Chapter 1: Broken Routine
Two mares dragged themselves across the middle of Ponyville, each with a large box on their backs.
"Cheerilee," a light-tan mare heaved as she carried down the road, "I can't thank you enough for coming along." She took one heavy step at a time, hoping to reach their destination as soon as possible.
"No problem Cream Heart," a lavender mare managed to utter. "As a teacher, I hardly have anything to do during the holidays."
They carefully trudged through the town, making sure to keep balance for their packages.
Cheerilee squinted her eyes, peering through the thick fog for any landmark as indication of their progress. "How far is your house, again? I can hardly see anything out here."
"We have to be close. I swear it doesn't take this long from the town center," she replied.
A three story timber-framed vernacular house with beige walls suddenly came into view.
"There. It. Is." Cheerilee and Cream Heart galloped towards the house, sprinting for a literal home run.
They finally arrived. Before anything else, they instantly unloaded their cargo, a large thud resulting from the drop. Cheerilee sat behind Cream at the entrance as her friend fiddled with her keys. After a minute, she found the correct one and unlocked the front door.
"I definitely owe you after this," Cream said as she pushed both boxes inside the entryway. "I had a feeling that I'd need another pony to help me carry everything." They took a moment to catch their breaths and relaxed their bodies.
"Don't worry about it, I'm happy to help out," the lavender mare reassured. Cheerilee looked behind Cream Heart and noted the large piles of decorations and candy in the boxes they had brought in.
"You know, now that I think about it, I don't remember your family ever setting up for Nightmare Night."
"We used to," Cream corrected. "We haven't celebrated in a few years. This year I've decided to get back into the festivities again."
"Really? Why suddenly prepare your place now? Most ponies start a week or two before, you know," Cheerilee curiously questioned.
Cream Heart looked at her and simply stated, "Opportunity."
Cheerilee tilted her head. "Opportunity?"
Cream Heart leaned in close. "Button needs to go outside for once and enjoy himself instead of studying and cramming all day everyday," she quietly spoke. "With you homeschooling him and the workaholic habits he picked up from his father, he never socializes with other kids; I don't even remember the last time he left the house!"
Her face contorted, turning into a slight scowl. "For a fifteen year old, he's sure been wasting his youth. After three years of this, I've had enough of it!"
"I don't mean to interrupt, but why are we whispering?" A combination of confusion and concern persisted on Cheerilee's face.
"Button's window is right above us. I can't surprise him with my plan if he's listening," she pointed out.
"Oh, he's probably too focused on his studies to notice," Cheerilee waved off her friend's concerns. "Still, this is kind of last minute, don't you think?"
"It just came to my mind last night. Better late than never, right?"
"True, but how is this"—she gestured towards the boxes in the house—"going to help Button? Also, that reminds me, be sure to tell him his lessons are on break for next week."
"Will do," Cream responded. "I'm having him help me out with decorations and maybe give out candy this year."
"You think he's going to socialize with the ponies passing by for candy? Will he be dressing up too?"
"Not exactly, but I can only hope for that," Cream shook her head. "No, I'm thinking that getting him into the mood of Nightmare Night will loosen him up. Making him wear a costume would be asking for too much."
She moved to the boxes in the house and began to unpack them. "Mind helping me sort these out?"
"Of course." Cheerilee walked over and assisted her friend. The two mares sifted through the various items in a comfortable silence. "Loosen him up, huh?" she added to the absent noise.
"It's a start." Cream Heart placed a stack of spider web spray cans on the floor and then picked up a collection of skeleton parts. "I don't expect him to start partying or even make friends. I just want him to do something else other than studying." Cream paused for a moment, a bare trace of a smile on her face as she chuckled.
"Pretty ironic considering I used to beg him to study when he played his games too much…"
"Well I hope your plan works out. As great of a student he is, the one thing he won't listen to me about is when I tell him to take a break," Cheerilee sighed.
The other mare frowned; her expression matched the prop skull she held. "It's my fault."
Cheerilee glanced back at her friend, eyes widened. Only vaguely aware of the implications, she carefully chose her next set of words. "...When your son started t—"
The sound of hoofsteps descending the stairs cut off Cheerilee. Turning around, she immediately identified the source as her most prodigious student, Button Mash.
"Morning mom." Button briefly stopped at the sight of his teacher. "Oh, hi Ms. Cheerilee," he said passingly as he entered the kitchen.
"Good morning, Button," they both replied, their eyes following him.
Cheerilee watched as Button approached a cabinet and took the nearest cup. He followed up by stepping towards the faucet and filled it with water. Eventually, he finished and took a sip of his drink until he noticed his mom and her staring at him.
"...Is there something wrong?" he said as he slowly lowered his cup.
Cream Heart and Cheerilee gave each other a knowing look, then returned their gazes back to him.
"Button, could you help me put these decorations up?"
Carved out pumpkins and candles were littered across the floor and the coffee table. The whole living room was adorned with fake spider webs and orange and black streamers hanging throughout the ceiling. With the fog cleared up, the evening light easily slipped through the windows; its orange color added to the theme of the whole event.
With the interior of the house mostly completed, Button sought this moment as an opportunity to raise the concerns he had since the morning.
"Mom, why are we doing this?" he calmly said, refusing to add any traces of complaining or whining in his voice.
His mom avoided looking at him and placed down a jack-o'-lantern in front of the doorstep. "Thisbeing…?"
Button motioned around the whole room. "These decorations, mom. Why are we setting up for Nightmare Night out of the blue?"
"You know, that's funny, Cheerilee asked me the same thing this morning. I'm sure glad she's your teacher, because she's such a good influence on you." Cream continued to deflect Button's questions. "My little colt, becoming a philosopher at such a young age," she wiped off the non-existent tears from her eyes.
"Mom, that doesn't really explain anything…"
"Ah, right. These decorations, well," his mom droned on. "They're—, we're—, I think that this year's Nightmare Night is something we can't miss out on!"
"I feel like I'm in the mood for it, you know?" she grinned nervously at him. "It's been so long since we last celebrated, but I think it's about time we started again!"
Button narrowed his eyes at his mom's behavior. He opened his mouth to prod once more, but had an epiphany. The sooner I finish decorating, the sooner I can go back to studying, he realized.
He accepted her excuse and resumed with his final touches on the house.
"Oh, this will be so great! I can't believe we missed out on this for so long!" Button's mom walked to the door to head outside, an extra skip in her step while doing so.
"Right, mom," Button said as he picked up a toy candle, rotating it to find a switch on the bottom side.
"And I heard Twilight's visiting the town tonight! It's been so long since Cheerilee and I had tea with her. Oh, I hope she's staying for the night."
"Right, mom." He absentmindedly flicked the candle's light switch on and off.
"Button, is there something on your mind?"
"Right, mo—uh, no! Not at all!" Button put the candle down and hastily stuck extra plastic spiders on the webs around the living room. "I'll just finish this up and go back to studying."
His mom nearly tripped over the door frame at his last statement.
"Actually, Button, would you like to..." Cream Heart halted in her question. Concern began to rise in Button's head. "Will you help me pass out the candy tonight?"
Dammit. How am I supposed to say no when you ask like that? Button moaned internally. "Sure thing, mom."
"Great! On that note, could you grab some bowls from the kitchen?"
Button nodded in defeat and went to the kitchen. In the cabinet were bowls of various sizes.
"Which bowls and how many?" his voice echoed to the front door.
"The two largest ones, thanks sweetie!"
Button returned to the living room with the bowls and set them on the coffee table. He grabbed the bags of candy and poured them out.
The pieces fell, each in different shapes and sizes. Curiosity took over as he bent his head to get a closer look at them.
"Whoa," he exclaimed.
Button quickly picked up a red, rectangular wrapper. Upon further scrutiny, he saw the text that made up the logo.
'Monch!'
A faint smile appeared on his face as he felt around it. The logo consisted of an italicized bold lettering surrounded by a dark red-brown outline. He flipped the chocolate bar and admired each detail. There was a black flap that listed the expiration date, a list of ingredients on an off-white background, and the trademark catchphrase emboldened in deep red, 'Monch away!'
It was exactly as he remembered.
Hoofsteps approached behind him. In panic, he threw the piece of chocolate under the table and prayed his mother wouldn't notice.
"What's next, mom?"
She beamed back at him. "Looks like we're all done!"
Through the windows, Button watched as the sun outside slowly disappeared from his view. The Nightmare Night festival was about to begin.
"Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!"
Cream's heart swelled at the sight in front of her. A mixed size of pirates, astronauts, bearded wizards, lions, and monsters from obscure literature lined up one-by-one and held out their bags and baskets.
"Aw, you kids are so adorable! One moment—Button, could you be a dear and refill the candy bowls again?"
On the other side of the room, Button Mash sat at the coffee table. His head was buried in a book, too engrossed in the history of Manehattan's Industrial Revolution to notice his mother calling for him.
"...Button?"
Cream Heart looked behind her and frowned upon noticing Button's lack of response. She gave a nervous smile to the waiting fillies and colts and dashed to Button's makeshift study setup.
"Button Mash!"
"Gah!" Button's head shot up.
"I thought I told you to take a break from your schoolwork!" she scolded.
Button swiftly rose and snapped to his mother. "Sorry mom. What did you need?"
Cream Heart facehoofed and took a deep breath. "We have kids waiting," she pointed towards the small crowd standing at the door. "Would you kindly refill the bowls and pass out candy to each of them?"
Without another word, Button rushed to the candy bags and filled the empty bowls per his mother's request. He passed out two pieces of candy to each pony in the line. A series of thank you's were scattered throughout the process.
Once the line cleared up, he closed the door and turned back around. His mom stood behind him, grimacing while shaking her head.
"I'm going to the restroom. When I come back I better not catch you on those books again."
Cream Heart made it to the stairs and began ascending. She was only a quarter-way up before shouting, "And remember, two pieces for each pony. We're not cheapskates!"
The moment his mom disappeared on the stairs, Button released a large sigh. He paced back and forth around the room.
Huh, I actually have nothing to do, Button thought.
Without his books or his mother's presence to occupy him, his ears picked up the noise outside all at once. Beyond the front door was the yearly Nightmare Night festival throughout all of Ponyville. Rapid hoofsteps were accompanied by chatter, laughter, and a mixture of terrified yet excited screams. These were the sounds of happiness.
To Button, it was noisy and annoying.
*KNOCK-KNOCK*
Button was released from his thoughts as he heard snickering from the other side of the door. He pulled the door open and was greeted with the sight of nothing.
Nopony was at the doorstep.
Button stepped out of the doorway to search for the 'ding-dong ditch' culprit. Nothing unusual was to be found outside his house. In the neighborhood, fillies and colts of varying ages ran to other houses that were similarly decorated with pumpkins, skulls, and spiders in search of more treats. Behind every younger group of treat-seekers was an adult or two supervising them, not to keep the kids safe, but to ensure they wouldn't cause trouble.
Trouble like ding-dong ditching.
Despite the extensive investigation, nothing noteworthy was found. Unable to identify any possible suspects, he began to turn around.
Without warning, three heads popped out of the bushes at his front door.
"BOO!" they shouted.
Button yelped and fell backwards. "Ow, that hurt." He cursed under his breath as he rubbed at the dull pain on his flank. The sources of his suffering began to cheer in the meanwhile.
"Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give the Crusaders something sweet to bite!"
Celestia, give me strength, he prayed. Button noticed three strangely familiar fillies staring at him expectantly. "Oh uh, evening," he managed to mutter before retreating inside for one of the candy bowls. He returned with the candy, and took a second to absorb the appearance of each pony.
The three appeared to be about the same age as him. On his left was a yellow earth pony. Her whole body was decorated with fake stitches and a large, poofy black and white wig sat atop her head. In the middle was an orange pegasus with claws attached to her front hooves and a demonic wolf head covering half of her body; it looked like it was in the process of eating her. Finally, on his right was a white unicorn: she had slicked back purple-pink mane, a long black-grey coat, a red amulet across her neck, and fangs to top off the entire costume.
"Okay, so two for, er, Frankensteed?" he said as he dropped two pieces of candy in the yellow filly's bag. She dropped her jaw at Button's comment and glared at him.
Fortunately, Button was too preoccupied with giving candy to the other two to really think about it. "Two for the wolf-pony, and two for...Nosferatu?"
The two fillies on the side gaped at Button and pushed their heads close to his.
"Ah'm Frankensteed's Bride!"
"The name's Dracula! Who the hay is Nosferatu?"
"Heh, at least he got me right," the pegasus said behind them.
With their faces shoved right in front of him, Button was able to recognize them. They were his friends during his years at the Ponyville Schoolhouse: the infamous Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle?" The two fillies shrieked at the mention of their names from a stranger and jerked back in shock next to their pegasus friend.
"Is that Scootaloo, too?" he pointed out.
Sweetie Belle appeared as if she had seen a ghost. "Wait a minute, Button?!" she squeaked.
"That really you, Button Mash?" Apple Bloom asked, her country accent rose high in disbelief.
"That's definitely him," Scootaloo excitedly chimed in with her raspy voice. She approached the brown colt and prodded his chest with her wing. "Hey, I thought you moved away like, way long ago!"
Button backed up from the close contact with her. "Uhh, no. I've always been here," he stomped his front-right hoof twice on the ground. "In Ponyville."
"Really? I thought you moved out with your brother or something."
"My...brother?"
Button stood still, stunned at the thoughts expressed by the three. There was absolutely no reason for him to move with his brother; somepony had to stay with his mom. He couldn't just leave her, not while Gibson and his dad were away. He refused to be a worse son than he already was.
Nopony spoke after Button's brother was mentioned. A staring contest between the two groups began; one versus three. Button was thankful for the low-lit environment that came with Nightmare Night as beads of sweat began to drip down his face. He wasn't used to the focused attention of other ponies besides his family or teacher.
"..."
"..."
"Button! Where'd you g—oh, there you are." Cream Heart returned from her break. With her present, he deeply exhaled, unaware that he was holding in his breath for so long.
Button's mom glanced over the guests engaged with her son. Upon seeing the trio, she gasped in wonder.
"Girls! Sweetie Belle! It's so good to see you! You've all grown into such beautiful mares!"
Sweetie Belle had been awfully quiet up to this moment. Since calling Button's name the first time, she hadn't moved a single muscle, and instead gawked at him with wide eyes and her mouth hung ajar.
"Ms. Mash! I, uh…" her voice dropped off.
While the Crusaders and his mom engaged in an animated conversation—mostly his mom scaring the girls with her enthusiasm—Button turned to re-enter his house. He was mentally exhausted from his short-lived interactions with the trio.
"Wait! Button's flank!"
Button's head shot back to see Sweetie Belle pointing at him as if he had just performed some act of heresy. He stared at his rear, "My flank? Yeah, it still hurts from the scare you guys gave me earlier." He rubbed the afflicted area once again as pain resurfaced from the reminder of its existence.
"No no no, your blank flank!" Sweetie corrected. "Girls, Button doesn't have his cutie mark yet!"
"Well ah'l be!" Now Apple Bloom crossed the borders into his personal space. "Button, how'd ya manage to still be a blank flank after all these years? Ya should've come to us."
"Uhh, I—, well—, you know, um…" Button stammered. "I don't know?"
"Ya don't know? Yer uh…" Apple Bloom put her hoof up to her mouth, a thoughtful look on her face. "Yer fifteen, just like us, ain't ya? I ain't never heard of a pony that old not have their cutie mark."
She was right, most ponies naturally had their cutie marks before they were even nine years old. The rare exceptions to this rule extended to twelve years at most, leaving Button as an outlier at fifteen. This was unheard of, at least without any magical interference, which he was certain was not the case.
A sense of inadequacy surged through Button. He thought the awkward reunion was as uncomfortable as it could get, but the mention of his cutie mark—or rather lack of—set a new record. Suddenly, after three years of forgetting its existence, three years of working his way to becoming a productive member of society, the moment he stepped outside it quickly became a flashing target. He wanted to hide.
"Well, no matter. Big Mac always told me 'no times more important than the present', and we can totally help ya get yer mark now! Right, Crusaders?" Apple Bloom turned to the other two fillies, who still remained next to Button's mom. They both nodded rapidly in agreement.
Button frowned. To any other pony, a chance to catch up with old friends as well as the opportunity to discover one's destiny sounded enticing. But to him, it was a distraction. There was only one thing he needed to do right now, and that was to study. "Thanks for the offer, guys, but...I have oth—"
"Of course! You girls are too kind to help my son out," Cream Heart said as she walked to the house entrance. "Button, you should go with them. I'll take it from here. Don't worry about coming back late either." For what seemed to be the hundredth time that day, Button's mom intervened with his plans.
"Heck yeah! Nopony's flank stays blank on our watch!" Scootaloo cheered.
In what seemed like a bleak situation, hope remained. Button had one ace up his sleeve to get himself out of his current predicament. He'd been planning for it all day long in case his mother tried to push him further beyond candy giving. The battle wasn't over yet for him.
"But mom, I don't—"
"Bye now, sweetie! Have fun!" The door slammed shut; its banging echoed throughout the neighborhood. Even though he could simply open the door or rush back inside with the next wave of kids, he'd just be kicked out again. Once his mom had her mind set on something, there was no return; he wasn't coming back home.
"I don't even have a costume…"
Chapter 2: The Great Outside-of-His-House
Button wasn't much of a fighter, so when his fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, it required the greatest amount of willpower for him to not immediately run away. Even so, he logically couldn't.
The primary sources of his concerns were Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Not only was the former an earth pony, but she was also from the Apple family; she'd have no trouble keeping up with him, or even catching him. As for Scootaloo, if her cutie mark was any indicator, she was equally as threatening with her speed, even if she didn't currently have her scooter.
Then, there was Sweetie Belle. It was easy for a pony to assume that as the most 'girly' of the three, she was also the tamest. However, Button knew better than to judge a book by its cover, especially in the case of Sweetie Belle. She wasn't exactly an athlete, but odds were that she was decently fit thanks to the notorious adventures the Crusaders often embarked on. Lastly, the potential magic she had as a unicorn finalized her role as a wild card. Button shuddered as he recalled the last time he witnessed her wrath when they were younger.
Scratch that, she's the worst of them. There's no escape here.
Of course, this only mattered if they even cared enough to follow him in the first place. They were the Crusaders after all, the town's favorite trio. Chasing after him, a nopony compared to them, was not worth the effort; it was a one-way ticket to embarrassment. Fleeing seemed less appealing by the second. At least, fleeing in urgency.
Behind Button was a shut door that blocked him from his safe haven. In front of him were three unknown variables that he couldn't factor into his current life plans, all of whom were huddled together in a meeting, too busy to notice him. With this window of opportunity open, he realized that there was a middle road.
Thus instead of running, he walked. Ever so casually, he creeped away from them, one light hoofstep at a time. In the meanwhile, the Crusaders continued chatting amongst themselves, allowing Button to widen the gap even further.
It's too easy. Button smiled to himself. I think I'll sneak back inside, grab my books, and go somewhere else before they or mom can notice.
"And just where do you think you're going?"
A light-green translucent wall materialized in front of Button, closing off his path to freedom. He whipped his head around to see Sweetie Belle's stern gaze directed towards him.
"I'm...going to my room." Honesty was the best policy, since realistically there was no believable lie he could make up for them.
"Nuh-uh, you heard your mom, you're sticking with us."
"Bu—"
"First things first, we get more candy; the festival's barely started. After that, we get down to cutie mark business."
"You guys should go on without me, I'll just drag you down."
"How?" Scootaloo asked.
Button bit his lip and glanced around the area, hoping to find anything within his vicinity interesting to avoid eye contact. "...No costume?"
"You don't even sound like you believe your own excuse," Sweetie Belle retorted. Her horn sparked as a green glow enveloped Button. He found himself motionless as he was dragged to the girls.
When in Tartarus did her magic get this powerful?
"Good, reign him in, Sweets." Scootaloo covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"Quiet, Scoots." After placing Button down in front of them, Sweetie Belle walked away. "Come on, Button. If you're so worried, we'll find you a costume."
After failing to escape the unnecessary responsibilities of Nightmare Night throughout the day, Button chose to remain complacent with the Crusaders and followed them.
"I thought that all stores closed once the festival started," he said while keeping pace with his new companions.
Sweetie Belle stopped, a bright gleam in her eye as she looked at Button. "Who said anything about buying a costume?"
"What do you mean?"
She grabbed his hoof and took off down the street, leaving Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to chase after them.
The moon highlighted the Carousel Boutique's windows at the perfect angle. Button could have sworn it was glaring at him, gazing into his soul as he stared back.
Right, her sister's a fashion designer. Guess I'm dressing up after all.
Sweetie Belle barged into the store without any prior warning. "Rarity! I need some last-minute help!" she shouted.
An adult white unicorn with violet curly mane and sweeping eyelashes came out of a room from the back of the boutique. "Sweetie Belle? I thought you and your friends didn't need my help with your costumes."
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo entered behind Sweetie Belle as she ran up and hugged the mare. "What, I can't visit my big sister for no reason?" She released from the hug and stared up with pouty eyes.
"Not when you already stopped by earlier," Rarity stated matter-of-factly.
Sweetie Belle dropped her innocent expression. "Alright, fine. I need a costume, and all the stores are closed."
Rarity smiled at her sister. "Well of course I'll help, Sweetie. But what's wrong with the one you have now? You look so adorable!"
"It's not for me—" she pointed towards the entrance of the building "—it's for him."
Rarity traced the direction of her sister's hoof. At the end of it was Button, who stood in the doorway watching the two mares interact.
She put her hoof up to her face as she smiled from ear to ear. "Oh my. Dear sister, who is that handsome young stallion over there? Your plus-one, maybe?"
Button blushed. What kind of conclusion is that?! Is it supposed to be a complement?
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes while Rarity giggled. "No, that's Button. Remember him?"
A cold breeze swept in through the door as Rarity bit her lip and narrowed her eyes at the colt. She thoroughly inspected him, as if to find a scratch on what was supposed to be a spotless diamond. Button shivered both under the scrutiny of his friend's sister, and the wind that blew on his back.
"Hmm. Button, Button...," she mumbled to herself. "...Mash! Button Mash!" Rarity's aloof, cool act disappeared and she began rapidly shaking his hoof. Her grip was strong enough to nearly tear it away while his entire body quaked.
"My, you've grown so much! It's been quite a while since I've seen you and Sweetie Belle play your little games together." Then, as if she realized he was some sort of demon, the enthusiasm on her face disappeared as she bared her teeth and her nostrils flared. "I suppose you've found better ways to spend your time as you've grown? Maybe found better friends? Better than my sweet, sweet little sister? Correct?" Now she was genuinely trying to rip his leg off.
"Rarity, you're going to kill him!" cried Sweetie Belle.
"What's that? Oh." Rarity snapped out of her trance and looked at the colt in front of her. Button's eyes were glazed over, his tongue lolled on the side of his mouth.
"Uggh. Nice to see you again, Rarity," he groaned.
She ceased all movement and put his hoof down. "My mistake, darling. I must've gone a touch overboard."
Button walked inside and gently lowered himself on the boutique's floor. He took deep breaths as he attempted to regain all sense of feeling in his head and right hoof.
Rarity stood in front of Button as he recovered. "I must ask you, Button, why…" Her voice faded as she gave a quick look towards Sweetie Belle, then back at him. "Nevermind. Anyways, if it's a costume you need, then a costume you'll get. Girls, could you come with me for a moment? Button Mash, please make yourself comfortable here while you wait." The three fillies followed Rarity into one of the many dressing rooms around the store.
Button sat in silence while the others left for what he assumed had something to do with his costume. He mentally ran through the day's events, trying to comprehend how he had strayed so far from his initial plans. Originally, he intended on withdrawing to his books after slipping away. However, after seeing the girls' sincere desire to help him, he decided to indulge them.
Not that he had a choice anyways, both his mom and the Crusaders seemed adamant on keeping him outside.
You know what? This is fine, he assured himself. I'll play along just for today. But after this, I'm back to the books.
As Button came to terms with the situation, his shoulders relaxed. He looked around the room, comparing it with how he last remembered it. Nothing much changed, as far as he could tell.
Strong scents of perfume hit his nose, overwhelming his senses and giving him a short-term headache. It definitely smells the same. Around him, mannequins were scattered throughout the boutique, covered in various dresses, both finished and unfinished. Rolls of fabric were also littered across the floor, along with boxes of tools like scissors and sewing needles. Definitely looks the same, too. It was the kind of 'chaotic neatness' that was expected of Rarity.
Muffled chatter came from inside the dressing room. Button's ears perked at the faintest hints of what sounded like a heated discussion taking place.
"...Ditched...years?!" Aggression greater than what Button experienced earlier laced Rarity's voice.
Mind your own business, Button, this doesn't concern you, he thought as he resisted the urge to eavesdrop.
"Rarity...aware...went missing…" Apple Bloom's country accent somehow made her words more discernible through the walls.
Went missing? He leaned in closer to the dressing room, crossing the dangerous boundary of 'girl's talk privacy.' Screw it, now I'm curious. With his interest piqued, he concentrated on picking up more bits of the conversation as he heard Scootaloo speak.
"...his brother..."
Now he knew that they were talking about him. Once again, Scootaloo had mentioned his brother. The fur on the back of Button's neck stood up and he stopped sneaking towards them.
"...I'll handle this." With what sounded like Sweetie Belle ending the argument, Button backed away from the dressing room and pretended to act natural.
Though to him, 'acting natural' meant sitting rigidly still in a picture-perfect pose.
A minute later, Rarity walked out of the dressing room. Two steps in, she noticed his position and raised an eyebrow. Button flashed the widest open smile he could muster without pain at her; she gave no response.
"Ahem," she cleared her throat. "Please come in. I've come up with something for you," Rarity said as she gestured to the room.
Button broke out of his pose. "Wait, what? I never even mentioned what I wanted to dress up as."
"Intuition, darling."
"Sorry, I don't know if a frilly dress would be a good idea for me to wear…" he said while scratching his head.
Rarity gasped. "Button Mash! I know it's been a while, but there's much more to my boutique than 'frilly dresses!' I assure you I have just the right costume for this situation. Now, please come with me before I have to force you."
Button dashed into the dressing room, nearly tripping over his own hooves in panic. Rarity snickered and followed behind him. "Colts these days…"
Inside, his friends stood to the side while a mannequin wrapped in layers of slightly off-white cloth sat in the center of the room.
"A mummy costume?"
"Not any regular old mummy." From behind him, Rarity approached the mannequin and showcased its features. "It may not look like much, but this is the strongest, yet lightest and most comfortable fabric any mummy costume could have." She stretched the pieces of cloth from the mannequin, pulling it up to a fourth of a meter, then released it. It snapped right back into place, as good as new, completely unaffected.
"Trust me, you won't notice that you're even wearing it. And it certainly won't fall apart so easily like Big Mac's that one year."
To his right, Apple Bloom snickered. "My brother's a handystallion in all senses but clothing. Thankfully, Sugar Belle's been helping him out since then." Rarity and Apple Bloom both exchanged a smile with each other, then turned to Button.
"Well? Aren't you gonna put it on?" Scootaloo said.
Button tilted his head down. "I mean, with you guys standing there and all…"
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "What's the big deal? You just wrap it around yourself!"
"Y—you guys can't leave the room?"
"Come on, Button. It's not like ya wear clothing that often." Apple Bloom tried to reason with him.
"Everypony does in Canterlot!"
"Canterlot schmanterlot! What's there to get flustered over when yer just adding on some layers?"
"You don't dress up in front of other ponies, nevermind with you guys! It's principle!" Button blushed. No matter who it was, there had to be a certain degree of privacy that all ponies should have when it came to clothing, even if they were usually naked.
Out of nowhere, white hooves suddenly draped fabric over his eyes, and everything went dark. Button could feel multiple hooves touching all around him as he painfully giggled.
"Th—that tickles, dammit!" he said while thrashing around. The weight of three pairs of hooves prevented him from running away. "You're all going to regret this! You buc—bwah ha ha!"
Button didn't need his vision to tell that the girls were enjoying torturing him based on the many snickers. His moment of suffering didn't last long though, for he was able to see once again after a minute. Vision restored, he inspected his own body. The costume perfectly flush against him; for tonight he was officially a brown-white mummy.
"Nice call, Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo said. "See? It wasn't so bad, right?"
Button only grumbled in response.
Scootaloo snorted. "Jeez, since when did you get so self-conscious? Last I remember, weren't you the one who volunteered to dres—"
"Ahem!" He cleared his throat loudly and continued to sulk after cutting her off.
Tonight, I've been embarrassed, defeated, humiliated, and other verbs that also relate to my suffering. He lowered his head in shame over the loss of what little pride he had.
A hoof softly landed on his shoulder, its gentleness a nice change of pace considering everything else thus far. He turned to meet a smiling Sweetie Belle.
"Hey look, we're all matching," she said.
Somehow, her touch was the most yet least comforting thing at the same time. Button took a deep breath. "A bunch of fairytale monsters?" he asked as he managed to muster a shaky smile at her.
"I only chose what matched the best with you girls," Rarity answered from the back. "Now, off you all go! The night isn't going to last forever," she said as she pushed everypony out of the room.
"Where's your costume, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle said.
"It's in my room. I was adding some last minute touches to it before I headed out with the girls. Twilight should be back at any time now and I made this stunning costume for her!"
"Twilight's coming? Here? Now?!"
"Okay, not immediately now, but soon." She led the group to the boutique's exit. "Don't worry, go have fun. She'll be here for a couple of days, and she'll certainly want to see you before she leaves again."
As they left the store, Rarity shoved a bag into Button's hooves and shut the door. He admired the bag he was given, which was so well made that it felt disrespectful to be using it for candy. He then looked at the girls.
Where are we going?
As if she could read his mind, Sweetie Belle looked at him and said, "Candy. We're going to a few other houses first, then the festival."
"Do we just wander around, or were you guys following some sort of route before this?"
Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. "Route? Ah think that everypony here's pretty fair with their candy. Doesn't matter which houses we go to, really. Except for the long lines."
"Yeah, route? How long's it been since you last went out for Nightmare Night?" Scootaloo asked.
"I don't know...a while? I saw some foals this morning walking around my neighborhood like they were staking out the place."
Scootaloo shrugged. "Sounds more like a setup for a prank, to be honest."
"Oh, I know!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "It was getting pretty crowded in your neighborhood before we left, so we should go to the less popular houses. We can definitely get more candy faster this way, skip the line and all."
"Which houses then?"
"Let's check the outskirts first and see. It's not that hard to tell at a glance."
And so, they set off on their crusade.
They had arrived at their first house. As predicted, there were few ponies to delay them in their quest. Button stood behind the girls as they approached the entrance.
*KNOCK-KNOCK*
The door opened to reveal a light brown stallion with a spiky brown mane.
"Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give the Crusaders something sweet to bite!"
The stallion's face grew into a glowing smile upon seeing his visitors. "If it isn't the Crusaders! How are you girls doing tonight? Still on the hunt for candy?"
"Of course, Doc! Pinkie would be disappointed otherwise," said Scootaloo.
The stallion chuckled and left their sight for a moment, returning afterwards with a bowl of candy.
"I think I see a recurring theme here. How many times have you girls dressed up as monsters, especially these three?" he said as he stepped out of the doorway to distribute the treats, revealing his hourglass cutie mark. After matching the name Scootaloo mentioned to his cutie mark, Button recognized him as Dr. Whooves, the town's oddball scientist.
"No idea." Scootaloo stood up on her hind legs while raising her front hooves high, resembling a wolf about to strike its prey; her wings fluttered for dramatic effect. "But it's fun to pretend to be one!"
"Is that so? And I see there's an extra monster amongst you." The Doctor eyeballed Button, who, up to this moment, was silently observing the conversation from the back.
Button wasn't too familiar with the Doctor. The rumors about him ranged from him breaking the laws of space and time, to being a part of a secret society of scientists in collaboration with certain creatures in high places throughout not just Equestria, but the rest of the world. For all Button knew, the stallion could possibly not be a real doctor at all. There was no degree, no proof of education, no background information about him before he came to Ponyville. Is his actual name even Whooves?
Regardless, the rest of the town didn't seem to mind the slander; he was an odd, yet charming and fairly harmless stallion.
Realizing his thoughts were trailing off for too long, Button shook his head and woke up from his daydream. His return to reality was accompanied by a realization that, as he was preoccupied, the stallion he was analyzing was directly in front of him.
The girls had stepped to the side while he was lost in thought.
Thanks, guys.
Button stared up at the Doctor. "Uh..."
Think, think. What do normal ponies say in normal social situations?
"...How do you do?" he said while chuckling nervously.
The Doctor's expression was blank as he held his hoof out. "Button Mash, right? It's been a while since the town's seen you."
With his hoof extended, Button stared blankly at it, only after a second-too-long did he realize that he was supposed to shake it.
"Huh, you're not the first pony to tell me that tonight." Button briefly shook the stallion's hoof. "Wait, what do you mean town?"
"So, what have you been up to, Button?" The Doctor ignored his question. Button mentally rolled his eyes, understanding after his earlier experience with his mother that he'd never get a straight answer the second time; forgive, but don't forget.
"...Studying," he answered.
The blank expression on the Doctor's face was replaced by a slight smile. "Studying, you say?"
"Yep."
"And what're you studying, particularly?"
Button was taken aback. There was nothing interesting about the contents of a fifteen-year-old's education.
"...The standard Equestrian curriculum?"
"I see. But, you're no longer attending the Schoolhouse, correct? Why are you homeschooled if it's the same as what they're teaching there?"
Huh? Button never mentioned anything about homeschooling. How did he know? The questions were getting too personal. One for Button to avoid.
"Uhh, Ms. Cheerilee also gave me some extra books and other stuff to study general engineering."
"Hmm, very interesting." The Doctor stared at Button for a minute.
What's with everypony staring at me today? Button shifted uneasily, hoping for salvation in any form to save him.
After what felt to be the longest minute of his life, the Doctor leaned into Button's ear and whispered, "My lab is always open to anypony, especially one like you."
Before Button could ask him to clarify, the Doctor ran back to the entrance of his house and waved.
"Well, good night everypony! Maybe I'll see you all at the festival later!" he said before closing the door.
"Thanks, Doc!" the group said simultaneously, except for Button who remained silent in thought.
Especially one like me?
"First house down for Button, many more to go!" said Scootaloo.
"Wait, did he even give me any—" Button paused as he looked down to see his previously empty bag partially occupied by a few pieces of candy. On top of the pile was a card with only an hourglass mark imprinted into it, and a small line of text.
'1115 Hoover St.'
"What's wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked behind him.
Button closed his bag and turned to face the unicorn. Her brows were knitted as she held a tight-lipped smile. "Nothing," he told her. "We're good here, let's go."
He broke contact and headed towards the other houses in the nearly empty neighborhood. Button turned around to check on his companions; Apple Bloom and Scootaloo followed, with Sweetie Belle lagging behind.
Sweetie Belle was right. By skipping the more crowded neighborhoods, he found his bag overfilled with candy in what felt like only half an hour. By this time, they had decided that their candy crusade was complete and chose to head to the festival at the town center.
Button shivered at the sight before him.
There were crowds. Crowds upon crowds upon crowds filled the area. For every activity in the festival, the lines were short, but the booths were numerous. Regardless of the abundance of ponies, it seemed that everypony had the opportunity to do whatever they wanted without much waiting. Whether it was pumpkin catapulting, spider tossing, ring tossing, apple bobbing, you name it, there was so much to do.
Candles and lanterns littered the area every other meter. Skulls, pumpkins, plastic bats, and statues dedicated to Nightmare Moon added to the atmosphere, strung up and placed throughout the different stands, canopies, and wooden posts. And of course, all ponies were dressed up for the occasion. There were ponies disguised as bees, ponies disguised as vikings, ponies disguised as other species which Button was unsure whether or not it was offensive to be doing so, ponies disguised as...paper bags? He had forgotten about Derpy's unorthodox costumes.
It was a visual overload that overwhelmed Button; he wasn't looking forward to getting lost in the swarm.
"Since when did the festival in Ponyville get so big?" he wondered out loud.
Apple Bloom walked up next to him. "Ah know right? Ever since Princess Luna started showing up on the holidays, ponies from all around Equestria began coming here."
"Oh, what are they like? The tourists, I mean."
"They're more than just tourists," she clarified. "Some of them started running new stalls with these games nopony in town's ever heard of before." She pointed to an area occupied with various booths.
Those are new. He didn't recognize the ponies there, but he definitely understood the games they operated.
"For the most part, they're pretty nice. Though, those new games really rob us sometimes!" she exclaimed with a grimace.
"Rob?"
"Yeah! Those ponies with the new games actually charge bits 'cause they have prizes. But, ah've never seen anypony win them before. They're nothing like the games at Appleloosa."
"I can't believe you spent so many bits last year." Sweetie Belle shook her head.
Apple Bloom pouted. "Is it my fault for wanting to get something nice for Granny?"
"No, but still..."
"...Yeah, you're right, it was really dumb," she said and slumped her shoulders. Sweetie Belle patted her on the back.
Button watched one particular booth where milk bottles painted in orange and black were stacked in the shape of a pyramid. Two fillies walked up to the stand and traded two bits to the stallion behind it for a softball. They each threw the balls, hitting the bottles perfectly in the center of the stack, but failed to move them even a single centimeter.
The second ball that the fillies threw ricocheted off the bottles and headed towards Button. It bounced on the ground once before rolling in front of him. He picked it up and hid it behind his right hoof, noting its unexpected lack of weight despite looking like a typical softball.
So that's how it is.
Button's eyes widened. Fortune finally favored him today by presenting a moment of opportunity. "Uh, guys, I'll be right back. Gotta do something real quick."
"Running away again?" Scootaloo dryly asked.
"No, nothing like that. I'll be over by the booths there in a bit." He pointed towards the stand he was looking at. "I'm not pulling anything, swear by it."
Scootaloo gave him a wary look. "Okay, but just remember, if you try to escape—" she poked his chest "—we'll find you."
So touchy, sheesh! He signed across his heart and pointed at his eye. "Pinkie promise."
She backed away and sighed. "Fine. What are you even doing anyways?"
"You'll see," he said with a coy smile across his face and a glint in his eye. "I have a plan."
"I don't like that look on your face."
"While ya do that, Button, ah'm gonna check on how my sister's doing with her station," Apple Bloom added. "We'll see ya at the booths in five. That sound good?"
He nodded. "Works for me."
Apple Bloom nodded and walked away with the other Crusaders, leaving Button alone and free to do whatever he wanted.
Alright, let's go con some con artists.
The preparations were complete, and the mission was ready to begin. With as much courage as he could muster, Button walked to the stands from earlier with a specific game in mind.
His arrival to one of the booths was met with a greeting from a yellow stallion with wavy purple mane.
"Hey there, boy! Care for a game of ball throwing? You could win some prizes!" the stallion said from behind the counter. His voice carried a heavy Manehattan accent, exactly as expected. He presented Button with various plushies and toys.
"Who, me? I don't have any bits…" Button pouted.
"No bits? Oh, that's a shame, kid." The stallion rubbed his chin, never averting his gaze off Button. A smile suddenly appeared on his face. "Hey, you got a nice costume though."
Button stuck out his arm, presenting the wrapping around it. "Really? Thanks! It's from the Carousel Boutique."
"The Boutique!" The stallion's ears perked up. "You got it from that mare, Rarity, eh?"
"Yep, she put the best material into it!"
His smile grew wider. "From what I've heard about her, I don't doubt it." He leaned over the counter, resting his head on his hoof.
"Tell you what, I'll make you a deal. You get three tries to knock the bottles off for free." His smile turned into a smirk. "But, if you can't get anything after the third try, then I'll be taking that costume off your hooves."
"Hmm…okay!"
Button was pulled back by his shoulder. "What the hay are you doing?" a female voice hissed.
He turned around; it was Sweetie Belle. "Hold on, don't worry. I got three shots, don't I?"
"If my ears are working properly and what I just heard was correct, then I'm pretty sure Rarity's gonna kill you!"
"Don't worry!"
In spite of the assurance, she only glared at him.
"Alright, boy. You just gotta knock down these six bottles and any of these prizes are yours!" The stallion placed a ball in front of Button and stepped back to clear the path for him.
Button picked up the ball with his left hoof. "Are you by any chance from Manehattan, sir?"
The trap was sprung.
The stallion beamed at him and straightened his pumpkin patterned tie. "Why yes, boy! Was it my accent?"
He fell for it.
"Partly, hehe..." Button reeled back his right hoof and threw the ball with moderate strength. Yet, despite not putting much effort into the throw, the ball flew at great speed.
*CRASH*
The stacks of milk bottles disappeared upon impact. Not only did they get knocked off the shelves, but they completely shattered, leaving only traces of their previous existence through the glass shards on the ground.
"Wha—but—how...what?!" The stallion reached over the counter and lifted Button by his shoulders. "What. Did. You. Do. To. My. Game." He shook Button after each word.
"Uhh, I think I won sir—ahhhh!" The stallion shook him harder, marking the third time tonight that Button was physically violated. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
"Excuse me, mister! I wouldn't do that if I were you," Sweetie Belle called out.
"And who are you to tell me what I ca—oh, it's you girls." He released Button from his grasp, making him fall flat on his flank.
"Ow. Not again…" Button cried while rubbing the sore spot on his rear end. Sweetie Belle helped him back up. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stood to the side with her, watching them and the stallion.
"You okay?" she asked, her face full of worry.
"Heh, my butt hurts, but thanks for the concern," he joked. "And I'll be taking that golden apple right there, thank you very much." Button pointed at the glowing replica behind the stallion.
"You're not taking any of my prizes, kid! You broke my ga—"
"I suggest you cough up the prize, Fleece. Unless...you want a repeat of what happened last year." Scootaloo said with an intimidating deadpan expression.
The stallion's eyes widened, sweat dripped down his face. "Oh, uh, on second thought, feel free to take two prizes, please."
"Gee, Mr...Fleece, was it? Thanks a lot!" Button said, his voice overly sweet and innocent. He took the golden apple and also instinctively grabbed a plush sword before running away, motioning for the girls to follow him.
After gaining sufficient distance from the booth, Button stopped to catch his breath. The girls caught up to him shortly afterwards.
"Here." Button held the golden apple up to Apple Bloom.
"Wha—how'd ya know?"
"Uh...lucky guess?"
Apple Bloom gingerly took it from his hooves and cradled it close to her. "Th—thanks, Button." She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling.
He smiled back and looked at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "Who wants the sword?" he said as he raised the plushie.
They both blinked at him.
"What was that?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"What was what?" He continued holding the prize up to them.
"You know, the whole breaking-a-game-booth thing."
"Oh, that. I, er, distracted him and swapped the ball he uses with a heavier one. It broke because...I guess I threw it too hard?" The pitch of his voice grew higher with each word.
His explanation resulted in blank stares from all parties involved.
"Manehattan has fairs all the time with rigged games like these," Button clarified. With the sword, he pointed back at the booth they had just left. "This one in particular has softballs filled with cork to make them lighter, and those milk bottles you have to knock down? They're much, much heavier than you'd think. Either they're enchanted, or there's something in them to weigh them down; the balls bounce off no matter what."
Sweetie Belle scratched her head and frowned. "Well, when you put it that way, it sounds so obvious. Now I just feel stupid."
"Don't feel bad, it's easy to miss it when you're in the moment. You get too focused on the bits and prizes to notice that the game's completely bogus."
At his reassurance, she smiled. "How'd he not catch you when you swapped the balls? Where'd you even get a heavier one?"
"Ponies from Manehattan are always eager to talk about themselves. For anypony, if you get them genuinely interested in a conversation, they tend to focus on your eyes; it's a sign of direct communication."
"And the ball?"
"The ball?" Button asked. Sweetie Belle gave him a pleading look. "Oh, the ball! I found an actual heavy one after searching around town."
Scootaloo chortled. "Where'd you learn about all this?"
"A book I read…and maybe some personal experiences." He mumbled the last part under his breath.
"Pfft, egghead."
"Hey!"
"I'm kidding!" she said while giggling.
Button rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Anyways, thanks for getting him off my back. He seemed really scared of you guys."
"Ah think it's our sisters more than us," Apple Bloom explained. They all turned to face the earlier booth.
Scootaloo pointed at the stallion behind the counter. "That's Fleece. He's had a few run-ins with Applejack and Rainbow Dash on separate occasions before. Last time, Rainbow tried to get a prize for us, and she ran into his dumb games."
"Ah'm pretty sure she traumatized him."
"Definitely traumatized him, he got in her way."
Ah, Rainbow Dash. Former captain of the Ponyville Weather Team, the newest and fastest recruit for the Wonderbolts—at least from what I last remember—and Scootaloo's older sister figure. What a terrible pony to cross.
"What did she do?" Button asked.
A pained expression appeared on all the girls as they slowly chuckled. "That's a story for another day, but at least this time we actually got something out of it," Scootaloo said.
"So she didn't get anything in the end."
"No, but on the bright side, she scared the ever-living hay out of him."
"And now he's afraid of you guys because of her?"
"Yep."
"Awesome."
"Eeyup," Apple Bloom agreed.
They stood in silence while looking at the booth for a little longer, admiring Button's handiwork. Fleece was bitterly mumbling to himself while sweeping up the pieces of the broken bottles, his complaints drowned out by the excited chatter and cheers from the festival.
"Rainbow's gonna love to hear about this," Scootaloo said.
The other girls chuckled in agreement while Button simply nodded.
Button spoke up, "So, anypony gonna take the sword, or…"
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shared a glance with each other. The former nudged her head towards Button.
Sweetie Belle swiped the sword from Button and poked him with it on his side. "Next time, please don't put my sister's stuff up for gamble. I don't want to have to bury you if you messed up."
"Uh, bury?" he asked, rubbing the area she poked him on.
"Do you know how valuable your costume is?"
"Well, sort of. I know that your sister's pretty famous in Manehattan, so I thought that I could use her costume to lure the dude into making a bet with me."
"Exactly, that's the point. Rarity doesn't just design clothing, she's also always innovating. Your costume"—she lifted one of his costume's coils with the sword—"is made of her latest experimental material. Other fashion ponies are always trying to figure out her secrets before she can get it out there."
"Wha...who in their right mind would give a random teenager their guarded secrets as a costume?!" he said, exasperated.
Sweetie Belle's eyes darted around while she forced a smile. "Ehe, uhh…"
Apple Bloom cleared her throat, interrupting the moment. "Let's just go have some more fun. And, that was cool and all, but stay away from those booths, alright?" She pointed an accusing hoof at Button.
He stiffened his body and saluted. "Absolutely. Not again."
"Good. Now, where should we go? Any ideas?" Apple Bloom looked towards all of them for options.
"Apple bobbing?" Button suggested.
"We just visited my sister. Unless ya still wanna go, of course," Apple Bloom said with an amused smirk.
Button facehoofed. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Nevermind, that's fine."
Sweetie Belle raised her sword, catching everypony's attention. "Ooh, how about the pumpkin catapults? I want to see if I can still get the high score."
"Hey wait a moment, Braggy Belle, maybe Button can decapitate you this time," Scootaloo said while jabbing Sweetie Belle.
"You mean dethrone," Sweetie Belle said.
"What did I say?"
"Decapitate. You know, like cutting somepony's head off." Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo, unamused.
"Oh." Scootaloo stared blankly back. "Well anyways, Button, are you up for the challenge?"
The colt in question stammered. "Pfft, who? Me? No way, I don't even remember the last time I ever played that."
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both wrapped a hoof around his neck and began walking in the direction of the catapults. "Have faith, my young, doubtful foal," Scootaloo assuaged him. "Otherwise Sweets is gonna have more things to gloat about."
"Hey! I don't gloat about anything!" Sweetie Belle pouted before running to catch up to them.
After a while of Scootaloo calming Sweetie Belle down by repeatedly telling her that she was only joking, they had made it to the catapults.
The games at the festival all evolved beyond what Button remembered. The pumpkin catapults used to only be three standing targets side-by-side to hit, a simple game that nearly everypony could win. But now, there were numerous targets scattered flat throughout the ground, all of varying sizes. Each of them had a score painted on them inverse to their size; the smaller the target, the bigger the number. There didn't seem to be any prizes, but nopony ever complained about that before either.
"Well, show us how it's done." Scootaloo patted Sweetie on the back and pushed her in front of the catapult.
There were ponies in the area playing other games like spider-tossing, cornhole, ball fishing, etc., but some stopped to turn their heads at the sight of Sweetie Belle stepping up.
Sweetie Belle picked a pumpkin up from a nearby stack, loaded the bucket on the catapult with it, and pulled it down. Then, rotating the catapult, she aimed towards the corner of the field, where the smallest but most valuable target was, no larger than the pumpkin itself, and released.
The pumpkin was launched high up in the air. After rising and then falling for a few seconds, it landed dead center on the target.
Dang, she's actually good at this.
"Amazing as always, Sweetie Belle!" a random voice from the crowd shouted.
"You still got it, Sweetie!"
"How are any of us supposed to compete with that?!"
Ponies all around applauded and cheered for Sweetie Belle. She blushed and hid her face behind her hooves, seemingly embarrassed over the praise.
"You still have stage fright?" Button asked.
She shouted in a hushed tone, "You think?!"
Scootaloo grabbed from the pumpkin stack and held one in front of Button. "Alright, your turn. Make us proud!"
After Sweetie Belle's flawless first try, Button knew it was all going to head downhill. "I haven't played this in forever, and I was terrible last time I tried."
"Come on, don't knock it 'til you try it." She raised the pumpkin up to his face.
Button took it from Scootaloo. "You're gonna be so disappointed…"
"Nonsense!" She pushed him towards the catapult. "Dazzle us!"
He approached the contraption and loaded the bucket with the pumpkin. After pulling it down, he rotated the catapult towards an area with an abundance of large, low value targets, all at least the size of a whole stallion. There wasn't much of a chance that he could hit the smaller targets, but at least he could skip the embarrassment and hit something this way.
The catapult sent the pumpkin flying sky-high as Button quickly released his hooves from it. There was something about a pumpkin unnaturally soaring through the sky that was oddly majestic. A fruit, up in the clouds where only pegasi and other winged creatures could reach. So daring, so brave, so valiant.
"Wow…" Button whispered in wonder.
And then it got stuck in a tree. In the middle of the pumpkin, a branch ran straight through it.
The Crusaders all collapsed to the ground, howling in laughter at the sight. Button simply stared at the product of his efforts with a neutral expression; his failure was too stunning for him to even react to.
Scootaloo clutched her stomach while rolling all around, cackling. "Button, you—" she wiped a tear from her eye "—you did not disappoint."
He didn't respond, and instead continued looking at the pumpkin in the tree with a deadpan face.
"That was definitely dazzling." Scootaloo chuckled before lightly punching Button on the shoulder.
"I hate Nightmare Night."
Sweetie Belle, wiping tears from her own eyes, walked up to Button and patted him on the head. "There, there. It's alright, Button."
"No...no it's not. That was absolutely terrible," he said monotonously. He glared at her, unamused at her and the others' reactions.
She stopped patting him. "Ehe...it's a combination of how far you pull the bucket, and how you release it," she explained. "You pulled it down all the way and also released it too suddenly, so it went flying way past the targets. Nopony does that, except for newbies." A tiny chuckle slipped out of her mouth.
A simple explanation, yet easier said than done.
Button rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess I spent a lot more time learning about the fixed games instead of regular ones…"
"You goof, you don't need to read anything to learn about a game; you just play it."
"I feel like I've heard that before."
"Well that makes sense, you're the one who told me that after all."
"...I did?" He looked at her in confusion, his brows knitted.
She frowned. "You don't remember?"
"How long ago was it?"
She looked off into the distance, away from him. "First time we met...you were showing me your games and I was really confused." She laughed, assumedly at the nostalgic memory. "You actually said it a lot when I started playing games and didn't get it."
"..."
Sweetie Belle turned back to him and peered into his eyes. Despite there being no mistake that she was looking at him, the expression on her face was so confused, so distant, as if she was searching for something else.
"...You've changed."
The melancholy tone of her voice, the dissatisfaction it held, it was longing for something lost. Whatever it was, Button couldn't figure out, he had a feeling it was better that he didn't. A lump formed in his throat, preventing him from replying.
"Hey Sweetie Belle! Show us how you did that again!" Button and Sweetie Belle turned to the direction of the voice, the source being a light blue pegasus with dark blue hair.
Wait, is that...Commander Soarin? Button squinted, trying to see if his eyes were deceiving him. A quick look at the stallion's cutie mark dispelled all doubts. Yep, that's definitely him. Guess Ponyville's some sort of attraction for celebrities now.
After peering at Button for a moment longer, Sweetie Belle returned to the catapult next to them and loaded another pumpkin. Button turned around, shaking his head in confusion. Behind him was Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, both looking at him in concern. Were they listening the whole time?
He gave them a sheepish grin and walked away from the group. But instead of chasing after him and making him stay, they unexpectedly stood still and watched him leave. Button pushed his way through the crowd that had suddenly gathered to watch Sweetie Belle. With no idea as to where he was going, the urge to be alone guided him.
Button didn't know how long he was wandering for, but he eventually found himself on the outskirts of the festival grounds. It was empty and relatively quiet with the faint noises of the festival all behind him. He looked around and realized where he was, at the intersection of Stirrup and Mane Avenue. How long ago was it since he had last visited this corner?
This part of town consisted of the Joke Shop, the Emporium, the Bowling Alley, the Ice Cream shop, etc. There were specialized stores for just about everything in a town like Ponyville, despite its rustic nature. It was surely some time ago that he was last here, but each store had their own distinct qualities that made them unforgettable.
What wasn't recognizable, though, was a large store that sat at the end of Stirrup. Button walked up to it, curious as to what he could've forgotten. As with any store, it was closed for the festival, but through the window the inside was visible. It was a restaurant.
On wooden flooring, tables were placed throughout the whole store, all surrounded by chairs. All the way in the back, registers sat atop the counters. The menu was posted high up on the wall behind them, listing different kinds of pizzas, sandwiches, hayburgers, and various soft drinks. It looked like a standard restaurant, but nothing Button could remember.
Then he saw the pictures on the wall.
Numerous photos of celebrities Button recognized from newspapers were posted. The celebrities weren't what caught his eye, but rather the stallion who appeared in every one of the pictures. A red stallion with a slicked back yellow mane.
...Mr. Harvest? He stumbled backwards, taking in the revelation.
In front of Button was a restaurant, but he only ever remembered it as its previous incarnation. He stared up at the sign hanging above the shop, wondering when it ever changed from 'Arcade' to 'R.H. Diner'.
Sweetie Belle's voice came from his right. "Sucks, doesn't it?" she said, a somber tone in her voice.
"Wha...what happened? When?" Her sudden appearance would've surprised him if he wasn't already in shock.
"Moved to Manehattan."
"But this is Mr. Harvest's place, isn't it?" He rapidly tapped on the windows, wanting to somehow prove Sweetie Belle wrong. "His pictures are on the walls, see?"
She didn't look.
"No way, there couldn't have been a problem with..."
"No, business was fine. But apparently, most ponies came for the food more than the games. So he changed it."
"What about Manehattan?"
"He had a smaller arcade there that was much more popular than here."
"How do you know?"
"Remember how it used to be open everyday?"
Button looked up and shut his eyes for a moment to think. "Yeah, Mr. Harvest was really adamant on never taking a single day off," he recalled.
"Well, one day it just closed without any warning at all. Next thing I knew, it became a restaurant before I was even able to ask him," she said with a grimace.
Button fixated his eyes on the store. The decor of the restaurant sat in darkness, a stark contrast to what he remembered of its prior form.
"Bit for your thoughts," Sweetie Belle said.
He placed a hoof on the window, leaning forward on it, and slumped his head. "...I don't know."
"Harvest said he's been making more bits than ever when he turned it into this." Malice and sarcasm filled her voice as she glared at the shop sign above.
"...He didn't strike me as that kind of pony..."
Button's mind went blank, as dead as the mummy he pretended to be. His face shifted into various expressions ranging from disbelief, to anger, to sadness, but ultimately settled on indifference. Did it even matter anymore?
Last time I went here...before I stopped attending the Schoolhouse...
"Sweetie Belle! We can't find him if you keep wandering off like that!" Scootaloo's voice interrupted his thoughts. Behind Sweetie Belle was Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, both running towards them. While the bags tied to them flailed around, their costumes miraculously clung on. Sweetie Belle turned to them, revealing Button to be next to her.
"Oh hey, you found him." Scootaloo and Apple Bloom slowed their pace. "You know, even Fluttershy's animals are easier to keep track of than you."
"But, you guys let me leave."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we thought you were just going to get water or something, and not, like, walk to the other side of the festival!"
Button flinched at Scootaloo's anger, or was it merely frustration? He could only hope for the latter.
Apple Bloom put a hoof in front of Scootaloo. "Simmer down for a second there." She looked at Button, and with a cheerful tone said, "Now that we've found ya, we can go back."
They stopped to find me? he thought, realizing just then that the three had gone out of their way to leave the festival to find him.
"Scoots, what do ya think we should do next?"
Scootaloo, who at this point had calmed down, pondered for a moment. Suddenly, she facehoofed. "The haunted house!"
"The haunted house?" Button asked.
"We gotta go, Rainbow would totally be on my tail if I didn't!"
Button furrowed his eyebrows. "Since when did Ponyville have a haunted house?"
"For a few years now. Each year, Diamond's been hosting it with her family, trying to make it scarier each time." Scootaloo explained.
"Diamond, as in...Diamond Tiara?"
"That's her name. Last year was not so bad...maybe it'll be a little scarier for once," she said coolly.
"Oh puh-leeze, ah remember ya screaming like a foal."
"More like a chicken," Sweetie Belle snickered.
Scootaloo stuck her tongue out at the two while they laughed. "Whatever, let's just go before it closes. Diamond could probably use some candy since she's too busy to go out herself," she said and headed north of the festival. The others followed behind as she took off.
Button gave the restaurant behind him one last look before leaving. Goodbye.
They quietly trotted at a steady pace for a while. The leaves on the trees rustled as they passed by, matching the rhythm of their hoofsteps. In this calm atmosphere, Button found peace. Never mind the fact that he was lollygagging instead of studying, never mind the confusing encounters he's had with everypony today, never mind the disappearance of the Arcade. With all the worries from earlier behind him, it was like taking a deep breath of fresh air. As the winds picked up, he found himself thankful for his costume. Despite his initial reservations at the Boutique, the costume, while seemingly simple on paper, was indeed comfortable and warm. Regardless, it was still chilly, and he unconsciously stood closer to the nearest pony for extra warmth.
He eventually noticed that he was almost brushing shoulders with Sweetie Belle, and backed off immediately. Though, one question popped up into his mind, one that he had been meaning to ask since he first left his house. He leaned in and whispered, "Why are you guys doing this?"
Sweetie Belle gave Button a side glance. If she minded her personal space being invaded, she didn't seem to show it. "Hmm? What do you mean?"
"With me...what's the point...of having me around? You know you don't have to listen to my mom, right?"
"Doesn't matter if your mom said anything or not. You're our friend, should there any other reason?" she said without hesitation.
"But, I don't see any of your other dozens of friends here. I thought this was just a hangout for you three. I'm in the way, aren't I?"
Sweetie Belle sighed and raised a hoof up to his mouth. "Shush, you." He looked at her hoof in surprise, but didn't interrupt. "Yeah, it was just supposed to be the three of us, it always has been; we're best friends. But, you tagging along doesn't ruin anything."
She smiled at Button and released her hoof. At this, a comforting warmth rushed over him...but at the same time, anxiety continued to co-exist with it. It was a completely foreign feeling.
They continued walking.
On the topic of friendship, curiosity struck him. With Sweetie Belle relieving part of his worries, he found the courage to ask, "Hey, since when were you guys such good friends with Diamond Tiara?"
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow.
Button pulled his head back while still trying to keep his voice low. "I mean, I know that you guys settled your differences and all when you got your cutie marks, but it sounds like you're buddies now."
"We've been close friends for some time. She joins us pretty often," Sweetie Belle said. Her ears drooped and she looked at Button, confusion on her face. "It really has been a while for you...hasn't it?"
He returned the same expression back. "Can you explain? I think almost everypony who I've spoken to this whole night has told me the same thing, and I still don't get it."
She stopped walking and turned to him. "Just think about it."
"For Faust's sake, I really—"
"You all made it!" an excited, vaguely recognizable voice called.
Button and Sweetie Belle directed their attention to a teenage filly walking towards them.
"Hey Diamond!" Scootaloo shouted. The new filly waved at them as she made her way down the steps in front of the house.
The extremely big house.
It was a mansion.
An ominous, eerie mansion.
Is that supposed to be the haunted house?!
The imposing building loomed over Button, his mouth grew agape at its features. It had to be at least four stories tall. Vines wrapped around the entire exterior, as if nature itself was reclaiming the land. The entrance was a tall wooden door with a Nightmare Night door knocker, on the sides were windows with rusted bars covering them, and it was all supported by rotting, splintered wood.
With convenient timing, bats flew out from the back of the mansion, and he suddenly noticed the noises all around him. The crickets chirping, the owls hidden in the trees hooting, the howling wind making all the surrounding flora rustle.
A blood-curdling scream came from inside the mansion.
Button jumped high up in shock. "Gah!"
Everypony looked at him in bewilderment.
"Wow. You're more jumpy than I remember," Scootaloo said.
Button shook his head and calmed down. "Er, my bad." He noticed the newcomer looking at him curiously. This...is Diamond Tiara? He couldn't remember her ever looking at him with any expression other than disdain.
"Hehe, uh, hello!" she greeted while giggling.
He couldn't remember her speaking without sounding bitter and disgusted every time either.
"...Hi." He waved at her half-heartedly.
Sweetie Belle stepped in between the two. "Diamond, this is Button, if you remember him. He's never been to the house before."
Diamond Tiara's eyes widened. "Button? Like Button Mash?"
Button slowly nodded.
Her expression softened into a slight smile, but the slight hesitance didn't go unnoticed by him. "You definitely look different."
"Yeah, you too..." And he meant it. Without the seemingly permanent scowl on her face, the prissy, pretentious, haughty tone of her voice, and the better-than-you, holier-than-thou demeanor, she was an entirely different pony. In a good way, of course.
She snorted. "Well I hope so, this costume would've been a waste of time if I looked the same!"
Oh, she was probably talking about our costumes.
From head to hoof, Diamond was covered in black clothing. A black mask on her eyes hid her face, her body was enveloped in a black leather coat with edges cut to resemble a bat wing. Her ears were shaped like a thestral's, and similarly to Sweetie Belle, two fangs protruded from the top of her mouth. Despite being essentially the same on paper, the two fillies looked quite different from each other. Diamond's lack of her typical tiara didn't go unnoticed either.
He then remembered to respond after a long moment of inspecting her. "Uh, right. So, this...this is the haunted house?"
Without turning around to look, she answered, "Yep. My family and some other ponies had it built for today." Her ears lowered and she glanced away. "What do you think? Be honest."
"Wow, it certainly looks...haunted." He never thought in his lifetime that Diamond Tiara would be asking him for his genuine thoughts.
He also didn't think that he'd be hearing laughter from everypony after saying something that wasn't supposed to be remotely funny.
"Pfft, 'haunted'? That's all you have to say?" Scootaloo stomped on the ground a few times while cackling. To the side, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle held a hoof up to their mouth to hide their laughter.
Button tried to hide himself in his costume. Unfortunately, since it was literally wrapped around his entire body, that didn't work. "I mean, just look at that thing! Do we really have to go in?"
"Hmm, I'll take that as a compliment." Diamond teased. "And yes, if you're here, you have to go inside; we put a lot of work into it every year."
"Speaking of work, check out what we got!" Scootaloo opened her bag to show Diamond the candy she accumulated over the night.
"Daww, I wish I could've joined you all…" Diamond said while enviously looking at their collection.
Sweetie Belle levitated an extra bag from under her cloak towards Diamond. "It's not like we weren't gonna share, silly." She filled it with some of her own candy; Scootaloo and Apple Bloom joined in.
"Ooh, you guys got those? They're soo good!"
"I know, right?" Scootaloo said. "I thought that..." As they shared treats, the conversation then turned into a discussion on their favorite candies.
Unsure of what to do, Button awkwardly stood behind them.
They're just...talking. Is this what they call 'girl's bonding time'? Should I turn around or something?
Once they finished, they all turned to Button. In response, he quickly grabbed his bag and presented it to Diamond. "Uhh, here…?"
Diamond smiled and waved it off. "I'm good. Thanks." She held up the bag that Sweetie Belle gave her, revealing it to be filled to the top.
"Oh, alright." He put his bag away, once more evoking giggles from his companions. Is the laughter a good or bad thing?
"So…" She gave Button an amused look that couldn't have been interpreted as good in any way. "...you got a pumpkin stuck in a tree?"
His eyes shot open.
"I swear it was an accident! Noooo!" Without any thought, Button fled into the mansion.
The door behind him loudly creaked as it slammed shut, as if its rusty hinges hadn't been maintained for several years. He only came to notice his mistake as he realized that he was by himself; he left his friends outside. Looking through the windows, the girls had all disappeared from the front of the house. Where'd they go? Button reached for the doorknob and turned it, but it refused to move. He pulled on it while twisting in all directions, hoping to pry the door open, but it wouldn't budge. Crap.
He turned to face the horrors that awaited him.
With the dim light of one lantern hanging low from the high ceiling, he could just barely make out the rest of the room. A sofa covered by a large, dusty sheet sat to the side, and in front of it was a rug, dirt and stains making it an unpleasant add-on to the room. In the back, a pair of doors, likely leading to the next area, beckoned for him to open them. It was either that, or he could take the stairs on his right, curving all around the room, covered in cobwebs on the railing and built of wood of questionable quality.
He tried the door first. Behind the glass, he could see that it led to a kitchen, but it wouldn't open. Guess I have to go upstairs, great.
It was quiet. So quiet that the thuds of his heartbeats rang in his ears, and that only made everything worse. Every single sound from his shallow breaths to his light hoofsteps were amplified by the complete lack of other noise. Step by step, he slowly made his way up the stairs.
*CREAK*
Button cringed and impulsively went to shush the wood below him, but ultimately withheld with great restraint. The stairs went on much higher, but he was already on the second floor. He needed to leave, but where was the exit? The front was locked; there must be another way out. Maybe at the side? Maybe in the back? Maybe he could return to the front and wait for another pony to enter?
Somepony, or something, tapped his shoulder.
"Oi."
"Nope!" Button screamed and bolted further up the stairs, not giving a single moment to look back.
The next flight of stairs led to the third floor, where a hallway wrapped around the corner. Partially torn wallpaper and more lanterns adorned the walls and ceiling. Closed doors stood on each side, but he definitely didn't plan on going into any of the rooms. He checked behind to see if anything was following him: nothing.
Exhaustion from his previous sprint took over; Button felt numb all around. He could hardly take a single step without trembling, nearly tripping each time.
Something scuttled across the floor.
Despite not being able to discern it, it was enough for Button to hasten. Through his hooves, he could feel the vibrations of more movement from behind. Down the corridor, he turned around the corner, only for another hallway to appear with the exact same appearance as the earlier one. Shoot, didn't I already go this way? He turned back to the previous path. Nope, they're just the exact same. At the next corner, he ended up in the exact same position. The hay is this?
His breath quickened as he began to hyperventilate.
Is it just me, or are the walls getting closer? Is that lantern dying? Is everything getting darker?
No no, calm down. This is all a part of the attraction. Nothing can or will hurt me.
I need to get out of here.
Maniacal laughter echoed from behind him, sounding as if it came straight from the pits of Tartarus.
Nevermind, screw that!
Button yelped, and, as an instinctive runner, fled in the opposite direction. Luckily, at the end of the next hallway was another flight of stairs. The path leading downwards had caution tape wrapped around it, leaving him only one route: up.
Not a moment to think, he climbed.
Soot, rust, and smoke, that's all the attic smelled like. The one window in the room leaked just enough light through to outline the scattered boxes and antiques in a faint blue. He walked towards the window. Outside below, the roofing extended past it, and no bars covered the glass either. An escape route?
Applying as much force as possible, he tried to pry the window open from the bottom. His hooves slipped and dust shot up in his face.
"Achoo!" Button rubbed his nose and sniffled.
From behind, the stairs leading up to the attic began to creak.
His stomach dropped. Crap, crap, crap. What now, what now?
The hoofsteps were getting closer.
At the top of the stairs, the silhouette of a wide, unidentifiable creature peeked out with nothing distinguishable but its eight eyes, stacked in four pairs on top of each other.
Holy horsefeathers.
It slowly approached, crawling towards him as he whimpered and backed into the window. There was no way he could open it in time.
Fear created enough adrenaline to desensitize all other feelings in his body. With no other options, Button reeled back his legs and lowered his head. He charged at the monster head-on, shouting for his life.
"Button, wait!" a high pitched voice yelled.
But it was too late. Bodies collided as Button and the creature fell, rolling down the stairs. They landed at the bottom and rolled across the floor of the hallway.
"Oof!"
"Ow!"
"That was a bad place to stand."
"Ahh, I should've just stayed at the front."
Groans came from all directions as Button splayed out on the floor, recuperating from the rush. It was clear at this point exactly what, or rather who, was chasing him: the girls.
"I hate you all."
"Heh, you don't mean that," Scootaloo said while catching her breath between each word.
Apple Bloom clutched her sides while chuckling. "Sorry, Button. Though ah gotta admit, it was pretty funny."
"Glad I could entertain you guys. Can I leave now?"
Diamond Tiara snickered. "This is only a quarter of the house."
Button raised his head from the floor. "There's more?!"
Nope. No. Not staying here. Please let me out.
"Is everypony alright?" said a soft, gentle voice from above. Though the ceiling was too tall and dark to see into, seconds later a yellow pegasus flew into view.
"We're fine, Fluttershy," Scootaloo answered, still laying flat on the bottom of the stairs.
Fluttershy landed next to Button and helped him sit up, checking his body for injuries. "Are you sure? I was watching the whole time; I've never seen anypony so scared of the mice before."
With her hooves all around his ticklish body, he forced himself to refrain from laughing. "Uh, mice?"
"I set them up to run around a lot in the house." She tilted down his head, making him sharply exhale from the sudden movement. "It scares a few ponies, but you especially reacted the strongest."
"Wait, you're behind the mansion?"
She stopped inspecting him and nodded.
"That explains a lot." The bats conveniently flying out for dramatic flair, the rats running across the floor, the...whatever creature it was that screamed while he was at the front. It all made sense.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to give you a panic attack when—"
"I wasn't that scared, I swear!" He rapidly waved his arms in front of him.
"You were freaking out over every tiny sound," Scootaloo said before making an impression of what was supposedly Button's screams. It wasn't very flattering.
"Scootaloo, please."
"Sorry."
By then, everypony had all recovered and gotten back up. Button brushed the dust off his costume, checking for any marks that would've ruined the material. Phew, nothing, he thought as he wiped sweat off his brow.
"You know, I almost had a heart attack when you guys touched my shoulder."
The girls looked at each other in confusion. They all shook their heads and shrugged.
"What d'you mean?" Scootaloo said.
Button gave an inquisitive look around him. "The second floor, one of you tapped my shoulder."
"Huh? We only started following you on the third," Sweetie Belle said, her confusion unmistakably genuine.
"What."
"Probably another animal?"
"No way, it said, 'Oi', or something like that."
"Somepony else?"
Diamond scratched the back of her head. "I don't know, the last ponies who came in before you guys should be at the end by now..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Achoo!"
"Bless you."
"Thanks." Scootaloo sniffled. "It's dusty in here, let's get out before I sneeze everywhere."
"Yer just more scared of the house now that we're not busy stalking Button around."
"Yeah, yeah. Get off my case, Bloom." Scootaloo sneered and began walking back into the hallways.
Apple Bloom ran up to her and bumped into her side. Giggles from both of them rose as Scootaloo's frown quickly disappeared.
"Be safe, girls. And sorry again, Button."
Button tailed behind the two fillies in front as he turned his head back to Fluttershy. "Hey, it's a haunted house, isn't it? Wouldn't be a very convincing one if it didn't give a good scare."
At this, she only smiled and waved as they walked away.
Strangely enough, Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara continued to stay with Fluttershy as everypony else left. Diamond opened her mouth before Button turned around the corner.
"Hey, guys? Wrong way."
Scootaloo hopped ahead of the group, her fluttering wings momentarily lifted her in the air with each jump. "Well, that was even better than last year!"
"To be fair, scaring others is more fun than being scared." Diamond guided the group to the nearest exit, allowing them to walk out first. "I should know that, after working on this for the past few years and all."
Hah, and after being a part of my nightmares for half my childhood.
But despite the snark and resentment in his thoughts, he knew that it wasn't right for him to think of her in that way. Sweetie Belle had vouched for her earlier, yet here he was, looking down on her. She hadn't even done anything to him besides smile and giggle, certainly not in the same condescending way she used to.
Am I the problem now?
"Hey, thanks for coming, guys, and for the candy too."
"No prob." Scootaloo lifted her hoof to offer Diamond a hoof bump. She immediately obliged and returned the gesture.
"Speaking of which, where's all the other ponies?" Button asked.
"Gone home," Diamond replied. "It's almost midnight."
"Almost midni...what the heck? Since when did it get so late?"
"Time flies by fast." Diamond walked back into the haunted house. "Anyways, this is good timing, because now I gotta clear out the house with Fluttershy and my dad."
Everypony waved as Diamond shut the door, a final send-off for Button from what was the most unnecessarily frightening experience he's had in years.
"Oh shoot!" Scootaloo said.
Button bit his tongue in surprise at the abrupt outburst. He hissed at the pain and looked at Scootaloo, trying to hold back the contempt in his eyes at the same time.
"Uh, no time to explain, I gotta head out too!" Scootaloo scolded herself for not keeping track of the time, cursing under her breath, but still within Button's earshot.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow. See ya, Button!"
As Scootaloo left, Button's eye caught onto the most unusual sight, one he hadn't realized until now was in front of him all night long.
She was running instead of flying, and her previously inconspicuous wings suddenly became apparent. They appeared to be...the same as they've always been; foal-sized.
She still can't fly?
"Ah also gotta get going." Button turned to Apple Bloom. She looked at the ground as she shuffled her legs around, playing with fallen leaves. "Big Mac and Applejack must be wrapping up their stations by now...ah really should've been helping them this year. "
Sometimes it miraculously slipped his mind that Apple Bloom—surprise, surprise—was from the Apple family. The same prominent family that helped found Ponyville and always had a significant part in setting up most of the events in the town.
"Oh yeah, doesn't your grandma usually help too? Where is she?" Button asked.
Apple Bloom grimaced and massaged between her eyebrows with her hoof. "She's...resting at home right now."
Button froze. I said something bad, didn't I. The concern on Sweetie Belle's face confirmed it all.
"Oh, um. I hope she feels better!" Way to go, idiot.
To his relief, Apple Bloom smiled at him.
"Thanks, Button, and thanks for the golden apple." She held up the prize from earlier. "Granny's gonna love this," she said before walking away from the group.
Only a few steps in, Apple Bloom paused and turned back towards Sweetie Belle to whisper into her ears. Their conversation was inaudible, but surely interesting enough to provoke the unicorn.
Sweetie Belle gasped and blushed. "Apple Bloom!"
Apple Bloom laughed and ran away from the group, presumably returning to the town center for her duties.
"Goodnight, you two!" her voice echoed past the trees.
With Apple Bloom gone, it was just Button and Sweetie Belle left. Silence ensued as the two stood still, facing each other.
The noises that added to the fearful atmosphere of Nightmare Night were missing. There were no crickets to chirp, no owls to hoot. There weren't even any winds to shake the trees.
It was ironic, he usually relished in the silence. Silence was what kept his mind focused when he studied. Silence was what he yearned for when he couldn't concentrate due to the noise from children outside his window during every holiday. Silence was what he prayed for when he heard the laughter of his classmates, Gibson's yelling, and his dad's…
This time though, the silence made him uncomfortable. Not the kind of horrifying discomfort that he felt when he was inside the mansion, but rather something much more personal, yet, even more sinister. He fought to keep the illusion of calmness as his legs wobbled, his body trembling.
Say something already!
Unable to handle it any further, Button took the initiative.
"...Hey."
An eternity in Tartarus passed by before Sweetie Belle finally opened her mouth.
"...Hey."
"Uh, guess we're going home now, huh?"
"Heh, looks like it."
"Y—yeah." This is terrible.
"So, neat haunted mansion, right?" Button pointed to the towering structure next to them, unexpectedly finding more comfort in it than the current conversation. Maybe I should just run back in.
"You seem to have enjoyed it."
"They did put a lot of effort into it. Would be a shame otherwise," he smoothly said while straightening his non-existent tie.
"Hmm, well you do scare easily." Her neutral gaze became a smirk. "Actually, now that I think about it...if I remember correctly, at the Arcade—"
"Oh Celestia, not this."
"You cried on your first time playing 'Nightmare's Night.'"
"The zombies seemed so real at the time! Sweetie Belle, come on, at least Scootaloo could spare me—"
"Hold on. Before that, didn't you also say that you wanted to prove how much of a stallion you were?" Sweetie Belle puffed her chest mockingly.
Button sat and crossed his arms, looking away from her. "Nope. Don't remember. Doesn't ring a bell."
"Sure it does! You even dragged me along to play it right after school before I could say anything."
"Okay, okay! Can we, like, forget pretty much everything I said or did back then?" He grovelled in the grass on all fours in front of the filly, pouting and pleading.
The amusement on her face did not fade as her emerald eyes shined, reflecting off the moonlight, and the smugness was amplified by the fake fangs from her costume.
"Never."
"Aww," Button whined, burying his head in his hooves. Sweetie Belle giggled and sat down with him.
"Hey." She reached into her cloak to pull out the plush sword and poked his 'lifeless' body with it; he didn't move.
"You gotta get up sometime, you know. I realize that we forgot to go crusading today, so you gotta be alive for tomorrow."
Button lifted his head and looked at Sweetie Belle.
Tomorrow?
He grimaced. It was already enough that he skipped out on one day. Missing a single day of studying could easily escalate into missing multiple days of studying. Soon enough, if he didn't immediately return to his routine, he wouldn't be able to be ready in time for the entrance exam.
The winds picked up once again. Button stood and distanced himself from the filly.
"Sorry, but um...I have to get back to studying."
"Studying?!" The perplexion in her tone was accompanied by a voice crack. "It's almost Saturday, can't it rest for one weekend?"
"I'm already behind schedule after today. Need to compensate; catch up."
"Come on, just one day of crusading, that's all."
"It definitely won't just be 'one day.'"
"We could at least try!"
"School's important!"
"But so is your cutie mark!"
"I can't!"
"One day!"
"Sweetie Belle, I can't!"
"Bu—but, I just...we only..." She slapped her hoof over her eyes and groaned, her horn flashing green for a split second. Her chest moved up and down as she took a deep breath.
"Nevermind, I get it. Later, Button."
Disappointment, he knew that's what Sweetie Belle must be feeling. He was all-too-familiar with it.
But before he was able to reply, she had stormed off.
He could hardly keep his eyes open, and he knew it was necessary for him to go home as soon as possible in order to return to form for the next day. Thus, the thought of chasing after her left as quickly as it came.
Button rubbed his temple. "So much headache over a single day…"
He turned around and began walking home. The rusting of his candy bags and the blowing wind became white noise as he mindlessly trekked onwards.
Button collapsed the moment he entered his home. He laid sprawled out across the living room floor.
The lights were off, and it was dead silent. No way she's sleeping this early.
"Mom?" he called out. No response. Late night out, huh?
Rays of light fell through the partially open blinds of the windows. As he laid down with his head to the side, out of the corner of his vision something glistened in the darkness. He turned to the source, and there it was: shining under the table was the Monch bar from earlier.
Button went to check the bowls that they used for candy in the evening. It was empty. He dumped the contents of his bag into it, only to find that there was not a single Monch bar.
Somehow, his bag, filled to the brim with an assortment of candies from licorice to malt balls, did not have his most desired snack. Nopony in the houses he visited had bothered to buy any packs with Monch bars in them. Maybe they were going out of style. Maybe nopony had a taste for them anymore. It was by luck that his mom happened to be the only pony he knew to buy it.
Returning to the table, he reached under to grab the candy, unwrapped it, and took a bite.
He relished in the crunch of the wafer, covered by the sweetest, richest chocolate.
The faint image of a low-lit room filled with rows of machines with flashing lights and glowing screens appeared in his head. Then, it became so much clearer. He could hear the sounds of pre-recorded cheers, explosions, and the clinking of coins being thrown around. His nose twitched as imaginary smells of popcorn, funnel cake, and other treats including the one he was currently eating wafted through. Finally, he remembered the feeling of warmth both from the heater in the insulated room, and the white unicorn by his side.
With more than just books on his mind, Button had trouble falling asleep that night.
