Login

The SweetieMash Chronicles

by Justice3442

Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The not so Calm Before the Storm

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

The SweetieMash Chronicles

Chapter 10: The not so Calm Before the Storm


MoOOOoooOOM!” Button Mash whined as he attempted to swat a scrub brush away from his sopping wet mane, the act causing soapy droplets of water to go everywhere. “You already got there.”

Love Tap flashed her son a mildly frustrated look. “Well Button, if you’d just stop struggling, I wouldn’t have to keep going over places I already washed.”

“But I want to play with my friends!” Button cried.

“Well, then you better sit still and let mommy finish cleaning you!”

Button huffed out a sigh and sat in on his haunches in the bubbly bathwater. The two ponies were in the family’s bathroom. Button Mash sat in a white tub with bathwater up to his chest as his mother attempted to scrub the young colt clean with a long-handled, light blue brush. The rest of the room looked like much the rest of the house; beige painted walls with paintings of serene looking landscapes here or there and cyan drapes alongside the windows.

Love Tap continued struggling with her son to get the layer of caked dirt off of him. She had already rinsed herself off and gotten the girls clean; something she had gotten in the habit of doing if any of them showed up from one of their many ill-conceived attempts at crusading. Why can’t Button be a little more like the girls here… Well... Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, at least. Scootaloo never makes this easy, either… I hope their guardians all appreciate it. Love Tap allowed herself a small smile. Well, I’m sure Rarity does. I mean, there’s no way she’d be happy about seeing her sister caked with dirt or with twigs and leaves stuck in her tail and mane.

Button continued to squirm and fidgeted about as Love Tap doggedly ran the scrub brush over her son’s mane in an attempt to get all the dirt out.

“Mom! You got soap in my eyes!” Button cried as he raised his forehooves and began rubbing them against his eyes.

“That’s what happens when you don’t hold still!”

“I need something to clean it out!” Button whined.

“Just close your eyes until they start watering!” Love Tap replied. “That’ll clean it out!”

“But it stiiiings!” Button moaned.

Love Tap sighed. “I’ll wet a washcloth!”

“No, mom! I want a dry cloth!”

“Sweetie, I tell you this every time! The water will help wash out the soap!”

“But then I’ll get water in my eye!” Button whined.

“Button?” Sweetie Belle’s voice cried from outside the open bathroom door. “What’s taking so long?”

Love Tap glanced up from her washing and looked towards Sweetie Belle. “Sorry, Sweetie Belle,” she called out. She turned back to her son. “Button’s being fussy!”

“Am not!” Button protested.

Love Tap raised an eyebrow and glanced at her son. “‘Fussy’ is the perfect word to describe what you’re being!”

Sweetie Belle trotted into the bathroom, focusing a quizzical look on Button Mash.

“Uh… hi, Sweetie Belle…” Button said as a slight pink tint began to enter his cheeks.

“Button!” Sweetie Belle said in a slightly chastising tone. “Stop playing up for your mom!”

But…!”

“Do you need me to clean you?!” Sweetie Belle said. “You never put up a fight when I’m doing it...”

Button’s pink tint immediately turned red as he lowered himself into the bathwater.

“Wait…” Love Tap said. “YOU’VE washed Button before?”

“Uhhh…” Sweetie Belle’s ears flopped down around her head as her own cheeks turned a luminescent shade of red. “Well… I mean… he gets dirty sometimes when he’s uh… playing… with us…” Sweetie Belle said nervously.

Love Tap’s expression went blank. “… I take it that’s code for helping you girls on some of your cutie mark attempts.”

Sweetie Belle swallowed, “Uh… yeah…” she admitted sheepishly. She studied Love Top’s face carefully. Love Tap was a pony of many expressions, but Sweetie Belle found her poker face impossible to read.

“Uh mom, it’s okay!” Button Mash declared, eager to come to Sweetie Belle’s defense. “I mean, they were relatively safe.”

Love Tap cocked an eyebrow at her son. “And by ‘relatively’ you mean…”

“Remember that time Gibson and I played ‘superheroes’ on the roof?” Button asked.

Love Tap winced. “That’s setting the bar pretty low.”

“Oh well…” Button raised a forehoof out of the bath water and tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Remember the time Gibson tied me up with a video game controller and left me in the closet until dinner time?”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes went wide. “Wait, what?!” she shrieked out.

Love Tap glanced at Sweetie Belle, then turned back to Button. “Yes, mommy was very upset and Gibson wasn’t allowed to play video games or his guitar for a couple weeks. But that’s not really an example of something unsafe…”

“I know mom, I just meant that Sweetie Belle and her friends are a lot nicer to me.”

Love Tap paused and gave her son a confused look before a she started a small giggling fit that quickly grew into a full case of laughter. “HeheheheHAHAHAHahaha…”

Button peered over at Sweetie Belle and winked at her, the young filly smiled back.

“Hahahah… Alright sweetie, mommy gets it.” Love Tap turned to Sweetie Belle. “Do you want to make sure this colt gets clean before he has his dinner?” she asked with a grin.

Sweetie Belle felt her face go warm once more at the question. “Well, uh… I mean… I can… if that’s okay with you…”

Love Tap smiled warmly at Sweetie Belle. And here I thought Rarity was cleaning Button up all those times. “Of course dearie!” She shot her son a quick unamused look. “If Button isn’t going to behave for his mother, maybe he’ll be good for somepony else…”

Button giggled nervously and nodded.

Love Tap put the scrub brush in her mouth and trotted over to Sweetie Belle. She tilted her head slightly, offering the brush to Sweetie Belle who took it with the soft green glow of her magic.

Love Tap looked back at her son. “Now you be a good boy for Sweetie Belle. Mommy needs to start on dinner.”

“Sure, mom,” Button Mash said.

The two foals followed Love Tap wit their eyes as she walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway.

Sweetie Belle turned to Button and began trotting up to him with a smile. “So, your mane’s still dirty right?”

“Uh… yeah…” Button said embarrassedly.

Sweetie Belle frowned. “What’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle puffed out her lower lip in a frown. “I said I was sorry about vaporizing the cart…”

“I know, Sweetie Belle,” Button replied.

“Like… a hundred times already.”

“I know, Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie Belle turned away from Button Mash as she continued to talk, “I was just trying to defend you… uh… although I guess you didn’t really need it that time…”

“Uh… yeah, I know Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie Belle motioned out with her forehooves. “… I mean, I just get so angry when I see you being teased and I just sort of stop thinking and fly off the handle…”

“Uh… Sweetie Belle?” Button asked tentatively as he raised an eyebrow.

“… and then suddenly it’s just so easy to blast everything around me with my magic! But, I really didn’t mean, to…” Sweetie Belle’s eyes opened wide as she turned back to Button Mash. “Please forgive me,” Sweetie Belle said in a somewhat-pleading tone of voice.

“Uh… you’re forgiven…” Button replied. “I mean… you kinda already told me this and I kinda already forgave you like five times already, but you’re forgiven again.” Button said with a smile.

“Oh…” Sweetie Belle uttered as her cheeks began to turn a milky pinkish color. “Right…”

“Anyhow, that’s not the problem,” Button said.

“Well, what is the problem?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Uh… I mean…” Button sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with a forehoof. “I guess it feels a little different since we’re alone…”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened slightly as she considered this. She swallowed. “Oh… uh… right…” Don’t worry Sweetie Belle, you’ve done this a few times… I mean… We’ve all ended up pretty dirty after a few of our crusading attempts… or if a game just got a little messier than expected. Sweetie Belle glanced up at Button and briefly looked into his big, amber eyes with her bright emerald ones before looking away. But that was always at Sweet Apple Acres with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo… We’ve never been alone together like this…

Sweetie Belle nervously forced a smile onto her face. “Don’t worry it’s no big deal,” she offered.

“If you say so…” Button replied.

Sweetie Belle trotted up to the bath and began scrubbing Button’s mane. “You worry too much.”

“Heh… sorry…” Button said in a meek, embarrassed tone. He held still as Sweetie Belle pressed the brush against his mane and started scrubbing, stoically enduring the rough scrubbing without moving.

“Geez, there’s a lot of dirt in your hair,” Sweetie Belle commented.

Button frowned. “Well… I mean… that’s not really my fault…”

Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes slightly. “I said I was sorry! Like… a bunch of times already!”

“I know, it’s just…”

“Just, ‘what’?!” Sweetie Belle demanded squeakily.

“Well, I wouldn’t even need to be cleaned if it wasn’t for your magic explosion,” Button pointed out.

“I was trying to defend you!” Sweetie Belle declared as her voice began to raise in volume as well as pitch. “I wasn’t thinking straight!” she squeaked out.

“I know that, Sweetie Belle,” Button replied. “I’m just saying that’s what got me dirty, that’s all…”

Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes at the young colt. She levitated the brush over to her forehooves and stood up on her hind legs against the edge of the bathtub. “Well, then I guess I better clean this all up then,” Sweetie Belle huffed out as she began roughly scrubbing Button’s mane.

“Sweetie Belle! OW!” Button cried. “Not so rough! OW! OWIE! AHHH! SLOW DOWN! THE BRISTLES! THEY’RE SCRAPING MY SCALP! AHHH! AAAHHHHHHH!


Love Tap trotted down the stairs towards the kitchen, slightly anxious that she had left a pair of the foals unsupervised. Button Mash and Sweetie Belle aren’t too likely to cause much of a mess… well… maybe a soaking-wet bathroom, but I can deal with it. The other two, on the other hand…

CRASSSHHIINK!

A pained look came upon Love Tap's face as her ears flopped down around her head and her lips curled up into a grimace that exposed her teeth. This quickly transitioned into an unamused, but understanding expression as she trotted the rest of the way to the kitchen.

“Ah told you it was too high up!” Apple Bloom called out.

“Well… I had to try…” Scootaloo said sheepishly as she stood on her hind legs on top of the kitchen counter. Her forearms were elbow-deep in a cupboard full of plates.

“Ah mean,” Apple Bloom continued, “what were ya gonna do when ya grabbed one of those in your mouth?”

“I get it, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo huffed out.

“Aside from drop it on the floor, that is?” Apple Bloom said as she glanced at the white shards of what was once a plate that laid scattered on the blue-colored floor.

“I said, I get it!”

“Girls! What are you two doing?!” Love Tap called out as she walked into the kitchen.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo flinched like two foals just caught doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing… which was exactly what they were.

Scootaloo’s back hoof slipped and she frantically grabbed for something to hold onto. Unfortunately for her, the stack of plates she latched onto proved to not offer much in the way of support and Scootaloo still found herself slipping backwards.

“Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom cried out in alarm.

Love Tap rushed over to the kitchen counter as Scootaloo lost her footing. The young filly fell backwards, taking the stack of plates with her. Love Tap was there practically an instant, snatching Scootaloo out of the air with her arms before the plates cascaded towards the ground.

Krrraassssshhhhiiiink!

Plates hit the ground and shattered on impact, covering the floor in shards of jagged white pieces.

Love Tap gently sat Scootaloo on the ground.

“Uh… thanks… Button’s mom… ma'am…” Scootaloo said in a weak, worried tone.

Love Tap said nothing and gave Scootaloo a stern look.

Scootaloo gulped and edged back slight. Geez, she’s scary when she’s angry. “I’m sorry…” Scootaloo said. “I didn’t mean to!”

“What where you doing up there anyway!?” Love Tap demanded.

“I was just trying to get some plates down for dinner…” Scootaloo admitted meekly. “And then… I guess… everything was too high up… I’m… I’m really sorry…” Scootaloo said.

Love Tap’s expression softened slightly at Scootaloo’s apology.

“Sorry, ma'am,” Apple Bloom interjected. “We were just trying to help.”

Love Tap looked at Apple Bloom, then Scootaloo, then the counter, and finally back to Apple Bloom. “I’m guessing Scootaloo didn’t get up there all by herself?”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “No, ma'am…”

Love Tap shook her head and smiled. “Alright, girls. I guess I can’t get too mad at you for trying to help.”

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom breathed a sigh of relief.

“Just ask before trying to help next time, alright?” Love Tap said.

The two fillies nodded. “Yes, ma'am!” they said in unison.

Love Tap smiled warmly at the two. “Now, there’s a broom and a dust pan in the closet just down the hall, why don’t you two help clean this up then you can help me cook.”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded and bolted out of the kitchen.

“I can’t believe she’s not going to punish us, or anything,” Scootaloo said. “Man, Button’s mom is nice… scary, but nice…”

“She probably thinks we’re in enough trouble as it is,” Apple Bloom pointed out.

Scootaloo winced. “Uh… yeah… good point. Uh… thanks for sharing the blame with me back there.”

“No problem,” Apple Bloom said. “Crusaders help one another…”

Scootaloo smiled and nodded.

The two fillies reached the closet and sat down in front of it.

“Anyway,” Apple Bloom said, “it seemed like a good idea at first.”

Scootaloo chuckled. “Hehe… yeah…”

“Ah mean, before you actually got onto the counter…” Apple Bloom replied. “Then it seemed like a bad idea.”

“I get it, Apple Bloom.”

“Well, you didn’t while you were actually up there…”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Let’s just get the stupid broom…”

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

The two fillies flinched as their eyes went wide. They slowly turned towards the front door of the home.

Apple Bloom was the first to speak up, “Or we can run and hide somewhere…”

Scootaloo nodded nervously. “I, too, was going to suggest we hide...”

From down the hall, Love Tap poked her head out of the kitchen. “Uh, girls? Why don’t you go upstairs while I see what this is all about?”

Scootaloo flashed Love Tap a skeptical look. “Uh, I think we all know what this is about.

“Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom said in a chastising tone. “Let’s just head up and let Button’s mom answer the door.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Scootaloo replied as she began to gallop away towards the stairs.

Apple Bloom looked at Love Tap with a worried look on her face. “Uh… good luck, ah guess…”

Love Tap smiled at Apple Bloom. “Thank you, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“If ya say so…” Apple Bloom said in an unsure tone as she trotted towards the stairs.

The girls gone, Love Tap let her happy smile slip into the dark black depths of dread and worry as she swallowed. She had kept herself and everyone in the house busy to keep their minds off what was sure to come. Okay, in hindsight… helping minors blow a hole in the school was probably not a great idea… But I couldn’t just let one of Button’s good friends suffer like that after helping him… Especially not Sweetie Belle. Well… at least I got my point across in a fairly clear, if loud and somewhat dangerous manner…

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

Love Tap flinched at the sounds of more forceful knocking at the door. I hope Cheerilee is really as soft-hoofed as I think she is otherwise, this could be bad for everypony…

Love Tap trotted over to the door, and reached for the knob.


Sweeeeetieeee Beeelleeee!” Button moaned as the white unicorn continued to practically assault his mane. “You’re hurting me!”

“Well if you’d just hold still, this would be over already!”

“Ow! OWIE! AHHHH! OW!” Button cried under the unrelenting scrub brush assault.

Sweetie Belle finally dropped the brush to the floor below. “THERE, you big baby. You’re all clean!” she huffed out.

Button stared at Sweetie Belle with large, hurt, almost betrayed-looking eyes that began to fill with tears as he tried to choke back sobs. “Hehhh… Hwouaa…

Sweetie Belle’s lower lip began to quiver as she looked back at the young colt. What have I done? “Shhhh…” she said softly. “It’s alright, Button Mash… please don’t cry,” she said as her ears flopped down around her head. “I’m sorry I got mad at you… it’s not your fault.”

Button Mash attempted to put a lid on his soft sobbing before it turned into loud wailing. “Snnnnifff… really?” he asked hopefully.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah… I’m just a little… scared about what’s going to happen to everypony.”

Button Mash paused and took a couple soft, calming breaths. “Yeah… me, too…” he admitted. He gave a small, wry grin. “At least we’re all in way more trouble than you…”

Sweetie Belle giggled, “Hehehe… yeah…” She looked at Button with soft, happy smile and extended her arms, leaning forward to grab Button and pull him into a tight, wet embrace at the edge of the tub.

Button’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected affection, but he quickly recovered and wrapped his soaking wet arms around Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle turned her head and placed her muzzle inches away from Button’s ear. “Thanks for coming to save me,” she whispered as she tightened her grip around the young colt.

Button Mash’s cheeks began to glow with a pinkish hue as he also tightened his grip. “Uh, no problem, Sweetie Belle…”

“Hey, Button Mash?” Sweetie Belle said as she loosened her grip and leaned back so she look at Button

“Uh… yeah, Sweetie Belle?” Button said nervously.

“There’s something I want to tell you…”

“Sa… sure Sweetie Belle…” Button said nervously.

Sweetie Belle’s face began to redden as she locked her light emerald eyes with the young colt’s amber ones. Ahh… crud… am I really going to do this? I mean… I haven’t thought about what I’m supposed to say or anything… What if it comes out all wrong, or sounds really stupid… And he’s just looking back at me with those, big pretty eyes… gosh he’s so…THAT’S IT!

Sweetie Belle smiled. “I think you’re really cute.”

The redness in Button’s cheeks increased as he allowed the hints of a grin unto his face. “Ra… really…?”

Sweetie Belle nodded, her own cheeks having turned a luminescent shade of red. “Yeah…”

“There’s something I want to tell you, too,” Button said.

“Uh…uh-huh?” Sweetie Belle said nervously.

Button nodded. “Well, we’ve been spending a lot of time together… and I… uh… I sort of realized…”

Sweetie Belle gulped. Uh oh… which direction is he going to go with this?! Please say good. PLEASE SAY GOOD!

“… I realized that I really li… erm… that I really like…”

Sweetie Belle began to grin. “Yeaaaah…?” she said hopefully.

“That I…”

GUYS! GUYS! THE SHINY FUZZ IS HERE! YOU HAVE TO HIDE!

WHAAAA!” Button cried as he fell backwards into the tub, grabbing Sweetie Belle for support.

AIEEEEEE!” Sweetie Belle shrieked as she jumped slightly from the interruption and was pulled forward.

SPLASH!

“Ooooh!” Scootaloo uttered from the doorway. “Good thinking! They’ll never look for you two there!”

Sweetie Belle emerged from the water and glared out over the edge of the tub at Scootaloo. “Scootaloo, what the hay?!”

“You kiss your sister with that filthy mouth?” Scootaloo replied.

“Ghaa! Help! I’m drowning!” Button cried as he flailed about in the couple-feet deep-bathwater.

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and with a green glow of her horn, Button was upright once more. “You’re lucky you’re cute…” she muttered under her breath.

“Phew… thanks Sweetie Belle,” Button said. He paused. “What’s a ‘shiny fuzz’?”

“She means the Royal Guard,” Sweetie Belle explained.

“WHAT?!” Button cried. “OH NO!” he cried as he immediately dove under the water.

Sweetie Belle looked back at Scootaloo with a panicky expression. “Wait… the Royal Guard actually showed up?! I knew we’d get in trouble, but not THAT much…”

“Or it’s just Cheerilee…” Scootaloo said with a shrug. “I didn’t really stick around to look.”

SCOOTALOO!” Sweetie Belle cried as she reached her forearm into the bathwater and lifted Button back out.

The young colt spit out a stream of water and began to hack and cough.

“Either way,” Scootaloo continued, “I really don’t want to be the first one they find… can I hide in there with you?”

Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes. “NO!” she squeaked out as a green glow enveloped the bathroom door as it slammed shut.

‘SLAM!’

‘CLICK!’

Scootaloo puffed out her lower lip has her eyes went wide with fright. She stood up on her hind legs and tried the knob, it held in place despite her frantic attempts to turn it. “Sweetie Belle! LET ME IN!”

“GET YOUR OWN HIDING PLACE!” Sweetie Belle yelled through the door.

Apple Bloom trotted up the stairs. “Scootaloo, what are ya doin’?”

“Sweetie Belle and Button Mash are hiding in the bathroom!” Scootaloo said. “I wanted to hide with them, too!”

“Hide in the bathroom?” Apple Bloom said. “Look, I know we’re all in a mess o’ trouble, but that don’t mean—”

WHAT THE BUCKIN’ HAY?!” The pair heard Cheerilee’s angry roar from below.

Panic gripped Apple Bloom’s face like an angry wolverine defending its territory as she glanced back down the stairs. “—We should ABSOLUTELY hide in the strangest, most out-of-the-way place we can find!” she declared.

Scootaloo nodded. “Come on! There’s a toy chest in Button Mash’s room!”

“Good idea!” Apple Bloom said as the pair galloped down the hall.


‘SLAM!’

‘CLICK!’

Sweetie Belle sighed to herself as she slammed the door and locked it.

“Sweetie Belle! LET ME IN!” Scootaloo cried through the door

“GET YOUR OWN HIDING PLACE!” Sweetie Belle yelled back.

“Sweet… Sweetie Belle?” Button stammered out. “Do yo… do you think my mom will be okay?”

Sweetie Belle turned to Button and smiled warmly as water dripped off her soaked mane. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. Your mom is the toughest mare I know, I mean… I don’t know of anypony scarier than—”

WHAT THE BUCKIN’ HAY?!” The pair heard Cheerilee’s angry roar from below.

The pairs pupils shrank to pinpricks at the sound of their teacher angrily shouting from down below. They turned and stared into each other’s equally terrified-looking eyes.

“Sweetie Belle?” Button said. “I’m scared… hold me?” the young colt asked.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Only…” Sweetie Belle gulped, “Only if you hold me back!”

“Deal!” Button cried.

The two foals quickly wrapped their arms around each other and held each other close in the small pool of warm water. Terrified of the fate that awaited them, but finding comfort in each other’s trembling arms.

Next Chapter: Chapter 11: Storm Cheerilee Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 8 Minutes
Return to Story Description

Login

Facebook
Login with
Facebook:
FiMFetch