Be Mine Tonight

The school doors swung open and slammed against the sides of the building. Foals flooded down the steps and into Ponyville like a broken wave spreading upon the coast. Eventually their numbers tapered off, and only the remnants of crunched up leaves and battered soil remained. This was a typical scene on a late Monday afternoon. The scourge of schoolwork wouldn’t continue its torture until the next morning.

Two ponies were still inside the classroom proudly handing in their completed scrapbook. Button and Sweetie had overcome the odds and not only finished their project in record time but also forged the foundation of a strong friendship. The duo practically wagged their tails in excitement as Cheerilee inspected the stuffed tome held between her hooves.

"I just can't believe you finished so soon," Cheerilee said in surprise. She dropped the book onto her desk and carefully lifted the thick shell of the binder to review the innards.

"We have a table of contents, each leaf was hoof-sealed between wax paper, and we even made sure to follow the same layout on every page!" Sweetie pointed to the exposed sheet. A hickory leaf was centered at the top of the page with the name, location, and description neatly scribed beneath. Button's plan to draft the descriptive text on scraps of paper had definitely paid off! There were barely any errors to be found. Foals weren’t exactly known for their top-notch calligraphy skills, but it helped to have a unicorn steadying the quill with her magic.

“It looks like you’ve both put in a tremendous amount of effort in such a short time.” Cheerilee’s eyes lifted from the book and onto the spinning propeller poking up over the side of her desk. “I’m assuming you both did equal work?” She kept her eyes on Button.

“Sure did, ma’am!” Button grinned wide enough to split his jaw in half.

“Button was a huge help! He did a lot of the dirty work. Diving in leaf piles, digging through gutters, falling out of trees; ya know, all that colt stuff! I took care of the design and construction of the book. When I came over yesterday, Button had all of the supplies ready to go! Putting together the scrapbook was a breeze!” Sweetie was quick to stand up for her usually lax partner.

Cheerilee closed the book and smiled. “You should put down those games more often, Button Mash. I’m thrilled to see you so passionate about schoolwo-“

“Nah, I still had plenty of time to game! I even stayed up until…” Button trailed off and lowered his ears. His teacher’s disapproving glare caused the truth to derail slightly. “I mean, I went to bed at a reasonable time last night. I’d never dream of coming to school on only a few hours of sleep.” Again…

Their teacher sighed and planted a hoof against her forehead. “Oh, Button…” She turned to Sweetie Belle. “I’ll need to make sure I pair you two up more often. Somehow you managed to whip him into shape. When he’s with Rumble they barely meet their deadlines.”

“Let’s just say we found a good balance between work and play.” Sweetie placed a hoof on her lips and snickered.

“And I work a lot harder when I have a good partner. A partner who isn’t Diamond Tiara…” Button shuddered. It was true that Diamond was more of a slave driver and less of an equal when he had worked with her on last year’s final project. She certainly didn’t offer the positivity and kindness that constantly poured from Sweetie Belle’s heart.

“I’ll take a closer look at your work once the other students turn in their projects. You two go outside and enjoy the wonder and beauty of Mother Nature.” Cheerilee clasped her hooves together and held them against her chest. “Make the most of your day!” There was a good reason that Cheerilee was a teacher. Her beaming optimism was a beacon to guide even the most absentminded student toward their full potential.

Sweetie’s eyes caught Button’s as they each aimed a sly grin toward the floor.

“Don’t worry, we will!” They shouted, galloping out through the door.

. . . . . .

“Mom, I’m home!” Button tripped over his feet in excitement. “Sweetie Belle’s here too!” He wriggled out of his saddlebag and left it on the floor in front of the door. “We’re gonna play some games!” He hopped onto the couch and immediately grabbed the controller resting on his favorite spot.

Sweetie Belle hopped over the spilled contents of Button’s bag and elegantly trotted toward the couch. She stopped and sunk to the ground when an angry scowl appeared from the kitchen.

“Button Mash! Don’t leave your bag on the ground! I’ve told you a million times that you need to take better care of your things. If your father tramples one of your games it will be your own fault!” Penny huffed at her oblivious son. He was already falling prey to the allure of his pixelated paradise.

“But, mom, we don’t have a lot of time to play and I wanted to show Sweetie some really cool stuff that I found last night before she has to leave for dinner!” Button’s moaning wasn’t doing much to organize the pencils and papers decorating the entrance to the Mash residence.

Luckily, Sweetie was on the job! She nosed the last pencil back into his bag and used her magic to clasp the flap the shut. “It’s kinda my fault he’s all wound up. When he came into school this morning I asked when I could come over again to play. I figured he’d say ‘this weekend,’ but instead I was practically dragged here after class! I don’t have a lot of time to stay. My parents want me home for dinner tonight. They get a little clingy when I spend the weekend with friends or at my sister’s house.”

Button set the controller down and hummed along to the opening music of Mineshaft. He turned his grinning face to his mother, who was still looking rather cross. “I promise I’ll clean up my room before bed if Sweetie can stay for a bit. Just one quick battle; I swear!”

Penny’s head pulled back in shock. “Y-you’re offering to clean your room without me yelling at you?” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you up to something, mister?”

Button shook his head and felt the couch quake as Sweetie joined him. “No! I just figured we could make a deal.” He stood on his hind legs and pointed a hoof toward his mother. “One clean room for one hour of gaming with Sweetie Belle! Take it or leave it, mother!” He folded his forelegs over his chest and closed his eyes in defiance.

“As your mother I do have the power to veto any offer you make…”

Button dropped his flank onto the couch and sat quietly.

“But I’ll accept your offer. Just make sure your room is spotless tomorrow morning. Don’t think I won’t check when you’re off at school.” Penny sighed and looked to Sweetie. “He gets his behavior from his father. I swear colts don’t grow up, they just get bigger…” Before Penny could even think of another sentence, her living room was filled with the sounds of gaming euphoria. She knew all too well that her son’s mind would be lost until dinner was finished. It was time for a serious dose of concentrated gaming.

And once again Button had a certain somepony by his side.

. . . . . .

As soon as the world loaded it was apparent that they were no longer stranded on the riverbank below the cliff Button had forced them over. In fact, Sweetie’s flank was safely planted among an indoor garden. Before moving an inch, the filly scanned her new surroundings. A low, stone wall supported rows of glass panes that continued upward until a curved, transparent ceiling formed over her tilted head.

“Is this… a greenhouse?”

Sweetie hopped to all fours and examined the tilled earth around her. There were enough sprouts of wheat growing to make a few loaves of bread. Behind her, a patch of carrots was being nurtured by the fertile terrain. She walked through the enclosure toward an open door on the far side of the room. She was obviously safe in here, but where exactly was the architect of their new home?

The answer was waiting for her on the other side of the door.

“Surprise!” Button shouted. He was standing on his hind legs with his forelegs outstretched toward the roof. “Welcome home!”

Sweetie used her rump to close the door behind her, keeping her eyes on the dancing colt. “Where are we? What happened to the river?”

“Oh, that’s outside still. I decided to play a little last night before going to bed.” Button rubbed the back of his head. “I lost track of time and sorta stayed up until…” His mumblings were inaudible. It was obvious that this was no fifteen minute gaming snack before bed. Button most likely burned all the midnight oil to build this dwelling from scratch; especially one that was fully furnished!

Compared to the oversized storage shed they called home in the forest, this house was akin to Canterlot Castle. Two beds were separated by a sparsely-filled food chest. Across from slumber central was a much more advanced workbench than the wobbly table Button created in the woods. Rather than having a single manual for recipes, he now had two additional books for different armors and spells. Sweetie’s character was a unicorn after all. Her magic would be coming handy during extended stays underground.

The home itself was made from grey blocks of stone. Only the roof shared the wooden styling of their previous household. Torches were fastened to the outer walls to protect their new base from unwanted monster attacks. For some reason twenty-foot wargs didn’t like the idea of being near flickering bits of light. Gaming logic was as flawless as ever!

“It’s… amazing,” Sweetie whispered. Her hooves padded along the freshly laid carpeting. “You did all this in one night?”

Button blushed and followed her across the room. “Well, one night and one… morning.” He was still avoiding the fine print of how long he had actually stayed up. “Now I know why dad drinks so much coffee in the morning. That stuff really wakes ya up!”

“Button! I don’t want you staying up all night just because you wanted to surprise me with something in a video game! You need to sleep.” Sweetie pushed away the motherly comments in her head. The last thing she wanted to do was scold Button for his hard work.

“I know, I know! I promise I won’t do it again.” This week... Heh heh. “I do have one more thing to show ya. Close your eyes and count to three.”

Sweetie pressed a hoof against each eye socket and quickly counted. “One, two-“

“W-wait! Make it ten! And slow down a bit, would ya?”

Sweetie restarted the countdown and enjoyed the long ten seconds of darkness. She heard the opening of a cabinet door followed by a sudden slam. As her lips brought her to the final number she readied to pull her hooves away from her eyes. Button was up to something, and even though it was only a game she couldn’t help but feel a flutter of anxiousness spreading through her chest.

“Ta-dah!” Button pulled Sweetie’s forelegs from her face.

Stacked on Sweetie’s bed were three boxes wrapped in pink paper with a lavender bow fixed atop of each lid. She squeed in delight and jumped onto the mattress. The boxes toppled forward into her lap. She shook the first box and heard something metallic rattling around.

Button crossed his forelegs over his chest. He was trying to display a macho stance, while shreds of paper piled up in front of him “It’s just a little thank you for spending the weekend with me. And… being my partner.” The butterflies trapped within his own stomach were causing a new anxiety he had never felt before. “I just wanted to do something special for you, Sweetie. Is that… lame?”

“Button, I don’t know any fillies who would think getting presents is lame!” Sweetie rolled her eyes away from the shrugging colt and back to the heavy box resting on her lap. “This one’s pretty heavy.” She flicked the lid onto the ground. A grunt left her chest as she raised an iron boot into the air above her head.

[Buckin’ Boots: Say goodbye to those hard-to-reach items hanging in the treetops. Snacking on an afternoon apple has never been easier! Just give a hearty buck with your hind legs, and you’ll be running your own apple orchard faster than you can say, “Yee-haw!”]

“Our days of climbing trees are over!” A pair of Buckin’ Boots appeared on Button’s back hooves. The tight-fitting iron boots weren’t the most attractive item, but they offered a few extra points of defense as well as a means to shake those hard to reach places. “I have a pair, too! I’ll show ya where I got ‘em after you open your other gifts.”

Sweetie placed the boots back into the box and set it on the bed next to her. She was already eagerly tearing away the paper on the next box. With a flick of her hoof, the lid popped off and fell to the floor. “What exactly is this?” She looked at her confused reflection in the polished, metal plate clamped between her hooves.

“It’s a chestplate,” Button explained. “If you equip it you’ll get some extra defense and life. It’ll be good for where I’m about to take you!”

After a few seconds of configuration the iron chestplate was secured against Sweetie’s body. She was starting to look more like a warrior and less like a delicate filly. “Where are you taking me?”

“One more gift! Then we’ll leave. C’mon, hurry up!” Button danced in place. The anticipation was killing him. “You said you didn’t have a lot of time!”

“Alright! Hold your horses!” Sweetie pushed the empty box onto the floor and grabbed the last impromptu present. Instead of shaking the box or guessing the weight she simply tore the lid away and grabbed the object. “This is even more confusing than the last thing you gave me.” She lifted the picture frame and tilted her head the side. Just as her eyebrow rose in thought she realized what she was holding.

Between her hooves was a dusky, auburn frame with a broken piece of wood mounted in the center. The splintered edges brought a wealth of memories to the forefront of her mind. On the other side of this flawless sheet of glass was a piece of their first home.

“I went back to the forest to see what was left of our old house.” Button lowered his ears. “It was all in pieces. Most of the materials weren’t even salvageable.” He jumped onto the bed next to Sweetie. “I know you were bummed out when that warg destroyed everything, so… I thought I’d bring something back. Ya know, for memories and stuff.”

“This is definitely my favorite present.” Sweetie said softly, with a growing smile. Her hind legs wobbled as she braced herself upright on the mattress. One quick motion later and the framed building block of their friendship was secured over her bed. “Now when I go to sleep I can look up and remember my favorite crusade!” She hopped down from the bed and banged a hoof against her chestplate. “Now, where are we going? The Belle is ready for deployment!”

Button was still in a daze from Sweetie’s reaction to the shard of lumber hanging over her pillow. “Favorite… crusade,” he mumbled to himself. Sweetie was practically out the door by the time Button’s mind clicked into place. “Oh, right!” He hopped off the bed and immediately galloped to the treasure chest. After several moments of muttering into the box he was ready to go! Clenched against his body were an array of shovels, pickaxes, and swords. “I stumbled onto something really neat when I was digging for the iron to make your armor. Hope you like treasure ‘cuz we’re gonna be swimming in rare items soon!”

Outside their home was a stretch of grass leading to the infamous river that cushioned their deadly fall. Across the river rested a small cave that almost blended into the base of the mountain. Button had placed torches above the entrance as a landmark in order to remember his newest discovery. Every miner-in-training needed to have an easily accessible digging spot in order to craft better gear.

This particular alcove hid more than just an infinite amount of grey stone.

Button tapped his hooves against the ground to shake the water from his leather boots. He was clad in dingy rawhide armor, while the filly standing next to him was showcasing her newly acquired chestplate. “When I left the woods, I realized I needed some stone for our new house. I figured I’d just swim across the river and chip away at the dirt until I found some.” He ducked down and entered the narrow slot leading to the interior of his hollowed-out location. “When I was digging I heard this strange voice.”

“Strange voice?” Sweetie gulped.

“Mmm hmm.” Button used his foreleg to lift a torch into the air. He pointed the flame to a staircase covered by hanging vines. “There was an old stallion dressed in a red robe. He had a big, white beard like that Swirlybeard guy we learned about in history class.”

“Starswhirl the Bearded…” Sweetie sighed. He was only the most influential unicorn to ever live.

“Yeah, him! He said, ‘It’s dangerous to go any further without the proper equipment.’ Then he handed me a scroll with the blueprints for those Buckin’ Boots. I dunno why we need boots like those underground, but when I made the boots and came back, he was gone! And behind him was this staircase!” Button reared his leg back and kicked a rock through the vines.

They both listened as the rock clicked and clacked endlessly down the stairs.

“Did you… go down there?” Sweetie could see a faint glow at the bottom of the pit.

“I did. There was a ton of iron down there! That’s how I was able to make a second pair of boots and your chestplate. With two of us we can probably find more stuff even faster! I could have dug all night, but I knew we needed someplace safe to stay.” Button equipped his sword and slashed the vines away. They fell to the ground and exposed the jagged stairwell. “Wait until you see what else is down there.”

Sweetie Belle put on her best face and took a step forward. “I’m ready when you are.” Her voice quivered with uncertainty.

Their hooves lead them down the stairway one step at a time. Sweetie had to occasionally duck to avoid a shard of rock jutting out from above. It seemed to get narrower the further they descended. When they reached the final step both ponies fell onto their rumps and rubbed their aching hooves.

“Here we are,” Button proclaimed.

The source of dim light originally seen from the top of the steps was actually coming from a pool of florescent-green water. A thin strip of land split the pool in two halves. Sweetie followed closely behind Button as they marched between the shimmering seas. The iridescent water reflected onto the ceiling and cast a dancing aurora on the walls.

“It’s almost spooky. So quiet…” Sweetie stopped walking and leaned closer to the green liquid. “Is it safe?”

“Yeah, I dipped a hoof in when I first came down. No damage. I dunno if we should stay in it too long though. That’s why I made this path of dirt from the stairs just to be safe.” Button waved a hoof. “C’mon, the thing I wanna show you is just up ahead.”

Sweetie pulled her hoof from the water and shook it dry. “Coming!” She cantered after him until they finished crossing to the other side.

A large, rusted key was waiting for them at the far end of the room. It was facing a door that read The Shimmering Caves over the archway. Not surprisingly, there was a keyhole on the door. Even the dimmest player would be able to solve this puzzle.

“This is where I quit last night. I think it’s an entrance to a dungeon.” Button’s hoof tapped against the key. A chunk of rust chipped away and exposed a much more appealing copper finish. “We can check it out together before you have to leave for dinner!”

Sweetie nodded in agreement. “What do you think is on the other side?”

“Probably something really good! Give me a hoof and we can unlock it.” Button carefully lifted and lined up the key with the slot. His forelegs trembled, while Sweetie exerted her energy to shove the hulking piece of metal forward.

With a loud click, the key was in place. The panting foals waited for their stamina gauges to refill before unlocking the door. There was no telling what was barricaded this far beneath the surface.

"That thing was heavier than it looked." Button braced a tired foreleg against the door.

Sweetie wiped her brow, leaving a trail of dirt smeared across her forehead. "You're telling me," she huffed.

"There might be something really nasty on the other side of this door. Are you sure you want to keep going? We can always call it a night if you want." Button placed his hooves on the back of the key. They were one door away from entering their first dungeon. Oddly enough, there were no growls echoing against the damp walls; just an eerie silence accompanied by occasional drips of water from the ceiling.

"No way! We'll check out the room and then I’ll go home. I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing we stopped right before a big room packed with treasure!" Sweetie placed her hooves on Button's and helped him turn the key.

The hushed ambiance was ruined as the creaky metal door opened. Button and Sweetie looked at one another and slowly walked into the unknown.

"Just be ready for anything," Button whispered. "I've played enough games to know what a boss room looks like."

"Boss room?" Sweetie inched closer. Her fur was beginning to absorb the musty smell from their surroundings.

"Yeah. A boss room is where the meanest, toughest monsters live! If we beat them then we'll get some really cool items!" Button's voice became muffled as the sword was re-equipped between his teeth.

"Sounds scary..."

Bang!

Both ponies whipped their heads to the sound of the door closing shut. The key clattered to the ground on the other side.

"It's a trap! That's why the key was just sitting there!" Button growled.

"I'm scared!" Sweetie's heart was pumping faster. Her panicked gasps for air only left the taste of moldy dirt on her tongue.

Much of the room was dark with only sparse torchlight to separate the walls from the floor. It was a circular room. There were no obstructions or signs of occupancy. Two vine-covered pillars rose from the center of the room. Between those pillars on the far side of the black expanse was a door with three bars blocking access. No keyholes or switches to be found.

"We'll need to dig our way out. Try smacking the wall with your pickaxe. I'll cover you." Button hopped to the side. Sweetie Belle equipped the pickaxe and casually trotted past him.

Button's eyes followed the wall for any instruments that could remove the bars from the distant exit. The subtle orange glow flickering against each iron bar was both a reminder of escape and a warning of confinement. Why did the room trap them inside? Furthermore, why was it locked to begin with? The old pony standing guard at the entrance didn’t do a very good job explaining the dangers below!

The clang of a pickaxe against the wall reverberated between Button's ears. He turned hoping to see the making of an escape route but only found the handle of the pickaxe vibrating between Sweetie's teeth.

"No luck." She dropped the tool on the ground and consoled her throbbing muzzle. "Want me to try with my magic?"

Button shook his head. "Nah, your magic mastery is still lower than your physical stats." He placed a hoof on the groove in the wall. "You barely scratched it! What the heck's this place made out of?"

There really was no easy way out. This room was looking more like a tomb than a hidden passage to infinite wealth.

Sweetie placed the pickaxe back into her inventory and trotted away from Button. "Well my mouth hurts too much to try again anyway! There has to be a switch somewhere!" She looked up to the pillars connecting the floor to what she hoped was a ceiling. It was too dark to even measure the vertical dimensions of the room. Only a skirt of dancing flames lit the outside perimeter.

"Don't wander off too much. I can barely see you!" Button crept toward the sound of her hooves.

Sweetie scraped a hoof against the ground and felt the hard stone replaced by a mound of sand. “Maybe we can dig our way out through this sand,” she beamed with pride. The filly lit a torch and held it in her mouth, while she dug into the sand like a diamond dog searching for lost treasure. Her hoof stubbed against a curved black object. Sweetie planted the torch in the ground. “I found the switch! It was buried in the sand!”

The floor started to shake and knocked Sweetie onto her flank. A familiar green liquid began pouring down the walls and extinguished every torch. The water collected in a shallow groove along the perimeter until a ribbon of sparkling jade illuminated the room.

"Stay there I'm coming!" Button felt his breath warm the hilt of his sword as he ran. The anxiety was causing an immense amount of strain on his heart. No gamer liked the idea of being trapped in an early grave. Even worse, now the empty room was fully lit.

That could mean only one thing…

The sand pit exploded and launched a plume of grainy molecules into the air. Sweetie was hurled onto the ground in front of Button and lost half of a heart. She placed a hoof on her bruised head and watched as the cloud of sand finished falling to the ground. “What the hay is that?!”

Button growled and readied his sword. “That’s what a boss looks like!”

/) To be Continued (\