Be Mine Tonight

Sweetie Belle settled her rump onto the clubhouse floor for the weekly Cutie Mark Crusaders meeting. After months of failed attempts to earn their cutie marks, the girls decided to launch an official gathering where they could discuss ideas, review mistakes, and even put the finishing touches on an upcoming crusade. It was surprisingly organized despite being run by three of Ponyville’s most accident prone citizens.

To keep the creative juices fresh and flowing, the fillies would alternate who ran the Sunday morning meeting. Each of the girls brought a distinct personality and set of talents to the table. This week’s meeting was being led by Scootaloo.

"Good morning, everypony," Scootaloo said, standing upright behind a dilapidated podium. It was obvious this furnishing had either come from an ancient garage sale or the local junkyard. She tapped the papers against the wood to align each page. "I'd like to begin our weekly meeting with a roll call. Sweetie Belle?"

"Present!"

"Thank you, Sweetie Belle. Do we have an Apple Bloom among us today?"

"Ya can see me, Scootaloo. Ya don't need to-"

"Last call for a Miss Apple Bloom…" Scootaloo leered directly at her obviously present friend.

Apple Bloom sighed. "I'm here...”

"And Scootaloo? Present!" Scootaloo cleared her throat and placed one of the sheets facedown onto the podium. "Let’s start with a quick review of last week's meeting, which was held by Chairmare Apple Bloom – thank you for joining us again, Miss Bloom. There was a request for new CMC capes that are ‘less itchy.’ Somepony awesomely suggested the New Scooter Initiative, which will continue to be tabled until we hear back from our potential investors. We also confirmed that lighting ants on fire did not yield any new cutie marks. Oh, and Apple Bloom has drawn up the blueprints for several ramps to build for my upcoming stunts to impress the best pony ever: Rainbow Dash. Moving right along…” Scootaloo hummed and flipped through the pages. “Sweetie Belle mentioned that her brownie tray at the Bake-a-thon now holds the record for lowest total sales with an impressive zero pieces sold. Congratulations, Sweetie! We appreciate your hard work!"

Sweetie Belle tucked her head against her body. "I was crying at the last meeting when I said that..."

"Oh. Then we will strike that from the official minutes!" Scootaloo chuckled nervously. "New items to discuss? The floor is now open and Supreme Commander Scootaloo will listen to her subjects!"

Apple Bloom straightened her bow and stood. "I would like to suggest that our next crusade involves more apples an' less bear traps. Havin' teeth marks on my flank was not a good substitute for a real cutie mark."

"Noted! All future bear hunting events will be cancelled." Scootaloo crumbled and tossed a paper showing a crude crayon drawing of a bear eating Apple Bloom. "Anything else? How 'bout you Sweetie Belle? You’ve been awfully quiet this morning. Usually you’re a ball of fire!"

“I’m fine.” Sweetie practically whispered. Her front hooves rhythmically bounced against her lap.

Scootaloo clunked a hoof against her forehead. "How could I forget? Status report on Operation: Leaf Me Alone!"

Apple Bloom grimaced. "Yer not allowed to choose the operation names anymore! It’s painful! And ya keep changin’ yer title! Last time ya presided over us it was Queen Scootaloo, and the time before that ya kept sayin’ Pegasus Empress Scootaloo!"

Scootaloo threw her forelegs into the air. "Silence! I will not tolerate outbursts during my meetings! It’s clear to me that you have planted the seeds of revolution under the fertile soil of our fair clubhouse. I don’t know if I can trust you, Apple Bloom. If that even is your real name!"

Sweetie waved a foreleg in the air.  “Can we hurry this up? I need to be somewhere soon.”

“Traitor! Where must you be?!” Scootaloo fell to her knees and grabbed her head between her forelegs. “My empire crumbles before me…”

“I know yer proud to be a pegasus, Scoots; but ya gotta lay off on reading those old Wonderbolt war stories. They’re makin’ ya awfully nutty.”

Scootaloo stood and brushed the papers onto the floor. She slumped over the podium. “Meeting adjourned. I was hoping I could get a cutie mark for being a successful dictator.”

Apple Bloom ignored the dark cloud in the room and turned to Sweetie Belle. “Anyway… How did it go with Button? Was it as boring as Scoots kept sayin’ it would be?”

"Boring? No way!" Sweetie jumped onto her hind legs and broke her silence. "We were lost in the woods with barely anything. Not even a carrot! Each second was a struggle just to stay alive! Then when we finally thought we caught a break this huge wolf destroyed our shelter and chased us to the edge of a cliff." She snarled and crept toward a cowering Apple Bloom. "Rawr! We were cornered, waiting to wind up in his belly. Then Button grabbed my hoof, and we jumped off the cliff to safety!" Sweetie belly-flopped onto the floor. As she struggled to regain her breath she couldn't help but smile. "It was so much fun! He's a lot braver than he looks!"

Scootaloo pounded a hoof against the podium. "Whoa, hold on a sec! We agreed that nopony was allowed in the Everfree Forest without an official Crusader by their side! Button's a nice colt and all, but he's a walking snack to a pack of Timberwolves! You shouldn’t go in without me or Apple Bloom."

Sweetie pushed her muzzle into Scootaloo's personal space. "We didn't go into the Everfree Forest! We spent the night playing Mineshaft on his NeighStation. It was like having a crusade on the comfort of a couch!"

Scootaloo stuck out her tongue. "Eh, not really for me. Games just seem like a waste of time. And have you seen how expensive that thing is?!"

"Gonna have to agree with Scootaloo on this one." Apple Bloom shrugged. "I just can’t imagine sittin' still for as long as Button does starin' at a bright box all day. Maybe them games are just an acquired taste."

Sweetie's ears lowered. "I-I dunno how else to explain it. It was just fun. And Button was so into it that I couldn’t help but lose myself as well!" She bit her lip and looked from one disapproving friend to the next. "Button even fell asleep with the controller in his hooves. He looked so cute!”

"Cute?!" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shouted in unison.

"Abandon ship!" Scootaloo jumped over the podium and placed a hoof on Sweetie's shoulder. "Look, I just wanted you to be his friend, not get sucked into some fantasy world with him as your coltfriend!"

"Well, it's not like he isn't a little cute!" Apple Bloom shooed Scootaloo away and gave Sweetie a reassuring wink. "Earth ponies'll fly before Scootaloo understands how a crush works. You two had a nice evenin’ together and now yer mind’s just actin’ funny. Look, I’m sure a day in the orchard sounds just as borin’ to Button as me spendin’ my day at the arcade. It’s not our place to judge. It sounds like he’s taken a real shine to ya. Maybe it’s a good thing!”

Sweetie gulped and turned beet red. "Thanks, Apple Bloom... It's probably nothing. I've been hanging around Rarity too much lately. Maybe all that romance stuff she talks about is rubbing off on me!"

"We don't need two lovey-dovey mares trottin' around Ponyville." Scootaloo rushed back to the podium. "All in favor of banning Sweetie from seeing Button again?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both turned and snorted in disapproval. "Heh, I-I was only teasing..." Scootaloo shrunk down.

"I do need to get going though. I'm stopping by Button's to see if he wants to work on our project some more. If he's even awake..." Sweetie sighed.

Scootaloo crossed her forelegs behind the podium. "Do what you want, but I'm striking the ‘Button is cute’ comment from the official meeting record!"

. . . . . .

Button Mash was sitting in the middle of his bedroom floor surrounded by stray leaves covered in plastic, glue sticks, markers, and an open binder waiting to be filled with autumn’s blessings. The sleepy-eyed colt was still wearing his red, plaid pajamas. It was unusual for him to be awake this early in the morning; especially on a Sunday after a late night of gaming.

A knock on the downstairs door jarred Button from enjoying the gulps of his orange juice. "What the?" He carefully set the glass down next to him.

Penny dropped the skillet of scrambled eggs onto the stove and lowered the heat so that the mighty flame turned to barely a flicker. "Just a moment!" She cantered through the living room and combed a hoof through her mane before opening the door.  "Good morning, Sweetie Belle! Back for another round of gaming?"

Sweetie giggled and shook her head. "No, my hooves are still sore from last night! Is Button awake? I was hoping we could use today to finish up our scrapbook." She busied herself under the flap of her saddlebag, while Button poked his head around the corner to peek down the stairs. Sure enough, Sweetie Belle was already washed up and looking as radiant as ever

Crud! Can’t let her see me like this! Button stared down at his wrinkled outfit. "I'm still in my PJ's, mom! Be down in a minute!" The proximity of Sweetie’s beauty was causing a surge of panic beneath Button's unkempt mane. Plaid pajamas and bed head weren’t exactly in style.

Penny sighed and opened the door further to allow Sweetie Belle access. "Button's not usually up this early. He actually woke me up and insisted on having breakfast. I had to make sure he wasn’t coming down with a fever!"

Sweetie Belle shrugged and followed Penny toward the home-cooked aroma wafting from the kitchen.

Button dunked his face into the cold water filling the sink. His eyes shot open, and a flurry of bubbles escaped his mouth. Some ponies relied on a cup of coffee to wake up, while others simply sent a shock through their entire nervous system. He wrapped a towel around his drenched head and furiously scrubbed the fabric to dry his hair and face. When he removed the towel it looked more like he had stuck his tail in power socket to wake up.

The damp towel was haphazardly flung onto a rack behind him. Button straightened his thick bangs and examined his refreshed face in the mirror. He sniffed under each foreleg to make sure he smelled as stallion-esque as possible for his guest. "Looking good, B-man!" He grinned, revealing the shine of his toothy smile. His smirk faded and turned into a jaw-splitting yawn. “Maybe I should steal some of dad’s coffee after all…”

"Button Mash, get your flank down here this instant! You have company waiting and your breakfast is going to be cold soon!" Penny shouted from the base of the stairwell. She huffed and stomped back into the kitchen.

It takes time to look this good, mom. Button jumped from the stepstool in front of the bathroom sink. He grabbed his signature beanie from the edge of the counter. “Be down in a second!”

The alluring scent of buttered toast practically lifted Button from his hooves. A simple breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs was more than he normally ate in the morning. Button was hoping for an early morning energy boost to power him through the day. The only problem was that he didn’t expect Sweetie Belle to come over again so soon.

This explained why he inhaled his food like a starved parasprite.

After two crumbly pieces of toast and a ketchup-slathered mound of scrambled eggs, Button excused himself from the breakfast table. Sweetie was promptly yanked away from the remainder of her bagel and impatiently escorted up to Button's room.

“Thanks, mom! Tasted great!” Button shouted over his shoulder.

He was certainly in a chipper mood.

The duo trotted along the upstairs hardwood floor before finally reaching Button’s room. He nosed the door open and led her inside. The smooth polish of the wooden hallway was replaced by a plush layer of carpeting beneath their hooves. Scattered across the rug were the scrapbook supplies with a balled up set of pajamas discarded to the side.

"I was hoping to surprise you by getting some work done on the scrapbook." Button carefully lifted his legs over the leaves until he was once again seated in the middle.

"Aww, that's so thoughtful of you," Sweetie cooed. She compared the neat piles of work materials stacked up versus Button's disheveled room surrounding them. It was amazing that he even managed to have his head on straight when he arrived at school.

The stereotype of an adolescent stallion was that they were immature, stubborn, and messy. Apparently Button was a prime example. Though most of the clutter in his room stemmed from having too many things and not enough space to store them. The closet door was practically bulging outward. Who knew what treasures rested on the other side?

But it wasn’t like he had garbage strewn about. In fact, Button’s room didn’t even have a sour odor. It just smelled like fresh laundry. This was in part thanks to Penny tidying up each day before her little brown hurricane rushed home from school.

The first object to catch Sweetie’s interest was hanging next to Button’s bed over his dresser. The white, bolded words Mineshaft: How Will You Survive? loomed over the action figures and trading cards scattered across the top of his bureau. Her head swung away from the bottomless cavern on the Mineshaft poster and caught a glimpse of a red mare wearing blue suspenders fastened by two golden horseshoe-shaped buttons. Sweetie wasn’t sure who or what a Super Mare-ia was, but apparently it was all the rage on the JoyBoy.

Odd collectibles aside, the remainder of the room fit the bill for even a non-gamer colt. Well, minus the half open horseshoe box of JoyBoy and JoyBoy Color games sticking out from the lower bunk.

Button Mash had a dark, oak bunk bed with a ladder reaching to the upper bunk. The lower bunk entrance was covered by an extra-large blue comforter hanging down from the top mattress. A rather deflated beanbag chair was squished between the ladder to the bunk bed and the dresser hugging the left wall of the room. Sweetie shivered at the thought of having to stare at the creepy Mineshaft poster before crawling into bed every night. Not even Princess Luna would have an easy time chasing off a nightmare-inducing warg!

Still, the bedroom wasn’t a cause to blacklist Button as a friend. After she was done examining his room Sweetie still felt confident that Button was nothing to be afraid of. He was just a little spoiled.

"Your room is very... you!" Sweetie's voice cracked. "The only thing I recognize is the Mineshaft poster though. I'm so lame!"

"You? Lame? Nah. If any of the fillies at school saw this place I'd never hear the end of it." Button twisted his head from side-to-side. Surprisingly, some piece of his scrapbook puzzle was still missing. "Before you sit down could you tear some blank pages from one of the notebooks on my desk? I figured we can draft up some descriptions for each leaf before actually writing them down on the good paper."

"Sure thing," Sweetie chirped. Button was a much more enthusiastic partner today. She approached the desk in the back right corner of his room and pushed back the ridged roll-top covering.

Button's desk was cluttered with stacks of strategy guides, game magazines, old text books, and even the packaging remnants from his recently acquired NeighStation. It was a disaster. There was no telling what creatures were nesting in the back corners behind the scraps and booklets. Outside of wearing a hazmat suit, Sweetie's best bet was to blindly tear at papers until she had foraged the necessary items.

"I've been meaning to clean my desk... It's just easier to cram stuff in there and roll the covering down. Heh, makes my room look a little nicer." Button chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

Sweetie pushed through the mess with her front hooves until she uncovered a few notebooks. "Found one! Can I tear off a few pages from Masher's Masterpieces?"

Button's breakfast almost erupted from his mouth. He rushed over to the desk leaving a newly formed path of destruction in his wake. "N-not that one!" He shouted and snatched the book away from her. His chest was heaving with anxiety-fueled breaths.

Button awkwardly fumbled over the school work on the floor with the book tightly clenched against his chest. He knocked the sheet covering the lower bunk to the side and hid from sight.

Sweetie rolled the lid of the desk down. "Sorry... I didn't mean to stumble onto your diary.”

"It's not a diary," Button exclaimed. A heavy sigh sounded from behind his curtain of safety. "It's just embarrassing for somepony else to read. There’s a reason I keep it out of sight…"

Sweetie finished reorganizing the piles on the floor and lifted her head. "You can tell me! I promise I won't tease you!”

Button's hoof pulled back a small portion of the blanket. "Alright. I'll show you. But this can’t leave the bedroom!"

Sweetie ducked under the raised blanket and entered into the lower bunk. With the wall, two slabs of wood, and the blanket blocking out most of the natural light, it was very dim inside. It was also surprisingly comfortable. An array of fleece blankets and pillows were piled up around her.

Click.

Button lowered his hoof from the small light casting illumination onto the book resting on his lap. Sure enough it read Masher's Masterpieces in faded black marker. Sweetie pressed her back against the wall and scooted next to Button. She showed no hesitation sitting rump-against-rump with him today.

It seemed like they were in a bunker deep underground about to unleash a last ditch effort to push back the encroaching enemy forces. Commander Masher and The Belle did have a nice ring to it… Though if Button couldn’t fold his own sheets it was unlikely that he was using this space to plot a takeover of Equestria.

“It’s nice in here. Real cozy.” Sweetie patted her hooves against the sheets.

Button nodded. “It’s my gaming fortress. I like to come in here when I’m feeling down to just relax with a game or a nap.”

Sweetie’s eyes locked onto the tattered tome. “I’m guessing Masher is your nickname?”

“It’s my mom’s old nickname for me. She always called me her little masher ‘cuz when I got my first JoyBoy she thought I would break it from pressing the buttons too hard.” A slight glimmer of white appeared from between his lips.

Sweetie covered her mouth and snickered. “You have no idea how cute that sounds!” She composed herself before her laughter turned obnoxious. “So, it’s a notebook you’ve had since you were a young foal?”

"This isn't just any notebook. I started jotting down thoughts and ideas... about games. Stuff I've played, stuff I wanted to play, and even ideas for new games! Ya know… games maybe I could help make someday." Button kept his eyes on the book trying to avoid Sweetie's face. He opened the book and flipped through the pages. "I’m just an earth pony, so I can’t actually make a game. But who says I can’t write up some good ideas that unicorns could use? I sketched out concepts for monsters, stats, and even new locations for games, too. Whenever we're in class and learn about new parts of Equestria, I try to think how it would appear in a game. I... just love the idea of exploring and adventuring!" The last few pages had notes on Mineshaft including a drawing of Sweetie and Button on the edge of a cliff cornered by the warg. He closed the book and held it against his chest. "Please don't tell anypony. I even feel weird trying to explain it.”

"And what made you show me?" Sweetie Belle felt her own heart racing. Crush or not, Button was opening his heart and showing her parts of his life that nopony else would ever see. Baring one's soul took more courage than most ponies gave credit for.

"Because...” Button gulped. "Because gaming with you was more fun than anything else I've ever done! For a second," he paused, "I felt like I really mattered to somepony. Ya know, watching over you and guiding you to safety. It’s an adventure I’ve played out in my mind a million times."

"Button..." Sweetie trailed off. Before she could find the right words, Button leapt out from their comfy nest of blankets and back into the bright light of his bedroom.

"N-never mind! Let's just finish this project!" Button forced a smile. "I told myself no gaming today. I even woke up early just to spend as much time as possible on the scrapbook!"

Sweetie rubbed her hoof against the warm indent in the sheets where Button was sitting moments ago. “Watching over me,” she whispered. “O-kay! Then let’s knock this project outta the park!” Her voice squeaked in excitement.

The afternoon seemed to fly by. Button stayed true to his promise and didn’t sneak in a single video game; handheld or console! His flank remained glued to the floor, while he pasted the freshly cut plastic-coated leaves into the scrapbook. Sweetie’s tasks were a bit more involved since she was able to use magic. The handling of scissors and penmanship on each page fell upon her shoulders. Despite the additional labor involved she remained high-spirited and focused.

A few days ago she would have never dreamed of spending an afternoon alone with Button. As she slid the completed scrapbook into her saddlebag, Sweetie felt a pang of worry between heartbeats. The project was completed in record time, but she wasn’t ready to say goodnight to her friend just yet.

“Hey, Button?” Sweetie felt her heart race again. A few more seconds and his front door would close between them. “Would you mind walking me home?”

. . . . . .

As the starry veil of the night sky fell over Ponyville, the two foals found themselves trudging through the woods toward Sweet Apple Acres.

“Where are we going?” Button’s eyes darted to each side. There was nothing but trees for as far as he could see.

“It’s top secret!” Sweetie stated in a loud whisper. “Just a bit further now.”

For as much as Button enjoyed the notions of adventuring, his sore legs said otherwise. He finished crunching over the brush in the woods and jumped out into a clearing. “Whoa. Is that yours?” Resting above Button’s agape mouth was the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse. The clubhouse was built among the branches of an old, sturdy tree. It was surprisingly well crafted. Every plank of wood looked secure, and no nail remained un-hammered. Apple Bloom really had a knack for this carpentry stuff!

“Say hello to the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse!” Sweetie Belle beamed in delight. “There’s something I wanted to show you before I went home.”

Button slowly walked up the two ramps, expecting a rickety climb. To his surprise, it felt no different than walking up the stairs at home. “Okay, but I gotta get home soon. Mom’s real strict on me being in bed on time on a school night.” His hooves guided him through the open door. Sweetie Belle flicked on a lantern and placed it upon a box in the center of the room. On the box was a thick book titled Crusader’s Journal with some stray pages sticking out from the binding.

Sweetie Belle placed a hoof onto the cover and waited for Button to lift his head for an explanation. “You’re not the only one who keeps a book of their dreams.” She smiled and removed her hoof. “Take a look.”

Button nodded and carefully opened to the first page. He leaned closer and started to read. “Today marks the first official meeting of the newly formed Cutie Mark Crusaders. Blank flanks far and wide will now have a place to call home here in Ponyville. Membership is limited for now, but we hope to one day have branches across all of Equestria.” He lifted a chunk of pages and continued reading out loud. “Hearth’s Warming Eve is approaching and the CMC’s have decided to spend the next week mastering the art of baking cookies. Pinkie Pie will be hosting a private lesson at Sugarcube Corner. Sweetie Belle seems a little worried to attend. Update: Sweetie Belle is no longer allowed to operate an oven without supervision.” Button was entranced by the stories unfolding before him. He flicked through the pages and stopped one last time. “Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon really let us have it this time. Today marks a year since we’ve donned our capes and pledged to find our cutie marks together. Still no luck. Diamond Tiara told us to give up because we obviously aren’t special enough to have a talent. Sweetie Belle ran off crying, and Apple Bloom tossed her cape onto the ground before storming off. Is this really the end of our adventures together?” Button gently closed the book.

“See? You’re not alone.” Sweetie grabbed the book and placed it onto the shelf on the back of the box. “We’ve had this book for over a year. It lists our goals, our failures, and even our feelings after a crusade. Some days it’s really hard to forget all the bad stuff and keep trying, but on those days we flip back to our early adventures and remember the good times. Just because we don’t have cutie marks doesn’t mean we should be treated as outcasts.”

“Yeah, and you three have done way more than Dumb Tiara and Stupid Spoon.” Button shared the Crusader’s view on the spoiled fillies plaguing the school halls. There wasn’t a blank flank in class spared from their bullying.

“Exactly!” Sweetie Belle giggled. “Dumb Tiara and Stupid Spoon – I like that!”

“So, why did you show me your book?” Button’s head tilted.

Sweetie Belle felt a shiver run through her body. “Because… I just wanted to remind you that you are special, Button. Sure, you really know your stuff in video games, but I can tell there’s more to you than just getting a high score or knowing the best place to find berries.”

Button blushed and waved a hoof to dismiss Sweetie’s praise. “Nah, I’m nothin’ special. Just somepony who takes their hobby a bit too far.”

The flickering of the lantern cast distorted shadows of the two foals against the wall. One of the shadows moved closer to the other.

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Button’s cheek. “I wouldn’t be coming over for another gaming date if I thought you weren’t worth it, Button.” She pulled away and smiled.

Button was frozen in place. His eyes were practically larger than his head. Did she just… No… I must’ve fallen asleep. This is a dream, right?

“I guess I better ask where your reset button is before I kiss you again.” Sweetie covered her mouth to hide the mischievous grin. She grabbed Button by the hoof to pull him back to reality. “Now, I believe you were going to walk me home?”

“Okay.” Button said listlessly. His brain had crashed the moment her mouth touched his cheek.

Sweetie extinguished the flame in the lantern. Two sets of hooves clopped down the ramp and back into the woods toward Ponyville.

Despite the ever-growing chill of the night, Button’s entire body was warm. He couldn’t even remember the walk to Sweetie’s house or his own. Only the last breath of air against his cheek before Sweetie Belle so graciously gave him his first kiss.

Button pushed the door open to his home and locked his attention onto the NeighStation. “A second date? Looks like I’ve got some work to do!”

/) To be Continued (\