Sweet Button Mash 2: Electric Silveroo

by David Silver

5 - Emotional Damage

"Enough!" Several ponies and robots looked up as the door swung in with an angry kick of a hoof. "I will, like, not be dissed this way!"

Button inclined his head. "Uh, hey Silver Spoon. You coulda just knocked?"

Cream scowled at the filly. "I hope you didn't damage the door."

"No time for that." Silver marched up to Silverbot. "You! Where have you been?! It sure looks like you've betrayed me, which is rude, by the way. Seriously, I built you. Show some respect!"

“No.” Rumble stamped a grey hoof to the ground and scowled at the silver filly. “SB2K has been running all over Ponyville covering your flank. She set the highest score possible in Pac Mare, and signed her own initials onto the leader board! She engaged Botsy face to face in a contest over who's the best robot! These are things a pony who designed a great robot would be proud of, that’s You right, Silver Spoon?”

Silver turned slowly to Rumble. "Who even, like, let you in?" She rolled her eyes, adjusting her glasses at the same time. "Ugh, fine. So you proved you're the best bot ever?"

Silverbot nodded swiftly. "This has been proven. I have also increased my friendship count. Sweetie Bot in an agreeable friend. Sweetie Belle is an agreeable friend. Button Mash is--"

"Stop repeating yourself, I get the idea." Silver huffed with increasing irritation.

Rumble threw his hooves in the air. "Oh come on! I'll buy you a milkshake, okay!"

Silver Spoon popped a hoof in Rumble's snout. "This isn't a milkshake situation." She drew the hoof out, turning to Silver Bot. "Did you at least make it clear it was I that built you, the best bot?"

“It is true! Silver Spoon built me from the designs found in Button Mash’s Diary, using SUPERIOR FIRST HOOF COMPONENTS!” Silverbot 2000 proudly proclaimed, adjusting her own glasses.

“Wait, my diary?” Button interjected. “You mean my research notes?”

“Yes!” Silver Spoon angrily proclaimed. “Because when my classmates write books I actually take the trouble to read them! Because I am a good friend!”

“This is my life…” Diamond Tiara hid as much as possible behind all the face hooves.

Button twisted his lips. "If you wanted me to read the book, I could have--"

Silverbot broke in with a loud exclamation. "It does not matter, because I, Silverbot 2000, am the most beautiful and powerful robot that has ever lived, and I can do anything, crush any foe, and achieve any dream, all at the command of my creator, Silver Spoon! Crush! Kill! Destroy! Swag! Crush! Kill! Destroy! Swag!"

Sweetie Bot considered her robotic peer. "Your catchphrase routine appears to be malfunctioning. Would you like assistance?"

Button rubbed at his cheek. "Gonna agree with Botsy here. Did you add that, Silver?"

“That’s not important!” Silver Spoon raised her hooves in triumph. “I have achieved Total Robot Supremacy!”

“Also, my robot filly friend is cooler than yours. That’s right, Button, just accept it.” Rumble not so quietly replied with a smirk.

“Wait, what?” Everypony in the room and hiding in doorways agreed, except for SB2K, who nodded sagely.

Sweetiebot was not a pony, technically, and her view remained on Silverbot. "You could complete your domination of me with an adjustment to your catchphrase routine. To assist you in this task, will you allow me to perform a mild adjustment?" Grabbers and sparking utensils popped free of Sweetiebot as she smiled, ready to assist.

Cream huffed. "I am making dinner, and if you want some, I need calmness in this house. No more shouting, no pushing or shoving. Next pony to break that rule gets kicked out." She gave Button a glare. "You're not immune to that."

Button squeaked. "I didn't do nothin'!"

“Okay.” Rumble stage whispered. “We’ve firmly established who’s robot is coolest.”

“Silverbot is MY robot!” Silver struggled to keep her voice down. “I built her!”

“You built her from plans you stole from Button Mash!” Rumble mock whispered back. “I’m the one that taught her how to beat Botsy at Pac Mare! You just told her to do it.”

“What?” Button was taken aback.

“I can still hear you in there!” Cream sing-songed.

Silverbot leaned in, smiling as her tail flicked about. "I was created to complete a mission. Mission complete." She straightened up, tail flicking behind her as she adjusted her glasses. "All additional commands are a bonus. I am fulfilled."

Sweetie Bot gasped through octaves. "You have found your life's purpose. I am jealous." She pounced on Silverbot and hugged her in a clang of metal on metal. "And happy for you! Initiate adjustments? You wish your domination to be complete?"

“I am going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Cream Heart sang out.

“We’re all pretending we didn’t hear that.” Button muttered.

“Okay, I’m the only one who’s curious?” Rumbles ears perked up.

“Silver, after today we are even.” Diamond Tiara tried to fade further into the background.

Silverbot inclined her head at her metal peer. "My domination is already complete."

"Incorrect," sang Sweetie Bot with a bounce in place. "Your catchphrase reduced your score. I can adjust that. May I?" She brought a wriggling tendril of metal towards Silverbot. "It will only take a moment."

“Botsy, you know I think you're great, right?” Rumble spoke with most serious face. “But, SB2K’s catchphrase is base, yo! No way you’ve got a better catch phrase.”

“Crush! Kill! Destroy! Swag!” Silverbot enthusiastically agreed in perfect autotune.

Button placed a hoof on Sweetie Bot's shoulder. "Different ponies, different tastes. It works for her, let her have it."

Sweetie Bot inclined her head, her various tools withdrawing into herself. "Affirmative."

Silver Spoon threw up her hooves. "I'm glad the robots are getting along and all, but, like, you're ignoring me!"

"Touche'" Button conceded with a frown. "So what, you built a robot, and it's pretty great?" He reached out to poke at Silverbot. "Using my instructions, which you got out of my diary, which you read because that's what friends do, according to you."

"Darn straight!" Silverbot put a hoof up for a high five that Button returned after a bit of a delay.

“See, this is why I never write anything that isn’t homework.” Rumble nodded sagely.

“And I’m sorry, Silver Spoon.” Sweetie Belle chimed in. “I didn’t mean to take your high score. I just wanted to give Botsy credit for her amazing run before her batteries ran low… I didn’t even think that ponies might confuse my initials with Botsy’s. SWB, Sweetie Belle and SweetieBot… ya know?”

Silver’s jaw clenched, and tears ran from her eyes. “THAT’S NOT THE POINT!” She screamed as she galloped out the door.

Cream poked her head out, but the filly that had screamed was already gone. "Hm, well, dinner's served for the rest of you. No more fighting."

Sweetie Bot trotted into the kitchen, stopping at the table. She blinked once. Twice. Then turned to address Cream Heart. "Where is Silverbot? She needs nourishment."

Rumble chuckled nervously as he plopped down at the table, pulling a plate full of delicious smelling food towards him. "I think she needs a charge."

Silverbot was frozen in place, eyes dim and body still. Button rushed over and felt over her, but couldn't find the plug. "The panel was right here." He pawed at the spot, but it refused to open. "What gives? Did she lock it?"

Sweetie Belle hummed. "Well, you'll have to ask her, After dinner. Pretty sure your mom will get mad if we keep her waiting any longer."

---

“Okay, Silver, I need to tell you something.” Diamond Tiara nervously tapped her hooves in Silver Spoon’s room/robot lab.

“That brazen pale gray hussy stole my robot!” Silver ranted.

“Yeah-” Diamond pawed the ground. “That’s kinda what we need to talk about… Sweetie Belle didn’t steal your robot. Rumble did, and he totally stole your robot.”

“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!” The silver filly screamed in Diamond’s face.

“I’m your friend, and I’m asking you, ‘What is the point?’” Diamond evenly replied.

Silver Spoon twitched nervously, and tried to compose herself before collapsing on her bed in tears.

Diamond Tiara awkwardly patted her friend on the back. "There there. Take all the time you need." Muffled sobs filled the room for several long awkward minutes.

Diamond let her own sigh out with a soft gust of air, thinking a moment as her friend continued to cry. "Silver, you can tell me. We're besties."

Silver shook her head, the very image of a broken filly. "It's just so wrong, but I'm a pony of quality. I have to have standards."

Diamond Tiara gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. "Yeah. You are.”

“I am smart, adorable, and persistent!” Silver Spoon burst into tears. “Even my own robot doesn’t like me!”

Diamond wrapped her friend in a hug as the sobs shook Silver's whole body, leaving the young heiress to consider the past few days of events that led to this breakdown of her bestie, and that robot that had somehow caused such a disturbance to the balance of Silver Spoons world.

It all came together in a flash. "This isn't about robots." She inclined her head at Silver. "The robot wasn't your idea. That was Button's. The Silver I know prefers a nice slow drink of something sweet, gossiping with me about silly ponies doing stupid things."

“That’s not the point!” Silver snarled between sobs. “They were supposed to be impressed! They were supposed to like me! ME! Not the robot! Now they’re just running around and hanging out with the robot I built, and even the robot would rather hang out with Rumble than me!”

Diamond squeezed her bestie with her forelegs. "I like you. That's not even a question. Silver, I love you."

Silver Spoon stiffened slightly, the words like a dagger in her heart, twisting with each spoken word. "You hate me. Everypony hates me."

"Never. Never never never." Diamond leaned in and pressed her snout into her friend's ear. "You're way better than any hunk of metal ever could be. I'd know. You're Silver Spoon. There's nothing better."

Silver shook her head slowly. "I should have asked you to help me make her. If you helped, she'd be better."

"She wouldn't have been you." Diamond tightened the hug, just a bit. "But, you're not wrong." She smirked with a little giggle. "I would have added my own little flair. But that's not the point, like you keep reminding me."

---

“Come on Button!” Rumble whined. “There’s gotta be some way to open the access panel!”

“Well, you could just not declare a robot to be categorically yours without consulting the robot’s designer or even even asking for basic operating instructions.” Button snapped as he fumbled with the access panel.

“I was caught up in the moment.” Rumble grumbled, disgruntled. “How was I supposed to know that would even work? I didn’t think she was gonna run off crying over Sweetie’s apology of all things and leave SB2K behind!”

Button tapped at the unresisting bot, frowning and sighing as he couldn't seem to get the panel to so much as budge. "No, that's the thing. I don't think she cares, Rumble, and it's not because it's a robot she built. That's not even the real Silver Spoon. She's still got a lot of growing up to do."

Cream leaned into the conversation with a hum, watching with a keen eye as Button worked with the robot. "A lot of us do. And she's allowed to learn at her own pace."

"Yeah, I know." Button deflated with a sigh. "Well, we're not fixing this without her help, or ripping Silverbot apart, and that feels kinda super rude, so that's not a good option."

Author's Note:

The collab continues, with emotions!

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Really hope that the access panel for the recharging cable is a fail safe magnetically locked version. No matter how much remaining poewr goes to keeping it closed, eventually power fails the hatch opens and recharge can occur from a dead battery while holding the factory reset jumper down?

[Boldish42]

“Because when my classmates write books I actually take the trouble to read them! Because I am a good friend!”

Silver's diary logic is hilarious

[tsaukpaetra]

Privacy invasion in the name of friendship!
Seems Spoon needs counseling.