Spiders and Magic: Rise of Spider-Mane

by Maximus_Reborn

Highs and Lows

Chapter Ten "Highs and Lows"

The Grand Galloping Gala, one of Equestria's most glamorous gatherings, was scheduled to start in just a few hours. Last year, the Gala ended in disaster thanks to a small group of mares, but considering they were close acquaintances of Princess Celestia, it was no wonder they were invited to come back. Within Rarity's home, these same mares were steadily preparing for the festivities with the exception of Rainbow Dash, who rested comfortably on the sofa. Everypony else sat underneath a manedryer, and Spike sat with a glass of juice in claw.

Applejack opened her emerald eyes and giggled softly. "So ya'll think the Gala's gonna be halfway as fun as it was last year?"

Pinkie Pie lifted her dryer from over her head, allowing her mane to poof back into its lively form. "I'll bet it'll be twice- no- three times as fun! Those ponies were so uptight. Maybe this time we can show them what a real party is like!"

"And last year wasn't a party?" Rainbow Dash said in mid-yawn. "I just hope the Wonderbolts are there again. I've learned some even cooler tricks since they last saw me."

"Like the one that landed you in the hospital?" Applejack replied, earning a glare from the Pegasus.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and sighed, mentally cringing at the breakdown she suffered at last year's Gala. Rarity reached over and placed her hoof on her friend's shoulder, knocking Fluttershy out of her depressing trance.

"There's nothing to fret over, Fluttershy. I'm sure the animals in the garden will be more open to you this time," she said reassuringly.

Taking her words to heart, Fluttershy's royal blue eyes brightened. "Gosh. I hope so, Rarity."

Applejack shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe that prince of yours will be there, too?"

What was once a smile morphed into a frown, and the beam in her eyes turned into a glare. "Surely you don't mean that pompous oaf, Blueblood?" Her tone, full of venom, prompted the unicorn to clear her throat along with the violent images from her mind. "I would rather not speak of him anymore."

Everypony found a way to laugh off the memories of last year's Gala, but Twilight, who had remained silent for the duration of the conversation, could not shake the sense of dread that had filled her so. Fidgeting in her seat, she brushed her hooves together at a frantic pace until her nervous behavior was noticed by the others.

"What are you so nervous about, dear? Are you that excited to see Princess Celestia?" Rarity asked.

Twilight bit her lip as she forced her hooves to stop moving. Deep down, she was indeed eager to see her teacher, but her mind and heart were astutely focused on one other pony. Even though several days had passed since she heard his confession, Twilight could not stop thinking about Peter. After hearing (and reading) about the sacrifices he made back at home, she could not bring herself to continue the magic lessons. It seemed unfair to stress Peter out in any shape or form.

Which brought up a dilemma. Twilight was supposed to keep Princess Celestia informed about everything regarding Peter, but she failed to mention what happened to the book. Not to mention the princess was expecting a full progress report tonight after the Gala as well as a magical demonstration from Peter. After the self-destructing performance from the other day, it was safe to assume Peter's capabilities were haphazard at best.

She was already a horrible friend, but by the end of the night, Twilight would be known as a horrendous mentor.

The fates were cruel for bestowing such a nasty destiny on the mare's head. Her mind had been so centered around Peter that the secret she kept almost became unbearable to keep to herself. Peter had opened up to Twilight considerably since the incident, and the fact that she kept something so personal from him ate away at her gut each day. Like a crack in the dam, it was only a matter of time before Twilight would crumble under the pressure.

"Twilight?"

Though Fluttershy's voice was soft with worry, Twilight frantically reacted and nearly jumped out of her seat, managing to knock her head against the inside of her manedryer three times. She pulled the dryer from over her head and placed her hooves over her throbbing temples.

"I'll ask once more," Rarity started, the tone in her voice much firmer than before, "what is wrong?"

Twilight waited for her mind to stop rattling before she mustered the nerve to speak finally. "I'm sorry, Rarity. I was just..." Her thoughts exhaled. 'Thinking about Peter? Yes. About how good of a pony he is? Certainly. About how I managed to betray his trust? Absolutely! And about how disappointed Princess Celestia will be when she finds out? Definitely!'

Once several beads of sweat formed along her forehead, Twilight ceased her inner monologue. An awkward silence filled the room, and though it only lasted a few seconds, it felt like minutes for Twilight. Rarity, still awaiting a response, tapped her shoulder and waved her hoof suggestively.

"Just what, dear?"

Twilight giggled sheepishly, a poor tactic to hide her embarrassment, and turned her head away. "I was just..." she stopped, attempting to give her brain time to form the words she needed, before a late realization came into mind, "...noticing that somepony is missing."

---

On the outskirts of Ponyville, Peter let out a vigorous sneeze that echoed across the reaches of Whitetail Wood. Paying it no mind, he continued his tour of the vast forest. Unlike the Everfree Forest, Whitetail Wood was vastly peaceful. Peter's eyes stared at the endless array of trees around him, their vibrant green leaves brightening his pathway. Applejack told him while Whitetail Wood was indeed beautiful, he had to come back later in the season to witness the Running of the Leaves.

Peter inhaled deeply, taking in the crisp scent of the forest. Twilight encouraged him to often explore the areas outside of the town, and considering Ponyville was now his home, it only seemed logical to follow her advice. It reminded Peter of his days back at home. New York was such a large city, and it was only because of his constant web-swinging that he learned where everything was located.

There would be no web-swinging today, but his trusty costume was kept safely in his backpack just in case. So far, besides Ponyville Peter had only visited Sweet Apple Acres and the Everfree Forest, the latter being by accident. Based off what his friends had said, there was still much of Equestria Peter still had to see. If it was as peaceful as Whitetail Wood was proving to be, he welcomed the chance to explore the world further.

A cheeky grin formed on his face.

'You know what, Parker? I think the old luck is finally starting to turn around for the better. Nothing has tried to kill me for a few days, and nothing horrendous has happened to my personal life. When has that happened? Almost never!'

Peter turned and started to make his way out of the forest.

'I just know I'll find a way to screw up at this old Gala thing. It sounds like something fancy since the princess is hosting it. I was never invited to Iron Man's parties back at home... or the Avengers. Heck, I was barely invited to anything in college- the short time I was there anyway. Maybe I can find some way to sneak out. That way Twilight won't kill me if I embarrass her in front of Celestia.'

Peter raised his brow as a smirk formed on his face.

'Wait. Why am I worried about not fitting in? The more I think about it, meandmy friends seem like we wouldn't fit in with the high crowd. Well, Rarity can fit with them just fine, and Twilight seems the type that will behave accordingly. Applejack's too laid-back to be fancy, and Rainbow's way too energetic. Fluttershy's... well... too shy to be in public. Pinkie Pie...'

Peter inadvertently snorted when laughter escaped from his mouth.

'Yeah, no. Pinkie Pie should make a scene way before I do.'His smile grew in width.'Now I have nothing to worry about.'Peter stopped and glanced up at the slowly setting sun.'I guess I better head over to Rarity's. Twilight reallywillkill me if I try to skip out of the Gala.'He nervously chuckled. 'Rarity, too, since she made my tux and everything. I just hope I make it back in-'

That same instance, something collided violently into Peter, knocking him over to the ground via multiple rolls. His head spun and vision blurred. He managed to spot a blue unicorn on the ground in front of him, her violet eyes spinning about underneath her star-patterned hat and cape. At first Peter presumed it was Rainbow Dash, but her mane lacked multiple colors, being a light shade of sky-blue instead.

His eyes finally rolled into the back of his head.

The unicorn made her way back to her hooves first. She groaned as she attempted to shake the cobwebs from her head. "That hurt an awful lot, you brick-wall-of-a-buffoon." Her head stopped spinning, allowing the mare to spot her bag next to Peter's head. "Ponies used to stand whenever Trixie was around, but nopony seems to notice me now."

Trixie slowly edged over to Peter, careful not to wake him from his dazed state, and used her magic to reclaim her small pouch. However, the contents inside fell out of the pouch, that being only two golden bits. A desolate sigh escaped from the mare before she threw the pouch overhead.

"You mean to tell me I nearly died for just two bits? A great magician should not be reduced to petty thievery..." she paused to slide her bits into a hidden pocket within her cape, "...just to survive."

Realizing she was wasting time, Trixie readied to make her exit and disappear into the shadows, but the second she took two steps, her eyes caught the sparkle of something in the unconscious colt's side pocket of his backpack. Her brow rose with curiosity. Trixie edged back over to Peter, much quieter this time, until she was close enough to see her object of interest. Though it was small, there was a pouch filled with at least ten bits in the colt's bag, causing a sparkle to light up within Trixie's eyes.

"Maybe this trip wasn't entirely pointless, after all," she smugly stated.

However, the second she wrapped her hooves over the entire backpack, Peter stammered back to life sending a shockwave of panic through Trixie's spirit. In the midst of her panic, she tried to run off with the backpack still in her grasp, but its straps were still wrapped around the owner's shoulders, causing Trixie to fall back right back into Peter's unwaiting hooves. The pair rolled across the ground in a jumbled heap, eventually skidding to a halt.

Trixie managed to finally slide the backpack from over the colt's head. Before she could make her escape, Peter recollected his senses and threw his hoof inside one of the free straps, inadvertently putting himself and the would-be thief into a tug-of-war. Peter planted his hooves firmly into the ground while Trixie pulled away at the backpack with all of her strength.

'Okay, Parker luck's back. Why didn't my spider sense go off earlier? And why did that tackle actually hurt? I've been shot through a wall by Shocker and felt less. My powers must be dipping again. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course they are. I can't even win a tug-of-war against a girl pony right now!'

"Look, you! Will you stop? I was having a pitch perfect day before you showed up and steamrolled me. Let my bag go before you do something you really regret!" Peter shot, trying his best to cut the mare a break. "Honestly though, you must be new to the thief thing. Dressed like that, I thought you were a star-clad Robin Hood... or in this caseRobbingHood." Peter rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry. Was that horrible? I'm under a lot of pressure. If you stop trying to steal from me, Ms. Thief, maybe I can tell a decent joke?"

Trixie's brow twitched. "Do you ever shut up?" Her brow twitched again at a realization. "And I amnothief! I am the greatest magician in Equestria!" She pulled the bag with more of her strength, managing to drag Peter along a tad. "I just require a little financial aid at the time!"

"A magician that steals? Yeah, that doesn't sound familiar," he said sarcastically. Losing ground, Peter cursed his fading powers before he shot a glare at the persistent mare. "For crying out loud. You know, for a thief, you kind of suck at stealing! Do you always try the direct approach? I must say that's unorthodox to say the least. That's like going to the bank and asking for permission to rob the place. That's polite, sure, but we can agree that's-"

A tiny vein formed on the side of Trixie's head. "Stop your endless prattle, you dunce!"

Sensing this job was as big of a failure as the last, Trixie released the bag, but Peter, who had not ceased pulling, flew back with his backpack in his grasp until he landed on the back of his head. Trixie shook her head. If the colt's mouth didn't run as much as it did, she would have been tempted to try to steal his bag for a second time. However, once she stole a glance at his bag, her jaw dropped and eyes widened suddenly.

Peter slowly forced himself back to his hooves and brushed the dirt from his coat. "So, you actually gave up? I'm proud of you, lady. Most people- I mean ponies- usually keep trying until they succeed or fail miserably." He glanced over at the mare with his brow raised. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Feeling guilty? Debating on taking your magic act to Vegas?"

Trixie gave no response but only shifted her gaze from Peter back to the ground. He followed her eyes until his sight was centered on his backpack, and it was then that Peter felt the blood in his body turn cold. The zipper of his backpack had been pulled open, and his Spider-Mane costume had slipped halfway through the opening.

'Oh, crap. Well, that was a bonehead move, Parker.'Their eyes still locked on each other, Peter grabbed his backpack, shoved the costume completely inside, and slid it back over his shoulders.'Okay, this can't beallbad, right? Sure, a complete stranger just found your costume, but for all she knows, I'm just a fan who made himself an authentic suit. I'd better give some sort of explanation before she pieces everything together.'

The pair continued their awkwardly silent stare down for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, Peter placed his hoof over his mouth and cleared his throat, bringing Trixie's bewildered gaze in his direction.

"First off, let me just say-"

"Peter!" a voice yelled from overhead, sending a wave of shock through both ponies.

The thick leaves of the trees obscured his vision of the sky. Peter took a few steps until he found a large ray of light that pierced the shade of the forest, and it was then that he found a multi-colored Pegasus circling the sky. His eyes widened once the Pegasus paused for a moment, revealing not a multi-colored Pegasus as he thought but a sky-blue one with a rainbow-patterned mane.

'Rainbow Dash? What's she doing here?'He stared at his friend for only a moment before he shifted back in Trixie's direction, but much like a shadow in the night, she had disappeared without a trace. "Oh, you havegotto be kidding me!" he exhaled. "Well, she couldn't have gone too far. I may be able to catch up with her and-"

In the span of a second, Peter was whisked away by his shoulders and flown across the sky, all while shrieking at the top of his lungs.

"Man, I'm glad I found you! Did you forget you have to get ready for the Gala or something?" Rainbow Dash said, ignoring Peter's continuous shrilling.

Once the shock wore off (after several seconds), Peter shook his head and shuffled about in Rainbow's grasp. "Rainbow! I know this sounds crazy coming from a pony who can't fly, but you have to put me down!" He glanced at the ground, which was particularly far away, and chuckled nervously. "Of course, I'd prefer a nice drop off than a death plunge."

"Well, you can forget it!" Her grip tightened prompting Peter to cease his squirming. "The second Twilight noticed you were gone, she started flipping out. I went to get you so she'd calm down a little."

His luck could not have gone any further south if it tried.

There was a pony out there that might know his secret identity, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Peter furrowed his brow. Even if he had gone back, there might not have been any chance for him to catch the mare. She had plenty of time to find a proper hiding spot, and time was something Peter did not have in any form. He missed plenty of dates and appointments back at home, and Peter promised he would try not to have the same track record in Equestria if he could help it.

As he hung in Rainbow Dash's hooves, a small sense of hope brightened his enthusiasm. Though she saw the costume, Peter and the mare had never seen each other. They didn't know each other, and Equestria seemed like a big place. There was almost no way he'd see her again. With this revelation, Peter shrugged and stole a glance at Rainbow Dash.

"So this Gala... it's not black tie, is it?"

Author's Note:

So many things I wish that I did differently in hindsight.

Comments

[TriforceAndroid]

Well, Pete is so screwed, now that Trixie has seen his costume!

[dragstormer]

So what do you wish you had done differently

[Progamer]

good chapter