Chapter Nine “Future Tense, Part II”
The sun hovered brightly overhead, blessing the land with its light and warmth. Peter held a hoof over his eyes, shielding his vision as he gazed upon the surrounding Whitetail Woods. The trees were full of life, their bright green leaves rustling in the breeze. Even the river was revitalized producing a colorful stream that traveled through the forest.
Peter brushed a hoof against the nearest tree, smiling. “It’s nice seeing some life returning to the land after so much time. The last time I was here almost everything was a dried up husk.”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes softened. “It’s a slow, steady process but we’re managing. We can’t restore the land without the land itself. Fortunately the best farmers and plantation workers came from all around Equestria, most being distant members of the Apple family.”
“When they heard how Applejack gave her life in the fight against Chrysalis, they all practically rushed here.” Pinkamena whispered, folding her hooves. Eventually the mare managed a smile. “I can’t complain. Thanks to them we had fresh fruits for the first time in years. They eventually spread out, planting trees and slowly restoring the many forests that were lost during Chrysalis’ reign.”
Peter chuckled under his breath. “That’s good to hear. Sometimes the hardest part of overcoming a dictator is the aftermath. It’s one thing to fight and destroy, but it’s a totally different ballgame to preserve and restore.” The stallion nodded firmly, holding a genuine smile. “Princesses Celestia and Luna would be proud of you two. Everypony’s following your lead, and the future’s looking bright for them.”
Sweetie Belle brushed a hoof through her curly mane, returning the stallion’s smile with one of her own. “Thank you Peter. That means a lot, but it was you who gave us this chance. There’s no way we were going to squander that.”
“We’re not the only ones working through change.” Pinkamena whispered, approaching the stallion with a furrowed brow. “Mayday has told me quite a bit about your peace treaty with the changelings, among other things.” Inhaling deeply before sighing, the mare threw her hooves out to the side. “I don’t know what’s more disturbing: your willingness to forgive the changelings or that Chrysalis is actually relatively kind in your timeline.”
Peter narrowed his gaze, frowning. “I don’t blame you for being skeptical Pinkie. What Chrysalis and the changelings did in this timeline was unforgivable. However, Chrysalis in my timeline had a chance to be rehabilitated. Rather, she hadn’t had the chance to make those same mistakes that sent her on the violent path she took here.” The stallion pursed his lips, glancing to the side. “They were starving and desperate. I’m just lucky Chrysalis was willing to drop her pride for the sake of her people.” The corner of his mouth curled into a smile. “It’s been a great partnership. A new generation of changelings were born, made from pure love, and Chrysalis has proven to be an invaluable friend, even if she’s still a bit rough around the edges.”
Pinkamena shook her head. “I’m not faulting you Peter. If anything, I’m glad. It just shows that even the hardest of hearts can change, if given the chance.” The mare paused, smiling. “After all, I lost my smile for over twenty years, and I only started smiling again after you came back.”
“It takes more muscles to frown than to smile,” Peter playfully retorted, earning a light chuckle from the pink mare.
Sobering, Sweetie Belle approached the stallion. “Speaking of that, what was it like for Twilight to take Celestia’s place?” Her expression softened. “I imagine it was difficult. Mayday seemed… troubled talking about it.”
Raising a hoof objectively, Peter’s eyes softened. “It was rough at first. The sun works a tight schedule and it can get exhausting. The first couple of years were really hard, not just for Twilight but for Luna as well.” The stallion soon nodded, straightening his posture. “However, Twilight caught on with time. She’s really good with her scheduling, and her body’s adjusted to the changes. Plus, Luna was really patient with her.” Peter smiled warmly, nodding. “Now Twilight’s a natural-born princess: a tall one, too. She’s always working, but she makes more than enough time for family. I just do what I can to make things easier for her, whether it’s a small kiss, a massage, lunch, or a bad joke after a tense business meeting.”
Pinkamena’s smile grew in width, showing teeth momentarily, and she placed a hoof over the stallion’s shoulder. “That sounds exactly right. Be good to her, Peter. When you two were together here, you were all Twilight talked about in that blissful light. I imagine nothing’s changed between you two.” A serious expression resurfaced on the mare’s face before she firmly nodded. “You need to hurry back to Twilight, and quickly. It’s all the more reason we need to find that fragment as soon as possible.”
Both ponies shared a nod before the stallion narrowed his gaze to the side. His sixth sense chimed, highlighting the environment from his perspective. “I can sense the fragment. It’s really close.” The stallion walked through the forest following the trail as Pinkamena and Sweetie Belle quietly followed him. Eventually, Peter paused upon reaching a boulder, its size dwarfing his own height by five times the mass. He shimmied around the stone, finding the fragment embedded within the rock after a brief search. “There it is. I wish it was always this easy.”
“Why, thank you! You saved me so much trouble finding it!” a female’s voice exclaimed from behind. Just as Peter, Pinkamena, and Sweetie turned to the source the ground underneath their hooves distorted before stones enveloped their limbs. The rocks settled, fusing with the earth, and the trio were trapped in place, straining to move, let alone attempt to break free. Suddenly, Starlight Glimmer materialized into existence before the large boulder in a flash of light, holding a hoof over the fragment imbedded in the stone. “I certainly wouldn’t have found this without your help.”
Exasperated, Peter rolled his eyes and exhaled. “And there it is! I’ll learn to keep my mouth shut one of these days.”
Sweetie Belle frowned, narrowing her gaze on the mare as she eyed the fragment. “Starlight, the energies of the broken fragment are beginning to spread. If we don’t repair the tablet soon, all of reality will unravel before collapsing!”
“I am aware of that,” Starlight mused, closing her eyes before groaning. “I have my own plans, and this mess was caused by Peter Parker’s rash actions. I fully intend to fix the tablet and restore order, and that starts by erasing you from existence! But first…” she trailed off, turning the entirety of her attention towards the fragment.
Her horn glowed momentarily before a laser raced out, cutting into the stone. However, the energy reflected back and struck the center of her forehead, staggering the mare and leaving her wide eyed. She attempted to repeat the action, only for the same result to occur. The fragment remained firmly embedded in the boulder, and the stone itself stood firm, undamaged.
Howling in fury, Starlight braced herself in a wide-legged stance before unleashing a volley of energy beams into the stone in quick succession from her horn. Each bolt collided into the rock, some dissolving upon impact while others rebounded at random angles off its’ surface. Starlight paused after a duration to allow both her horn and the dust to settle, but the mare ground her teeth together in anger once she saw the fragment was unharmed and not even slightly loosened from its position within the boulder.
“The fragment is infused with the boulder and projecting a protective barrier! I can’t remove it,” Starlight cursed under her breath, narrowing her gaze into a glare.
Peter chuckled under his breath. “That’s unfortunate. Maybe you should just give up on this whole thing then?” The stallion hummed under his breath. “I can remove it. Remove the stones, free my friends, and maybe we can cut a deal? Surely, we can come to some sort of a compromise.
Frowning, Starlight’s face scrunched up with disgust. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’ll never let that happen.” Particles of energy from the atmosphere channeled into the mare’s horn as she aimed it at the stallion. “I’ll figure something out, and you won’t live to see the solution!”
Pinkamena watched as Starlight readied to fire at the stallion, lowering her head until she could retrieve a blade from her pocket with her mouth. Slamming the tip of her sword into the stone holding one of her hooves in place, the rock shattered at the point of impact. Pinkamena used her free hoof to pull her second blade from her pocket, slashing the remaining stones holding her hooves in place. Starlight glanced up, narrowly managing to block a direct blow from the earth pony with a bubble shield. Pinkamena spun in place before thrusting a straight kick into the barrier, and the force of the blow sent Starlight’s body careening into the nearest wall with a dull thud.
A dust cloud billowed up at the point of impact. Pinkamena turned, managing to cut both Peter and Sweetie Belle free in a matter of seconds. Before long Starlight burst from the rubble, levitating several hoof-lengths from the ground. Peter and Sweetie Belle lowered into a defensive stance while Pinkamena spun both blades in her hooves, each holding a stern gaze at the unicorn hovering before them. The surrounding winds intensified, rustling the leaves of the trees and traces of electricity crackled across the ground as Starlight’s irises faded behind a blinding light.
“Enough of this! I’ll destroy you all!” Starlight bellowed before unleashing a bolt at the trio.
Peter, Sweetie Belle, and Pinkamena jumped away in three separate directions before the attack could connect and the energy exploded upon coming into contact with the ground, generating a small explosion. Starlight vanished from sight in a burst of light, materializing behind Sweetie Belle as a dust cloud erupted from the explosion. The lavender and light pink-maned mare turned, unable to react as a beam collided into her chest. The projectile’s momentum carried the mare through the forest until she collided rather forcefully with a tree, cracking the bark and knocking a few weak branches loose.
Meanwhile, Peter flipped to the side, managing to land upright. Suddenly, the earpiece in his possession crackled to life with a brief burst of static before Mayday’s voice could be heard. “Daddy! The energy readings in your area just spiked exponentially! What’s going on over there?”
“We found the fragment in the Whitetail Woods, but Starlight followed us. She’s right on top of us,” Peter replied, holding a hoof over his ear. Starlight materialized overhead before unleashing a volley of beams at the stallion in rapid succession. Peter hopped to the side, leaping out of each bolt’s blast radius after they detonated, and he eventually slowed to a halt, perching himself onto a branch on a tree. “We’ll do what we can. You just--!”
He trailed off, inhaling sharply once his sixth sense blared wildly. Peter jumped from the tree as a beam neared, but the energy detonated, generating a shockwave. The stallion was launched from the blast, pinwheeling through the air before he crashed into a collection of bushes. The device in his ear fell out due to the stallion’s launch trajectory, cracking to pieces from the momentum once it fell to the ground.
-u-
Within the basement back in one of Canterlot’s buildings, the static churning in Mayday’s ear sent the mare over the edge. She stood up from her seat, feeling her heart practically stop. “Daddy!” she cried out, receiving no response. “Daddy! What’s happening?!” Tossing her earpiece to the side in frustration, Mayday slammed her hooves over the table and lowered her head in dismay. “What am I supposed to do now? Daddy could be fine, but what if he isn’t?” The mare blinked, stealing a glance at something from the corner of her eye. The mare frowned, narrowing her gaze as a determined expression surfaced on her features. “I’m not leaving this to chance. I have to use it.”
-u-
Back within the reaches of the Whitetail Woods, Peter slowly pulled himself from the shrubbery, shaking the cobwebs from his head. Starlight eyed the stallion from behind his position, channeling her latent energies into her horn. She unleashed a beam, its energy distorting everything in its path. But Pinkamena emerged in front of the prone stallion, swinging both of her blades into the bolt directly. Straining, the earth pony held her ground, managing to slice through the projectile, and the energy dissolved from sight, withering from existence.
Before Starlight could follow up, Sweetie Belle unleashed a bolt from behind and struck the mare squarely in the back. The unicorn spun from the air, using her magic to cease her momentum once she neared the ground. The energies that created the bubble shield around her glowed, shifting until they enveloped Starlight’s body, seeming almost like armor and a second underlying layer for her body. Once she stood, Peter flipped over the nearest bush and delivered a straight kick to her gut.
The force of the blow sent Starlight skidding back, but she remained upright, barely fazed by the attack. Pinkamena followed and flipped over the stallion before slashing both blades repeatedly against the mare. The cuts couldn’t penetrate the magic shielding Starlight’s body yet their marks remained, albeit briefly until the energies erased all visible traces of damage. Starlight lifted her gaze, smirking. Both Peter and Pinkamena attacked simultaneously in rapid succession, alternating their strikes. The stallion threw a stiff punch into the side of Starlight’s head, knocking her off balance, and Pinkamena slammed the blunt end of her sword into the back of the mare’s leg, bringing her down to a kneeling position.
Sweetie Belle leapt high into the air, prompting Peter and Pinkamena to jump away from Starlight. Particles of energy from the atmosphere spiraled into her horn before the mare unleashed a large magical beam onto the unicorn. The bolt engulfed Starlight, boring heavily into the ground, and the attack intensified, generating a shockwave at the point of impact. Eventually the energies subsided, revealing a deep crater in the ground. However, Starlight levitated from it, the bright aura emitting from her body having remained intact and hovered high above the ground with a smug expression, shaking her head.
“Is that really the best you can do?” Starlight grinned, eyeing the energies glowing from her form. All cracks within the magical armor faded from sight, repairing itself once again. Pinkamena readied herself to attack, lowering into a defensive stance, but Starlight merely huffed, waving a glowing hoof dismissively. “None of that.”
Suddenly, a dark spell of distorted space spread, engulfing the entire trio. Time for them slowed to a crawl while it moved normally for Starlight. The mare frowned before firing several bolts of magical energy into the ground underneath their hooves. The time spell holding them in place dissolved, but before they could hope to react, the earth erupted, triggering an accumulated explosion. A shockwave detonated, launching Sweetie Belle high into the air before she roughly landed on the ground.
Pinkamena was engulfed by a trail of energy, careening into the nearest tree with enough force to topple the oak from its roots. Lastly, Peter was launched skyward, unable to react as Starlight unleashed a bolt into his chest from above, and the stallion sped into the earth, generating violent tremors and a dust cloud at the point of impact. Starlight hovered above the ground and stood over the deep crater she created, specifically the stallion laid out at the bottom of it.
Starlight grinned, narrowing her gaze on the ponies scattered around her. “With only a fraction of the tablet’s power, I’ve overwhelmed you once again.” As Peter began to stir, groaning under his breath, Starlight frowned while energy spiraled into her glowing horn. “I’m almost disappointed it was this easy, but I exceed my own expectations at times.” However, just before the mare could finish the stallion, she paused once her ears perked at a peculiar sound. She glanced to the side, narrowing her gaze on an airborne object as it sped towards her position. Taken aback, Starlight blinked. “What in blazes?!”
Faster than Starlight could react, a being clad in crimson and black armor soared by her, skidding to a halt. Just as she readied herself to question the oddity, the being in armor raised a hoof and unleashed a pulsating blast. Starlight’s eyes shot open as the force of the unexpected blow knocked her back, sending her crashing through a tree. Her momentum continued until she skidded to a halt. Gritting her teeth, Starlight fired a volley of beams at the armored being, but it merely stood, absorbing the magical projectiles.
Starlight could only blink before the stranger raised a hoof, too easily reflecting the entirety of the volley back at the source. Each high-powered beam collided with the mare, staggering her until she was violently launched into an uncontrolled face-first skid across the forest floor. Brushing a hoof over her mouth, Starlight paused upon noticing a thin rivulet of blood matting her fur down. The mysterious individual held out their hooves, prompting an array of missiles to rise from hidden compartments in their sleeves, shoulder pads, and fore-limbs. The individual maintained a steady aim at the unicorn, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.
Growling under her breath, Starlight scoffed. “This is quite a setback, but it’s nothing! I swear! I’ll be back!”
The mare vanished from sight in a burst of light before the armored being straightened their posture, allowing the missiles to fall back within their compartments. Sweetie Belle and Pinkamena pulled themselves back to a standing position. Elsewhere, the mysterious individual stepped into the crater and stood over Peter as he shook the cobwebs from his cranium. Once the stallion’s vision cleared, the stranger extended a hoof. Pinkamena and Sweetie Belle watched as the stranger helped Peter out of the crater. Once the mares tended to the stallion, the mysterious individual stepped back without uttering a response.
“And just who might you be?” Pinkamena questioned, keeping a hoof on the hilt of her blade.
The pony was slow to respond before tapping a hoof against the side of their head, prompting their helmet to fall to the ground. “I think you already know!” she exclaimed. Everypony inhaled sharply at the familiar sight of a violet and pink mane falling to the side. Mayday clumsily straightened her posture, posing in a dramatic fashion. “Mayday’s the name, and hurting bad guys is my game!”
A low silence filled the air before the mare yelped involuntarily as the armor hummed to life before shorting out. Her shoulder piece loosened, slipping from its hinges. The mare exhaled at the sight, blinking as she tapped the buttons over her fore-limb with a hoof.
“That test run went much better than I expected, but there are still a lot of kinks to work out in the armor. It attaches just fine, but it comes apart too easily,” she groaned, swiping at the icons over the screen emitting from her hoof device. “The thrusters put in too much kick, and my feedback generators weren’t able to reroute their progress to the backup capacity. It’s a simple fix if I find an alternate power source, but that’s pretty hard to come by in this world. Maybe I could use the Spider-Mobile’s battery? Its power capacity is still impressive, given the damage it sustained. I’ll have to run more tests as soon as--”
Peter placed a hoof over the mare’s shoulder, ending her rambling tirade. The stallion arched a brow while eyeing his daughter’s armored attire. “I take it that this is what you were working on the entire time while you were here?”
Mayday simply nodded, holding a small smile. “Yeah. You left plenty of resources for me to experiment on. Your old armor, the glider’s thruster system capacity and pieces of the Spider-Mobile in particular gave me some ideas. Some forging materials along with a few swings of a hammer, and I came out with this suit.” The mare tapped a hoof against the chestplate, humming. “I also took a page from your book and used the anti-magical crystals from the catacombs underneath Canterlot. Breaking them down and fusing them with the armor was the easiest part of the process.”
Peter lifted the helmet from the ground, furrowing his brow at the artificial horn at the center of its forehead. “Familiar design, but what’s with the horn? You’re a pegasus, not a unicorn.”
“It acts as a conduit,” Mayday lightly declared, tapping the appendage. “So, if I’m struck by electricity, it’ll channel into the horn and add power to the overall system.”
Blinking, Peter shrugged as if enlightened. “How about that? Next thing, you’ll tell me that you have a coffee machine inside that armor?”
“You created something that advanced and refined from leftover scraps, in just a week?” Sweetie Belle questioned, politely interjecting before chuckling under her breath. “That’s very impressive. I knew you shared your father’s intelligence, but I believe you might have exceeded him with this feat.”
Pinkamena folded her hooves. “Indeed. It seems Starlight wasn’t prepared for this scenario in the slightest. I doubt she’ll be coming back anytime soon.”
Peter was slow to respond, brushing the dust from Mayday’s shoulder. “This is quite a feat Mayday. The armor’s impressive, and you look good in it. However, this is too advanced for a week’s notice.” He paused, arching a knowing brow at the mare as their gazes were mere inches from each other. “You’ve been working on this concept for a while now, haven’t you? It certainly explains the notes you usually have JARVIS save.”
“You read them?” Mayday asked, holding a hoof over her chest.
Shaking his head, Peter frowned. “No. It’s not my business, but I could tell that you were working on something important. I just figured you would tell me when you were ready to.” The stallion paused as his eyes softened. “But why armor? You’ve always made it clear you wouldn’t be on the frontlines. Why the change of heart?"
Mayday inhaled deeply before sighing, shifting her gaze to the ground. “I didn’t tell you because I was hoping it would never have to come to this.” The mare pursed her lips, holding a hoof inches away from her face. “The history books say you’re the greatest hero in history Dad, but I wasn’t blessed with your strength or durability. However, I did get my intelligence from you and Mom. I figured the best way I could help everypony was to use my mind to its fullest degree. That’s why I joined the Avengers, to give you all support from a distance.”
“What changed?” Peter questioned, stepping away before walking to the boulder the fragment was embedded in.
Nodding, Mayday narrowed her gaze. “Sometimes to protect the things most precious to us, we have to adapt. You taught me that.” The mare paused, waiting until her father effortlessly pried the fragment from the stone. “This armor was to make up for my physical shortcomings, and it lets me fight by your side.”
As if taking his daughter’s advice to heart, the stallion simply nodded before managing a smile. “Your mind’s set on it, so I’ll support you on your decision. Besides, you saved the day. I can’t really object.” Peter smirked at the mare. “I think I have a new name ready for you. It’s funny how the multiverse works sometimes. Trixie walks around dressed like one of my old enemies, and you come up with a suit of armor that strikes a resemblance to an old friend of mine.” Pausing, the stallion offered the mare the fragment. “From here on, you’re now Iron Mare. What do you think?”
Blinking, Mayday accepted the fragment before letting out a relieved sigh. “I was worried you were going to call me the Tin Spider. Iron Mare is probably the best name you’ve ever come up with.”
“Well, Spider Droid did come to mind...” Peter lamely added, earning a blank stare from his daughter. “Speaking of that, I need to come up with my own name. Something like Oracle Spider? Maybe Amazing Arachnid?”
Mayday shook her head and waved a hoof dismissively. “...and I’m sticking with Iron Mare, because anything you come up with now is just stupid.” Sobering, the mare eyed the portal in the distance before sharply pointing a hoof in its direction while holding a stern glare at her father. “Did you forget about the whole ‘Space-Time Continuum unraveling’ talk already? Go get the other fragments back already, before reality as we know it collapses!”
Chuckling under his breath, Peter simply nodded before wrapping his hooves around Mayday’s neck for a brief yet warm embrace. “You’re just like your mother, May. All right. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Once they parted, the stallion faced the remaining two mares. Sweetie Belle stepped forth first, smiling while shaking her head. “We have to stop meeting like this. You always show up when we’re in trouble and disappear the moment the day is saved.” The pair shared an embrace, with the mare fighting back a sob. They soon parted, allowing Sweetie to straighten her posture. “I’ll miss you. Junior’s going to miss you as well.”
“This isn’t good-bye, Sweetie,” Peter whispered, placing a hoof over her shoulder. “Now that we have a bead on this reality’s location, I can arrange something with Eris. We’ll set up communications so we can talk every now and then.”
As if satisfied with the suggestion, Sweetie Belle nodded and smiled. “That’s very thoughtful. If it’s possible, we’d both appreciate that.”
Lastly, Peter shared a glance with Pinkamena. The mare simply chuckled, offering her hoof. “Until we meet again, old friend.”
No words were needed as Peter accepted the gesture, holding eye contact with Pinkamena for what felt like eons. With a final nod, the stallion waved off his peers before dashing towards the portal. Sweetie Belle brushed a hoof through her curly mane, allowing tears to stream down her cheeks, and Pinkamena held a wide smile, reminiscent to her younger days momentarily. Mayday, on the other hoof, clutched the fragment in her possession before turning her attention back to her armored suit with a determined expression.
The adventure wasn’t over yet, and the real fight had only just begun.
To be continued...