Hit Hard

by citrusorange

1: Button's City

"The question everyone asks is,

'Who, why and how did those foals think when they were putting roadblocks on that road for a scheme of cash?'"

---

Button certainly knew. It was to make his bad day go to worse. A day of an unexplained act of treachery, loss, grievance and then a big whopping sucker punch to add on top of his cake of dirt for his surprise bad-luck-day. All-in-all, a solid day. Even as he sat there in the passenger seat of Spike's ride, being released from the hospital with a fat bill that he was certainly going into debt for. His job that he was 100% sure on he was going to be fired from because of his incident, and the fact that the place he and.. she had rented in a plan to prepare for the future was now probably going to be given to her. Heck, he'll just keep all of his stuff there. He doesn't need it anymore.

"So," Spike rubbed his eye with a finger, watching the road. "I heard the whole story. And uh.. yeah, that sucks."

"Tell me about it," Button retorted, rolling his eyes. His left leg, if memory of direction served correct, was wrapped in a beautiful cast of bad memories, some medical stuff he can't remember probably because of the temporary lapses in memory the doctor had told him he'd get. Bandages. They're wrapped in some bandage thing he can't put his finger on, but he digresses. It's been a bad three days for the poor Button, who wiped his face with his hands. He was stressed, to put it short. Very stressed.

"Next exit should have a Hayburger. Get some of that beautiful Ponyville obesity kickin' in just to cheer you up, right?" Spike side eyed Button. "Start lookin' for a new job.. probably should look for a new place to crash at-"

"No need to pussyfoot, Spike. I know," Button groaned, cupping his own face with both of his hands. He massaged his face some more, as to him at that moment, it was the only choice of action he had left. Truth be told, Button had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't going to be his year. Started with that fight with Sweetie Belle during the whole celebration. Maybe that was the warning sign. He shouldn't of said those things, sure, but she said some awful things back! It was one of those fights that was just another building block to the relationship, he thought. Maybe it wasn't? He wasn't even so sure anymore.

The car drifted off towards the exit, stopping short of the intersection as the red light popped alight as they neared it. Spike took this time to relax his posture, sighing the weird tension in his muscles away as he looked over at Button with concern. "Dude, are you sure you're.. gonna be good? I- I know this whole thing is.." He rolled his hand, trying to find the word.

"Fucked," Button finished.

"Yeah.. that. I know it's all scrambled to heck right now, but the best time now is just to... think. Best course of action, get what I mean?" Spike said.

"I'm doing a lot of thinking right now. If I do even more thinking, I'll think myself into a coma." Button said.

"Alright, buddy," Spike murmured, accelerating the car as the light turned green. A couple of turns here, a few seconds of silence, and a grateful hum of Spike came as they turned into the parking lot of the Hayburger fast food joint. Colored orange, it had windows to see inside, and posters that clung to some of the windows that advertised their new specials. Taking logic over routine, Spike pulled into the drive-thru lane. He looked over at Button. "Whaddya want?"

"Just," Button removed his hands from his face. He looked at the oncoming menu. "Number four. Large, no pickles. I'm.. I'm that hungry anyways."

Spike nodded. "You got it, buddy."

As Spike ordered, Button reflected. Elbow on the door, hand on his chin, and a nice tree to stare out at in thought while the car was stopped briefly. What had he done to get this nightmare to start? What can he do to end it? No matter how much he ignored it, there was a hollow feeling in his chest. It wasn't your stereotypical hollowness of a dramatic person describing how empty they feel because they didn't get in line fast enough at the kissing booth for the class's resident whorse. It was something that resounded, beating like a heart and it only spread wider and wider that left a sour taste in his mouth. Something that made his cheeks sting and his stomach flip every so often. It shocked his heart every other beat, and tingled uncomfortably into his fingers that caused him to shuffle in his seat every once in a while.

The car slowly rolled forward. Button sighed through his nose, looking over at Spike who was tapping a claw idly against the wheel, looking through the windshield at the sky. The radio hummed a slow tune, turned down by Spike the second Button hobbled into the passenger seat at the hospital. Spike rolled his neck, glancing over at Button. They both blinked at each other before Spike gave a large sigh and reached into his pocket. "You want me to figure it out?"

Button's ears flattened against his head. He sunk deeper into his seat as he massaged his souring cheeks. "No- no.. Just, I don't know. I just need time. Something."

"Don't you have a cousin in Manehattan? I know your Mom isn't gonna-"

"I know, Spike. I closed that door a long time ago."

"Well okay, man. I can't- I can't have you at my place. Apple Bloom isn't a real fan of you since the wedding between Carrot Cake and Caramel."

Button scoffed, rubbing his forehead. "How was I supposed to know the cord was right there? It wasn't even taped to the floor, so when I turned the corner it was right-"

"I know! I know, Button. I've tried explaining, but she doesn't want to hear it. Scootaloo would probably love to take you in, but I'm fearing she'd do it out of revenge against Rumble more than anything." Spike said, nearing the first window as he retrieved his card from his pocket. "Rumble was her boyfriend too, you know. I don't know how it all happened, and I don't know what drove them to pull that, but you gotta relax."

"I never said I was gonna ask Scoots, Spike," Button replied. He leaned off the car door and instead opted to recline the seat back a bit so he could have some semblance of laying down, despite his few days of nothing but doing that. "Just need the food and time to think. A day or two to think, at least."

The car pulled up to the second window after Spike finished paying. He nodded his thanks and wished a great day to the worker as they gave him their bagged food and drinks. Placing the drinks into the cup holder and the bags of food by Button's wrapped leg, they rolled out of the lot and began driving on the road again. A few bumps in the road every now and then caused Button to grimace, but he nonetheless kept quiet and stuck to staring out of the window until Spike broke the silence.

"Maybe this is a good thing."

Button had to do a double take, placing his elbows on the reclined seat to lean up and stare at Spike with a smoldering glare. "That's the best thing you can come up with, right now? That's the words you thought were smart to say?"

"Sorry, sorry! It just sounded better in my head- I mean is that you and Sweetie Belle weren't in a good patch, yeah?" Spike asked, and Button's glare got even worse.

"You mean a few bumps in the relationship? Yes, Spike. Those happen. Not everyone can be perfect like you and Apple Bloom. Sweetie and I had our troubles, but we worked through them. I got her through her addiction to the stupid shit Tree Hugger was selling her at the back lot of that stupid Philly's Burgers place. She helped me get through my problems with my Mom. My Mom still has problems, but at least she put us on speaking ground. And now she does this? After everything?"

Spike seemed to deflate further and further as Button ranted. The stallion took to folding his arms and stomping his good leg every once in a while to emphasize something during his rant. He didn't know what, but he definitely knew Button wasn't Button right now. "Calm down, calm down-"

"Calm down? Spike, you want me to calm down? Do you even- don't you have any idea what any of this feels like?"

Silence. Spike stared at the road as he drove, and Button stared at the side of his head. With each second of silence, it seemed the vein of Button's forehead got bigger and bigger. They could've noticed cars driving by, or landmarks such as a castle or a few stores or restaurants. They could've noticed Button and Sweetie's favorite song playing on the radio, but they didn't. They remained like this the remainder of the drive to.. wherever they were going. Button didn't know.

Despite the same hostility in the air, Button relented his stance and resumed leaning back into the seat, staring out of the window with nothing but angry thoughts.

"..Sorry," Spike said.

"It's fine, I'm sorry too. I- I don't know, Spike. This is just.. I don't know what to do anymore. I.. I- I had something going for me for once in my life! I had it all! Why did Celestia throw this wrench? I- what did I do-.. I don't- Why?!" Button's anger broke into choked sobs, groans and whimpers. His arm left the window to gesture angrily before calming down into just grabbing his own face.

Spike's claw grabbed Button's shoulder, rocking it gently. "It's alr- It's not alright right now, but it will be alright. Wh- Whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen, dude. It's life, or something I guess."

Button sighed into his hands, dropping them back to their usual resting place, finger on his brow. "It's life," he murmured. Reaching down to the bag, he pulled out his hayburger and unpeeled the wrapper, digging into his fast food. Occasionally he gave Spike's food to him as he asked for it, but the next ten minutes of the ride was relatively quiet.

Was I ever good enough?

---

The hum of Spike's car disappeared slowly into the streets. Button had tossed the bag of scraps from the Hayburger into a nearby trash can, limping on crutches towards the Ponyville 5 Motel. Sparse cars parked in the lots, and the walls could use a nice power wash, but it was doable for Button's next few days.

It was a quick exchange. A card swipe and he was designated here for the next six days. A few mind-blurring hobbles later and he was at the nearest payphone, thumbing some leftover bits Spike gave to him into the machine. He settled one crutch down next to the telephone pole the payphone was attached to. 10 presses later, and the phone began to ring. It was the third chirp when it abruptly ended and a mare's voice erupted into Button's ear.

"Cream Heart's Daycare, this is Cream Heart, how can I help you?"

"..Mom," Button said tentatively.

Silence. Then, "Button."

"I- I just wanted to call you 'n' ask how you.. you were doing.. or something, I don't know," Button trailed off nervously.

"Well, something you haven't asked before. What do you want, Button?" Cream sighed.

"Nnn.. Nothing, Mom. I- I just wanted to talk to you.." He trailed off again, playing with the payphone's wire with a finger. "I- I don't know who t-.. I don't know, Mom. I don't know what to do!"

"What? What are you talking about, Button?" Cream said.

"Sweetie," Button almost dropped his other crutch. "Sweetie ch- cheated on me, Mom. I- I don't know what to do. I don't know if I lost my job- or- or if my leg is gonna be healed in ti-"

"Leg? Sweetie? Button, what happened honey?!" Cream was panicked, motherly instincts kicking in over past grudges for her baby boy.

"She cheated on me, Mom. She- She fucking cheated on me!" Button yelled, crying.

"Sweetie Belle cheated on you? Why? When?"

"A few days ago.. I got into a car wreck after it. I broke my leg, I'unno if my job has- has terminated me because I've been no-call no-show for a few days now.. I'm staying at a motel, I don't know what to do!"

Cream seemed to take a few seconds to gather herself, and her voice became hushed. "Honey, call me back in a couple days when I see how much I'll make this month. I can't take you in right now if that's what you're asking, so just hang in there for a few days so I can see how it can work. See if your brother can take you in for now. I'm so sorry, but I have to go."

"Go? What? Mom!? Mom?! MOM?!?" Button screamed as the dial tone droned into his ear with Cream's abrupt click. His eyes were wide, brimming with tears as he stared at the number pad on the payphone. The automated message telling him his call was over didn't even register to his brain. With a huge clunk, he slammed the phone into the machine. Wound up tension shook his core as he grabbed the phone again and smashed it again.

His teeth bared, Button let out a gurgled cry of frustration. The machine clunked and clinked in alarming ways as he kept smashing the phone into it over and over, each hit loosening that tight coil of stress and rage ever so slightly.

"Fucking- THUNK! Piece- CLANK! Of- BRONG! Shit- CRRK! FUCK YOU! THUMP!"

The phone, battered and dented into a useless piece of plastic, dangled besides the dented-in payphone. The number pad's buttons had popped off, sprawled all over the sidewalk. His fingers were bruised, some of the fur around his nails scraped off. It left gashes, dripping blood on the sidewalk as he haphazardly grabbed his unused crutch and began grimacing away from the scene.

A couple hours later found Button laying on his motel room's bed, staring at the TV. His face was dead of emotion, eyes glossed over as he stared into the screen. It was a random comedy special of some comedian he never bothered to care for. Cheese Sandwich? He was a lot more family-friendly than mature. Didn't make the jokes land hard enough for his own tastes.

Some joke about a balloon and a griffin had the audience laughing, but Button continued to stare without any words into the screen. Thoughts of JoyBoys, dad coming home, and Gibson teaching Button how to play the guitar flashed through his mind in stints.

He shimmied his hips to get more comfortable in the stiff bed, and that's when the channels flicked over. The TV blinked for a second, and then two stallions in trunks and boxing gloves were standing in the center of a ring. Uncountable rows of press, fans and other different crowds for this event sprawled all around them, no matter what camera angle. The stallion in the darker trunks was bruised, his left eye swollen shut as he kept his arms raised in an 'X' sort of stance, while the other taller stallion in lighter trunks continued to poke at his defense with stiff jabs.

A graphic below flashed FIGHT RECAP: GAP CLOSE VS TENDER TAPS while a narrator spoke:

"Tough fight last night for the contending Gap Close, who had some issue getting through Tender Taps' cross-guard, but he still pulled out a split decision victory just in time to try and take a swing at Pipsqueak's WBF belt for the lightweight division!

Button blinked, watching the fight's highlight with a disinterested look while the narrator continued to spout information he didn't care for. He yawned, slowly being lulled to sleep before a familiar blob of colors glazed his eyes back into focusing. It was a new graphic, BABS SEED: BANNED FROM COMPETING IN BOXING INDEFINITELY

"Huh?" He wiped his snout, straightening his back to lean in as the TV announcer spoke loud and clear:

"Babs Seed tested positive for a multitude of extremely illegal performance-enhancing drugs in her bout against Quick Hit! In response, the commission of international boxing has declared her to be banned indefinitely from ever competing again. She continues to swear innocence, but the tests never lie! What about it, Maximum Slander?"

Button blinked, the cogs in his brain churning with smoke as he tried to recall that name.

"Babs.. Babs.. Apple Bloom's cousin!" He said to nobody. "Wait..

"She's BANNED?!"

Author's Note:

any grammatical errors let me know

enjoy! 🍊

Comments

[citrusorange]

9859573
It's been 3 years?

Really?

Uhh... here's an update! Haha! 🍊

[Killercraft]

Plz more I missed this