Button Mash is (Mostly) Grown Up!
Button Mash smiled as he stopped to watch the school ponies run happily away from their captors. It was the last day of school, three years after he had graduated from the school himself. He sighed. And seven years since he first developed his crush on Sweetie Belle. Not that she wasn’t still beautiful, of course, but he was older now. He knew the two of them never had anything in common besides their love for milkshakes, and even then she seemed annoyed whenever he got a brain freeze.
Button looked at the ground and hoofed the dusty dirt road, only slightly lighter than his coat. How was he ever going to find somepony that shared his interests? The guys liked playing video games, but he wasn’t into colts. Looking up at the midday sky, Button realised how late it was becoming and hurried off to the arcade to meet his friends.
As Button quickly trotted into view of the arcade, his friends Pipsqueak and Truffle Shuffle ran over and met up with him.
“Hey guys, sorry I’m late! I left my beanie back at the house,and then I was reminiscing when I walked past the old school.”
Pipsqueak responded first, “No worries, we were a little late too. It was really busy in town and hard to get over here.” The brown-maned pinto stallion paused worriedly, “Did your mom give you any bits?”
Button shook his head excitedly, “No, actually she didn’t. I finally got a job washing tables at the milkshake shop!”
“That’s so cool! Maybe we’ll be the ones asking you for bits for once,” Truffle Shuffle said jokingly. His chubby blue cheeks jiggled as he laughed. He never did end up growing out of his.. plushness.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s just go in so I can beat you both in everything. My cutie mark isn’t a controller for nothing!” Button Mash loved pointing that out at any chance he got. He was one of the last in his class to get his cutie mark, and he thought his was the best. After all, there were no ponies that he knew of who could beat Castlemania - Saddlebred’s Quest, let alone as easily as he did.
As the three young stallions walked into the arcade, Button Mash held his head high. Today was the day he would prove to his friends how quickly he really could defeat Castlemania - Saddlebred’s Quest. He had done it on his own to get his cutie mark, but now he could really show it off! And since no one ever played the game in the back of the arcade, he had decided he would do it first thing!
Suddenly, Button Mash’s golden eyes dimmed as he heard the ending theme for Castlemania playing from the back of the arcade and the familiar-sounding cheer. At a full gallop, he rushed through the maze of machines and skidded to a stop before crashing into the rear wall of the establishment. His attention was brought immediately to the bright rainbow-maned blue pegasus that was speaking.
“Way to go Velvet! That’s the second time in a row! How did you even do that?!”
As the smaller white pegasus next to Rainbow Dash stretched back from the console, the most comforting voice he had ever heard floated over to him, “It’s not like it’s that difficult, ‘Cuz. It’s not like you need a gaming cutie mark to beat it.”
Button’s heart sank. Castlemania was the one game that proved he was really special, the game that caused his cutie mark to finally appear. How could anyone just waltz in here and steal his thunder? He started fuming. Button decided to go ask that mare who she thought she was, and challenge her.
As he stomped down the aisle with a huge, angry speech in mind, the mare dropped down from the console. Hearing Button’s hooves on the floor, she turned curiously to meet his gaze as he started to speak.
“Who..” Button began with force in his voice, but he was instantly lost in her dark green eyes. “I.. I mean.. who are you?”
The mare giggled with her hoof covering her mouth, and her wavy dark rainbow mane fell over her right eye. “I’m Velvet Dash. And who might you be? Judging by your reaction, I’d hazard a guess that you’re that colt I’ve heard about that can beat Saddlebred’s Quest as quickly as I can.”
“Well.. I.. I’m Button Mash.. And yes, actually, I got my cutie mark for playing it. I’m a gamer pony!” He blushed for a moment and mumbled, “And I’m not a colt, I’m a stallion now..”
Rainbow Dash, normally oblivious to any romantic situations (I mean really, who could have guessed that Applejack liked her back?), suddenly sensed that there was some serious chemistry going on between these two. How could she pass up the chance to hook her younger cousin up?
“Oooh, so you’re a ‘gamer pony’ are ya? Why don’t we put that to the test and have a little competition? One on one, Mash vs Dash! You vs my awesome little cousin!”
Velvet spoke before Button could get a word out, “Game on!” She held out her hoof, and Button Mash shook it with a mixture of courage and self-doubt. Gaming was supposed to be his special talent. If he could get beaten by somepony whose talent wasn’t even playing video games, then what was he good for?
It all came down to this. The pair had been playing games late into the evening, and were neck and neck all day. Every time Button won a game, Velvet won the next round, and vice versa. They had gone through every two-player game in the arcade and drawn a massive crowd. Now, they were faced with the ultimate task: who could beat Castlemania the fastest?
Button Mash went first. He dodged every obstacle he could, and took out many enemies without a single hit. The pits were easy enough for him to avoid, he knew this game like the back of his hoof. The jump button was working more perfectly than ever, and everyone was watching. He finished the game, and knew there was no way Velvet could beat that time. It was the best time he had ever gotten himself! With a smug look on his face, Button hopped down from the console and made room for his competitor.
Velvet looked calm and collected. She knew she could beat that time easier than breathing, and the controls moved like butter. She glided through the levels, the enemies barely missing her character as she managed to jump in the near impossible miss-zones. Glancing over occasionally, she saw the look of horror on Button Mash’s face grow more dejected. At this rate, she would beat his time by ten minutes. She hadn’t known this young stallion very long, but something drew her to him and made her want him to cheer up.
With a new determination in her eyes, she jumped up to the next platform.. And let herself get smacked by a vampire bat.
Rainbow Dash was not amused. “What are you doing? You didn't need to jump up there to begin with!”
“My hoof slipped..”
As Velvet continued, she began playing with the same level of experience as Button Mash. She let herself get hit by enemies a few more times, and pretended to not see some helpful items. As her time drew closer to her opponents and she neared the end of the game, Velvet knew there was no way she could slow her progress any more than she already had. She would still win.
There was no choice as a pit came onto the screen. She had to fall into it if she wanted Button Mash to win this competition. With baited breath, Velvet Dash walked straight into the pit and died, ending the game.
Before Rainbow Dash could open her mouth, Velvet Jumped up angrily. “No way! The jump button stuck! Stupid machine, why wouldn't you just let me jump?! Ugh!”
The crowd surrounding her began laughing at her frustration, and called her a sore loser. As they all left, including Rainbow Dash, Button Mash just stood there confused. He just played that game himself, and he knew there was no way the controls could have stuck. He walked up close to Velvet, and looked directly into her eyes. With his breath on her face, he slowly reached past her and gently pressed the jump button on the console, feeling it depress as easily as if the machine were brand new.
Expecting him to be angry, Velvet Dash prepared for the worst. Button Mash slowly leaned in and lightly kissed her cheek. “Do you like milkshakes?”
Author's Note
Hey all, I'm Velvet Dash! So this isn't the typical sort of style that I write. Usually, I write FiMfics that are dark but are attached to the main story line and flow with it. (As in no cussing, minimal shipping, and fit somewhere directly on the timeline of canon events with a mixture of headcanon and filling.) Now, before fans of ButtonBelle dislike this story for the plain reason of "Button is supposed to be with Sweetie!", I do have a reason for this 'ship. My fiance and I are both very avid gamers, and his personality suits Button Mash strongly. We actually met at the fault of MineCraft. (A story I could go into if asked, but I doubt anyone cares.) Also, my personality strongly suits Rainbow Dash, but not perfectly. In another FiMfiction, started by Coyote-, I am actually the element of Corrupted Loyalty (I keep my word and my promises even when it's unhealthy.) However, obviously I can't just write myself as Rainbow Dash, and I definitely can't have her be with someone half her age regardless. So for this, I had to manipulate the age of my OC to fit the story. (In this, Button Mash is 15 and Velvet Dash is 17.)
And yes, I do agree that Button Mash and Sweetie Belle are adorable together, but (Don't read the next bit if it might make you rage.) not many couples who have nothing in common last. I'm sorry, but it's true. Some do, obviously, but it is rarely a harmonious relationship.
Sorry for the rambling, but I hope you guys liked my story, and there are better fics to come from me in the future! Also, if you're more into "mature content" and blood and gore, I edit for Coyote-. You should check out "Another Wolf's Moon" if you're interested!