"Okay, let's get to my room." Button whispers.

The young colt creeps his way through the living room upstairs with the curious toy as discreet as possible. Unfortunately, the first step up the stairs creates an audible creak in the silent room.

"Button? Honey, is that you?" his mother calls from the kitchen.

"Oh, buck!" he hisses. "Yes, Mom!"

"How was your day?"

"Fine!"

"It was most intriguing." Crash states.

"Who was that?" she asks.

"N-no one, just me! I-I'm practicing my...puppetry!" Button yells, giving Crash a severe death glare.

"Oooh, how fun! Let me see this!" she says JUST as the colt reaches the last step.

Defeated, he walks back down toward the kitchen, frantically fitting Crash into his disguise.

As he walks into the room, he holds Crash like a puppet and presents it to his mother.

"And what's this one's name?" she asks playfully. "He kind of looks like your Mr. Sackcolt plushy."

"Rest in peace, old friend." Button thinks.

"I am Crash. It's a pleasure to meet you." he introduces himself.

"Well, hello there 'Crash'. I'm Button's mother, Cream Heart. What do you do?"

"Eh, calculations, mathematics, the works. You?"

"I'm a nurse at the Ponyville Hospital. I mostly watch after the little one's just like I did with my li'l Button Wutton." she coos rubbing the colt's cheek.

"Ugh, Mom!" he groans.

"I find that name most humorous." Crash chuckles.

A flustered Button puts the annoying thing aside and heads for the stairs.

"Wait, don't you want dinner?" she asks. "It's mac and cheese, your favorite."

He stops in his tracks, mouth watering.

"M-My M and C?" he stutters.

On cue, the savory scent of pasta hits his nostrils.

"Mac and what?" Crash says confused.

Out of nowhere, Button grabs the toy, dashes towards the dining room table and places him in the seat across from him.

"It...must be very favored." Crash says dumbfounded.

Soon, Cream Heart returns with a plate of 'M and C' and notices the moving toy far from her son.

"How are you doing that, Button?" she says astounded.

When the distracted colt prepares to dig in, his pupils shrink to the size of pinpricks upon seeing his mistake.

"Oh, buck."

As she walks to Crash's side to inspect, Button leans in the seat and reaches for the toy with his tail. Cream Heart turns and spots it under Crash's flank, the latter waving his hoof innocently.

"Impressive." she says with a nod.

After she heads back into the kitchen, an exasperated Button mouths a 'don't move a muscle' to the metal pony, who lays back motionless for the duration of the meal.

Some time later, Button rushes into his room, hyperventilating.

"That...was....close." he pants.

"She seemed nice." Crash says. "I don't understand why I have to remain inanimate around her."

"Mom's not as open to idea of a talking toy as everypony at school, Crash." Button says. "She kinda has a bit of a tremendous fear for ghosts, and she'd probably freak out. No wonder why she wouldn't let me play Geo-Shock."

"But the probability of a spectre's existence are practically incomparable." he says, binary numbers flowing through his eyes.

"I'm afraid science cannot beat paranoia, friend." Button shrugs, turning on his Neightendo Switch.

The opening cutscenes of Super Bash Pones logo appear, catching the little toy's attention.

"What is this?" he asks.

"Only the coolest game in Equestria!" Button exclaims.

"How come?"

"I'll show you!" the colt says excitedly, handing a controller to Crash. "I can't believe I finally get to try out multiplayer!"

"Are there any rules in this activity?"

"Eh, it varies." he shrugs. "Let's go to the training room and show you the ropes."

Button grabs his controller and flips to the tutorial session on the game.

As he plops down on his bean bag chair, he sees Crash entangled in the console's cords.

"I have some concerns." he says.

"You've got a LOT to learn pal." Button chuckles, untangling the toy.

Finally, the loading screen reveals a white stage with two characters of the game on opposite sides.

"Okay, you're Mac-Pan and I'm Cheerio." he states.

The toy stares blankly at the screen.

"Now you move closer to me."

Crash slowly scooches towards the colt.

"Uh...I meant with the P-Pad." Button says awkwardly.

He looks at his controller before hesitantly tapping the left side of P-Pad, moving his character.

"Incredible." Crash says enthusiastically. "Now what?"

On cue, an icon pops up instructing him to tap 'A' to attack. Suddenly, Crash's eyes flash green as he scans the screen.

"Information received." he says pushing the button

"Woah, what was that!" Button says shocked.

"I simply scanned the information."

Soon, an idea strikes the young one's mind. He pulls up the options menu, showing ALL the character's stats moves and abilities.

Crash's transparent scanning engulfs the entire screen, gathering all the info possible.

"Information received."

"How much do you know now?" Button asks.

"Hay-douken strike, P-Pad right, 'A', P-Pad up." he lists off, uppercutting Cheerio in midair. "Pellet Punch, hold 'A'."

Mac-Pan creates a pixelized sphere out of thin air and punches Cheerio out of the stage.

"KNOCKOUT!" the game's announcer yells.

"You have been terminated, friend." he chuckles cockily.

"I let you win that one, beginner's luck." Button brushes off.

Eventually, Cheerio respawns on the other side of the arena.

"Prepare for my ultimate move Crash, the '1-Up One Up'!"

Button mashes a large combination of buttons until his character charges up and blasts Mac-Pan with an energy beam, disintegrating him to oblivion.

"KNOCKOUT!"

"Impressive." Crash admits.

Soon, a Bash Ball puffs into view once Crash respawns.

"But I seem to have the upper hoof."

Mac-Pan leaps over Cheerio, triple strikes the ball and triggers the Final Bash. Once activated, Mac-Pan morphs into a giant wedge of cheese.

"Buck. My. Life." Button utters.

Cheerio somersaults, flips and cartwheels around as Mac chomps away the entire level before devouring the plumber.

"Game, set, match." Crash proudly says.

Button nods in respect.

"I gotta admit, that was pretty cool."

Eventually, another icon appears:

'Student Bests the Master'.

"But now it's time for the big leagues!" Button states.

He changes the stage setting to an island from the game 'Animal Tossing' before selecting the Hard difficulty.

"Bring forth the challenges, my dear adversary." Crash chuckles, clutching the controller in anticipation.

Their characters drop onto the arena.

"Let's do this." Button says.

An hour and a half later...

"KNOCKOUT!"

Crash looks at his rival slyly.

"Another round?"

"I don't know, we've tried EVERY stage here Crash." Button says exhausted. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'm gonna hit the sack."

"Suit yourself." Crash says. "I can play this for the remainder of the niiiii-"

The toy freezes and fall on his face, stiff as a board.

"Now you're getting it."

Button picks up the powered down toy and sits him on the windowsill before walking to his bed.

As he does, the game, still on, eliminates Crash's character.

"LOSER!"

"Oh, shut up!" he yells unplugging the console.

Author's Note

I know there aren't cords for the Switch...I just wanted to make a joke.