparkling eyes. "Who is that adorable little guy?"
The Blockling squeaked a little when she stroked him.
"I haven't found a name for him yet... I discovered him when we got separated! Isn't he just so cuuuuute?"
"Yes he is!" Sweetie cooed.
Helper decided the Blockling was a threat and proceeded to invade all the different kinds of seeds Sweetie had collected in her saddlebag over the day with dissatisfied clucks.
Diamond arrived laughing with Moon Breeze : "It's definitely a bad stance! The right hoof would be completely off!"
"And how about a kick through the sand to blind the enemies?!"
They both laughed harder before saying good night to the others in the fighting group.
"Good night Moon!" said Diamond. "Tomorrow first thing I'll show you that my skills are better!"
"Yeah right!" he smirked back. "G' night Princess."
Diamond headed towards the girls just as Applebloom arrived, wiping her muddy hooves on the ground.
"I learned how to cultivate beetroots today!" she proudly announced even though no pony really asked her.
"That's nice. Did anyone see Rumble today?" asked Sweetie, a little distant.
They all stared at each other. "Come to think of it, ah haven't seen him since breakfast..."
"Same here. Maybe he joined a group and didn't inform us?"
Button's voice made everyone jump.
"You're back! Did you enjoy hunting?" asked Diamond.
"Definitely! It was funnier than I thought it'd be..." he nodded with a glimmer in his eyes.
The fillies spotted two mares passing behind and giggling at Button with a blush.
Applebloom frowned, Scootaloo didn't see it, Diamond stood a little straighter and Sweetie Belle grabbed onto Button's hoof and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Uh, okay!" smiled Button, a little confused.
"How about we go back to the house? I'm beat!" Applebloom proposed.
"Yeah, can't wait to get some food in my stomach! I haven't eaten since I've finished making a dynamite stick!" approved Scootaloo.
"I thought you were making potions..." frowned Diamond.
"I accidentally made one of the houses invisible," stated Scootaloo, looking away. "They stuck me on the dynamite team instead."
"Seriously... I don't understand the logic these ponies have..." groaned Button as they made their way back to the house. The rumbling noise of the walls going up was soon heard, and they saw Rumble jump in at the last moment.
"Rumble!" Sweetie Belle trotted forth and let a relieved smile appear on her face. "Where were you?"
"I was on the... exploring team," he said, avoiding their gaze.
"I didn't know a team like that existed..." murmured Applebloom.
"Listen, I'm tired. I need some sleep. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow..."
And he left.
They all exchanged a glance. What had he been doing?
"Good night y'all... We'll see about this in the morning."
"Yeah, sleep well."
They parted ways, and Button snuggled in his bed. The stars were as beautiful as ever, maybe even prettier than yesterday.
Today had been a great day. An amazing day.
He had found himself new friends, as did his old friends. They had a place to stay, food to eat. They were safe.
Even though the ponies here weren't real, it was amazing to be able to interact with them. They had emotions. They had feelings. Each one was unique in its own way and had a different way of acting.
Button slowly closed his eyes, drifting into a peaceful doze that transformed into a deep slumber...
He awoke a few hours later to the smell of smoke and fire, and opened his eyes to see the village burning and screams ringing through his ears.
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Sweet stars things got out of hoof quickly
Why do I keep thinking that it was Rumble?
Chapter was fun! POTATO LIKED XD
Is the mysterious pony Rumble?
RUMBLE...
Oh crap... still no armor?
7819141 XD I have your Potato Seal of Approval? :D
7819364 You mean the one with the white eyes? 0w0
7819502 XD Still not
7819379 Everything will be explained
Great chapter
7820314 POTATO SEAL OF APPROVAL IS UPON YOUR DESK!
You have my potato army behind you ff needed be
7820499 THANK YOU GENERAL POTATO
7820491 Thank you! >w<
rumble, wtf did you do.
This is amazing! Please keep this going, I and alot of others really enjoy this, and hope to see more
. Also dont let this Die!!!
8126707 Thank you for your concern in this! I have been on a little hiatus, but the next chapter is being written!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UPLOAD!!!! THIS IS MY FAVORITE STORY!!!!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UPLOAD I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CH SO MUCH JUST PLEEEAAASEEE UPLOAD!!!
So will you ever update or is this story dead?
8427285
It definitely isn't dead, just have had horrible problems irl. I should be updating soon, I'm so sorry.
8378299
Next chapter is coming soon! Thank you for your support! >v<
8544173
Ah, no problem.
8544174
Thank goodness! This is probably one of my favorite stories that I've read on the site. Should we expect another chapter on Thanksgiving?
8544237
Aww thanks for the compliment! And I'm unsure when Thanksgiving is, but it's possible that I release it for Xmas or before ♡
8559488
Very good. After you upload your first chapter back, can we expect regular uploads? I also read your stories “Sanity,” “Madness” and “Execution,” and it is a very good twist to Cupcakes. Good read.
8559839
Thanks again! And hopefully yes, I'll get back into regular uploads :)