Part 1: New Game

The brown earth pony colt Button Mash has been friends with the snow white pegasus colt Snowdrift, since they started school and the two are virtually inseparable; sharing many common interests like candy and comic books, but especially video games. Whenever one of them gets a new game, they invite the other one over to their house.

More recently though, Snowdrift comes to Button’s house almost every night, since his parents have been fighting a lot lately and it only frustrates him; not being able to do anything… aside from leaving the house. His parents fear their constant fighting is bad for Snowdrift to witness and are actually relieved when he does go to Button’s house, despite some ponies saying video games rot your brains.

Hanging out and playing games with Button; though he does always have fun, isn’t the only reason that Snowdrift likes visiting the Mash residence. Button’s mom, Elaina Mash is still quite fetching for an older mare and Snowdrift has developed a major crush on her, to the point of him finding it difficult to keep it a secret from both his best friend and Elaina herself.

After the bell rang marking the end of the school day, Button approached Snowdrift’s desk “Hey you still coming over to play video games again tonight, Snowdrift?”

“You got it Mash and I got a new game yesterday” - Snowdrift opened his school bag and revealed the game case, along with his v-station console - “It’s called Ebon Legends: The Crystal Tournament”

“Wait… I thought that game didn’t come out yet?”

“I pre-ordered and got it a week early”

Button huffed, blowing a stray mane hair away from his face “Lucky…, my Mom doesn’t let me pre-order games…, she says there a waste of money”

Snowdrift chuckled “I had to give up a whole month’s worth of allowance, but I think it was worth it for the extras”

Button raised an eyebrow “What kind of extras?”

“A map and an art book, a hard cover novel and a second game disk”

Button sputtered “Di…di…did you just say a second disk?”

Snowdrift smirked “Yes I did… I’m sure I could be convinced to give my extra disk to you…, for the right price”

“I’ll do anything, please Snowdrift” Button begged.

Snowdrift grinned evilly “Anything you say, hmm… choices, choices”

Button gulped, the color draining from his cheeks “I don’t think I gonna like were this is going… am I?”

Snowdrift chuckled “I’m just messing; Button I was gonna give it to you anyway”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were giggling as they gathered their school bags and headed for the door. Button was watching as they trotted outside; Snowdrift followed his gaze and could tell that Button was far more interested in Sweetie Belle, than the other two fillies. Long after The Crusaders were gone, Button just remained in place still staring in their direction; smitten by that mulberry maned filly.
“Why don’t you go talk to her? I already know you like her”

Button blanched “Who…, Sw…Swe…Sweetie Belle? She wouldn’t lime… like a colt like me, I’m too beard… I mean weird” he said, stumbling over words.

“You’ll never know either, unless you try; worst case she says no, but she might surprise you”

“I don’t know Snowdrift, what if I mess up and ruin my friendship with Sweetie Belle?”
Snowdrift placed his fore hoof on Button’s shoulder “I’m not telling you what to do, but if you don’t take a chance, you might lose her to somepony else”

Button and Snowdrift approached the teachers desk and turned in their end of class worksheets, smiles on their faces “Going to play video games again? Just make sure you finish your homework first, alright boys?

“Yes Miss Cheerilee… we will ma’am” both colts chorused.

Cheerilee smiled herself “See you tomorrow, my little ponies”

“See you tomorrow, Miss Cheerilee” Both ponies said, waving at their teacher.

As Button and Snowdrift left the school, they had to shield their eyes against the waning, albeit still very bright sunlight of the early autumn evening; causing them to almost run face first into Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s rumps, if it wasn't for Snowdrift stopping abruptly and tugging on Button’s tail.

“Hey” Diamond Tiara turned around, her face twisted into a sneer “Why don’t you watch where you are going, blank-flanks?”

Snowdrift ignored Diamond Tiara’s dig, electing to apologize instead “I’m sorry Diamond Tiara, we had to cover our eyes from the sunlight”

Diamond Tiara thought for a minute “I suppose I could forgive you, but if you wouldn’t rut your brain playing video games all the time; you wouldn’t have that problem”

Silver Spoon interjected, her face getting warm “Um… Diamond… you s…sa…said rut… not rot”

Diamond Tiara blanched “That’s what I meant… rot… thank you Silver Spoon”

Diamond Tiara sped off toward the center of Ponyville, Silver Spoon scampering after her. After Button recovered from Snowdrift pulling his tail; he started walking away from the school and Snowdrift floated along behind him, after making sure his school bag was firmly secured between his wings.

Silence reigned for about thirty minutes, Button just trudging along and Snowdrift doing half-hearted tricks; until Snowdrift’s idle thoughts turned toward a beautiful older brown mare. His vision became hazy and his wings went stiff, causing him to fall out of the air and landed roughly on the dirt path, just narrowly avoiding suffering serious injury on some fence or a tree.

Snowdrift struggled back to his hooves, fighting off mild nausea and dizziness. Snowdrift stumbled and his almost fell; Button ran over and steadied his best friend as best he could, but it was a lost cause and they both tumbled to the ground. Button’s beanie fell off and the strap on Snowdrift’s school bag ripped loose, allowing it to slide off his back and land harmlessly in a patch of grass.

The colts weren’t so lucky however; Snowdrift ended up on his back with his wings laying out flat, his hind legs splayed out awkwardly and his forelegs were pinned to his sides. Button wasn’t much better off; he landed right on top of Snowdrift, his head impacted the ground and his hindquarters ended up mere inches from his best friend’s snout.

“Ow” Button groaned, holding his head between his forehooves.

Snowdrift opened his eyes, but his vision was swimming and he couldn’t tell what way was up. Slowly his vision cleared and he was startled to find somepony’s rump laying on top of him, dangerously close to his face.

“Button… please… get your butt… out of my face”

“Sorry Snowdrift, thanks for breaking my fall though” Button said as he climbed off of his best friend.

“Yeah well, keep that rear of yours away from my face; since we’re best friends, we can just forget what nearly happened okay, Button?"

“I agree… what were we even talking about?”

Snowdrift recovered his school bag and checked everything for damage; while Button looked for his lost beanie, but to no avail

“I can’t find my beanie; it was my favorite hat” – Button started crying – “Dad bought it for me before he… before he d…di…died and n…no…now I lost it” he said sitting in the dirt, tears flooding down his face.

Without speaking a word, Snowdrift trotted over to his best friend and immediately wrapped his forelegs around him. Button leaned his head against Snowdrift’s snowy chest fur and he just let out all the feelings he had kept bottled up, since his dad died. Not even Button’s mother could get him to open up and that’s when Button was lost to video games; to him anything had to be better than that terrible pain. Losing his beanie had been the final crack in Button’s mental walls surrounding that pain; at that moment when the walls were crumbling in his mind, Button’s only light in the darkness was Snowdrift; his best friend.

Snowdrift just sat there with his friend “Button it’s okay… let’s look for it; it can’t be that far from us”

Button sniffed as he pulled his face away from Snowdrift’s chest “N…no Sn…Snowdrift it’s too late, my mom will get worried and she’s in charge of you too”

Snowdrift frowned, glancing skyward “I didn’t think of that… well maybe it will turn up tomorrow”

Button sniffed again, wiping his puffy eyes “Maybe” - Button sighed – “I want to go home”

Snowdrift did a quick aerial view look at the surrounding area, before landing softly beside Button, shaking his head “Maybe we can go ask Fluttershy to talk to her animal friends’ tomorrow and see if they saw it”