First Date

by Harmony Charmer

Rating: everyone
Tags: Diamond Tiara, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sweetie Belle, Romance, Silver Spoon, Comedy, Rarity, Other
Length: 5171

Button Mash must overcome his greatest challenge yet... asking somepony out on a date!

Button is very brave. He's saved Princess Zelda from Ganondorf, fought against zombie hordes and he's even managed to beat the dreaded Creepers! Alright, that last one wasn't real. Or the other ones.

But, despite his achievements, he has only one princess he wants(and thankfully, she's not in another castle): Sweetie Belle. Of course, when he asks her to Sugarcube Corner for milkshakes, he encounters a horde of enemies! Well, not a horde, just Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, but their enemies nonetheless.

Will Button be able to stand up to the enemy and protect his princess? And will he really learn the true meaning to being a hero?

This is to celebrate 350+ followers. The vote for this story's creation took place in this blog. I hope you enjoyed~!

Published 2014-06-18 10:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-06-18 10:20:01 UTC

Needing a Hero

"Alright, Button! You can do this!" Button told himself as he looked at his mirror with the utmost determination.

The young colt had been telling himself that since he woke up that morning. It would have been odd for somepony else to see, but the fact that there were none was only a bonus for the exuberant foal.

"Alright, I got this!" Button said once more, his hooves batting against the floor as he jogged in place to pump himself up.

"You gonna leave that mirror or will I have to take it away from you?"

Button froze mid-step and he turned to the door of his ajar door to see his mother. She was smirking, the way she usually did when she caught him doing something considerably embarrassing. Which, happened more than he cared to admit.

"Moooooom," Button whined, "Can't you knock?"

His mother chuckled, but held the decency to cover it with a hoof. "Sweetie, if you want to get going, you're going to have to actually leave."

Button rolled his eyes. "Duh! I know that!"

"Really?" His mother arched an interested brow. "Then why are you still here?"

Button sighed exasperatedly. "Because, every hero needs proper motivation and prep time before he jumps into battle! I've explained this to you!"

His mother snorted lightly and she covered her mouth so he couldn't see her growing grin. "Forgive me, my liege. I am but a simpleton and I have trouble remembering things."

"Doesn't surprise me." Button turned back to the mirror to check his mane under his cap. "You're the helper, not the hero. And everypony knows the hero is the smart one!"

Button didn't see his mother roll her eyes at him. She knew better than to contradict him on his thoughts about heroism. It would lead to a lengthy explanation that would no doubt be full of game references she didn't understand, nor would she want to.

"So, are you ready to take on the mission at hand, little hero?" she asked, trying hard not to laugh at the sight of his mane primping.

Button spared her a look through his mirror and he sighed. "What part of 'proper motivation and prep time' don't you get? I have to rally the troops and discuss the game plan!"

His mother arched a brow once more as she cast a long look at his empty room, save for Button himself. "What troops?"

Button paused before saying, "That's just something I heard somepony say in one of my games. I thought it sounded cool."

His mother sighed. "And they still argue on whether or not games influence children..."

"Didja say somethin'? I was thinking of how to prep myself for the journey."

Button's Mom smacked her hoof to her forehead. "Sweetheart, it's not a journey. It's literally a ten minute walk."

Button groaned. "But that takes foreveeeeeeeeer!"

She sighed. "Just hurry along before your time to initiate your 'mission' passes. I don't think your princess is gonna stay in her castle for very long."

Button froze before crying out, "I gotta go!"

His mother sighed as he rushed out. "Lord help him if she's not there. I don't think he can handle somepony telling him 'your princess is in another castle'... Again."

* * *

Button was gasping for air only after a full minute of running. His lungs were heaving and his heart was pounding as he collapsed to the ground painfully with a groan.

"I... Should... Work... Out... More..." Button gasped between pants.

With a grunt, he rolled over onto his back to look at the sky and his surroundings. He groaned as he saw his house not too far from where he was laying.

"Noooo... I don't wanna run anymore..." Button groaned as he turned to face the path that led to his destination. "But I need to get to..."

He didn't have it in him to finish his sentence as he dropped his head to the ground.

'Geez, it sucks to be a hero...' Button thought as he looked up at the sky.

Button had played the hero many times in his life, each for a different reason. Sometimes it was to be the best there ever was, for others it was for the sake of his home and sometimes, the world. Heck, one time, he saved the universe! Well, not exactly one time, seeing as how he kept replaying the game...

And in his heroic moments, he gained many titles that many envied and wished to carry themselves. Though he wasn't one to brag(all the time), he was extremely aware that his achievements weren't to be taken lightly. Many of the colts in his class were jealous of his gifts, he knew. His mother hadn't a reason to tell him such a lie.

But, of all the achievements he earned, he knew that nothing compared to greatest prize of all: the Princess.

It was a bit of a cliche and perhaps a bit overdone in most of the stories he had played a part in, but Button cared not for that. He knew that gaining the Princess' hoof was a goal every knight and guard held. And he also knew that to lose the right to it was a shameful act to heroes everywhere.

Of course, his princess was undeniably wonderful. She was lovely, beautiful, and her voice held a chime that rivaled that of the Goddess' Harp. She held the gracefulness of Zelda of Hyrule, the beauty of Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the determination of Ashe of Freljord.

Button knew that she was the one for him...

...If only she knew.

Button sighed as he brushed a lock of brown hair out of his eyes. He knew that like most of the greats, he was a victim of being stuck in the friend zone. Like Mario and Link, he was only kept to his princess' side to keep her safe and to keep her company. Why they put up with it, he didn't know.

With a tired sigh, Button got up from the ground and he shook off the dirt from his coat. He wasn't going to arrive at his princess' castle in such a state. After he readjusted his propeller cap, he put on his best game face and looked down at the path before him with the same determination he had in front of the mirror.

'Onward forth!' Button thought before leaping into a sprint. Well, not a sprint, but a light jog, as not to aggravate his selective laziness.

And with a renewed vigor, Button continued his quest for his Princess' castle, where, hopefully, she still resided.

* * *

"Did you see what Bon Bon did with her mane today?" Silver Spoon practically spat out, "It looked like somepony put a beaver in her hair!"

Diamond scoffed. "Please. At least a beaver would have patted it down!"

Both fillies exchanged snide, high-pitched laughter as they shamelessly flipped their manes.

"Ugh, I can't believe some ponies don't take care of themselves." Diamond rolled her eyes as she shook her head. "It's kind of sad to see them all so..."

"Grungy?" Silver suggested, hopeful that her word choice was scathing enough for Diamond's liking.

Diamond nodded approvingly. "Yeah, exactly! Grungy!"

Silver snickered. "Yeah, I know, right? Kind of like those Cutie Mark Lame-os!"

Diamond let out a haughty laugh. "Yeah! Do you remember how Chicken came to school with her mane twisted up like a tornado?"

Silver mimicked Diamond's laugh. "Totally! It was so hilarious!"

Both continued their laughing as they remained on the side of the street, next to a conveniently placed mud puddle. And, it was at that exact moment, Button Mash came rushing through the street and right into the mud puddle. Unfortunately, because both fillies were unaware of the colossal damage that was to be undone unto them.

Sure enough, when Button splashed through, the wave of mud covered both Diamond and Silver in an instant. Their laughter caught off abruptly as they sat on the ground in dumbfounded silence while they attempted to comprehend what just happened.

"Oh..." Diamond breathed out.

"My..." Silver followed immediately after.

"CELESTIA!" They screeched together, their eyes screwed shut in collective horror.

"Who did this to us?!" Diamond exclaimed angrily, her head turning left and right quickly. As she turned, she caught sight of Button's disappearing form, and the mud that covered him as he faded from her sight.

Silver growled. "It was that stupid blank flank, Button Mash!"

Diamond scoffed. "More like Button Crash! Who does he think he is, ramming into us like that?"

"He's one of those Cutie Mark Lame-os, Diamond! It's no wonder he did this!"

Diamond carelessly shook out her mane and coat, which soon covered Silver in even more mud. "I bet Chicken or Bumpkin put him up to it!"

Silver rolled her eyes as she scraped off a layer of mud off her face. "Puh-lease. He sooooooo likes Sweetie Belle! I bet she told him to do it!"

Diamond gawked at her. "Why would he like that squeaky little brat? She's so..."

"Pretty?" Silver suggested.

Diamond sent her a hard glare. "Pretty annoying!" She paused for a moment. "Do you think he's going to see her now?"

Silver nodded. "Probably to brag! You know how he gets in class!"

Diamond rolled her eyes. "Like anypony cares that he got a 'Mile High Club' Achievement on his stupid war game..."

Silver blinked at her. "You actually remember what it's called?"

Diamond sent her a hard look. "Uh, yeah! He talks about it all the time!"

"So, do you want to go see what he's doing and get back at him?" Silver looked at her muddy coat with narrowed eyes. "My daddy's not going to be happy to see me like this."

Diamond looked over to where she saw Button not too long ago, her eyes fixed in a brood. Then, a small smirk played across her features, like it usually did when she thought of something malevolent.

"That's a great idea."

* * *

Button was once again gasping for air when he arrived at Carousel Boutique. And, once again, he collapsed against the ground in a tired heap, his chest heaving as he tried to regain a memory of what air felt like in his lungs.

"I... Need... To... Stop... Running..." he panted as he dragged his head up from the ground.

Button felt a sense of relishment as he gazed upon Carousel Boutique, which held the residence of his princess. It was odd that the boutique actually resembled a tower in which a damsel in distress would be held, though that was not the case. At least, he hoped it wasn't.

He wobbily stood up from and he nearly fell over as he tried to regain a sense of balance. After he shook his murky head and he pushed his hazy thoughts away, he walked to the boutique with the stance that mimicked the knights he had played so many times.

Finally, as he reached the opening to what he knew the journey to be called "The Belly of the Whale", he looked at the refined door with a sense of pride. He had finally made it to his princess, who was unaware that her hero was there to see her. He knocked on the door in a senseless pattern, then waited to be greeted by the door's opener, who he hoped to be his princess.

However, when the door opened, it wasn't his princess who had answered, but instead her sister, who most considered to be far more attractive. Not that Button didn't think that, but he knew her heart wasn't for him.

"Miss Rarity?" Button asked, his gaze going over her shoulder, "Is Sweetie he--?"

"Good Heavens!" Rarity breathed out, a well-manicured hoof going to her mouth in horror, "What happened to you?"

Button blinked in shock. His eyes immediately fell over his being and he soon remembered the mud puddle he had sloshed into on the way to Carousel Boutique.

"Oh, I got into some mud earlier," Button said nonchalantly with a wave of his hoof, "Anyway, is Sweetie Belle--?"

"Oh, you poor dear!" Rarity pulled out a small package of moist toilettes, which she probably kept in handy at all times. "Here, let me clean you up!"

Button didn't even get to protest as Rarity began to assault his face with the wipes and he began to wave his small forelegs in an attempt to push her away, but found he couldn't reach her. He sputtered as a wipe managed to sneak it's way into his mouth and he gagged loudly.

"Oh, hush! You'll be clean in a second!" Rarity chided him, her hoof roughly wiping against his cheek.

"Rarity, who was at the door?"

Button ceased his struggling as he recognized the sweet voice of his princess. With a wary gaze and reddened cheeks, he looked at Rarity's side, where he saw Sweetie Belle residing with a confused look on her face.

"Sis, why are you cleaning up Button?" Sweetie asked, a brow arched in confusion.

Rarity spared her a roll of her eyes. "He was filthy, Sweetie! Probably sloshing around in the mud!"

"It was an accident!" Button protested, his face reddening as Rarity resumed his face cleaning.

Sweetie giggled. "Whatever, Button."

"But it waaaaas!" Button whined, but he soon saw how futile it would be to do so.

"There!" Rarity proclaimed, "Nice and clean! Toodles!"

The seamstress mare trotted off with her head held high, her nose so high she could drown in a rain storm, as he heard many of the southern folk say.

"Don't mind her," Sweetie Belle told him, "She's a perfectionist about everything."

"You're telling me..." Button muttered as he rubbed his cheek with a hoof.

Sweetie giggled. "What're you doing here? I was about to go crusading with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo."

Button fought the urge to show shock. He should've planned what would to do if she had other plans!

"Er, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today." Good, he got it out there. Now for the response.

"Oh, cool! You can tag along with me and the girls!"

Button faltered for a moment. "N-No... I meant as in... Just you and me."

Sweetie tilted her head to the side in her usual adorable manner. "Just you and me?"

Button nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah... Like, we could go to Sugarcube Corner or maybe even the movies--"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Sweetie asked abruptly.

Button's entire face turned a brilliant shade of red. "W-What?!"

"Well, are you? 'Cause, you keep talking about us doing stuff together and it's only two of us and I see adult ponies do stuff like that together and they're usually on dates. So, are you asking me out on a date?"

Button didn't even consider the possibility of having to explain his intentions for his mission, he realized. He was just hoping to ask her out and she would say yes and that would be the end of it. And as the full severity of the situation began to sink in, he began to realize just how little he had prepared for his quest.

So, like the idiot he was, he laughed it off. "Ask you out? Naw, man! I just wanted to, uh, hang out with you today! You know, sometimes Scoots does some pretty crazy stuff when we're out crusading, right?"

Sweetie nodded in agreement. "And surprisingly enough, we end up covered in tree sap most of the time..."

"So, I just wanted to hang out with you because you're totally normal!" Button added hastily, "But in the best way!"

"Oh, cool. Let's go, then."

Button resisted the urge to sigh in relief and out of self-loathing. 'At least things can't get any worse...'

* * *

Diamond Tiara let out a growl of frustration. "Where is he?"

Silver Spoon shrugged. "Does it matter? We can get back at him on Monday, Di."

Diamond narrowed her eyes. "But I want revenge now! Those Lame-os plotted against us and we deserve retribution! Just look at our coats!"

Silver looked at herself and she frowned angrily. "Ugh, you're right! My mommy and daddy are going to be sooooooo mad when they see me like this!"

Diamond was about to reply when she heard a familiar, squeaky laugh. "Hold up, I think I hear something..."

Silver gasped. "It's Sweetie Belle!"

Diamond mimicked her gasp and she dragged Silver behind a nearby cart as they leaned out the side to inspect their surroundings. Diamond's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Sweetie Belle and Button Mash walking together, both laughing and chatting it up.

"Grr, what does he see in her?" Diamond snarled quietly.

"What?" Silver questioned.

"Nothing. Just listen to what they're saying."

"I can't believe that you ran into a mud puddle!" Sweetie exclaimed.

"It's not that funny!" Button told her.

"Oh, come on! I bet it was hilarious!" Sweetie called.

Diamond snarled. "I knew that they planned it!"

"Totally!" Silver concurred.

"I wish I could've been there!" Sweetie Belle laughed, "I would've loved to see everypony's faces!"

"Oh, you evil witch!" Diamond growled.

"Hey, look, there's Sugarcube Corner!" Button called out as he pointed a hoof at the bakery in the distance.

"Awesome!" Sweetie exclaimed, "I can't wait to get a milkshake!"

"Oh, you're gonna get more than that, Squeaky Wheel..." Diamond hissed.

"Did you hear something?" Sweetie asked, her head turning left and right.

Diamond pulled Silver back behind the cart roughly as Sweetie turned to their hiding place. Thankfully, she didn't look there too long and Sweetie shrugged.

"Oh, well. Probably just the wind."

And with that, Sweetie and Button trotted off to the bakery, blissfully unaware of the villains that were watching them.

"Oh, we are going to get back at you Sweetie Belle..." Diamond smirked. "Just you wait..."

* * *

"Milkshake race!" Button cried.

"What?" Sweetie blurted out as she pulled the straw from her mouth.

"1, 2, 3, go!" Button said quickly and he immediately began to inhale the chocolate milkshake. However, almost as soon as he began to do so, the icy treat reared it's ugly head and wreaked an awful brain freeze upon Button. Button let out a scream as he pushed the milkshake away from himself and he collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Put your hoof to the roof of your mouth," Sweetie said with a sigh, "it'll get rid of it faster."

"No, it wo-- Oh, hey, it works!"

Sweetie sighed again. "You're such a dork."

"Am not!" Button exclaimed as he popped up from the floor. However, because his hoof was in his mouth, it came out muffled and incoherent.

Sweetie giggled at the sight of him. "You look so silly!"

"Who wants another round of milkshakes?" Pinkie Pie called out as she rounded their table. When she saw Button with his hoof in his mouth, she giggled. "Brain freeze?"

"Yep," Sweetie told her.

"I get those allllllll the time!" Pinkie told them, "Like, this one time, I got a super bad brain freeze, but I kept drinking the milkshake because it was soooooo good!"

"Uh-huh..." Button said disinterestedly.

Pinkie blinked. "Oh, am I interrupting your date?"

Button spat out his hoof while Sweetie Belle choked on her milkshake and they both gawked at Pinkie.

"N-No!" Button exclaimed, his face turning deep red.

"We're just hanging out together!" Sweetie added on.

Pinkie arched a brow. "Ooooh, I get it." She winked. "You're keeping it a secret!"

"Wha-- no!" Button tried to say, but Pinkie had already bounced off.

"Don't mind her," Sweetie told him, "she's just being Pinkie Pie."

Button sighed as he recalled the familiar phrase that passed through Ponyville whenever Pinkie was around or being discussed. Despite being in Ponyville for a short amount of time, he was already quite familiar with pink mare and her random antics.

Button spared Sweetie Belle a look, then smiled to himself as he saw her mirthful expression, no doubt from the sweetness of her milkshake. She looked absolutely adorable, he knew. And the way her cheeks flushed from the coldness from within them made it even more adorable.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sweetie asked abruptly, her gaze going over to him.

Button fought against the blush on his face. "Uh, nothing..."

Sweetie quirked a brow upwards. "You're acting weird... And I mean weirder than usual." She gasped. "Did you accidentally forget to save your game after you beat a really hard boss again?"

Button gawked at her. "Don't say things like that! You know how much that kind of stuff freaks me out!"

"Well, then what is it? You're being really weird."

Before Button could answer, an ear piercing, snide laugh filled the air. Button and Sweetie turned simultaneously only to freeze in frigid fear as they recognized Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Button was well-acquainted with the bullies from his school, and was well aware of the fact that they took pride in tormenting Sweetie Belle and her friends, himself included.

"Well, well, well!" Diamond proclaimed, "If it isn't Squeaky Wheel and her little hamster, Buttons!"

Sweetie Belle flinched at Diamond's insult, but she held a hard gaze. "What are you doing here, Diamond?"

Silver Spoon scoffed. "Don't act so innocent! We know what you did!"

Sweetie and Button exchanged unsure glances. "What did I do?" Sweetie asked, obviously confused.

Diamond growled. "You sent your colt-toy over here to humiliate us earlier today!"

"Huh?" Button blurted out, "What are you talking about? I didn't even see you guys before now!"

"Liar!" Diamond snarled, "You're just trying to impress Squeaky Wheel!"

"Why would he do something like that?" Sweetie questioned, "We're just friends!"

Button felt a bite of pain in his heart at those words and he tried not to cringe visibly. But, he couldn't help but twinge a bit when he began to realize the true meaning of her words:

She didn't feel the same for him. And, like he had always thought, he was condemned to the same fate as the greats he looked up to. He was stuck in the friend zone.

Diamond smirked as she caught sight of Button's disdain. "Looks like Hamster is tired of running in your wheel, Squeaks!"

Sweetie spared Button a pleading look. "Button, you don't actually feel that way, do you?"

Button was torn. He knew that if he revealed his feelings now, rejection would be the most likely outcome. But, he also knew that if he denied them, it would only make his situation worse. What was he supposed to do?

What would his heroes do? Would Mario let Diamond's insults slide by? Would Link allow such slander upon his person? Would Sora let anyone talk so lowly about himself and his princess?

That made Button pause for a moment. The answer was simple: no, his heroes wouldn't let something like this pass without retribution. But, it wasn't because it was slander onto just themselves, but to the ones they were trying to protect. Their princesses were not their objects of affections, but rather their cause.

So did it really matter if their feelings were mutual?

Button swallowed the lump in his throat and he faced Diamond with the same courage that Link bore. "It doesn't matter how I feel."

All three fillies blinked in collective shock. "Huh?"

Button looked at Diamond from his seat in the booth with narrowed eyes. "I'm not supposed to care whether or not she likes me back."

"Back?" Sweetie repeated, but Button didn't pay her any mind.

"Heroes don't do what they do for love or glory," Button said, the realization becoming clear to him, "heroes fight for what they believe in. And, sometimes, those beliefs tie in with their love for their princesses."

"Princess?" Diamond blurted out.

Button climbed out of his seat and he faced Diamond on her level, his gaze steady and unwavering. "Heroes are supposed to keep their hooves on their hilt and their shield for a reason. It's to be ready to serve, to protect, and, if need be, to rescue. And that's what I'm doing now."

Diamond gave him a wide eyed look. "Are you crazy or something?"

"Maybe I am." Button narrowed his eyes. "But I can't help it if a villain tries to hurt my princess."

"P-Princess?" Sweetie Belle repeated, her face turning red at the nickname.

"Oh, sweet Celestia, he is crazy!" Silver Spoon exclaimed.

"Villains do things for stupid things. Bowser did it to get Princess Peach, Ganon for power, and let's not forget Bowser Jr. Ya know, now that I think about it, you're kind of like him."

"What?!" Diamond shrieked.

"Yeah, you're both annoying, spoiled and think that you're the best because of who your dads are. What's the difference?"

Sweetie put a hoof to her mouth to cover her giggles. "Way to go, Jr."

"Shut up, Squeaky Wheel!" Diamond exclaimed.

"And do you want to know something?" Button continued, "Your cause for evil is the most petty of all, Diamond Tiara."

"Oh, really?" Diamond scoffed. "Tell me what my cause is, then!"

"Jealousy."

Diamond blinked in shock while Silver Spoon and Sweetie Belle gaped at Button, one out of respect, the other out of bewilderment.

"Why on earth would I be jealous of her?" Diamond jeered, "What's so great about her?"

"You think you're an actual princess, don't you?" Button smirked at her shocked expression. "You wear a crown on your head like one and you order everypony around like you have a right to. You think that what's your cutie mark means, doesn't it? That you're a princess and that everyone should worship you."

"Because they should!" Diamond boasted, then added snidely, "Daddy tells me I'm a born leader and that's why I have a crown for a cutie mark!"

"No, it doesn't mean that." Button spared the crown on her head a glance. "I can't help but notice that the diamonds in your tiara aren't real."

Diamond gawked at him. "How do you know what real diamonds look like?"

Button shrugged. "You learn things like that when your best friend's sisters works with gems and diamonds all the time."

Sweetie blinked at him. "You actually paid attention to what Rarity was telling us about diamonds when we were trying to be jewellers and dress designers?"

"I thought it was cool, alright?!" Button exclaimed, his normal coltness returning briefly, "Anyway, I think like the rhinestones in your tiara--"

Diamond flinched.

"--you look like the real thing and oftentimes, ponies mistake one for the other. But, when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter how well-polished they are: because a good eye knows the real thing when they see it."

Diamond narrowed her eyes. "What does that have to do with me being jealous?"

"Because, unlike you, Sweetie Belle is the real thing."

"I am?" Sweetie blurted out.

"She is?!" Diamond and Silver exclaimed at the same time as Sweetie.

"Yeah. I mean, she's super nice and you're not. And aren't princesses supposed to be, like, really nice to their subjects?"

Sweetie's ears flattened against her head. "And here I thought you were going to be poetic."

Button spared her an exasperated look. "I can only be cool for so long!"

Diamond growled. "You can't seriously think she's better than me because she's nice to ponies!"

"Yeah!" Silver concurred, "What she said!"

Button sighed. "Look, I get that it's difficult for you to get. Villains don't really get why heroes do what they do, or why they get the girl in the end."

Diamond groaned. "You're such an idiot!"

Sweetie narrowed her eyes. "Hey! Don't talk to him like that!"

"Whatever." Button rolled his eyes. "It's not like I have anything else to say."

Diamond growled at Button. "This is so not over!"

"Di, I think it's time to walk away..." Silver suggested as she tugged at Diamond, "Ponies have been looking at us for awhile now..."

Diamond looked over the bakery and saw that the occupants were watching her with interested looks. Feeling undeniably embarrassed, she looked back at Button Mash and Sweetie Belle.

"We'll settle this on Monday," She snarled. Then, she whipped around and stalked off, Silver Spoon trotting after her.

"Wow..." Sweetie breathed out as Diamond left the bakery, "That was... intense."

Button sighed in relief. "I'm soooo glad she's gone... I don't know how much longer I could have held up the tough guy act."

Sweetie gaped at him. "That was an act? So, wait, what was all that stuff you said earlier?"

"Oh, that was all true." Button said as he collapsed back into the booth. "I just didn't want Diamond talking down to you like that."

Sweetie's face went bright red. "So you do like me?!"

"Yes," Button said exasperatedly as he sat up, "Why else do you think I asked you out?"

"You said it wasn't a date!" Sweetie argued as she leaned towards him aggressively.

"But you still said yes!" Button shot back, mirroring her action.

"I thought we were just hanging out!"

"Hanging out counts as a date, stupid!"

"You're stupid!"

"No, you're stupider!"

Both colt and filly stared each other down with narrowed eyes as their noses touched. However, once Sweetie was close enough, she pecked Button's cheek.

Button's face turned red and flummoxed. "W-What was that for?"

Sweetie smiled. "That was for standing up for me. You make for a great hero, you know."

Button gaped at her. "What are you saying? That you like me now?"

Sweetie giggled. "I've always liked you, stupid."

"Really? But, I'm super weird!"

"And so am I!" Sweetie shoved his shoulder playfully. "And there's nothing wrong with that!"

"Wait... If you like me, then why did you flip out when I asked you out?!"

Sweetie frowned at him. "I didn't know what you were doing!"

Button sighed. "Why do girls have to be so complicated?"

"We're not: you're just too stupid to figure us out."

Button arched a brow. "I think it's best if I don't understand. I mean, girls understand girls, and they hate each other."

"You know that's not true!" Sweetie smiled. "Besides, you know who I don't hate?"

She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "You."

Button grinned. Sometimes, being a hero really paid off.

Author's Note

I listened to "Ballad of the Goddess" from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword(Beat that game TWICE) as motivation for writing about gaming. Also, guys? That message "Your princess is in another castle"? I feel the pain, man. And it hurts.

This was to celebrate 350+ faithful followers! Also, a gift to my ButtonBelle loving fan Manpug1, who suggested this idea in the first place! And while it was meant to be a SombraPie/ButtonBelle mashup back in earlier development, I'm still happy with how this turned out!