Okay, this is it. I've done a lot of side quests and I'm up to level 85. The final boss is level 90, but I've got enough potions and weapon and armour buffs. All I gotta do is start quick - use a lot of fast strikes, then on the second phase, switch to the battleaxe and go in for a few heavy hits. It'll be much slower in that state, so I can charge a few attacks.
Going in alone probably isn't the best idea, but I'll get a trophy if I do. Lord of Manewind... Imagine everypony seeing me with that! Lord Button Mash! I'd be the coolest colt in school!
Alright, let's do thi-
"Button! Come into the bathroom please!"
Button Mash let out a long, irritated sigh before putting down the controller. He had finally gotten to the last boss in Tales of Gallopvin, and his mother had picked the worst time to call him out of his zone.
Reluctantly, he climbed off his beanbag chair, noting how cold his flanks felt once he was stood up, and stretched his legs, hearing his joints click and pop after not moving them for a while. And then came the trudge out from his dark room, squinting when the light from the hall hit his eyes.
In the bathroom, his mother was stood in front of the mirror, looking at him expectantly. The look on her face told Button this wasn't good news.
"Button, sweetie," she began, her voice rather soft, "how long have you been playing that game?"
"Ummm," Button hummed, furrowing his brow in concentration, "I've been playing it since I got it. Why?"
"Yes you have," she said, her voice a little harsher now, "Quite literally. The only time I've seen you out of your room is to get food, or to use the bathroom."
Button tilted his head, not sure what she was getting at.
"And the only food I've seen going missing are chips, soda, candy bars and energy drinks," she went on.
"Well, I need energy if I'm gonna save the region of Trottalia from Baron Vileus, mom," Button said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Maybe so," she sighed, "but do you know what all that junk food does to you when you stay in your room all summer?"
Button grinned. "Makes for an awesome binging session?"
His mom tutted and stepped aside, allowing Button to see himself in the mirror behind her.
"It makes you fat."
A "Whoa!" escaped Button as he got a look at himself in the mirror. A surprised, chubby brown colt stared back at him. His belly pooched down between his knees, and his flanks had gotten much larger. His cheeks had gotten rather chubby with a perpetual blush, and his little propeller hat was still spinning away on its own. His mane was all messy from lack of brushing as well.
"This is what happens when you eat junk food all day and get no exercise," his mom went on, "Now, school starts up in three weeks, and I think you'd like to be able to fit through the door, don't you?"
Button's round cheeks got even pinker from the thought. "Yeah...but mom, it can't be that bad!"
"We'll see," she said, then pointed a hoof toward the scales next to the toilet, "step on, we'll see how bad it is."
Button, unable to think of a good excuse not to, complied and stepped onto the scales, making them creak softly as the needle shot up. His mom peered over his shoulder to take a look.
"One hundred and fifty-five pounds," she tutted, shaking her head, "it seems we have a lot of work to do."
Button puffed out his already puffy cheeks, wanting to say something, but wisely kept his mouth shut as he followed his mother after her gesturing with her head.
"For the next few weeks, I want you to watch what you eat, and go outside for a few hours a day," she instructed as she led her son down the hall, "play with some friends and get some fresh air. And you can play your game for an hour or two."
Button halted, with a horrified agape look on his face. "Just an hour or two?! But mom-!"
"No buts, young stallion," she cut him off quick, her voice soft but not sharp, "Once you've lost most of that weight, we'll discuss your gaming time. Until then, only an hour or two."
Button sighed and lowered his head, defeated. Arguing with his mom was like taking on a final boss at level 1.
She opened the door to Button's room and flicked on the light. Her eyebrows furrowed, looking unimpressed at the state of the room. Empty soda bottles, energy drink cans, candy bar wrappers and chip bags were littered all over the floor around the beanbag chair, which had a deep groove in it thanks to its owner sitting in it for 16 hours a day. His bed was unmade, the covers thrown off carelessly in Button's constant rush to the PonyStation 4, where the game's pause menu was on the TV screen with the background music playing softly in the air. The curtains were closed, hiding away the light from the midday sun outside.
"You can start your change with this mess," Button's mom said, her voice getting fainter as she went toward the kitchen, "Open the curtains, clean up all this garbage and make your bed. My son isn't turning into a pig on my watch, and he's certainly not going to live like one." She had returned with an empty black garbage bag by then.
Though, she took note of the dejected look on her son's face, and decided to add a little incentive. "If it's clean enough, I'll let you play your game until dinnertime."
That got his attention. His little brown ears pricked up, and his little hoof raised up to his head in a salute. "Got it, mom!" He chirped, a glint in his eyes as he took the garbage bag in his mouth.
"Good boy," she smiled with satisfaction and gave her son a little kiss on the forehead before leaving him to his job.
As soon as Button closed his bedroom door, he sighed at the state of his room. Maybe he went a little overboard on the junk food, but he couldn't be that fat, right? A hundred and fifty pounds? Dumb scale must have been broken!
He looked up at the clock on his bedside table. Dinner was hours away, and this wasn't too big of a mess. Just a few soda cans and wrappers.
His eyes crept around and locked onto the TV, where the game was still paused, and a mischievous grin crossed his muzzle.
Maybe if I turn down the volume, she won't-
"Touch that start button and I'll confiscate that controller," his mother's muffled voice called from beyond the door, "And the spares!"
The chubby colt pouted with a "Hmph" as he got to work cleaning his room. What a dumb sidequest. At least he'd get to game longer if he got it done sooner.
And as for his snacks...the stash under his bed should keep him satisfied.
The next day, Button was sitting at the table with a bowl of cornflakes, looking a little reluctant. "Do I really have to be outside for so long?"
His mother, sitting across from him with the same breakfast, nodded. "You need to get some exercise and fresh air, sweetie. It'll do you a world of good."
"There isn't even anything to do."
"Of course there is. You can go for a walk around town, find one of your classmates, even make a new friend? There's plenty of games to play outside."
Button pouted quietly at his mom's sweet smile. At least the cornflakes were okay...though, that was mostly to do with him planting a few spoonfuls of sugar into it when she wasn't looking.
And then, Button's eyes widened as something she said resonated with him. He had to really fight the smirk trying to grow on his face.
There's plenty of games to play outside!
"Okay mom, you convinced me," he decided, grinning up at her, "I'll find something to do!"
"That's my boy," she chirped, giving his fringe a little ruffle. Button couldn't help but let out a tiny giggle.
Now that he was on her good side, time to try something, he thought.
"Hey, what if I take a book with me?" He suggested, giving his best innocent smile.
"Reading outside?" She asked, then hit him with a proud smile of her own, "That's a wonderful idea! Go grab a book then."
He wasted no time getting up to his room to pick out a book to 'read'. He had a lot of novels based on video games, and art books too. He picked a novel based on the 'Realm of Warcolts' game - it was a big one, so it was perfect for hiding...
"My JoyBoy~" He giggled quietly, taking the small handheld console off his bedside table and slipping it between the pages. With how big the book was, his mom would never find it!
He'd been meaning to complete 'Super Mareio Land 2' with 100% completion anyway.
He spotted his school saddlebag in the corner, and figured it'd be better to be safe than sorry. He stuffed the book and JoyBoy into one of the bags, then crept his gaze toward the space beneath the bed. He reached a hoof beneath, and scooped out a hooffull of candy bars and chip bags. With a smirk, he shoved them into the other bag and strapped it onto his flanks.
And with a quick excuse that the bag was to keep the book safe from being damaged, he had sneaked his contraband outside. He took a deep breath of fresh morning air and began a triumphant strut toward the park.
"Button!"
He flinched as his mother called for him, and he slowly turned his head. "Yeah mom...?" He bit his lip when he saw her gesture with her hoof for him to come back, and his heart began racing as he got closer to her.
"There's something I forgot to do," she said, eyeing him.
Button swallowed, trying his best not to look scared that he'd been caught. "Yeah...?"
She smiled and put a few bits into his little hoof. "Something to get a little snack while you're out. Something good for you, got it?"
"O-oh!" Button blinked, then smiled and set the coins in his bag, "I mean, sure! Thanks mom!"
"Good boy," she smiled and walked back inside, "have fun!"
Button kept his smile up until his mom went back inside, and then he breathed a loud sigh of relief. That was a close one!
"Phew, gotta be more cool," he muttered, "where was I? Oh yeah!" He smirked and returned to his strut toward Ponyville Park. "Getting some fresh air~"
By the time he got there however, Button was taking in big breaths of that fresh air, and wiping a light sweat off his brow. Was this summer really that hot? Princess Celestia was laying it on kinda thick this year!
And with no clouds in the brilliant blue sky in any direction, there was no sign of it letting up anytime soon.
He trudged down the path and eyed a group of foals playing hoofball together on the freshly cut grass. All Button could wonder was how anypony could even walk around in this heat, nevermind run around and play buckball.
He never really got the appeal of the game either - it was just throwing some rubber balls into a bucket. Anypony could do that. He heard it was a big deal in Trottingham for some reason, but he didn't care enough to look into it. Besides, the only buckball he ever played voluntarily was virtual, on his GameColt at home.
A sigh escaped Button as he flopped his heavy rump against a tree trunk, taking shelter under some dense green leaves. How he wished he were at home right now. Air conditioning, Tales of Gallopvin, his beanbag chair, ice-cold soda, potato chips, chocolate balls...
Grrrruuuuurrrrrlllll...
Button's round cheeks turned pink as he looked down, the flab under his chin squishing into a double-chin, as his tummy rumbled, pleading him to feed it. Thankfully, nopony seemed to notice.
He took off his saddlebag and rested it against the base of the tree, opening the flap containing his snacks while grabbing his JoyBoy from the other.
Alright Button, he thought as he crammed some potato chips in his maw, time to 100% this thing, in record time!
"Aw crud!" Button yelped quietly as he spotted a red warning light on his JoyBoy, "The battery's dying!"
After saving his progress, he turned off the console and put it into his saddlebag. It wasn't until he looked up that he noticed the sunlight had gotten much softer - in fact, it looked to be nearly sunset!
"Whoa, how long was I outside?" He muttered in surprise, then bit his lip as he realised something. "Uh oh, it'll be dinner soon! Mom'll be so mad if I'm late!"
He strapped on his saddlebag and stood up, his ear flicking at the rustling sound from one of the flaps. He reached in and fished out a lot of empty candy bar wrappers and chip bags. He'd emptied his whole snack supply while he was gaming!
Though, it didn't bother him. He just had some more at home to enjoy. If mom hadn't found it yet, he hoped as he dumped the wrappers into a nearby trashcan.
As he left the park, an idea came to him, and he began a swift trot the rest of the way. Some ponies turned their heads and watched the jiggly brown colt bouncing down the street with a sly smirk on his face, looking a little dumbfounded. Especially those who had seen him in the park earlier, since he had just been sitting under a tree, stuffing his face and gaming for hours.
Once he was at home, Button was panting for air, and felt another cold sweat on his brow.
Perfect! He thought, as he pushed through the door and let out an exaggerated sigh. "Phew! I'm home, mom!"
"Hey sweetie," she called from the kitchen, "You're just in time, I'm getting dinner started. How was your day?"
"Oh, it was awesome," he puffed, walking up to the doorway while playing up wiping sweat from his brow, "I did a lot of running and playing today. It was a heck of a workout!"
"See?" She turned and gave him a proud smile, "I told you it'd do you some good! Now go get yourself cleaned up, dinner will be soon."
Button licked his lips at the idea of dinner. "What're we havin'?"
"I found a nice healthy recipe for hay fries earlier," she said, "so we're going to try those out. Do you want ketchup with yours?"
"Yeah!" Button chirped.
"Yes, what?" She asked, her smile becoming an expectant frown.
The pudgy nerd rolled his eyes. "Yes please?"
The smile returned as quickly as it left. "Okay, off you go."
Button was more than happy to return to his room, and as soon as he got close to his beanbag, he flopped right onto it, exhausted from that run home. It was the worst idea in the history of forever - even worse than quick time events - but he had to convince his mom that he'd been out breaking a real sweat.
The jingling of bits from his saddlebag made Button realise something - he hadn't spent the money his mom had given him earlier!
He wasted no time grabbing his piggy bank from the dresser, and plopping in the coins. It had been empty since the end of the school year, since he had been saving up his allowance to buy Tales of Gallopvin, but now he could save up for something else!
Once he was done, he put his JoyBoy into its charger and flopped back onto his beanbag with a satisfied sigh. He was proud of himself for coming up with such a genius plan. All he had to do was keep this up, and he'd be in the clear once mom had inevitably forgotten about the whole thing thanks to his 'getting more exercise'.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, the fact that his mom hadn't forgotten, and had called Button into the bathroom for a weigh-in two weeks later, for a start.
"On you get, dear," she smiled, pointing to the scales. Button bit his lip, fighting the urge to look at his mother's secretly suspicious gaze, and climbed onto the scales.
"Okay," she smiled and looked over his shoulder, "let's see how much weight you've lo-"
A pregnant pause hung in the air, filling Button with dread.
"What in Celestia's-" she muttered and shook her head, dumbfounded, "that can't be right. This says you've gained weight!"
Button gulped and looked down himself. Indeed, the numbers had gone up from '155' to '170'. He put on fifteen pounds in two weeks!
"Weird," he muttered, trying not to sound suspicious, "maybe the scale's broken...?"
"Or maybe it's something else," his mom muttered, and followed him as he plodded back toward his room, "you are going outside every day, and for around four hours or so..."
Button smiled, a little nervously, as he opened his bedroom door. "Maybe you should go get a refund on those scales!"
"Hm...yeah, I should have somepony take a look at-" she halted, her eyes locked onto something like a fox stalking its prey.
"Button...what's that under your bed?"
Button blinked innocently, and followed his mom's gaze. The empty candy bar wrapper poking out from beneath the bed made his little heart skip a beat. "Uhhh..."
His mother walked over and picked it up. "What is this, Button?"
"It's, uh," he muttered, trying to think of a lie, and widened his eyes as he got one, "it's just some trash I forgot to pick up!"
"You didn't see that for a few weeks?" She asked, not exactly buying it. She bent over to take a look under the bed, and halted for a few moments before putting a hoof inside the darkness.
She stood back, and Button watched in sheer horror that his mother had discovered his little secret. The big bag of snacks and junk food he had been feeding from throughout summer.
"Somepony's been keeping a little stash, hm?" She asked, and Button couldn't bear to look at her unimpressed face, "This might explain the 'broken scales'."
Button realised he'd been had, and flopped in defeat. "I-I couldn't help it," he murmured, ears lowering guiltily, "I get so hungry before dinner, and..."
"That's no excuse, young stallion," she said sternly, "I told you not to snack, but you did it anyway. Well, I'll just have to confiscate these."
"What?!" Button squeaked, his chubby face contorting into pure terror as he plodded after her into the kitchen, "C'mon mom, I'll just have a little a day! Or a week!"
"You've been having more than a little," she shot back, emptying the snacks into the pantry, "Now, you're going on a diet. No junk food, and you're getting proper exercise."
"But mom-" Button tried to argue, but his mother's sharp gaze cut him right off, "...okay..."
Button's stern frown flashed into a bright smile in no time at all.
"Now then," she chirped, and walked over to the fridge, "I'll make you a nice healthy lunch to take outside with you. And you won't be needing your saddlebag to run around and play, will you?"
Button whimpered, and tried to force tears into his eyes. Crying usually helped him get what he wanted. "B-but moooom," he whined.
"Oh Button," his mom sighed, "it won't be that bad. Just do a little walking around town, at least? That'll do you a world of good."
Instantly, the tears stopped. He wasn't going to win, and he knew it. "Okay..." he pouted.
"Good boy," she chirped and passed her son a see-through baggie with four triangle-cut lettuce and hay sandwiches, "that should hold you till dinner."
"Thanks mom," he grumbled, and took the baggie in his jaw before lightly stomping toward the door.
She giggled and planted a little kiss on his forehead. "Have a good day~"
As soon as Button was outside, a quiet stream of Humgonian swears and threats escaped from under his breath as he stamped toward the park.
That night, Button tossed and turned in bed, eyes scrunched shut as he tried to sleep. He groaned as his belly rumbled with hunger, already having emptied from the small, healthy dinner his mom made him that night, without dessert.
Grrroooouuuurrrrlll!
"Gah!" Button grunted and sat up with a defeated frown. He couldn't take this any longer. He needed something to eat, and he needed it now.
He looked toward his door, and remembered how his mom put his snacks in the pantry. The thought of those candy bars sitting there waiting for him was too much to ignore.
He climbed off his bed, causing the springs to squeak with relief, and his little hooves landed like thick feathers as he crept across the floor, causing the smallest creaks on the wooden planks. With no lights on, he'd have to use his memory of the house to guide him to the kitchen. Unfortunately, that memory only decided to kick in when he bumped his head against the bedroom door. "Oww..."
He poked his head out and looked around. No lights were on, so nopony else was awake. A smirk crossed his round face as he sneaked out, though that smirk quickly faded when he realised he had to pass his parents' room to get to the stairs.
He poked his soft stomach with a hoof. "You're gonna have to work with me here," he whispered to it, before continuing to creep toward the top of the stairs.
So far, so good, he thought, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head through his focus.
Grrrrrrroooorrrrll...!
Button froze as his belly rumbled once again, the colour draining from his fur when he realised when it was right in front of his parents' door!
A few tense, silent moments passed. Button had his ears up, but no sounds came from the room.
"Phew," he sighed quietly, then prodded his belly angrily, "I thought we were working together!"
After some awkward steps down the stairs, he made it to the bottom floor, and licked his lips as he entered the kitchen doorway. His plan was going smoothly so far, and all he had to do was his favourite part.
Wasting no more time, he threw open the pantry door and grabbed as many candy bars as he could. Bags of chips would be too crinkly and make too much noise, so he could think of a plan for that another time. But for now, he needed a chocolate fix, and this was the way to get it.
The colt giggled deviously as he crept back up the stairs with candy bars under his forelegs and hanging out his mouth. Once he was back in his room, he climbed back into bed and ripped open one of what was to be many chocolate bar wrappers to enjoy a nice midnight snack.
"Two-hundred-ten?!" Button's mother nearly hollered from the bathroom one morning, staring at her son on the scale like he just told her he's an alien who had replaced him. "How in Celestia's name is this happening?"
Button, however, looked at himself in the mirror. His belly could be seen between his legs, round like a barrel and reaching down to his knees. His forelegs had developed a thick upper layer of fat, and his flanks had gotten globular enough to slightly creep off the chair at the dinner table. A little slab of fat could be seen peeking below his chin, and his cheeks had gotten rounder and rather cherubic with the slightest perpetual pinkness to them.
"I need to think this diet over," his mom muttered, and put a hoof on her son's soft back, "you get ready for school, sweetie."
Button smiled up at her before plodding back to his room, his mother watching him wobble off with a slight waddle to his step.
Once he was out the door with his bag that morning, Button smirked proudly as he saw he had gotten away with cheating on his diet. His dad even sneaked him some lunch money along with mom's healthy lunch, and he knew exactly where to spend it.
At school, heads turned as the brown wobbling ball with pony features waddled toward them. A few foals almost didn't recognise Button at first, but as soon as they did, they either stared in bewilderment or giggled and whispered to each other in amusement.
"Is that Button Mash...?" One filly asked.
"How'd he get so...big?" Another muttered.
"He's a video game geek, take a guess." A colt snorted.
"Yeah, somepony should get him Whiiny Fit or something!" The first filly giggled.
Button couldn't hear the amused mutterings of his classmates, so just waddled to the schoolhouse's playground without a care and did what he always did when outside - sat on a bench and played on his JoyBoy.
Among the bewildered party were a quintet of fillies sitting near the climbing bars. Three sported similar shield-like cutie marks, while the other two sported a diamond tiara and a silver spoon on their flanks, making it easy to guess their names.
"Sweet apple cobblers," Apple Bloom whispered, "Button must'a been doin' a whole lotta nothin' all summer!"
"I know, right?" Scootaloo snorted, "Guess he ain't been playing any exercise video games."
"Do you think he even has any idea how...big he is?" Silver Spoon murmured.
Diamond Tiara, the reformed school bully, pushed away a thought from her old self that dared her to call him 'Butt Smash'. "He certainly looks happy enough."
Sweetie Belle, however, kept quiet while she stared at Button. She had no idea why, but seeing Button so large didn't exactly alarm her. If anything, all she could think about was walking up and giving that round wobbly mound of colt a hug. The way his big flanks slightly bent the wooden bench as he sat on it just looked so adorable. And he just looked so soft and warm...a dreamy smile escaped onto her muzzle as she imagined cuddling up to him.
"-Sweetie Belle!"
Scootaloo's voice knocked the unicorn filly out of her trance, and she looked at the group. "H-huh? What?"
"Y'all were spacin' out," Apple Bloom explained.
"And you had this big smile on your face," Silver Spoon added.
"And you were staring at Button the whole time," Scootaloo finished.
Diamond Tiara smirked, this one more mischievous than the deviously malicious ones she was once known for. She had put bullying behind her, but a little harmless teasing was different, right?
"I think she likes him~" she giggled, and incited a round of snickers from her friends.
"W-what?!" Sweetie squeaked, her white cheeks flushing red. "I do not!"
"C'mon," Apple Bloom said with a smirk, "ya always get all flustered when ya go near him!"
"Do not!"
Scootaloo couldn't help herself. "Sweetie and Button, sitting in a tree~"
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G~" Silver Spoon finished, and the fillies burst into a fit of giggles, leaving Silver Spoon flushed bright red and everypony around them wondering what was so funny.
"Sh-shuddup!" She squeaked, stamping her hoof on the ground. The girls quietened down when they saw how upset she was getting.
"We're just messin' around Sweetie," Apple Bloom said with a sincere smile, "we ain't gonna make fun of ya fer havin' a crush."
"I don't have a crush," Sweetie mumbled, though calming down.
"C'mon Sweetie," Scootaloo snickered, "we've seen the way you eye him."
Before Sweetie could muster up an excuse, the bell rang for the start of school. She wasted no time in insisting they get to class, while the other fillies smirking knowingly at each other. Button turned off his JoyBoy and shifted off the bench, beginning his waddle to the classroom.
The first day of school went smoothly, if a little peculiar for Button. Firstly, his desk was rather cramped, his stomach sticking into it, and the seat felt rather uncomfortable, having to adjust his backside numerous times on the poor creaking wood. Ms Cheerilee welcomed everypony back to school and hoped they had a relaxing summer - eyeing Button curiously during the word 'relaxing' - and instructed the class to have an essay for the end of the week about how everypony spent their summer vacation. Button grinned with excitement at that, since he knew exactly what to write about. The class spent the first day starting on it, so he got to writing about how he arrived in the realm of Gallopvin and how he worked to slay the bandits and monsters plaguing the land to win the hoof of its fair princess.
Lunchtime began rather boring, thanks to his mom's lovingly made hay and lettuce sandwiches, but for some reason Sweetie Belle was nice enough to give him one of her candy bars. He was more than happy to take it, though he wondered why she looked so nervous.
Though, it was after school where things started to go downhill.
"Whaddya mean I can't?!" He cried in disappointment.
"I'm sorry, honey," Mrs Cake said sadly from behind the Sugarcube Corner counter, "But we can't."
"Just one little cupcake?" He pleaded, leaning his front hooves on the counter, squishing his belly on the display glass, "Or one measly little cookie? I'll even take a chocolate chip!"
"Your mom asked us not to sell treats to you till you've...'slimmed down', as she said," the baker admitted with a sad smile, "but as soon as we get the all clear, you can have anything you like for a discount."
"Should've known mom was behind this," he grumbled, then slowly got down to all fours, "Thanks for the offer Mrs Cake, that's real nice of you." He managed a smile before turning to waddle out the door, a frown taking place the instant he turned around.
The diet and healthy sandwiches were one thing, but banning him from Sugarcube Corner? Mom went too far with that! Now how was he going to get his sugar fix?
His grumbling belly reminded him of his hunger. Maybe there would be some leftovers around the back? Or he could sneak in and wait till nightfall before helping himself to what was unsold?
"Button?" A familiar voice snapped him out of his train of desperate thought, and turned to see a white and purple unicorn filly standing there with a baggie of cookies in her hoof.
"Oh, hey Sweetie Belle," he said, feeling a warmth in his cheeks, "What's up?"
"I, um," she muttered, her pinked cheeks turning pinker, "I saw what happened in there, and I...well...I, uh..." she looked down at her hooves.
"Oh, you saw that?" The chubby colt murmured, flushing bright red, "It's, uh, it's nothing, I'm on a diet so I should be cutting down-"
"IgotyouthesecookieswiththebitsIhadleft!" The filly blurted out, pushing the baggie toward him.
"Y-you wha-?!" Button gasped, staring at the baggie. His nose twitched at the smell of chocolate chips.
"Y-y-yeah, the girls thought I should get you these," Sweetie went on, causing Button two notice four fillies intently staring right at them from the window, "o-oh, but if you're on a diet-"
"Nononononono!" Button yelped, grabbing the bag in his tubby hooves, "I was just kidding! Um...uh, thanks, Sweetie Belle..."
"No problem...I'll see if I can sneak you some more tomorrow," Sweetie Belle promised, and the two shared awkward, flustered smiles for a while before Sweetie muttered something about 'getting back'.
Button waved her off and stuffed his hoof in the bag, crunching into the first cookie while overhearing a chorus of squealing fillies from inside Sugarcube Corner.
A dreamy smile overcame his chubby cheeks. The chocolate batter and chips practically exploded onto his taste buds, and he kept scoffing it up.
He could swear he saw a familiar cutie mark rounding the corner in his peripheral vision, but he thought nothing of it.
Later that night, after another light dinner with no dessert, Button found himself in a peculiar place. The sky was a bright blue, with pink clouds dotting it all around. A delectable smell tickled his nostrils, and he leaned down to the brown cobblestone path he was stood on. His tongue slid across his wide grin as he got a great whiff of chocolate. Looking around more, he could see giant candy canes sticking out of the ground with green gummy leaves hanging off them, like funny crooked trees. A river of chocolate milk flowed nearby along the road.
"Where in Equestria am I...?" Was all he could say, before he spotted something in front of him. A very pixellated candy bar hovered in front of him, turning in place in the air. He grinned and picked it up, causing it to vanish. After a 'bleep' sound, like he had just grabbed a pickup, he suddenly had the sweet taste of chocolate in his mouth. Curious chiptune music began to play in the air from nowhere, and he saw a number appear over his head like a scoreboard.
"Wow, it's like a game!" He caught on, and happily followed the trail of pixellised chocolates, ice cream bars and potato chips. Even though each one disappeared as he touched it, he could taste them fresh in his mouth, and feel them settling in his belly. He didn't even care where the trail was leading him, he was just happy to follow.
His carefree trotting - or waddling, specifically - soon came to a halt when he heard a faint growling noise. He blinked, then put a hoof to his belly, seeing the thick limb squish into his soft middle.
"Wow, all that candy and I'm still starved," he murmured, tilting his head before moving on.
A few steps later, the growling sounded again. It was a lot closer and louder this time, which caused a nervous, jiggly shudder to run through Button's body.
And then a third growl, sounding more like an irritated monster.
"I-I don't think that was me," he muttered nervously, then gulped as he saw the chocolate river by the road bubbling and blooping a little bit ahead.
A yelp escaped him as the chocolate milk seemed to creep along the gummy grass and halt in front of him in a brown puddle. Before he could even think of taking a step forward, the puddle rose up and began moulding itself, more of the sweet liquid seeping from the river and giving it more mass before it finally stopped, taking the form of a pony about his size. At least, in height. The joyful music turned more intense and energetic, which only meant one thing to Button.
"Alright, my first battle," he muttered, and pattered his front hooves, "Here we go!"
He rushed in to attack the chocolate milk foal, but his charge quickly lost steam from his underused muscles needing to put sudden extra work in hauling his oversized frame, and his tackle was nothing but a nudge that sent the sweet-smelling enemy back an inch and left him in a sweaty, panting heap.
Now it was the milk pony's turn. It stepped back a few paces and pointed a hoof at Button. He could only stare dumbly as a stream of chocolate milk fired from the extended limb and right into his mouth.
"Mmph!" He mumbled, his mouth full of thick, ice cold liquid which he swallowed out of instinct, "...mm~!" He grinned and licked his muzzle. That stuff was good!
Now he had a new approach in mind. He waddled up to the pony, which seemed smaller than he first thought, and grabbed a straw stem out of the gummy grass to stick in the milk pony's forehead and take a big sip of. The pony shrunk in size, but didn't seem to be in pain...or even react, for that matter. Almost like it wanted him to eat it up.
The two exchanged went on until the milk pony was a bite-sized little thing, and Button finished off the battle by popping it in his mouth and finishing it off. A victorious musical jingle sounded as Button was rewarded a hefty amount of points. And speaking of hefty, Button had unknowingly grown an inch or so rounder than before he had begun the battle.
Though, the greedy colt was too busy smirking and licking his lips at the patrolling chocolate milk ponies along the road ahead.
Some minutes later...
Button's stomach gurgled and sloshed with all the chocolate milk ponies he'd drank on his journey to Celestia-knows-where. His waddle became a wide, awkward gait as his belly had grown outward from being so packed. He looked more like a brown water balloon on stubby legs than a colt, but he didn't seem to mind. Or care.
The trail of treats continued, and took him through a candy cane forest. They all smelled and tasted deliciously sweet, and he couldn't help but take a lick or a bite of any trees he came close to in his passing by.
After not too long, and about a dozen candy bars, he came up to a clearing, which put a wide grin on his face when he saw what was in it. A cottage that smelled strongly of gingerbread loomed before him, with a biscuit wafer door and lollipop flowers out front, and the gluttonous colt couldn't help but approach the sweet-scented home. He took a sniff, then the tiniest lick of one of the bricks. Sure enough, the taste of gingerbread lingered on his tongue!
"Just like in that story mom used to tell me!" He squealed like the little piglet he was, and quickly got to work chewing on the corner of the house, getting some of the frosting cement along with it.
He'd barely made a dent in the wall before he heard a familiar voice.
"Button Mash? What're you doing here?"
The colt in question turned around to see Sweetie Belle poking her head out of the biscuit wafer door. From what he could see, she was wearing some kind of old-timey Germane outfit, like that filly from the story.
"Oh, hey Sweetie," he smiled and licked crumbs off his lips, "I was just-"
"Hungry?" Sweetie interrupted with a knowing grin, then giggled into her little hoof, "You could've just knocked! C'mon in~" She winked.
The colt obliged and followed the smaller filly inside, taking a little nibble of the wafer door on his way. He couldn't reach the chocolate doorknob, as much as he'd tried. Inside the house was decorated in browns, pinks and whites, and the delectable aroma of warm, freshly baked goods hung in the air.
"You're just in time for lunch," Sweetie said as she led him toward a table, and patted one of the candy cane-and-wafer chairs, "Have a seat."
"Wow, thanks," Button giggled, and awkwardly hoisted his oversized form into the chair, turning in place before setting his rump down on the seat. His jaw dropped and began moistening with drool when he saw the table was topped with bowls of ice cream, chocolate cakes, apple pies, cupcakes, muffins, and all other kinds of delicious desserts. This whole place was like if Pinkie Pie went on an enormous baking spree!
"I'm watching this place for a friend, and she's showing me how to bake in return," Sweetie explained a little cryptically, "Why don't ya tell me how I did?"
Button darted his eyes across the table, wondering what to have first. A plate of chocolate, vanilla and mint ice cream sandwiches was closest, so he decided to tear into them first. The sweet, cold treats burst onto his taste buds with a delicious fury, and the next thing he knew, he was pouring the crumbs from the plate into his mouth.
"Mmm!" He giggled, and then greedily reached for a large platter of chocolate and strawberry cupcakes, "The ice cream was good, but I'm gonna need a little more before I can decide!" He muttered, licking his muzzle.
Sweetie Belle giggled, and smirked as Button Mash's belly had bloated from the sandwiches. "Oh please, help yourself~"
And help himself he did. Wasting little time, he crammed every cookie, slice of cake and glob of ice cream he could reach into his greedy mouth. Every mouthful was more delicious than the least, and all he wanted was to finish up every last crumb in front of him.
But in his reverie, there were a few things he hadn't noticed. Firstly, he didn't feel any fuller - just a stronger wanting for more treats. Secondly, Sweetie Belle was not only pushing plates and platters to him as they emptied, she was also refilling them with more treats, all with a sly little smirk.
Thirdly, and most of all, all these treats were doing a number to Button's figure. With every few mouthfuls he gulped, the delicious empty calories went right to work converting into fat that spread throughout his already round body. His belly expanded beneath the table, spreading his hind legs apart. His flanks inflated with blubber, causing his rump to spill over the sides of his seat in little time. Rolls and folds began to form above his love handles and on his back, and his legs began to develop sagging folds of pure fat that threatened to come after his hooves, which were slowly starting to lose usefulness with his size making it harder to reach the table.
But none of this mattered or even occurred to Button, so he just ate and ate and ate!
Until...
"All done?" Sweetie Belle giggled, and covered her face while she was nearly blown back by a powerful, rumbling belch, "I'll take that as a yes~"
To call Button Mash a blob now would be rather generous. He had transcended from 'blob' and moved up to 'enormous quivering mass with tiny bits of pony here and there'. He took up the majority of the dining room with his colossal water balloon of a belly sagging across the floor, and each flank was easily the size of a carriage, with his comically tiny tail flopped between them. His hooves were just little nubs sucked into the folds of his overgrown legs, pinning the colossal colt on his belly and only managing a little wiggle of his tiny thick digits. His back was a collection of bunched up rolls, and no sign of a neck was visible anymore, just a landslide of thick chin slabs below his overgrown face. His facial features were barely visible, thanks to his cheeks, that had the shape of deflated yoga balls, hiding most of his nose and mouth, and giving him a constant squint. And despite it all, his little propeller cap was still spinning on his head.
"Wow, Shweetie," he muttered, his cheeks giving him a lisp and his voice deeper from the fat pressing against his throat, "that shtuff was sho...good...!"
Sweetie smiled and squished a hoof into Button's massive form, causing a small round of giggles that made him bounce and wobble in place. "Thanks a lot Button. My teacher's pleased to hear that!"
"She is...?"
"I am~" a mare's voice purred, sounding smooth and silky like the freshest milk. He didn't recognise it, but it sounded nice.
Since Button couldn't see a thing below him thanks to his limited vision, the newcomer did him the favour of levitating up to him. She wore a hooded cloak over her body, so all he could see was a grey unicorn horn. Sweetie Belle was on her back.
"You did well my little apprentice," she chuckled, and caressed Button's cheek with a pale hoof, "this one is nice and plump~"
Sweetie Belle giggled and grinned. "I knew he'd be a good pick!"
"Huh...?" Button murmured, "Good pick...?"
"My teacher wanted to have a really greedy tubby foal over for dinner," Sweetie explained brightly, "And I told her you were the greediest, tubbiest foal in Equestria!"
"And you didn't disappoint~" the mare chortled, and levitated the two of them into the air, "Now, let's get to work~"
Button saw as the little oven in front of him grew bigger, up to his size, and the grated hatch flipped open. It looked big enough for even him to squeeze through!
Now he realised what was happening - it was too much like the story! He tried to escape, but his stubby hooves were rendered useless by his growing so big.
Oh why did I have to be so greedy?! was all he could think while he was magically shoved toward the inferno inside the oven. The last thing he heard before being squeezed inside was the mare's voice taunting him.
"This is what happens when little foals don't stick to their diet~"
With a slam of the grated door, the last thing he saw was some text appearing before him in the fire.
BAD ENDING
Button shot upright in bed, panting and gasping in a sweaty heap. He took a few minutes to collect himself - he was in his room, in the middle of the night, and he wasn't an immobile butterball - and he flopped back down, trying to relax.
The next morning, Button happily accepted his lettuce and low-cholesterol hay sandwiches from his mother in the kitchen.
"Thanks mom," he chirped, "I'm gonna jog to school, and take a walk around town before comin' home. And look, not a single candy bar!" He declared proudly, showing the insides of his saddlebags that showed only his schoolbooks.
"Good boy," his mom smiled, and warmly petted his head before following him out the door, "you have a good day at school." She gave him a little peck on the forehead, making him wretch from the public display of love.
"Blech," he muttered, before grinning and quickly returning the kiss before trotting off, "See ya!"
The mare watched proudly as her son jogged to school, stopping a little while ahead to catch his breath before continuing.
"...thanks for doing that," she said, turning to Princess Luna who walked out from hiding around the side of the house.
"Twas no trouble at all," the dark alicorn said, raising a hoof, "the health of Equestria's young foals is our duty to take care of, even if we must scare them into listening. We just hope we did not scare him too badly."
"Oh, Button is a strong boy," the mother insisted, "that was just what he needed. He'll stick to his diet now."
And stick to his diet, he did. Button trotted to and from school, and took nice sunny days as a chance to get outside for some fresh air. It was exhausting a lot of the time, but he knew it would be worth it in the long run.
Of course, he saw nothing wrong with Sweetie Belle sneaking him a cupcake from Sugarcube Corner every now and then...
