"I'm always here for you."

by Penroseamber

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sweetie Belle, Sad, Other, Romance, Original Character, Button Mash, Rarity
Length: 3061

Button Mash's mother dies in a tragic accident, leaving him parentless. Yet, in the rainbow after the hurricane, comes Sweetie Belle, who offers for him to stay with her and Rarity for a while. Feelings develop, and secrets unfold.

Short Note:Buttonbelle shipping. I just had to, after watching "Don't Mine At Night" for what.... the sixth time now?

Elaina Mash, the loving and dutiful mother of Button Mash, dies after an accident in the Everfree forest. Her son, now orphaned, seeks comfort in the company of his closest and only friend.... and crush, Sweetie Belle, sister to the Element of Generosity.

Yet, one thing leads to another. Friendship leads into love, and love leads to secrets.

Published 2016-08-31 04:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2018-01-07 12:18:28 UTC

The Accident

Her heart was pounding, ringing in her ears. Fear and panic curled around her heart. In all these years, Elaina Mash had never felt this scared.

She bit her lip. Not now, not here. She would make it.

She limped towards the trees, hoping to find a gap in the undergrowth where she could at least signal from below.

The mare felt the poison creep slowly up her four hooves, the bite flaring worse than ever.

Her life flashed before her eyes. The birth of her only child, her son, Button Mash. When she had held him, she had felt joy like no other. When she saw the other foals tease him for the lack of a father, rage surged through her entire being, and she had given them a private talk.... she remembered the scared faces, the shouts of the other parents.

Her vision was starting to get blurry. She could feel the energy ebbing away. She wouldn't make it. The town was too far. Even if she did manage to crawl back, the poison would've reached her heart.

With a sob, the mother collapsed, head swimming, pain flaring through her entire being.

So she did what any dying mother would've done for their child.

She left him a final message.

They found her corpse, and they identified the source of her death. The bite of the rare forest cobra, they told her son. Once the poison reached the heart, that was it. No pony had ever survived from the bite.

Button Mash felt bile rising in his throat. His mother had only one living relative: her sister, Vera, who absolutely refused to take in her nephew.

"LEAVE HIM TO DIE! I WOULD NOT RAISE THAT CHILD!" she had screamed, slamming the door in the faces of the authorities.

Now the orphaned colt was standing in front of his mother's grave, hugging the gravestone as if nothing else mattered. His eyes were blank, and devoid of all emotion, yet one could see the tremble of his scrawny build.

"Button?"

He turned his head. Sweetie Belle was standing next to him, hoof poised as if to lay on his shoulder. Her green eyes were smouldering with worry, and she held an umbrella in her magic. He hadn't noticed that rain was upon the town.

She sat down next to him, brushing his mane out of his eyes. No words were needed; she understood how he felt. Ever since losing her parents when she was a little filly, she had been raised by her sister, Rarity, who so happened to be the Element of Generosity.

The scrawny teenage colt felt the first tears drip silently from his brown eyes. He lowered his head, letting the tears mingle with the light drizzle of rain.

Sweetie Belle pulled him into a hug. She was warm, like his mother had been. She smelled like lilacs, his mother's favourite flower. Her coat was soft, like his mother's had been.

"It's okay, Button. Cry all you want. I'm always here for you." she whispered in his ear, and he could feel her tears as they clung to each other, everything else disappearing into nothingness.

Author's Note

Well, it's not over. I promise I'm working on Daughter Of The Changeling Queen: The Start and a half dozen of unpublished stories, too. I've just moved into a new house, and it is the fabulous source of loads of inspiration! Please watch "Don't Mine At Night", the source of inspiration for this story. Stay tuned, fellow writers/readers!:pinkiehappy:

The Offer

Button Mash was indifferent to the brightly coloured living room of Carousel Boutique, or the chattering Element Of Generosity. All he wanted was to crash somewhere and weep, again, for his lost mother.

Sweetie Belle, noticing his distress, lay a hoof over her sister's shoulder. Her emerald eyes burned with understanding.

She and her sister shared an unhappy glance, then Rarity smiled half-heartedly as she bade Button goodnight.

"Come on.... I'll show you to your room." Sweetie Belle nudged the colt.

His senses felt as if they had shut down. He couldn't register where they were going, how close Sweetie Belle was, or even which direction he was going in. All he could think about was his mother.

His mother.... she had been alive and happy, three days ago. Curse that stupid, sick baby. If that stupid mother hadn't whined about dirt and dangers and whatever, his mother wouldn't have gone into the forest. If that stupid forest cobra hadn't bitten her, she would've been alive!

And with him.

He wouldn't have had to temporarily stay at Carousel Boutique. He wouldn't have been pulled out of school. He wouldn't have had to feel the lash of his aunt's words.

Sweetie Belle could plainly see the distress in her friend's eyes. The longing, the pain, the acceptance... she had been like that too. When her parents died in the train accident, she hadn't been there. Just like Button. She hadn't been able to say the last goodbye. Just like Button. Most could argue that Applebloom had been through the same, but, well, she hadn't known her parents. She hadn't been able to hear their voices, or see their faces. Knowledge hurt, yet ignorance had been Applebloom's one weapon.

Sweetie Belle inhaled before pushing the door to the guest room open. It was nicely decorated, with a modest bed and a desk. There were paintings around the wall and various bits of furniture scattered around the room.

"Here, Button." she whispered, laying him down on the bed like a mother would her child. The teenager tucked him in, and was about to leave when her charge caught her hoof.

"Stay with me... please." the colt whispered hoarsely, biting his lip.

What the heck? Why not? Sweetie Belle thought, a light blush on her cheeks as she sat on the bed next to Button Mash.

"You.... you're okay, right? Besides... everything?" she asked, folding her forehooves in her lap to make herself comfortable.

The colt looked weary. Bags were starting to form under his eyes, and she could see the tired slump in his shoulders.

"Sweetie... Belle... Can you..."

He was struggling to find the right words, yet somehow Sweetie Belle knew exactly what he wanted.

"Hush, sweetheart." she soothed, feeling awkward about the situation.

Their eyes met, and Sweetie Belle felt lost in the gentle chestnut of his eyes.

"Sleep well, Button."

Author's Note

Sappy, I know. I'm... lost. There's just so many things I have to deal with right now. Like my aunt's funeral, my best friend getting cyberbullied, my computer not working, homework issues.... seriously, writing is all I have now.

Dreams and Doubts

Maybe it had been how sorely she was missed. Maybe he was just clinging to every single thought of her. He couldn't stop thinking of her last moments. How had she gone? Had it hurt? How had it felt?

Sighing, the young stallion sat up in his bed. Sweetie Belle had left some hours before, leaving him behind to think. He had no tears to shed; his eyes were as dry and as farwaway as a desert. Maybe he needed a drink.

Getting up, Button Mash slowly trotted to the door, the darkness an unsettling cover over him. His neck was drenched in sweat, and his eyes rotated around fearfully.

As a young foal, he had always been scared of the dark. Yet...

His ears twitched as they detected a faint humming and piano music. The voice was melodious, yet the words were slurred by the low volume. Curiosity overwhelming his thinking, he approached the source of the music.

The brown teen colt's eyes widened.

Again, I ask the question why?
Ohhhh...
Why did you have to leave me?
You were my light, the candle in my darkness~
Oh, why did you have to leave?

Dreams and hopes gone with you~
I couldn't think, couldn't breathe.
Oh, oh, oh.
I'll never forget you, I never got to say goodbye~

I was told that stars are the souls of the departed~
And I've got two special stars looking out for me.
Mom and Dad, this is for you.
And all the love you've shown me.
I've... got... two.. stars.... for me.

Sweetie Belle smiled as the last note echoed softly through her room. This was her song, from the lyrics to the music. She didn't need paper to write it down. All she needed was her heart.

The young mare gazed out the window in front of her, letting the moonlight illuminate her face. Button Mash never thought he'd saw another lovelier sight.

The song... it had reached out to him, appealed to him nothing ever had before. And... looking at her now.... he felt...

Happy.

"What's wrong with you, Button!" he chastised himself, going into his room. For once, the darkness didn't matter. Nothing did.

"I-It's just Sweetie Belle. You've known her for eight years! What is... gah!"

He cradled his head in his hooves, turmoil rolling through him.

"You... just can't feel... yet."

Yet, thoughts were now consumed by the mare's beauty. How could he have taken those sparkling emerald eyes for granted?

"What's wrong with me?"

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes as she reflected on her previous music session. She'd known Button was watching.

The thought actually calmed her. She would've felt ashamed, if, say, her sister walked in on her playing the piano and singing songs about their dead parents. But not Button. In a way, she felt that he had understood.

"Button Mash..."

Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? Sure, she had always thought him cute, but...

"No, no, no! Button Mash is my friend! I'm not attracted to him.... or... anything..."

She saw herself in the mirror. Her white cheeks were flaming red, and she looked like a guilty mare.

"Am I?"

Author's Note

Without further ado, here is chapter three! And thank you so much for all the positive feedback! I was so mindblown when I fixed my laptop and got online! Thank you, again, for you made my day! :pinkiehappy:

The song belongs to me. I know, I suck at writing songs.

Above would be the version of Sweetie Belle and Button Mash in this story. They are not as young as they are in the show for various reasons.

Thank you for your support, once again! :raritystarry:

Truths

"Button Mash, darling, are you sure?" Rarity asked, craning her head to gaze at the young teen.

"Yes, Miss Rarity. I.... I want to see where my mom..."

"Darling, you could hurt yourself! Absolutely not!"

Yet, seeing Button Mash's determined look, she knew there was no stopping him.

"Oh..If you insist, darling. But... ooh, oh, take Sweetie Belle with you. The Everfree forest is ever so dangerous. And I want you two back by eleven, you hear?

"It feels nice to get out of there. Um... what exactly are you looking for?"

The two teenagers were side by side, looking at the dreary forest. Vines hung from the trees like dead snakes. The branches seemed to be reaching out, grasping at them. Everything was quiet... too quiet to be natural.

Button Mash bit his lip. "I... I don't really know. Maybe where it... happened. A sign. I don't know, SOMETHING!"

He kicked the ground in frustration.

Something hissed from beneath the leaves under Button's hoof, and a three-metre long forest cobra slithered out.

The very thing that had killed his mother.

It was ebony black, with stripes of yellow on its underbelly. It was white-lipped, and venom dripped from its fangs.

Sweetie Belle screamed and took a step back. The cobra reacted to it with agression, snapping its head back and forth as it hissed in warning.

"It- it's a mother!"

Button Mash could see, now, past the leaves, in the hollow of a tree's roots, a nest, filled with eleven luminescent, pearl-like eggs.

But near the nest... stains of blood. Was... it?

This was the very cobra that had killed his mother.

But it had been a mother. It was just defending its eggs.

Emotion crashed onto the teenager like a wave. His vision blurred. His limbs grew weak, like jelly. He was distinctly aware of Sweetie Belle calling out his name.

Before his world turned black and he passed out.

Sweetie Belle fixed her eye on the cobra, never averting her gaze. Oh, she hoped those snake charmer lessons would pay off now. At least she was prepared.

Her horn shimmered green, and her old snake flute appeared in her hooves.

Satisfied, she brushed the flute off before levitating it to her lips and blowing experimentally.

A single croaky note.

She launched into a simple song, pouring out her heart in the expert movement of her hooves. All the time keeping eye contact on the snake.

When she was sure she'd captured the snake's attention, she started to sway her head, keeping to the rhythm of the song.

One, two, one, two...

The cobra looked dizzy; with a final, soft hiss, it fell to the ground, limp.

Sweetie Belle congratulated herself with success, making the mistake of turning her back as she went to levitate Button Mash, the flute now stored in her saddlebags.

With another hiss, the snake flared its hood and launched at its target.

It struck true.

Author's Note

Looking at the real image of the cobra sent shivers down my spine. It's disgusting(I'm a snake hater, so sorry if you really really love snakes or are fascinated by them.)

What did you think of this chapter? Please tell me in the comments below!

Peace... out. Before I get sick. I can't stand snakes. :pinkiesick:

Dreams and Doubts

Button dreamed of his mother that night.

In his dream, she laughed. She looked so much like his aunt Vera... Vera, who hated him. Vera, who had never stopped blaming her sister for the death of Vera's husband. If only she had gotten there sooner...

His mother morphed into Sweetie Belle. Her eyes were startling green... shades of green like creepers in Minecraft. Her laugh was beautiful- a dash of light in ever present darkness. He loved how her mane looked like cotton candy.

Dream Sweetie Belle laughed at something he'd said... whatever it was.

"Oh, Button." she grinned. And it was a true smile, one that curved delicately in the most alluring way.

Sweetie... he thought.

I never realised how much I love it when you smile.

The pleasant smell of bacon and frying butter was his means of awakening in the morning. He clopped downstairs to investigate.

There was Sweetie Belle, humming as she slid the sizzling bacon around the pan. The young colt nearly smirked as he got himself a plate and cutlery from the pantry.

"Oh, hey Button! I'm just making breakfast here... why don't we eat outside?"

"Sure thing Sweetie Belle."

She came outside with him to set the table, her magic laying the cutlery with more precision than his clumsy earth pony hooves.

The mare's hoof bumped against his injured one. Funny, he hadn't given it much of a thought.

She lifted it up to inspect it.

"I'll clean it again after breakfast." she murmured.

Their conversation was light and amongst friends. They were discussing, in a heated argument their favourite video games when Button caught the scent of smoke and a flash of orange.

"Umm... Sweetie Belle... did you turn off the gas when you came out here?"

And so the morning was spent putting out flames and trying to save breakfast... and cooking more. However, this time it was Button Mash's attempt. Needless to say the sisters would need to purchase a brand new fire extinguisher before Sweetie Belle or Button Mash attempted to cook breakfast again. In the end they just ordered pancakes from a nearby cafe and bringing it to Carousel Boutique.

And Rarity slept through it all.

He crept and stole through the quaint little houses until he reached one tucked into a sinister alleyway. The withered flowers suggested that this had once been a beautiful home teeming with greenery and probably life. The track was worn under many hooves... The burly stallion swept his gaze across the sheltered accommodation and muttered under his breath. He was about to raise his hoof to knock when the door swung open.

He flashed a wide and charming grin at the mare standing before him. She had a light, tan coat, green eyes and a chestnut mane done in a severe bun. Her cutie mark was a gavel... a lawyer, it seemed. Interesting... considering her line of work. The mare before him was haggard... In Celestia's mane, she stunk like booze.

She snarled at him. "Who are ya and whaddya want?"

The stallion curved his lips in a sneer. "Hello... Miss Vera."

Author's Note

This is more a filler chapter than anything... Yay I'm updating after like a year?? I'm so sorry... I'll try to be more regular with my updates, but can't guarantee anything. yeah this is short.

Confessions

"Darling! You look.... well, to be frank, horrible. How was your trip?" she chattered on, oblivious to the skilfully hidden bandaged hoof belonging to Button Mash.

"Hey Rare."

Sweetie Belle smiled wearily at her big sister as she dragged Button Mash behind her, the young colt almost shuffling as he tried to keep his hoof away from Rarity's line of sight.

"Umm... Button Mash, sweetheart... what..?"

"I tripped!"

"He banged his hoof on a rock!"

The two simultaneous outbursts, of course, made their story more unbelievable.

The fashionista narrowed her sapphire eyes but decided against more questions. She had customers to tend to, orders to fill out, payments to be made.

"Okay, then, darlings."

He hadn't been out of his room for hours.

The soup she had left outside his door was cold, untouched. It seemed Opal had tipped the bowl over. The hall was cold, forlorn, wrapped in darkness.

Her heart was breaking, for him, for the mother who left, for her parents, her sister.

Her eyes swam.

Her head spun.

Sweetie Belle had never felt like this.

Author's Note

Re- edited so the plot can re flow.