Present Date
Martin was sitting on the couch with Alan and RD as all three of them watched Highlander on DvD. Rainbow found the whole prospect of the lore within the movie VERY interesting in terms of immortality.
Rainbow Dash stared at the screen as she said, “An accident.”
Martin looked at her, “huh?”
Rainbow turned to Martin, “What if an immortal’s head got chopped off in an accident or something. Would it still count?”
Alan shook his head, “Don’t think so.”
Martin thought on it, “The quickening might go to the nearest immortal at the time. In this game there are no do overs.”
Rainbow thought for a second, “what if none are around?”
Alan squeezed her in a hug causing then rainbow haired girl to squeak in surprise, “You’re over thinking it.”
Twilight walked into the room, “Over thinking what?”
Martin sighed as she sat down to join them. Alan on the other hand thought of something exciting.
Alan looked at Twilight, “Say Twilight.”
Twilight glanced at Alan and cringed as she saw Connor Macleod decapitate the Kurgan, “Yeah?”
Alan smiled deviously, “You girls ever play RISK?”
Twilight looked confused for a moment but shook her head, “Can’t say I have.”
Alan looked over at Martin, “You up for it?”
Martin rubbed his chin, “Sure.”
*
Nightfall came fast as the two humans sat at the kitchen table with a few humanized ponies namely, the princesses, Lyra, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Rarity. Rainbow Dash had been knocked out of the game fairly quickly due to impatience.
Princess Celestia was currently debating with her sister what collective move they should make since they formed an alliance and practically controlled various places in such a fashion that it put a strangle hold on the other players. Twilight was both frantic with coming up with a strategy and looked on in awe at her mentor.
Luna whispered to her sister, “But if you attack Martin’s army in China you’ll box Rarity in and be able to knock her out of the game.”
Celestia nodded, “True, but that leaves me exposed to an attack from Twilight.”
Alan was drumming his fingers, “No offence but not ALL of us are ageless.”
Celestia nodded, “Very well then. Martin I attack you in China.”
Before the roll could be made, the remaining ponies of the household entered from their night out.
Applebloom walked to the table and looked at the board, “Whatcha playin?”
Twilight’s hair was frazzled as she turned to Applebloom, “RISK.”
Fluttershy looked with equal curiousness, “how do you play?”
All players inhaled as Luna spoke first, “Risk is a game of global domination. Roll your dice and move your armies. Whoever gets the highest dice roll wins. The loser loses an army.”
Alan spoke faster, “Whoever gets the second dice roll wins and the loser loses and army."
Pinkie Pie raised a finger, “Draw a matched set of three Risk cards for additional armies.”
Martin nodded as he picked up his dice, “The winner is decided when all other opposition is wiped out and their army remains.”
Rarity sighed in anguish, “My blue army has been suffering massively.”
Applejack sat next to Rarity as and looked at Rainbow Dash who sat next to Alan. The rest of the ponies took up audience as the battle continued.
*
The eve of the climax was upon Martin and Princess Celestia. The battles had been long and fierce but they were the only combatants left.
Martin put his hands into the hand pyramid of evil contemplation as he looked at Celestia’s army’s which matched his to a t, “You know if you sign an unconditional surrender I MIGHT just let you walk away from this mlady.”
Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes, “I never surrender.”
Martin waved his hand, “So be it.”
Princess Celestia and Martin then began to roll their dice like mad until they were tied once more with one army on each side, “Martin you have been a worthy adversary but I’m afraid Europe is mine.”
Martin grinned, “We shall see.”
Celestia rolled her dice and smiled at the two fives and a one, “Beat that.”
Martin then rolled two sixes causing each pony to gasp as martin flicked the last enemy soldier off the board, “I win.”
Celestia was baffled, “But…my stratagem was flawless.”
Martin smiled, “I don’t strategize in this game, and I merely employed the Xanatos Gambit.”
Alan nodded, “Good call.”
Celestia was very confused until Martin explained that all of the losses to the other player and his victories contributed to his success.
Martin leaned back in his chair, “in conclusion, you destroyed yourself.”
Celestia smiled as she shook Martin’s hand, “You need to teach me this, Xanatos Gambit, one day.”
Martin nodded, “I might just do that.”
Scootaloo then called out from the kitchen, “Martin, you’re out of coke!”
Martin sighed as he stood, “Okay I’ll get some at the Safeway.”
Alan looked at the clock and it read 8:30pm, “Well you better hurry because it’s closing soon.”
*
Martin was walking through the lanes trying to find the frosty beverage but found none except the diet coke. Martin looked around for a staff member to help him out since he knew they might have some off the shelves in the back. He then saw a forty year old balding man wearing Safeway’s trademark uniform a few feet down from him.
Martin approached the staff with the name “Chuck”, “Hey, do you guys have any Coka Cola in the back room?”
“Chuck” turned to Martin with a smile, “Of course. Right this way.”
“Chuck” and Martin were soon in the back room of the store when “Chuck” told him to wait there. Martin nodded as “Chuck” left and began to look around. Martin had never been behind the employee only door before and had truthfully wondered how big it was.
Martin was about to continue on when he came to the realization of something he overlooked, the first thing was that he was the only one in the store aside from “Chuck” which was strange in itself and he thought nothing of it. But what set the alarm bell’s off in his head was the fact that if he remembered any protocol of management, it’s that under no circumstances are a non-employee to go into the area he was in now.
Martin whipped around to see three new employees with “Chuck”, “Where’s the pop?”
“Chuck” grinned ominously, “Were all out Martin Fairbridges.”
Martin backed up, “How do you know my name?”
“Chuck” and the other employees began to laugh as their clothes began to burn up in green fire and their skin rippled like water. Their hair vanished completely and was replaced by small thorn like horns, their teeth all sharpened into fangs as their eyes grew larger and turned completely blue and insect like. The fingers of their hands merged into three black talon like claws as their skin blackened and hardened into an exoskeleton like material. And the final changes took the form of the legs of each one becoming like those of dogs hind legs along with their feet turning into black talons. Green tattered looking dragon fly wings sprouted from their backs as the humanoid faces sneered at Martin.
Martin was looking around frantically, “Changelings, great.”
Chuck leered at Martin as his cohorts scaled the walls and roof to box in the human, “Our master’s wish for us to take you back.”
Martin’s hand closed on an emergency fir extinguisher, “Well I’m afraid that I’m going to have to take a rain check.”
Martin then sprayed each changeling with the white fog of the cylinder as her booked it past Chuck and onto the main floor. He stopped in the deli aisle and noticed all the employees that attacked him had been cocooned behind the counter.
Martin’s expression took on a grave one, “Well that’s just depressing.”
Martin then began to hear soft clacking noises and knew that the changelings had exited the employee room and were making their way to him.
Martin looked for the door and desperately ran to it only for Chuck to block him off, “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Away from you.”
Chuck was then hurled into the dairy aisle by a strong telekinetic push to reveal Lupe standing in front of Martin, “Hey.”
Martin was both surprised and relieved, “Lupe? How did you?”
Lupe grabbed Martin’s arm as she led him from Safeway, “I’ll explain on the way.”
Lupe’s car was parked out front when they both jumped inside, “Hold on to something!”
Martin grabbed the dashboard as the car rocketed out of the parking lot and down the street.
*
Chuck looked around as he used the cocoon fluid in conjunction with his own magical energies to conjure Queen Chrysalis’s face, “My Queen, I have failed.”
Chrysalis gritted her teeth in agitation, “Fool! Now he knows that you and your squad are on Earth. It seems that you can’t be trusted to take care of this simple task.”
Chuck was frightened, “What do you mean?”
Chrysalis stared into his eyes with authority fitting her rank, “I’m coming down there to clean up YOUR mess. Prepare for my arrival.”