//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: HBK // Story: Martin's Unreal Life // by CrypticMetaphor //------------------------------// When Martin awoke the next morning he was greeted by the smiling face of Rarity who was holding a tray of breakfast food. Martin raised a skeptical eyebrow but took the food with a smile and a thank you. Rarity smiled as she turned around and slowly walked out of the room, Martin could have sworn she was purposely swaying her hips before she shut the door behind her. Rarity turned and looked at Applejack and Rainbow Dash who were both lingering nearby with a satisfied smirk and walked down stairs. Rainbow Dash huffed in frustration, “Breakfast in bed, now she’s just not playing fair!” Applejack nodded, “I gotta give it tah Rarity she knows the game.” Rainbow Dash smiled, “Well if she wants to play hard I can play harder!” The rainbow haired girl then walked downstairs with a confident stride leaving Applejack to ponder her approach. Soon Martin walked out of his room with the now empty tray and a calm look on his face. He then turned his head and bid Applejack a good morning which she returned as he headed to the living room for some Saturday morning TV. Fluttershy was already on the couch watching The Time Travelers wife with Twilight and Pinkie Pie who were currently munching on popcorn when Martin entered. Fluttershy looked at Martin, “Oh I’m sorry, did you want to watch the TV?” Martin shrugged with a smile, “Nah it’s okay, first come first serve I always say.” Pinkie chuckled at the rhyme Martin did and went back to the movie except for Twilight who looked around and took Martin aside, “I need to tell you something.” Martin looked at Twilight slightly confused, “Whats up?” Twilight sighed, “Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack are…”, she stopped when she noticed the girls in question giving her warning looks, “…are the BEST at what they do hehehe.” Martin smiled a bit confused and then nodded, “Yeah…I guess they are.” He then walked off toward the hall closet to grab something as the three contesting girls turned away from the frustrated Twilight who reluctantly sat back down. She wanted to tell Martin exactly what the three girls were planning but deep down she had conflicting feelings of seeing the end result and what could happen if she betrayed her friends trust to be quiet. So she had decided to take the middle ground and keep her mouth shut and at the same time watch the end result but she would not enjoy it in the least. * Within the white atrium sized domed marble home known as The Sanctuary, Sortitus tensed up slightly as he was in the middle of weaving what could only be described as pieces of cloth made of light together and repositioning them. Aequivalere was sitting at the large circular marble table examining the table top which was composed of nothing but darkness and stars and sitting across from him was a man with ash colored hair that was smooth and medium in length. He also had snow white irises, pale skin and his cloak seemed to have the consistency of oil and the appearance/colour of darkness. This individual had a very depressed look on his face as he did the same thing that Aequivalere was doing until The Spirit of Balance looked to Sortitus. Aequivalere stared at Sortitus with concern, “Is there something wrong brother?” Sortitus scratched his head with confusion, “I’m not sure, I’ve just been having this odd itching feeling in the back of my psyche” Phobos was still staring at the table when he spoke in a calm voice, “Perhaps it’s a disturbance we overlooked” Aequivalere fixed a look upon his restored brother, “Phobos you have seemed troubled ever since we restored you what is wrong?” Phobos didn’t respond but continued to stare at the tabletop as Sortitus rubbed his chin in puzzlement, “Phobos raises a good point though, I did say my vision foretold of Discord’s return yet I have not sensed his presence anywhere.” Aequivalere thought for a second, “Maybe it is not time for your vision to come to pass” Sortitus waved his hand causing the various cloth like pieces to vanish as he walked toward his brothers, “Be that as it may I would feel more reassured if we went to Equestria to check” Aequivalere sighed, “very well, if we must” Sortitus turned to Phobos, “Brother, come with us please you can’t stay in The Sanctuary forever. What you did was not your fault-“ Phobos sadly cut him off, “It was because I could not stop myself” Sortitus put a reassuring hand on his brothers left shoulder, “They will forgive you if you are truly sorry” Phobos reluctantly stood but put his hood up and the darkness it cast over his face seemed to swallow his face from view as Sortitus fired up his teleporting spell with a smile, “Trust me, everything will be as it was when we first saw Equestria blossom” When all three aspects arrived they all stared at the scene before them with gawking mouths and shocked expressions. Phobos sighed, “it seems the game is afoot.” * On Earth in Lupe’s apartment she was pacing in front of a bored Discord muttering to herself. The reason for this arose when she had been walking home a few hours earlier and had seen the one known as Rainbow Dash hanging off of Martin’s arm with a dreamy look in her eye. She had started panicking at being noticed and had decided to run home and think on the matter and she couldn’t come up with a rational conclusion. Discord sighed, “If you’re in such a tizzy over this go and get him” Lupe stopped pacing, “Why should I, he already knows my feelings…I think” Discord rolled his eyes, “your hopeless you know that” Lupe sat next to him, “Then what do you propose I do” Discord thought for a second, “Go ask him on an actual date” Lupe looked at him, “you think that he would go for it?” Discord nodded, “positive“ Lupe didn’t know why she did what she did, maybe it was the fact she saw another girl hanging off of Martin’s arm or maybe she really REALLY wanted to tell him how she felt, Lupe looked at Discord, “You know what I WILL ask him RIGHT NOW!” Discord smiled, “At a girl go get him” Lupe picked up the phone and dialed Martin’s number, a few minutes later she ran out with a victorious smile, “HE SAID YES!” Discord nodded as he leaned back and examined his finger nails, “Told you he would” Lupe’s excitement vanished the second it came replaced with stress, “What do I do?! I don’t have anything to wear!” Discord looked at her, “Remember that little gift I gave you?” Lupe thought for a second and her clothes transformed into a black cocktail dress much to her shock, “I didn’t mean to do that!” Discord looked at her, “The only limit to your ability is your mind but it felt good didn’t it?” Lupe did a twirl, “Actually…it kind of did” Discord gave an evil grin which vanished when she turned back to him, “so I can have anything?” Discord nodded as Lupe squeed and ran into her room, leaving a laughing Discord to do a victory shuffle for the fact that he was starting to sink his teeth into Lupe. It was only a matter of time now; he just had to wait for an opportunity. * As the days progressed, Martin’s suspicion concerning three certain girls began to grow as they got more…needy and slightly clingy. After his first date with Lupe however all these things seemed to vanish, her attitude had changed to a more impulsive slash braver personality. She even once pulled up in a silver corvette to take him to one of their dinner dates which surprised the hell out of him more than the fact she seemed to show up with a more expensive looking wardrobe. The kiss they had shared in the movie had caused Martin to become closer to her and he even started to feel something more. However all of these things would matter squat thanks to a fateful event that would change everything for the auburn haired male. It all started the morning of Valentine’s Day when Sortitus showed up at his home looking a bit tired and distraught. Martin raised his hand, “Slow down dude, ENUSIHATE.” Alan was standing nearby with the girls when Sortitus spoke more clearly, “Discord…has left Equestria.” Every person present except for Sortitus took on shocked expressions which he noticed, “I know…I reacted the same way to” Martin ushered the tired Aspect inside as he sat down on the couch, “the worst part is he left Equestria in shambles before leaving I had to fix it with help of course” Rarity sat next to him, “You look like a wreck darling, as another friend of Martins I insist you take a little down time” Pinkie nodded, “Yeah! Have some fun and take a load off!” Sortitus looked at her, “What is this fun you speak of?” Martin gave him a look, “You know relaxing, taking a siesta, a vacation” Sortitus shook his head, “Out of the question, if I slip for a moment catastrophe could befall all of existence”, he then stood up, “thank you for the offer though.” Sortitus then walked briskly past him and down the street until he vanished from sight. Martin nodded as he walked into the kitchen to fix himself a snack. * It was late afternoon and Lupe was happy as hell as she fixed a gold necklace around her neck and grabbed her key as she looked at Discord, “I’m going to do it.” Discord looked away from Shutter Island for a second, “Huh?” Lupe jumped with glee, “I’m going to ask him if he wants to go steady.” Discord made a phone appear, “The fifties called and they want there saying back.” Lupe shook her head, “Whatever.”, she then grabbed a rose and turned it into a bouquet of roses and set out the door. Discord turned to the TV and flipped it to look at the now chaos free Equestria and the princesses scrambling to figure out where Twilight and the elements were. He then flicked it to a channel revealing the six in Martin’s house, “Game on” * Martin was sitting on the roof of his house looking at the city in silence; Alan had taken Twilight, Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie to see a baseball game leaving him and AJ home alone. At the thought of Applejack she appeared with glasses of juice and a smile. Martin sat in silence as they both watched the horizon until Martin asked Applejack something, “Why have you, Dash and Rarity been super clingy with me as of late?” Applejack sputtered slightly as she put her glass down, “uh…we were jus repayin yer hospitality is all” Martin raised an eyebrow as he noticed her face take on a very unconvincing look, “You know you’re a horrible liar right?” Applejack huffed, “Horseapples ah know”, and she looked at Martin, “Suppose there is no use hidin it now.” Martin looked at her, “Hiding what?” Applejack then spilled the beans on the wager and why it was made. After she finished, Martin stared at her for a second and then laughed. Applejack just stared, “What’s so funny?” Martin smiled, “If you felt that way you girls could have just said something you know” Applejack blushed in embarrassment at her folly, “Ah suppose we did make ourselves look like complete weirdoes huh?” Martin waved it off, “Nah, you were just acting out” Applejack smiled at her human friend and noticed something she hadn’t really noticed before. Looking at him in Equestria always made her feel safe and have a sense of another person to talk to as an equal but now that she was sort of on the same level as him, she felt much different. The warmth she felt being around him was softer yet fierce and her heart seemed to beat faster then normal. Applejack took her hat off and laid it next herself, “Back when Phobos got me, the girls told me ya jumped straight at him like a wild Dragon looking for blood” Martin nodded, “Of course I did, he hurt you and he had to pay” Applejack looked at him with a touched expression, “Ya did that fer me?” Martin nodded once more, “well I’d do it for any of you”, Applejack looked at his now nervous eyes, “But when he attacked you I just lost it since he attacked someone I lo…” The word caught in his throat when Applejack placed her hand on his, “Ya want the truth?” Martin nodded hoping to distance himself from the potential slip up as AJ continued, “Ever since ah met you ah felt safer than ever before, you helped out on the farm and bonded with the family. You were kind and helpful to everypony in Ponyville along with mah friends” As she spoke she was inching closer and Martin subconsciously was too as she continued, “But bein here with you has…caused me to feel something new toward you” Martin and she were nose to nose with half closed eyes as Martin asked, “What’s that?” Applejack answered softly, “Love”, she then pressed her lips softly to his with passion as he returned the gesture. Truthfully Martin had been feeling the same way toward Applejack during his stay in Equestria and when she said being here had turned her emotions into love he had trouble figuring out what he felt but the kiss had finally given him the answer he was looking for, she loved him and he loved her. However, down on the street stood Lupe staring at the couple in absolute shock. She had walked all the way to his house with the roses in hand and was now completely still. After a few seconds her grip on the flowers gradually tightened as her face slowly contorted from a shocked and saddened one into one of betrayal and fury. The flowers then caught fire in her hand as she turned around on her heel in anger and threw them down as she ran down the street.