Chapter 2: Back to Your Roots

As everypony at Baltimare Interdisciplinary was winding down to the winter break, Button Mash managed to round out his semester with exemplary scores on all of his exams. Trying to focus on his studies proved difficult as his thoughts occasionally traveled back to these about Sweetie Belle, but he successfully pulled through yet another school term, albeit very narrowly. He had to admit that part of his success was the fact that the subject he was majoring in – video game development – was something he had been passionate about since he was a mere colt. After submitting their final exams to their professor, he and Dusty returned to their dorm room, chatting about their testing experience within the past week.

“Dude, is it just me, or was that last test almost too easy?” Dusty asked rhetorically.

“I’ll say” Button replied, “It’s as if the professor thought we didn’t learn anything about noncontiguous data structures or backpropagation neural networks.”

“I know, right?” his friend chuckled as they entered the room and flopped promptly on top of their beds, relieved to have finished their work for the day, “I’m telling ya, the lead-up to this year’s Hearth’s Warming break felt like the longest yet, am I right?” he added with a deep sigh.

“Dusty, you’ve been saying that since we got here,” Button said matter-of-factly, chuckling at his friend’s expense. He’d known Dusty since colthood, and even when they were learning the basics at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, the pale stallion would always try to get out of doing any type of schoolwork. Even though he loved what he was studying now, it had become part of his nature to despise lectures, essays, and assignments, preferring more “creative” forms of getting work done. This ranged from procrastination and other distractions all the way to skipping classes when he didn’t get the work done on time! “Though I have to agree, waiting for school breaks certainly seems to get more and more difficult each year,” he added, finally conceding to his friend.

“Tell me about it,” Dusty followed up, “I’m seriously tempted to just leave for Ponyville as soon as our last exam is over tomorrow; I am so ready to be done for a few weeks.” A moment of silence passed between the two as Button’s expression clouded over briefly, his mind and thoughts travelling back to their hometown and the friend that got away from him. The moment passed quick enough for Dusty to not directly notice, but long enough to make a noticeable difference in their conversation.

“Hey, speaking of which, you coming home for Hearth’s Warming or what?” Dusty asked, electing to approach the subject with more subtly than he was usually known for.

“Oh…well, umm,” Button hesitated for a moment before answering, “I-I’m not sure yet,” he finally said, uttering the same response he gave every school break. After he moved away, Button had wanted nothing to do with the place that held the source of his betrayal and therefore vowed to himself that he would not return unless it was absolutely necessary. Every time a scheduled school break came around, he would refuse to return to Ponyville with Dusty and resorted to rooming with their mutual friend Buzz, who often was not able to get the time off of his part-time job at the local dive bar to make the trip back home. Although they both trusted the unicorn with their lives, Dusty knew that Button was not doing himself any favors by continuing this self-depreciating behavior.

Dusty sighed heavily, “Seriously, when are you gonna get over her, dude?” he asked in an exhausted tone, “I can’t believe that, after all of this time, you’re still afraid of going back?”

“You were there when it happened,” Button countered, “As soon as I told you, you didn’t hesitate to invite me out here early to clear my head. Are you saying I should’ve stayed back there to wallow by myself?”

“Hey, don’t turn this back on me,” the grey Earth stallion said sternly, “You made the choice to follow us out here, so don’t go telling me that I forced you to move out early. Besides, even if you stayed, I know for a fact you wouldn’t have been all alone, right?”

Now it was Button’s turn to sigh, “I know, and she would’ve helped for sure,” he admitted, “but you should also know that Mom would be the one to try and push it all under the rug right off the bat.”

“Well, would that have been such a bad thing?” Dusty asked.

“What’re you trying to say, man?” Button asked, “When I first told you about what I saw, you immediately took my side back then. Now you’re telling me that, all of a sudden, I just forget it even happened at all?”

“I didn’t say anything about forgetting it, dude,” Dusty said, holding up his hooves defensively, “All I’m saying is that it’s been ages since that party. Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to stop berating yourself for letting happen and living your present life instead of moping in the past?”

Button was about to respond with another quip, but he stopped himself, taking a moment to consider the truth behind his friends’ words. Sure, he had initially blamed Sweetie Belle for betraying him in the first place, but as more time passed and he thought harder about the circumstances, he had begun to wonder if he was at fault, himself. All throughout that first year and summer away at college, Button thought about the little things that he could have done differently, such as expressing his feelings for Sweetie Belle sooner, or even never attending that party where it all went down. These thoughts had plagued him for months, and despite pulling through most of the time, his studies and status at school had suffered because of it. As much as Button did not want to admit it, maybe his friend had a point in what he was telling him…

His thoughts were cut short by several light taps on the door followed by a few grunts as the pony on the other side tried at the doorknob. Dusty stood up out of bed and headed for the door, tugging with all of his might until the jammed slab of ancient wood flung open with a bang, revealing a cream pegasus mare in a light blue postmare’s uniform and cap. He immediately recognized her as Daisy Petals, the bubbly intern working for the campus post office and his and Button’s fellow classmate. Dusty exchanged greetings with the pegasus and apologized for the state of their ancient front door

“You know, you boys should really get that thing fixed pronto!” she said cheerfully despite the context of the situation as she balanced a large cardboard box on her back with her wings.

“Tell me about it, the campus’ facility engineers are not the quickest with these issues,” Dusty commented, rolling his eyes in agreement, “What’ve you got for us today, Daisy?”

“Actually, I’ve got this package for Button Mash that came in today with a note requesting that it be brought up immediately,” Daisy said, laying the cardboard box gently on the floor and holding up the envelope postmarked with “URGENT” stamped in red in the corner. “Careful, I’ve been told it’s fragile,” she added as she took a few moments to collect herself from carrying the rather awkward package.

“Thanks for the tip, Daisy," Dusty remarked as he briefly studied the package on the ground.

"No prob! Say, is he feeling any better?" she whispered in Dusty's ear, gesturing towards Button Mash. "I missed him in class a few days ago, and was curious to know if everything was alright."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be just fine, thanks Daisy!" Dusty explained nonchalantly, "Oh, and have a happy Hearth's Warming!"

"Same to you two!" Daisy smiled, giving a friendly wave in departure as she glided down the hall, continuing her daily routine of delivering mail throughout their dorm building. Dusty hoisted the package on his own back and brought it into the room, tossing the envelope to his tan friend.

“What’s this?” he asked, eying the envelope looking for an address; he gasped when he eventually identified the sender, “Oh, it’s from Mom!” he exclaimed.

“Really? I figured she’d have waited until Hearth’s Warming itself to send you any kind of present,” Dusty remarked then stopped, pausing suddenly to sniff the air, “Wait a minute…” he said suspiciously, following the smell back to the package itself, “If this is what I think it is…” the grey stallion said, a wide grin slowly appearing on his face.

“Well, open it and find out,” Button said, giving the permission that his friend needed to tear the package almost to shreds, revealing a pair of translucent containers with baby blue lids. Both stallions looked at the containers and then at each other, immediately recognizing them and understanding what they contained.

“Score!” Dusty exclaimed in excitement, tearing the lid off one of the containers and lifting a hoof-full of homemade chocolate-chunk cookies. He stuffed them all in his maw and moaned with delight; “Mhmm, your mom’s cookies are the beeessst,” he sighed and chewed on the chocolatey goodness that was Button’s mom’s baking.

“Yeah, even after growing up with them, they never get old,” Button agreed as he reached for a cookie from the open container; he was rewarded with a light swipe from Dusty’s hoof as he scooped up the container into his arms.

“Hey, this here’s my container, get your own, you leech!” he grumbled playfully as he turned away to enjoy his treats in peace. Button chuckled as he grabbed the second container, opening it with slightly less-enthusiastic flair as his friend and grabbed a few cookies for himself. As he munched away, he looked the envelope over briefly before eventually opening it up and taking a letter out; though he initially struggled to understand his mom’s elaborate hoof-writing, he eventually managed to decipher what it read:

Dear Button,

How are you doing? I hope finals weren’t too hard for you two this year, even though I have total confidence in your abilities. I know this past week must’ve been tough, so I figured I’d help start this holiday break off with some home-baked goodness!

Actually, there’s more to it than that. Button, I know certain ponies here were not all that kind to you two years ago, but I’d love it if you were to reutrn for a visit this year. Consider these cookies a bribe, of sorts, to encourage you to come back home! Seriously, though, I think it would do you some good to come back home for a little while. It’s been so long since anypony’s seen you around here; ponies who were worried for you back when…it…happened. Not only that, but we’ve missed you terribly – well, Gibson and Dad seem to be taking it better than me, at least.

I understand how you must still be feeling about coming back but hear me out for a moment; it’s been a long time since you’ve been back. Times have changed, and ponies change, too; so much so that they may come to surprise you. I’m not trying to force or coerce you into doing something you don’t want to do, but it might do you some good to confront Sweetie Belle about what happened that night. Tell her how much it hurt you and that you’d like an apology; who knows, her response might surprise you. Anyways, take some time to consider it, I’ll come to accept with whatever decision you choose to make. (though you know which decision I’d be happiest with!)

With all my love,

Mom

P.S. Don’t worry if Dusty manages to sneak any from your tub. There’s plenty more waiting for you boys back here!

“Hey Button, what’s up?” Dusty asked his friend, still snacking on his tub of cookies; Button had not realized it, but he had started to get a little misty-eyed while reading his Mom’s letter. He was still skeptical of what she said about talking to Sweetie Belle, but another thought was driving his emotions wild with nostalgia. His mom always wanted the best for both of her sons, and despite having to handle an overworked husband and two rowdy colts, she managed to always make things work between the four of them. Raising him and his brother together for the past twenty years had been tough enough, let alone making sure she had time to look after herself. Regardless of the hardships, however, they always found a way to spend time together and enjoy each other’s company, at least until he and Gibson eventually went their separate ways. All those colthood memories came surfacing back while he read her letter, making him wish he had not left her hanging all of these years; she said to take some time to consider his decision, but in reality, he did not need another second.

“Hey, Dusty?” Button asked his friend.

“Yerth?” Dusty responded as best as he could with another mouthful of cookies impeding his speech.

“You wouldn’t happen to have an extra train ticket to Ponyville, would you?” he asked. Dusty went wide-eyed for a moment before swallowing his mouthful, grinning genuinely.

“You for real, man?” he asked, “You’re not punking me, are you?”

“No, no, you’re right,” Button said confidently, “I think it’s time I go back.”

“Alright, that’s awesome!” the grey stallion exclaimed, “I think I might know where we can find one. I’ll be right back!” he added, practically galloping out of the room. Button chuckled as he gathered a pencil and some paper and began writing, keeping his mother’s words in the forefront of his mind. After writing a quick response to hers, he set about packing his own belongings, ready to tackle his long-awaited return to his hometown.

* * * *

Despite the mid-day sun shining brightly over the Carousel Boutique, Sweetie Belle went to collapse on her bed, exhaustion quickly setting in. It had been a particularly busy week at the boutique for her, as well, with helping her sister finalize the last few orders to be sent out before Hearth’s Warming, and she was more than ready for the break. As soon as she hit the mattress, she heard a startled yelp from under her and jumped right back up to identify the noise. She did not initially notice that Opalescence, her sister’s Ponisian cat, was resting comfortably on the sheets prior to her arrival; when Sweetie fell onto the bed, she was startled awake and scampered out of the bed in a flash.

“Oh, sorry Opal!” the unicorn called out in a vain attempt to communicate with the cat, but Opalescence was having none of it, holding her head high and exiting the room in search of her older sister. Sweetie knew better than to just throw herself around the house and, with Opal going on almost twelve years in age, needed to be more careful around smaller creatures. With how tired and worn-out Sweetie was feeling at the moment, however, she pushed the thought from her mind and tried to catch a few minutes’ rest before her sister came up with some last-minute chore to complete or errand to run.

Her reprieve was short-lived, however, when she heard somepony knocking at her bedroom door. “Sweetie Belle?” the melodic voice of her older sister came from the other side, “Are you in there, darling?”

“Please don’t tell me that there are more orders to fill,” Sweetie said exasperatedly, “I don’t think I’ll be able look at another bobby pin or sewing needle without going crazy!”

“Oh darling, of course not,” Rarity replied, opening the door, “It’s just, after all the work we did and the help you’ve given me, I figured we could both do with a little treat,” she smiled and levitated two tubs of ice cream and two spoons through the doorway. Sweetie’s eyes went wide with delight when she saw the label on the tubs; Ponyville Creamery, which had been her favorite ice cream shoppe since she was a filly. She happily took the tub of strawberry shortcake – her favorite flavor – as well as one of the spoons in her aura and floated them towards her, quickly digging into the thick, creamy goodness of strawberries and dairy.

“You should slow down a little, dear,” Rarity commented while delicately dipping into her tub of cherries garcia, “You’ll soon get a tummy-ache if you eat that fast.”

“Mmmhm, but it’ll be worth it,” Sweetie Belle replied, “And I’m a grown mare, now, you don’t have to keep babying me, Mom,” she added playfully.

“No matter how old you get, you’ll always be my baby sister,” she teasingly reminded as she playfully patted her on the head, eliciting a few giggles between them. They sat and ate their dairy delights in silence for a little while, simply enjoying one another’s company without having to run around like mad ponies fulfilling orders and organizing supplies. After a while, though, Rarity noticed that Sweetie seemed lost in thought; she could guess at what – or whom – she had on her mind based on past experiences but thought it best to let her be the one to say it.

“So, now that you are free from my work for the holiday hiatus,” she began to say, considering her words, “do you have anything planned to do before Hearth’s Warming?”

“Eh, nothing really that special, I guess,” the younger unicorn explained, “I just got AB and Scoot’s letters the other day; they’ll be free to hang out on Friday. Other than that, I’ll probably just hang around town, get some last-minute shopping done or something.”

“That sounds nice,” Rarity said, “Just remember not to go too overboard on gifts this year, Sweetie,” she then warned, “You shouldn’t have to spend all of your well-earned bits on things that we don’t necessarily need.”

“Hey, I’m not the only one who’s guilty of that, right?” Sweetie Belle said, “And they’re not even my bits, you’ve been paying me for helping out around here, remember?”

Rarity chuckled, “I suppose so, darling,” she conceded. Just then, they both heard a knock come from the boutique’s entrance; “Oh? I wonder who that could be?” she wondered aloud.

“Please not another customer!” Sweetie pleaded, “If it is, can’t you just kick them out or something? My hooves are killing me!”

“You know I’d never turn away a pony in need,” Rarity said matter-of-factly, “After all, what good would the Element of Generosity be if she didn’t at least give somepony the time of day?” With that, she trotted out of the room towards the front door, leaving her sister to ponder about the nature of the knocking. From the main boutique floor, she could hear her sister chatting with whoever was at the door for a minute or so before the sound of the bell chiming, signaling the door closing. A few moments later, Rarity herself walked back into Sweetie’s room, a stack of envelopes levitating in front of her in her pale blue aura.

“Who was that, sis?” Sweetie asked as Rarity resumed her previous spot next to her on the bed.

“Just the mailpony, darling,” her sister answered, “And from the looks of it, mostly bills.” She riffled through the plain white envelopes with mundane enthusiasm until she came across one in particular that genuinely piqued her interest; “Hm, interesting,” she said to herself as she plucked it from the pile. The envelope itself was something bathed in a lavender hue and embroidered with what appeared to be faux gold leaf decoration. On the letter itself was hastily yet still beautifully written cursive, something which Sweetie Belle had a hard time distinguishing seeing that the schools had stopped teaching such elegant hoof-writing shortly after Rarity herself graduated.

“Who’s that one from?” Sweetie asked, her curiosity piqued as well over Rarity’s seemingly interesting find.

Rarity said nothing for a bit while she read the letter, mumbling silently to herself as she subconsciously mouthed the words she was reading. “Ooohhh!” she suddenly squealed in delight, nearly springing off the bed in excitement.

“What is it?” the younger mare asked.

“Well, I never!” she exclaimed, giving Sweetie a knowing smile, “This is from our dear friend, Cream Heart, from across town. Button Mash will be returning to Ponyville for this year's Hearth’s Warming!” she said with added enthusiasm.

Upon hearing the news, Sweetie Belle nearly choked on a spoonful of ice cream, coughing and gagging as she tried to compose herself again. She had always hoped and waited for Button’s eventual return to Ponyville, but as more time passed since his abrupt departure, she had begun to believe it would never actually happen. “R-really? I-I mean, for r-real?” she exclaimed, still not fully able to comprehend the news at the moment.

“Why the surprise, darling?” Rarity chuckled at her sister’s expense, “I thought you’d been waiting to hear this kind of news for quite some time.”

“I-I suppose,” her sister stammered, still recovering from her initial surprise, “I-I guess I just figured it would never happen.”

“Why ever not?” Rarity asked, “You used to be friends, right?”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Sweetie Belle responded, sounded defeated. Rarity noticed that her younger sister, who had been happily chomping away at a tub of ice cream only a few moments ago, suddenly grew forlorn and distant in a matter of seconds. Rarity, however, knew what was on her sister’s mind that was causing her such grief; in hindsight, she, too, was shocked to discover what had transpired during one particular house party in Sweetie’s youth. She knew how her sister felt about the subject, though, and had feared that if she were to confront Sweetie directly about it, she would immediately shut down and refuse to disclose any information regarding her true feelings. At this moment, however, she could no longer afford to watch as her dear little sister struggled with her inner demons on an almost constant basis and decided to take a stand.

“Oh, come now, Sweetie, pip up, won’t you?” the older unicorn exclaimed sternly, “You’ll do more damage to yourself than others if you keep moping around like this.”

Sweetie looked at her sister incredulously, surprised by her sudden outburst, “W-What do you mean?”

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed how poorly you’ve been carrying yourself as of late,” Rarity stated, “At first, I thought I might’ve been working you too hard – which, in hindsight, might be part of the problem,” she admitted, “but I’ve also heard you staying up late at night, singing into the breeze about how much you miss him!”

Sweetie Belle sighed, finally conceding, “Have I really made it that obvious?” she asked nervously, looking down at her hooves sadly. Upon seeing her sister's visible heartbreak, Rarity calmed down before speaking again, mentally kicking herself for her outright directness.

“Well, not all the time, darling,” she admitted, “but it certainly has been enough for me to see what you’re going through.” Rarity sighed herself and sat down on Sweetie’s bed, “I apologize for my outburst, we don’t need to discuss this if it’ll make you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, no, i-it’s okay,” Sweetie Belle said, “I think it might do me some good to get some things off my chest.”

“That’s very mature of you, Sweetie,” Rarity said pridefully, patting the spot next to her as Sweetie Belle climbed up on the bed and lay next to her sister, “Now, what’s troubling you? Well, besides the obvious, at least.”

Sweetie took a deep breath before responding, “Well, as you and I probably both know,” she said, “It’s been a little over two years since…well, it happened.”

“Mhm,” Rarity said, listening intently as she stroked her sister’s mane affectionately, brushing her curly bangs out of her eyes.

“And, I dunno,” the younger unicorn continued, thinking about how to convey her thoughts, “I thought I would’ve gotten over all of it by now, but when the day came around this year, all these memories came flooding back to my mind from back before Button left.”

“I can understand that,” Rarity said, “I know how hard it can be to see your friends go away for a long time. Especially considering how close you two used to be.”

“Yeah, but,” she paused for a moment, “I think it’s more than just that. At least, I don’t think it’s as simple as losing just a friend anymore.”

“Oh? What do you mean?” her sister asked, a puzzled look on her face.

“Well,” she began to say, trying to put her thoughts over the past two years together, “Ever since he left, I haven’t stopped thinking about him. How friendly he was, how he’d always find a way to brighten my day, how he’d let me win at Ponecraft just so he could see me at my happiest…” she started to trail off, daydreaming about all of the joyful moments she shared with her best friend.

“Darling? Still here,” Rarity spoke up, chuckling as her sister snapped out of her daze.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, “Anyways, I haven’t stopped thinking about him; even now, I can’t stop thinking about him. I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now, but I wasn’t sure about how you’d feel once you knew. She paused once more, taking another deep breath before continuing her train of thought.

“I…I love him,” she finally admitted, "I think I've known for a while, but I wasn't sure how to tell you about it," she held her breath as she waited for her sister’s response. Sweetie had always been rather fond of the brown-coated stallion who had been her best friend for almost all of their lives. Even while going through higher education, they had remained as close as best friends could be; in hindsight, she had even fantasized thoughts of romance between them! She may have been able to hide her true feelings under the guise of denial and anger over his leaving so abruptly in the beginning, but as time went on, even she had to start being honest with herself: she had developed a crush for the video game-loving stallion.

Even before Button Mash left, Sweetie Belle had told very few ponies about her crush over Button Mash; she was barely a mare, what could one expect from somepony that age when it came to love? Although she knew Rarity prided herself as more of the romance expert, Sweetie also knew that her sister tended to be a bit overprotective of her at times. Regardless of how old they got, she would always remember how randomly estranged her sister became over the prospect of her getting older and having responsibilities of her own. Because of this, however, Sweetie had chosen not to tell her sister about her feelings regarding Button Mash in fear of being smothered by her overprotective ways, which she was sure she’d have to face now upon revealing the truth. To her surprise, however, Rarity did not seem all that surprised by the revelation; instead, she wrapped her sister in a tight, heartfelt hug, nuzzling affectionately into her neck.

“Oh Sweetie,” she said, “You shouldn’t have to feel like you need to hide your feelings from me. We’re sisters through and through, meaning whenever you want to get something off your chest or need advice for something that is bothering you. Besides, I couldn’t be happier for you!”

“Y-you are?” Sweetie asked incredulously, gasping for air amid the rib-crushing hug she was currently locked in.

“Why, of course!” Rarity squeed with excitement, “You didn’t think I picked up on the cues between the two of you over the years? I certainly suspected something bigger was blossoming between you for quite some time, but to hear you admit it out loud is certainly exciting, to say the least!”

“Really?” she asked as she hugged Rarity back, relief flowing through her frame, “Oh, thank you sis!” As she did so, Sweetie noticed tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Not ones of sadness, but of gratefulness over her sister’s acceptance of her feelings and desires. I guess I never really realized how desperately I needed to get that out in the open, she thought to herself as she remained in her older sister’s comforting embrace for a few moments longer.

“If you really like him that much, though,” her sister warned as they broke apart, “you need to let him know how you feel about the two of you sooner rather than later.”

Sweetie sighed heavily, “I doubt he would even listen to me after all this time, let alone forgive me for what happened.” She shed a few more tears before responding again, “Heck, I don’t think I would even forgive myself.”

“What makes you say that, darling?” Rarity asked, a puzzled look on her face, “After all, it wasn’t your fault to begin with, right.”

“Sure, but I certainly didn’t make any attempts to stop it from happening,” she said. “For all I know, he’s p-probably b-better off without m-me, anyways,” she stammered, her emotional dam threatening to break again as tears began streaming down her cheeks.

“Sweetie, don’t go thinking like that!” her sister gasped and pulled her into yet another embrace, “If you truly believe you belong together, then that is what the fates have in store for you! The only thing you can do is stay honest to your true feelings and the path will be laid out for you.”

Sweetie Belle sniffed and looked up at her sister with immense gratitude. “Thanks, Rarity; I certainly wouldn’t be where I am right now without you,” she commented.

Rarity smiled, “That’s what big sisters are for! Come now, let’s get cleaned up and go do something fun while we have the chance, shall we?” She picked up the nearly emptied ice cream cartons in her aura and trotted away to the kitchen with Sweetie Belle following close behind, becoming more determined than ever to right the wrongs between her and the love of her life.