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        Where Friendships Wither, New Things Bloom         
                     -by BlackjackMLP-                     
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                     Just Another Day                      
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Just Another Day
*Beep! Beep! Beep!*
"Ugh... Just let me die!" Rolling around in bed I attempted to smack my alarm which I recently decided had become the bane of my existence. Missing with each hit, eventually, I struck my target. "Ugh...Fuck" I opened my crusty eyes, thankful for the darkness that prevented me from having my eyes gouged out by Celestia's sun.
I reached my hoof up to touch a button on the wall, an action that I immediately regretted... "Ahhh! Screw you Celestia and the sun too!" I cursed at the now open window; flailing my hooves in a futile attempt to make the sun go away. Rolling out of bed and falling flat on my face I took a moment to gather my senses before attempting to stand again. After a moment or two, I pulled myself off the carpet and continued to trudge my way from the bed towards the bathroom for a well-needed shower. Stepping in I turned the lever expecting a nice warm rinse but instead I was greeted by an icy cold blast "AH! Sweet bucking Luna that's COLD!".
Composing myself I gave the lever a threatening look "I really need to fix that thing" Eventually it warmed up a bit letting me relax as I looked up at the mountain dew bottle I'd taped to the nozzle as a makeshift showerhead the night before after the last one pretty much blown up in my face. Having recently been fired from my job I didn't really have much to do other than looking for work online, play on my NeighStation and masturbate so it's safe to say I did all three... Repeatedly. Honestly, I was getting bored of the status quo so I decided I'd get off my rump and do something.
After cleaning my entire apartment I felt pretty good about myself. Anyone who'd just met me wouldn't know it but living like a slob even for a couple of days is something I can't handle. Grabbing my saddle bags and strapping them to my back I trotted out of my apartment, I didn't really know where I was going but living in the middle of Manhattan I was sure I'd find something interesting to do.
Half an hour and one hotdog later I noticed something in the corner of my eye, a distinctly styled tail flashed into my vision on the other side of the street that I could swear I'd seen before but as I took a second look it vanished. Waving it off as daje-vu I carried on down the street. Eventually, I wound up in a game store gawking at the vast shelves of new and ancient games, impossibly trying to decide which one to get. Picking out the newest game I could see 'Doomsday Equestria : Security pony' I trotted up to the counter. 60 Bits later and I was on my way home.
As I was leaving, however, another little gem caught my eye, a game I hadn't played in a long time 'Marecraft' "Well I'll be damned" I mused as I picked out the game. I couldn't resist, it's a classic, maybe a bit childish but I had some bits to spare. I remembered the countless sleepless nights I spent playing after being repeatedly told by my mom to go to sleep. I remembered the times I and my friends had spent trying to build the best base all the while harassing each other and stealing each other's shit. I also remembered the time I spent playing with one friend in particular, unfortunately for me that started to bring back a wave of other memories and feelings.
Locking my apartment door I turned on the lights, walked over to my bed and proceeded to halfheartedly slide my new and not so new games into the shelving- rack which just so happened to reside above said bed. My place wasn't big but compared to most other medium rent apartments in this huge city it was quite big with three rooms altogether. The main room, the kitchen and the bathroom. The kitchen was spacious with all the normal amenities: microwave, oven, fridge, toaster ext...
The bathroom was also quite big with a shower, toilet, sink, and bath. The bath and shower were separate which was very odd for how much I WAS paying... before I lost my job that is. The main room had a TV mounted to the wall, sofa, double bed, a small table with four chairs and a set of drawers sitting against the wall between the edge of the bed and TV. The landlord had been nice enough, he always seemed to be in a bad mood but he gave me a month to find a new job before he'd ask me to leave so I guessed he couldn't be that bad.
Sitting down I decided to try out my new game. After spending an unnecessary amount of time playing I was finally finished and I left the character creation center to head out on my virtual adventure! Four hours later I was getting pretty bored so I made a sandwich and picked out another game from the collection, said the game just so happened to be the antique I'd picked up earlier that day. Putting the disc in I could hear the rain furiously smacking against my window and with me being on the top floor I got the full brunt of Luna's noisy fury.
The game loaded up and my initial thought was that it was like coming home from a long trip away and a welcome homecoming at that, not many games can bring back so many good memories and still be interesting to play years after you got them. Before I could even start there was a loud knock on my door "Who the hay could that be at this time of night?"
"Go away!" I really wasn't in the mood for a lecture from any Sombra-witnesses and I was NOT in the mood for another guilt trip from some charity group. *BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG* "Ugh! What is it with you ponies and constantly trying to leech off me?! Can't you just leave me alone fo-" I cut myself short as the door swung wide open revealing the cause of my troubles. "Wha-what are you doing here?!" She just looked at me and gave me a little soggy grin "Hey Button Mash, long time no see".

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                     Two Soggy Horsies                     
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Two Soggy Horsies
"Hey Button Mash, Long time no see." For an instant I was just frozen in place, my eyes wide and locked on her as if I'd just seen a Cockatrice, my hooves planted firmly to the ground as if my body was suddenly being turned to stone. "Hey, Button... Could I come in, please? It's kinda cold out here..." That immediately snapped me out of my daze, my jaw moving stupidly as I tried to speak "Wha- Yer! Yes, come on in!" With that, she gladly trotted in past me. As she moved I noticed an intense magic aura start to envelop her horn which then proceeded enveloped two unusually big bags just out of view of the door. Me being the oh so noble gentle colt that I am I immediately jumped to her side "Let me help with that" Rushing to the bags I ushered her inside, dragged them in and shut the door behind me.
Looking at her coat, she was soaked from head to hoof with her mane drooping down and over her eyes in a way that made her seem quite- "Cute..." Comprehending what I'd just said Sweetie belle gave me a flat look followed by a fit of giggling "Well you're not too bad yourself" Suddenly realizing that I'd actually said that aloud I quickly looked to change the subject "Uh... I'll go get you a towel".
Putting that little bit of momentary stupidity behind me I thought it was about time I started asking why she'd just randomly showed up at my door in the middle of the night. "So Sweetie Belle... What brings a mare like you here? Not to mention in the rain?" Taking the towel she gasped "Oh yes, how rude of me! My sister just opened a new boutique here in the city, unfortunately for my mane, the rain picked up as soon as I got off the train" Still confused I pressed on "That's cool but... why are you HERE? You know, at my apartment?" She sighed, swishing her tail in annoyance "I was supposed to go straight to the new boutique as soon as I got here but when the rain picked up all the carriages had already gone, apparently, the drivers don't like standing out in the rain any more than me. The Boutique is on the other side of the city so with no taxi and the rain picking up I needed somewhere to wait it out" That seemed to clear some stuff up but still unsatisfied I continued "And... How did you know where I live?" A devious smile crossed her face "Your mom told me." Now I was getting suspicious "You still talk to my mom?!" She held that look "Of course! We talk all the time!"
At that point, something in my brain seemed to snap. My best friend, who I hadn't seen or spoken to in 2 years was best buddies with my mom. "Really? For how long?" That grin didn't falter "Since you left 2 years ago" Now I wondered what they'd been talking about. The two always seemed to get along before I left, heck they practically tortured me any chance they got but I never got the impression that they had much in common "And what sort of stuff do you two talk about in these little conversations?" Dreading the answer, I raised my eyebrow in suspicious apprehension "Oh you know, manes, celebrities, fashion. Girl stuff." I relaxed a bit but that grin didn't move "And you" she added. Suddenly my heart was beating out of my chest "Oh, right" Beginning to visibly sweat at the prospect of my mother having revealed my secrets to her she broke out into a fit of laughter, falling to the floor then resting up against the side of the couch. "I do love it when you squirm" She said in an almost conspiratorial tone of voice "Ugh... Quit it" Spreading her hooves out wide she yelled "Oh COME ON Button! You know you missed me." As much as it pained me to say it she was right "Yes well... Fine, I admit it."
After getting her something to eat I pried for more info "Hey Sweetie belle, you said you were here for your sister's new boutique right?" Forgetting her food for a second she spoke in a much more professional sounding voice "Yes, I'm supposed to be managing it for a while until she finds some pony nearby to do it. Now though it looks like I'll need to find a hotel for the night..." Sighing she sat down "Can I wait here until the rain dies down please?" That gave me an idea. Walking over to my bed I patted the pillow "I'll do you one better, you can stay here!" she looked around "Button." She said in a low voice "there's only one bed..." Looking around as if just noticing the fact for the first time myself I shrugged "Oh yer... Well, I guess I'll take the couch for tonight".
She suddenly looked slightly surprised by that "Thank you button but I-" I cut her off by sharply sticking my hoof in her mouth "Sweetie Belle, you're my best friend. I can't just let you go without a good nights sleep! Anyway, the hotels here charge a horn and a hoof for a room." She just stared flatly at me for a second before huffing in defeat, her face took on a more accepting look "Thank you Button, I'm not really used to ponies being this generous, even my sister can be a stuck up at times and she's supposed to be the element of generosity! More like the biggest gem hoarder in Equestria..." Laughing I remembered the game "Oh that reminds me, Look what I got!" Motioning to the TV I dived for the couch, Sweetie Belle looked at the screen and sat down next to me "Wow, I haven't seen this in a long time, you kept it all this time?" She looked like a filly getting a new toy on Harthswarming "What? Naaa I just bought it today, cool though right? Wanna play?" Handing her the second controller I found buried in a draw she shirked "Yes! Let's do it!".
A few more hours passed and Sweetie belle had passed out on the couch arm across from me. Turning off the game I carefully put her on my back, carrying her over to the bed. Somehow she didn't even flinch when I all but dropped her on the thing, followed by me not so subtly tucking the blanket over her body "Weird... She still smells like lemons". Throwing myself back on the sofa and crushing one of my controllers in the process I attempted to get some sleep.
Two hours later and I was still awake with nothing to do so I did what any sane stallion would do in a situation like this, I got out my Joyboy and  began playing with it. I finished the last boss and had a little celebration for myself. Placing the Joyboy down on the table I went to the kitchen for a drink when noticed that the sun was already coming up and with Sweetie Belle still flat out on the bed where I'd left her I decided I'd go out for a while to look for some work and maybe get a new controller to replace the one I'd inexplicably sat on a few hours earlier.
Leaving a note telling Sweetie Belle to lock the door and put the key under the mat if she went out as well as my number I grabbed my saddle bags and cap to leave, pushing the key back under the door so she could get out if she woke up. My apartment wasn't exactly in the center of the city but it was close enough that I had quick access to all the fun stuff. The building itself was only about 20 stories high so it blended in quite well with the surrounding area.
Walking through the busy streets I felt somewhat at ease, I'd never really liked the quietness of the country. Don't get me wrong I love Ponyville but I just prefer the city, there's never a dull moment here, always something interesting around every corner. As interesting as it is I always found it to be a bit over crowded which made getting around into somewhat of a hassle considering  and as the roads were always in a deadlock many like myself just turned to doing it the good old fashioned way, hoofing it... Everywhere.
Part way into my journey I heard my phone buzzing in my saddle bags. Pulling out the device and expecting the worst I groaned, mouthing the words around the device in my mouth  "Peas don teh me shes loct in..." Attaching the device on my ear I spoke, trying to sound as robotic as possible "Hello, you have reached *Beep* Button Mash. Unfortunately, the person you are calling is unavailable at the moment, please leave your message after the beep. *BEEEEEP*" suddenly something hard hit my rump "Yes. Can you tell doofus to call me back when he gets this?" Yelling in pain I turned to see the cause of my dead ass. Before me stood a familiar looking stallion "Ah! Screw you Rumble!" Patting my head he walked up beside me "Hey bro what's up?! I haven't seen you in like... Forever! It's good to see you man!". With my ass still numb from the punch, I decided that I deserved some retribution.
Punching him in the shoulder I said quite matter-of-factly "Feelings mutual bro" Still visibly squirming from the pain he laughed "Ha! You still punch like a filly!" Smirking I carried on walking "Heh I noticed" Nodding to his shoulder. Having not seen him for about as long as Sweetie belle I wondered what he'd been up to "So Rumble; I know you were studying when I left town but what are you doing here? I thought you'd be training for the Equestrian Skygaurd by now?" Giving me somewhat of a suppressed chuckle "Heh yea, about that... When I finished college last year I just sort of... didn't do anything. My Brother got sick so I wanted to stay with him until he got well again so I missed my chance at University which I need if I want to join as an officer. Their stupid regulations say I need to do at least a year of psychology before I can start" That revelation was BIG, all most every pegasus colt wanted to join the Skyguard at some point, that or the Wonderbolts but they were in a whole other league.
"So... What? You're going back next year or something?" His whole body seemed to stand up straighter at that comment  "Shit! I forgot I could even re-apply! I guess since my bro got sick I've been too busy working my ass off to think about what I'm gonna do next" "What's up with that? Do you work alone or something?" Rumble huffed "Yep, my brother couldn't work so I had to find a job that paid enough to support us both and pay for his meds. Rainbow Dash hooked me up with the head of the Manehattan weather service so I've been bucking clouds ever since. My bro's good now though" Ah Rainbowdash, she was the coolest and most amazingly epic pony in Equestria... Or at least that's what Scootaloo always said.
"So what are ya doing now?" I just shrugged "I'm not really. I got laid off a little while back so right now I've got nothing better to do than sit on my ass" He seemed taken aback by that comment "Really? Weren't you doing game design or something?"
"In college yes, I got my grades and left. Now I'm just floating in the ether." Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks "What is it?" "SHIT I left my bucking stove on! sorry bro I gotta go!" And without a word he vanished in the opposite direction.
A few minutes later I ended up back at the game store I was in just the day before. Going up to the counter I looked at the collection of controllers they had on offer. As I was browsing a chubby looking stallion came up to me "Hey, weren't you in here yesterday?" I found it weird that someone would notice that but I thought I may as well play ball for now "Yes why? Do I know you?" He just looked at me skeptically raising an eyebrow "No. I was just wondering why you were here again" I sighed "Well long story I crushed my controller" For some reason he seemed to find that extremely funny "Haha what a doofus" Now I was getting annoyed "Buck off dude".
Going back to browsing I saw a nice looking model which seemed pretty cheap, seeing a pretty good deal I got what I'd came for and went on my way. Heading home I felt a few small drops of rain hitting off my muzzle, looking up I noticed that the sky had again turned a sickly black "Luna must be pissed". As the rain picked up so did I, now galloping down the path I tried to get home before the downpour inevitably came down on me.
As I turned a corner I saw a distinctly purple and pink mane flash into view only a few inches from my face, before I could slow down however, we were sprawled out on the ground and blood was pouring from my nose. Getting to my hooves I brushed myself off before helping Sweetie belle back up. Groaning she spat "I know you Mr. Button but you can't just go running into a lady, it's quite uncouth" Still dizzy from the horn I'd just had rammed into my face I didn't really know how to respond to such an accusation so instead, I did what I always did when this shit happened to me... Nothing "What? I wasn't-" She just shoved her hoof in my mouth. Snickering to herself she wiped her hoof off on my coat "Come on you big doof, let's get you home" Huffing I screamed, "Why is everypony calling me that?!"

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                     Handsome Stallion                     
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Handsome Stallion
"Ugh! Quit it!"
After our little tumble outside we'd headed back to my apartment, once there I attempted to dry myself off and maybe even relax for a minute, Sweetie Belle wouldn't leave my face in peace. Adamant that she needed to clean me up she soaked a cotton ball in some sort of magical healing ointment which she used to carefully dab at my wounds. Well... I say wounds but honestly, it was only a few little cuts, nothing really that serious and defiantly not something worth this much fuss over or pain for that matter.
"Sweetie Belle I'm fine! Seriously I'm good, it's just a few scratches. OW!" Attempting to pin me to the couch she sat on my chest "Oh hold still you big baby, you're acting like a foal. The more you move the more it'll hurt." Finally accepting that she wouldn't let me go and that her ass was too heavy for me to move I just gave in, letting her get on with it. "OW... OW... OW..." Sweetie belle smirked "Come on, now you're just faking it" Lifting my head from the couch I looked her dead in the eye's "Oh well sorry mom. I never asked for this, you're the one holding me against my will!" Putting her hoof on my forehead she gently pushed it back down.
Knowing that she'd be here for a while I used this opportunity to find out what she'd been doing while I was away "Why were you out in the rain anyway?" Relaxing a bit she spoke "Well. When I woke up and you weren't there I figured you must have gone out. Seeing as though I only arrived here last night I thought I'd take a little tour of the city then maybe head over to the Boutique. Unfortunately, as you may have noticed that didn't really go to plan." I let out a soft chuckle "Heh. Welcome to my world"
Once she'd finished with my face Sweetie belle slid off my chest and walked towards the bathroom "Hey Button? Would you mind if I took a shower? I look terrible" Remembering how dirty we both were after rolling around in the street I gladly obliged "Really? I think that look suits you" rolling her eyes she disappeared into the room.  A few seconds later I heard a noise that I can only describe as being akin to a cat getting murdered followed a by screaming "AH! COLD!" Smacking my hoof to my head I remembered that I was supposed to fix that today before I was distracted "Oh yer, I forgot to tell you about that. Sorry."
Half an hour later and she was done. Stepping out of the bathroom Sweetie Belle somehow looked better than she had when she arrived. Trailing a wisp of steam in her wake she gracefully trotted into the main room with her mane tied up in one towel and another draped over her body. At that, I decided to give her some privacy. Walking into the bathroom I shut the door.
A short while later I stepped out of the shower having avoided the cold I felt... Better. Before long though I realized that there weren't actually any towels in there with me "Hey Sweetie belle? I'm all out of towels in here, could you grab for me? They're in the bottom draw next to the bed". A few seconds passed and before I heard a knock. Opening the door I noticed a towel at the base of the door "Thanks!". Drying my coat I  saw something strange fall off the towel, a single purple hair. "Why does this thing smell like lemons?... Lemons." She'd given me a used towel... I supposed it didn't really matter that much, at least I'd smell good.
When I emerged Sweetie Belle was laying on the sofa watching some sort of dating show, I wasn't really paying much attention to the show in question, though, I was much more interested in my stomach which was in the need of some serious lovin'. Trotting to the kitchen I began looting the cupboards, unfortunately for me though there didn't seem to be anything edible in there other than a few stale crackers and the sandwich left over from yesterday. Cutting it in half I took it and sat down next to Sweetie Belle "Want some?" I put the plate down on the coffee table in front of us. Looking at the TV I could tell that whatever she was watching would no doubt bore me out of my mind but I'd endure it for the time being.
"Hey, Button? I still need to visit the Boutique today before it gets too late, I'd hate to keep Rarity waiting any longer. Can you come?" It was already getting late and the sun was already on its way down. Honestly, I would have rather stayed in for the night and played some games like usual but I wasn't just going to let Sweetie Belle wonder the streets by herself, even if she knew where she was heading. "Sure, you want me to call a cab?" "Yes please, as much as I'd like to see more of the city I wouldn't feel comfortable walking this late."
After a few minutes, the cab had arrived and we were on our way to the Boutique. The Stallion pulling was massive; you could tell he'd been working all day, the odor was enough to figure that out. After about twenty minutes we arrived at the most prestigious part of the city. Every store seemed to scream 'expensive', each one having a distinctly Canterlot-esc look to them while still maintaining its own unique style.
Paying the fare I turned towards the boutique feeling a strong sense of daja-vu as I looked it over. The building looked almost exactly like the one back in Ponyville, the main exception being that it was MUCH bigger with more edges to its design. "Wow..." Sweetie Belle seemed almost as shocked as I was. Stepping through the huge double doors I took in the size of the place as well as the massive staircase in the center of the room, Some how it actually seemed even bigger on the inside.
Sweetie Belle looked around as if searching for somepony "Rarity! I'm here!" Suddenly a loud bang erupted from the floor above us followed by an ear-splitting screech which at first I guessed was a cat. Giving each other a look we both ran towards the source of the sound, almost tripping up on a fat cat running the opposite way "Huh. Whad'Ya know it was a cat.". As we reached the top of the stairs I saw a familiar Purple maned mare sticking out from under a mountain of clothes- Or more specifically her ass. Digging her out I thought something about her seemed different? Her mane and tail seemed to be fading with age. Not that she was old by any means, heck she was only about 10 years older than Sweetie belle but I imagined with all the work she must have been doing to prepare the boutique that she was under some amount of stress.
"Oh thank you darling, I didn't even hear you coming in." Taking me in she gasped "So THIS is the lucky young stallion you were telling me so much about? I must say he's quite handsome." Blushing slightly I glanced over to Sweetie Belle giving her a questioning look "Oh she has?" chuckling she introduced me "Rarity meet Button Mash, Button Mash meet my big sister Rarity" She raised her hoof in front of me and for some reason I instinctively took it, kissing the base "OoooOoo he's a gentle colt too!" That just seemed to extract more giggles from my friend.
After taking a tour of the place Rarity put to work stacking shelves and hanging up the clothes while Sweetie Belle discussed business with her sister. After sorting that out followed the girls upstairs. the second floor seemed even bigger than the first given that it was mainly going to be used for fitting and measuring rather than browsing. Looking around there were about ten large fitting rooms, the sort you could fit half a dozen brides mares into, one of which was slightly open. Squeezing my head through the gap my jaw dropped, there before me was Sweetie Belle wearing the cutest dress I'd ever seen. She'd always been pretty but at that moment I thought she was the most beautiful mare I'd I've seen.
Smacking my jaw shut I pulled my head back, knocked on the door and stepped in. "Wow, Sweetie Belle you look- Good." Blushing, she smiled "You think so? Rarity made it for me." Now looking at it I could see how well it blended with her coat and mane. I didn't know much in the way of dresses but I could at least appreciate the clear level of attention to detail that her sister had put into making it. "So when does this place open anyway?" "Two days from now, me and Rarity still have a few things to get ready before the grand opening and I still need to pick the remaining staff.". I thought about asking Sweetie Belle for a job but that wasn't really an option as one I had no experience at all in this sort of thing and two I didn't want to look stupid.
"So. Sweetie Belle. What was that about me being a very lucky stallion?" With that her whole body seemed to blush now, I didn't know if it was even physically possible for a pony to blush in their hooves but right then her's were defiantly turning some shade of red. "Oh, that? Well, it's- Nothing really! I was just telling Rarity about how we were friends and such... Nothing you need to worry about" "Right..." I thought about who else could be talking about me behind my back, maybe Rarity thought we were some sort of... a thing? I swallowed at the thought, apprehensive at the idea.
Once the two mares had finished with their business Rarity decided that I was in need of a reward for helping out her sister. Having my measurements taken was a first for sure "Thanks, Rarity but honestly, it was no problem, really." Dismissing me with a wave of her hoof she continued with her work "Oh pfff. You deserve something for your help darling and being the element of generosity I can't just let you walk away with nothing for your troubles."
Some time later we Left the store. Fortunately for us, it wasn't raining and the cabs were out in force. Rarity didn't have a spare room at the boutique so Sweetie Belle insisted that she stay with me. Not that I was complaining, on the contrary, I liked the company. Arriving back at the apartment block I immediately collapsed on the bed with Sweetie Belle following my lead and dropping with far more grace next to me. Not much was really going through my mind at that point, neither of us said anything.
After a few minutes I was half asleep, my eyelids were beginning to feel heavy and my body was relaxed. Out of nowhere, I felt Sweetie Belle begin to snuggle up against my back which just seemed to surprise me more than anything else. Rolling over I saw that she had already fallen asleep and as she was the one hugging me my sleepy brain thought it'd be a good idea to snuggle in further. Shuffling my body in closer I pressed my chest up against her back and brushing my hooves through her mane, feeling the heat emanating from her body I relaxed, even more, taking in her scent I closed my eyes "How is she so soft...?".

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                       Good Morning                        
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Good Morning
*Beep! Beep! Beep!*
Half asleep I rolled over, subconsciously reaching to stab at my alarm, to my surprise I hit with the first attempt. Rolling back over I could feel myself pressing up against something, it was warm and surprisingly soft. Still only semi-conscious me and my sleepy brain decided it would be a good idea to snuggle closer to the warm, fluffy thing I had found myself intertwined with. Tasting a few stray strands of hair, I started to wake, reaching up and wiping my hoof at the evil hair invading my mouth.
A few minutes passed by as I slowly woke from my sleepy state, thinking about the past few days. I thought about Rarity, I'd seen her a few times before but it had been years ago. She hadn't really changed that much, sure she had a few little wrinkles under her eyes which were most likely from the stress of trying to run two stores and be an element of harmony at the same time but she was still as beautiful as ever with all the curves of a fully grown and matured mare. Rarity and Sweetie Belle, being sisters, had always had a close resemblance to one another and with Sweetie Belle now being a fully grown mare they looked even more alike, though Sweetie Belle always seemed the cuter of the two.
Suddenly I felt a shiver run up my spine, had I forgotten to close the window? Fuck. With that, my mind turned back to the fluffy warm thing I had my face buried in. Wrapping my hooves further around it and squeezing tighter I heard a slight moan followed by what sounded like a slightly muffled voice "Mph... Good morning Button". My eyes shot open as I realized who's mane I had my face buried into, she must have realized too as we both reflexively recalled away in opposite directions. Trying to stop myself falling on my ass I grabbed at anything, unfortunately, I happened to grab the blanket which we were both lying on, dragging Sweetie Belle down with me.
I hit the carpet with a thud, slamming my back flat on the ground and knocking the wind out of my chest. Sweetie Belle followed soon after, landing rear first on me, she might have been small but she was a lot heavier than she looked. Taking a deep breath in I looked up at the mare who had once again found herself sitting on me "What is it with you and sitting on me?"
Sweetie blushed furiously, quickly untangling herself and getting up. Rolling onto my stomach I got up, catching my breath and dusting myself off. "So I know you wanna stay with me for now and everything but- can I expect that sort of a wake up every day?" She gave me a slightly annoyed yet amused glance followed by a little huff "Hey, YOU pulled ME off the bed!" I mulled the logic of that over in my head for a second before trying to break the awkwardness of the situation "Hey, don't act as if you don't like being rudely dragged out of bed in the morning." she gave another huff followed by what seemed to be a sort of growl, after a few seconds of what seemed like a stair off we both started smiled breaking into a fit of giggles so hard that our my eyes almost started watering.
After a few munites I'd reset the bed and Sweetie Belle was already making breakfast, apparently she'd been shopping while I was out, it seems like having a roomy had its perks, mainly the free food. I decided to I'd make myself useful for a while, grabbing my tool kit out of the cupboard I went to work fixing the boiler. The thing wasn't too complicated, my dad was an engineer so he'd taught me the basics back when I was a kid, he always told me I should go into the trade seeing that I had somewhat of a knack for fixing shit but I preferred spending my time in the digital realm. Honestly, I think I should have listened to him, I could always get a job fixing stuff but where's the fun in that?
A little while later and I'd fixed it, unfortunately though, I still need to replace the exploded shower head... fuck it, I'll do that later.
Right now I have a more important matter to attend to, breakfast. Putting the tools away I could smell something good, I thought I recognized the smell, it was sweet, very sweet. "HEY SWEEEEETIE BELLE! WHATCHA MAKIN?!" a few seconds after she shouted back "Come in here and take a look"  At that, I trotted back to the main room where Sweetie Belle looked to be preparing a feast of spongy,  syrupy goodness.
Dropping to my ass on the couch I waited patiently for Sweetie Bell to finish up, picking up my tablet and using the time to go through my daily routine, checking my social media pages, clearing my browser history and looking for work.
To my surprise, I had a new E-mail. Reading the E-mail my jaw dropped, apparently the biggest game developer in Equestria had picked up my resume and wanted me to go in for an interview two days from now. I let out a scream followed by my hooves smacking the air above me "YES! THANK YOU CELESTIA!" Sweetie Belle jumped with a little scream, almost dropping the waffles she was levitating in front of her "What is it?!" she yelled in a sharp voice. "I've got a job! Finally!" she smiled "Button, you scared me to death! You need to give me some warning before you do that!"
Getting up I quickly trotted over to the table, Sweetie Belle had really outdone herself here, in front of me were at least twenty crispy, glistening waffles, all warm to the touch. "This is really good Sweetie Belle, I can't remember the last time I had someone else making me food." She took a drink of the Orange juice she was levitating next to her at the other side of the table from me "Hey it was nothing, think of it as compensation for letting me stay over." Speaking of which I remembered that we'd actually been sleeping together, I don't think she really cared much, I defiantly didn't but it still seemed somewhat weird to me that I'd been sleeping with my best friend.
"Hey, Sweetie Belle? You don't feel awkward at all do you?" she gave me a funny look "Awkward about what?" I looked at my plate, trying to not make myself feel any more awkward than I already did "You know? About last night? Us sleeping together?" She blushed, giggling at the thought "Not really, we always did it when we were younger" I smirked, "We were kids then Sweetie Belle..." Now she was the one looking away but I wasn't sure why "So what? Anyway, I kind of liked the warmth on my back and you didn't seem to hate it either" Fuck. Now I'm the one blushing.
After we'd finished breakfast Sweetie Belle took a shower, apparently, she'd done some washing while I was away too, huh go figure.
While she was in there I decided to have a little sneaky rummage through the stuff she'd brought, it looked like she'd commandeered a few of my draws, moving my stuff out and neatly refolding it all in another place. Most of her stuff was what I expected, make-up, brushes, a few light fitting dresses... the usual stuff mares take with them. Then I found it. It was only a small thing hidden at the back underneath some long green/white striped socks in a small black velvet bag, a vibrator.
I felt my heart begin to beat faster as if I'd seen something I wasn't supposed to see, like a colt who'd just found a Harthswarming gift early "Oh, hohoHO! What do we have here?" I picked it up in one hoof feeling the rubber texture, it was shaped like some sort of a deformed spoon with a bulbous end instead of a rounded edge. I could smell what I could only guess was Sweetie Belle, it was sweet with only a hint of what you could describe as a musky tang. Pressing the button on the side I almost dropped the thing it was so powerful, it had a certain weight to it, though, it wasn't at all that heavy.
Just as I turned it on I realized something, it was quiet, too quiet. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" The shower had stopped running which also meant that Sweetie Belle would be out any second now. Quickly turning the thing off and fumbling to put the thing back into the bag I shut the draw. Just as I shut it, however, the door swung open followed by the mare in question. I dived for the couch, hoping she wouldn't notice the flying Earth Pony, thankfully she didn't seem to notice anything.
Looking down at my tablet and trying to act as casual as physically possible I piped up "So... Er, what did you say you were doing today?" Sweetie Belle, still drying herself off walked towards the set of draws across from me "I'm supposed to be meeting Rarity today so we can interview a few mares for the boutique, she's pretty meticulous in interviews so I'll probably be there most of the day." She opened the draw I'd just been snooping around in, trying to keep her from noticing anything that might be out of place I carried on "So... what time are you getting off?" She levitated a brush out of the draw but thankfully didn't take her eyes away from me "I don't know for sure, probably around 6/7-ish? Why? Are you going out?" Quick brain! Think of something! "Ye- yes! I was hoping we could go out... for a drink or something? Maybe go into town?" I bit my lip hoping she wouldn't look in there, thankfully though she just closed the drawer and walked towards the bed "Oh, ok then, I'd like that. I'll call you when we're finished up at the boutique. You could pick me up from there?" I let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief "Er, yeh. Will do."
Lying on the bed Sweetie Belle began carefully brushing her mane out. Remembering something from the night before, I lifted my head to look over a Sweetie Belle "Hey, Sweetie Belle? Do you know why Rarity was taking my measurements last night when we were at the shop?" She seemed somewhat taken back by the question "Hpm... I don't know. She said she wanted to 'repay' you so maybe she's making you a suit?" an evil smirk crossed her lips "Ooor some sort of a kinky latex suit?" I wasn't amused, putting my head back down I thought about that for a second before shoving that image to the darkest corner of my mind "Yer, I'm good thanks."
Half an hour later and she was ready, dress, makeup and all. Me? I was still playing FlappyPegasus on my tablet. "Hey Button? I'm heading out. I'll see you later." looking up at her I put on the cheesiest grin I could "Ok I'll see you later then. OH! Wait, I've got a spare key around here somewhere." I quickly got up and found the key in one of the kitchen cupboards "Here, just in case." And with that, she was off. "Well thank fuck for that, I thought she'd never leave!" I quickly trotted over to the drawer, checking to make sure everything was in order. Thankfully I'd put everything back where it was supposed to be. I walked over to the open window, slamming it shut and locking it, looking around the room "What now?"

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                     Bumps in the Road                     
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Bumps in the Road
"Hey man, I'll have the Cheese and Lettuce sandwich with some tomatoes, BBQ sauce and- a chocolate milkshake to go, please."
After getting a shower and having a second round of breakfast I'd headed out. I'd had to use the majority of my leftover bits buying a very shiny new shower head which I now had neatly secured in my bag, I'd need to be careful with the last 30 or so bits I had left tonight. It was still pretty early considering I normally don't get up until around 1:30pm so it was a change of pace to watch the streets filling with ponies going about their business, looking around I could see restaurants, a few bars dotted here and there along with a particularly gruff looking guard and his partner going about their rounds.
Compared to the Royal guards over in Canterlot and Ponyville these guys were somewhat lax in their appearance, I wouldn't want to get into a fight with one of them considering they'd probably kick my ass but they were nowhere near as- shiny as the others. They wore no armour, just a leather jacket and a hat along with a snap out truncheon clipped on to their utility belt. Unlike the Royal guards who tended to carry either a big fuck-off looking spear or a short sword, they didn't really carry any other notable weapons besides a pepper spray and some other things I couldn't make out.
Walking down the street I thought about how Rumble had said he was going to apply for the Skyguard, he'd always wanted to join up and by the way he spoke about them you'd think he was already in. Honestly I probably would have joined up with him if I was a flapper but unfortunately I'm a filthy Earth pony so I'm stuck on the ground, unless one of the princesses suddenly decided to turn me into the first known male alicorn in Equestrian history that is, I think I'd make quite the benevolent leader... heh, a guy can dream right?
Taking a sip of my now half full milkshake I looked up, my life seemed to be on the rise since Sweetie Belle came knocking at my door, soaking wet. As the thought passed through my head my hoof decided to hit a rock which happened to somehow have found it's way into the middle of a concrete walkway. Tripping and landing face-first on the ground with my hooves sprawled out in different directions and my face drenched in milkshake I cursed that happy thought and told my brain to stop talking "Ugh fuck! Can't I get a break once in a while?!" Lifting my head I noticed two mares sitting outside a cafe giggling at my predicament, "Nice to know ponies will come running to help..."
Seeing that I'd dropped my drink as well as busting my fucking nose and I started on my way home, holding my hoof to my face in a futile attempt to stop the blood from leaking out. After about a minute or two of walking, I started to feel ill, the blood loss was getting pretty heavy. Stumbling and almost tripping over again I slammed into the back of another pony, fortunately, said pony was huge so I didn't do much other than nudge him an inch, unfortunately though, this huge pony was also the guard I'd passed earlier.
Instinctively the guard's rear leg shot out like a bullet, striking me directly in my chest, instantly winding me and knocking me to the ground. He spun, falling into a defensive stance, truncheon clenched between his teeth. Clutching my chest I looked up at him, watching as his face turned from a look of anger to one of confusion. Quickly sheathing his weapon he grabbed me, pulling me to my hooves "Hey, you all right there son? I thought you were coming at me there, what happened? Did I do that to your face?"
Catching my breath I dusted myself off "Yer, sorry about that, I wasn't looking where I was going and no, this was the concretes fault, I tripped over back there and bust my nose, that was one hell of a kick by the way, I'm surprised you didn't cave my chest in!" Putting his leg around my neck he laughed "HA! I'm impressed you could take a hit like that! Come on son, let's get you cleaned up" Taking me over to a nearby bench he shouted over to his partner, motioning for him to come over to us. The other guard gave me a pitying look as if he had seen this sort of thing before "Really Sgt.? What did you do this time?" Chuckling the apparent Sergeant gave me a nudge in the shoulder "This young man's been having a bit of a rough day is all, grab the first aid kit there would you corporal."
Turning back to me the Sargent instructed me to sit down and tilt my head back "So what's your name kid?" Doing as instructed I watched as the Corporal pulled a small green bag from a leather pouch on his belt "It's Button Mash sir, most people just call me Button, though."
Standing back and letting the corporal kneel in front of me he puffed out his chest "Button huh? Nice to meet you Button, I'm sorry it wasn't under better circumstances. I'm Sgt. Stronghoof." Motioning to the other guard in front of me "This is my partner Cpl. Nimbus" The Corporal was a young Pegasus pony with light blue fur, a darker blue mane, and matching dark blue eyes, he bore a somewhat bored look and seemed to be around the same age as me. The Sargeant, on the other hand, was a huge Earth pony with light red fur, a golden mane, and amethyst blue eyes as well as a pristine golden mustache.
After the corporal had stopped the bleed, he gave me a small piece of left-over bandage that he'd been using to slow the blood flow "Here, if it starts again in five minutes just jam this up there and hope it holds. If it starts again after that then you'll need to seek medical help, you may have popped a blood vessel and that'd need to be cauterised."
Sliding down from the seat onto my hooves I went to shake the Sargents hoof, instead of taking it however, he just thumped it "Nice meeting ya kid, if you're ever in trouble ask for Stronghoof, I owe you one for that kick earlier" putting down my hoof I laughed "Honestly sir I think I owe YOU one for the help." Turning to look at Nimbus I was surprised to see that he'd already sparked up a cigaret, he didn't seem much like the formal type so I just nodded, he nodded back, at that, we parted ways.
After spending a bit more time walking and eating my sandwich I started on my way home, it was already about mid-day so I'd been out for a while, fortunately, my face had stopped leaking a while back but I held on to that bandage just in case. Arriving back at my apartment I fumbled for my key, being an Earth pony, I was good with my hooves but doing little things like finding the right key would be so much easier with a horn. As I found the right key though I felt a tap on my shoulder, turning I saw that my landlord; Mr. Longhorn was behind me "So how goes the rent Mr. Button?" He was a slightly small pony, dark green fur with a blue mane and red eyes. There wasn't much notable about his appearance, having quite a pretty generic face you wouldn't really notice him on the street.
"Oh, hey Mr. Longhorn. Yer it's going good actually, I got an invite to a job interview at this place just this morning so I'll probably have your rent money by the end of the month as requested, he seemed quite happy with that but he looked as though he wasn't finished with me.
"So Button, I was looking through the CCTV this morning and it seems you've had a visitor? Now I don't mind you having a girlfriend living here button but I hope I won't be getting any trouble from you." I bit my lip not really knowing how to answer that "N-no sir, you won't but she isn't my-" chuckling he started walking away "Ok kid, whatever you say, just remember what I said."
Entering my apartment I dumped my bags on the floor and walked over to the fridge, opening it I grabbed one of the juice boxes Sweetie Belle had gotten the day before. After setting up the Neighstation I spent a few good hours playing my new 'Doomsday Equestria' game, at one point I'd decided to go on a rampage only to find out that you couldn't kill the kids in the game for some stupid reason, I know some ponies would consider that insensitive but fuck'em it's just a game after all.
Turning off the console I picked up my tablet, noticing the time was 5:30pm I remembered that Sweetie Belle would probably be getting off soon. Not having anything else to do I gave myself a quick look over followed by a spray of that nice cologne mom had bought me the year before I left, grabbing my jacket on the way out. I didn't want to waste the remaining bits I had so instead of doing the usual and calling a cab to my place I just hoofed it, the boutique, being in the heart of the retail and district meant that I could just walk to where ever I was heading so my pockets were safe for now. I noticed that it was getting pretty cold out, then again it was getting close to winter, heck, some places already had the flashing lights hanging in their windows so bringing my jacket was probably a good idea.
As I got closer to the boutique I passed a lot of places closing up for the night, ponies rushing to get their work finished, tables cleaned, chairs stacked, all trying to get home as early as they could. Eventually, I'd arrived at the boutique, walking in I passed a young mare who looked to be around 17, I guessed she was probably one of the girls Sweetie Belle and Rarity had been interviewing. Moving up to the office at the back of the store I peered in seeing that the girls were alone and looked to be packing up their things, before entering, however, my ears picked up, listening in on their conversation. "So are you wanting a ride home Sweetie?" Sweetie Belle replied in a slightly monotone voice "Oh no thanks, sis, Button's supposed to be picking me up soon"
Rarity's voice seemed to pick up at that gaining somewhat of a conspiratorially childish undertone "OoooOoo going out on a date are we?" Sweetie Belle's face turned red, letting out a little giggle "NO,no,no. Me and Button are just... friends- yer friends!" Rarity wasn't buying it for a second "Oh come ON Sweetie Belle! A nice young stallion like him living alone in the big city? You and I both know he doesn't have more than one bed so either he's been sleeping on the couch or you two have been sleeping together! And I know for a fact you aren't sleeping on the couch." Sweetie Belle's jaw moved without a sound, her eyes darting back and forth as if looking for the right words.
Rarity just chuckled aloud "Listen, Sweetie Belle, I've been around long enough to know some stuff and if there's one thing I can tell you, it's that you can't tell me anything I don't already know." Rarity pulled something out of her bag and put it into Sweeties hoof, whispering something in her ear, I couldn't quite see what it was without fully putting my head through the door though so I didn't bother trying it.
As quietly as I could I took a few steps back in the direction I'd came then proceeded to walk back to the office, trying to make my steps as inconspicuously loud as possible. Knocking on the door I heard a shuffling of bags followed by Rarity's voice calling me to enter. Opening the door both mares gave me a very innocent looking smile followed by them saying their adoos.
Exiting the boutique we started walking towards the music. "So... where are we going?" Honestly, I hadn't really thought that part through "I dunno, I was hoping we could just go out for a drink or something? We're not that far away from the main square, how about we just see where we end up?" Giving me a somewhat speculative glance Sweetie Belle smiled "Yes, I think that'll work for now."