Chapter four: The morning of

   "Button, get off your lazy flank and wake up! Rise an shine, it's yer birthday!"

       The tired gamer rubbed his sleepy eyes to make out a blurry vision of Applebloom, who was hopping on top of him. Along with Dinky, Pip, Rumble, Sweetie, and Scootlaoo. He groaned, falling back asleep.

  "No, it's okay the cats got it with the salad...."

  An amused chuckle came from Rumble. "You've pulled an all-nighter, didn't ya?"

    "I was determined to catch all 152 Pokemon in FireRed; I almost got Mewtwo before mom came in and slapped my head with my joyboy," He replied grumpily, glaring at the pillow. "Ugh, get off! This bed is too small for all of you!"

   Sweetie folded her hooves and sat on top of him. "Button, I swear to Celestia, if you don't get out now I'll slap you so hard you'll be crouching for the rest of your days, and never pick up a game console again."

Button's eyes grew wide as if he made a deal with the devil. "You... you aren't serious, are you?"

    With a cheeky smile, she stood up, and hopped out of the bed. "See you downstairs! Your mom made breakfast for us!" Giggling to each other, the rest of his friends hopped off, leaving him shaking like a leaf. Rumble turned to Scootaloo.

"She's got him wrapped around her hoof," he snickered, "I bet ya ten bits they'll be together by the end of the week."

    "No way! At the party, for sure!" She retaliated, and they shook on it. The two argued over many things, but Button and Sweetie Belle's relationship was one thing they were both certain of.

9:30 pm

     Miss Cheerilee glanced around at her students, narrowing her eyes towards four fillies in particular. They were talking among themselves in hushed excitement, while Button strained to listen. Though, every time he tried, Rumble and Pipsqueak would call his attention.

    She giggled. She knew all too well as to what they were planning, and had wished them all good lucky. Button Mash was one of the shyest colts she'd met when he first moved to Ponyville, but she was glad that he now had such good friends that were willing to plan him the bestest birthday party ever, as Sweetie Belle dubbed it. Yawning, she clapped her hooves together, grabbing everypony's attention so class could start.

1:00 pm

    The school bell rang, causing the foals to rush out of their seats in a hurry. Rumble wrapped his hoof around Button's shoulder as they began to walk out the door. "Hey bro, what do you say about going to the old arcade center and hang out there for a few hours? I hear a new Mario game was installed, and it's in 3D!"

    He frowned, giving him an odd look. "Well, okay, but... what about Sweetie Belle and the girls? Don't we normally hang out with them?"

  Pipsqueak bit his lip. He was a horrible liar. But there was a first time for everything, right? "W-well, uh, they had to run back to the farm; Applebloom's brotha got sick, an'... she needed support."

Button seemed disappointed, but he just shrugged in response. "Eh, okay. Come on then, race ya there!"

The Trottingham colt let out a sigh of relief. He was in the clear, for now, at least.

1:45 pm

     "Hurry, hurry! Scoot, do you have everything?" Sweetie Belle called over her shoulder, fastening the strap on her saddlebag. The girls had stopped by the clubhouse to pick up a few things, before heading over to Sugar Cube Corner. All of yesterday was spent sending out invitations, and getting Button's mother's help with wrapping presents. She was grateful that they were willing to do a whole shi-bang, even though she had plans of her own. Their pleading faces scratched off anything that was on her list.

  "Record! Get in here, you're wrapping your brothers present, now!" She had shouted, and the gifts were finished in less than a half-hour, thankfully with no interruptions.

     The pegasus grinned and nodded reassuringly at her. "Yup, I got the party streamers and the DVD's. Hey Dinks, need some help with that?" She sighed and mumbled a small affirmative, handing Scootaloo the giant bag of balloons. Applebloom, trailing behind, carried a crate of apple cider on her back.

    She glanced at her friends while they piled out of the clubhouse. "Knowing Pinkie, she'll probably be done with setting up most of the tables there. The party starts at three, so we have enough time to get everythin' ready 'fore Button Mash arrives," She grinned, "That means we have no time ta waste! Let's move out, gang!"

"Woo! This is gonna be so awesome!" Sweetie Belle cheered, and her three friends couldn't help but burst out laughing as they followed her to Sugar Cube Corner.

2:15

     "Keep at it, Button! You're almost to the boss level!" Rumble cheered, pumping his fist in the air.  Pipsqueak worriedly glanced around, checking the area for the girls. They've been running back and forth for the past twenty minuets, and thankfully his friend wasn't suspicious at all yet. Sometimes he wondered if the gamer was really that dense, or if he was just pulling everypony's hooves.

"Yeah.... you the man..." He mumbled, to which Rumble gave him an odd look.

    Pipsqueak quickly leaned into his ear. "When did the girls say we were s'posed to bring him there? They should be ready soon, right?"

He nodded, folding his hooves. "Around 2:45, they said. He hasn't suspected anything yet, so we're in the clear. Stop worrying."

   "I jist want everything to go alright. Button's brought us all together, this is the least we can do in return."

  Rumble didn't say anything in return, and smirked when their friend smacked his head against the buttons. He shrieked out a desperate cry and reached out to Pipsqueak to hold him, while he caught Dinky carrying a big blue box across the road. This was going to be such a long day.

2:30 pm

"SHE'S GONNA BLOW!" Pinkie Pie screamed, grabbing the nearest pan she could find, and place it on her head. The three girls have been working so fast within the hour, and so under pressure, that something must have gone wrong in the blender. They were trying to make the Pokemon molded chocolate Dinky suggested, but from the way things look now, nothing will ever be made in that poor machine ever again.

    Sweetie Belle shrieked and fell on top of Applebloom, pushing her underneath a table. Unfortunately for Scootaloo, she was the first to get hit with the chocolaty goodness. She tried to cover her face with her wings, but most of the substance got into her mouth, and she was sent flying across the kitchen, ultimately crashing into a pile of pots and pans.

"Scoots!" Sweetie exclaimed, levitating things out of her way so she can get to her friend. Applebloom ran over to help Pinkie, who was licking herself clean. To the unicorn's surprise and relief however, she was completely unharmed, a big grin across her muzzle. "Are you okay?"

  After a few moments of stunned silence, Scootaloo nodded.

"That... was... awesome!" She exclaimed, fluttering up in the air. "O man, did ya see me? I was going super fast right then! Maybe I can get my cutie mark as a stunt pony!"

    Pinkie Pie giggled, smiling fondly at the little filly. "Hey, ya never know. But what I do know, is that we won't be able to give out party favors this year..."

"Dang, and we worked so hard for it to," Applebloom muttered, kicking a spoon out of her way. The party pony lifted her chin when she caught the sorrowful tone in her voice.

  "Aw, come on 'Bloom, don't feel so down! That's not even the best part of the party, anyways! The fact that you girls put in all this effort for your special friend, and managed to get everypony you wanted to come on the list, is a win on its own! And the best part is seeing the excited, happy look on Button's face when he walks in here! That's what counts. It makes my life worthwhile every time I get to witness it."

Sweetie Belle grinned and nodded at her words, letting them sink in. "Thanks, Pinkie. That means a lot to us."

"Hehe, I'm sure he does." She giggled, winking at her. Applebloom and Scootaloo snickered while Sweetie just raised an eyebrow. "Now, come on! Let's clean this mess up pronto. When Pip gives you three the signal, just run out there, okay?"

2:50

Taking a deep breath, Pipsqueak stuffed his hoof in his mouth, and whistled loudly. From Sugar Cube Corner's window, Dinky peeked her little head out, and nodded. She slipped back inside.

   Button Mash gave him an odd look and was about to comment, when something blinded his eyes. "H-hey! Who turned off the sun?!"

Rumble chuckled as the three of them moved away from the arcade. "Relax, man. We're not going to throw you in a dungeon."

  "B-but I have to at least finish one more level in that game! And I was so close this time, too!" He wailed, tugging at the dirt. Pip rolled his eyes and trotted forward. Groaning, he folded his hooves, letting his two friends push him. The sky was awake, the sun was shining, and it was the perfect day to hold a party. Smiling brightly at each other, Rumble and Pipsqueak pulled off the blindfold from Button's head, letting him see that work they put together.

"SURPRISE!" Everypony screamed, causing the awkward colt to nearly fly all the way to the ceiling.  When he came down, he might've lost a few more brain cells along the way, but that didn't matter- he had his friends with him, and that topped anything he could ever ask for. Even if his father didn't show.