//------------------------------//
// Shades of the Past, Part I 
// Story: Spiders and Magic: Rise of Spider-Mane 
// by Maximus_Reborn 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Six "Shades of the Past Part I"

Looking around aimlessly, Peter pointed his hoof at himself and raised his brow. "Are you talking about me?"

Sweetie Belle stepped inside before she stopped next to Peter's flank. The other two fillies followed, gasping aloud at the blank sight. One of the fillies, her coat as bright as the sun in the sky, rushed over to the other side of Peter's flank, and her chocolate brown eyes only grew in width. The last filly, her coat matching a shade of orange, closed her violet eyes and nodded her head.

"He's a blank flank for sure," she said, causing Peter's face to flush slightly.

"Great. So kids inspecting my butt isn't enough, but now they have to insult it? I feel so violated."

The yellow filly's fiery red mane emerged from behind Peter. "How old did you say he was, Sweetie Belle?"

"He's... uh..." Sweetie Belle droned off, placing her hoof underneath her chin.

"Nineteen," Peter said blankly.

The orange filly furrowed her brow. "If you're that old, why haven't you earned your cutie mark yet?"

Why indeed did he not have a cutie mark, something everypony had in this world? The answer was simple: he was an alien pulled from another world, but that kind of explanation was too farfetched to the common individual. His knowledge on cutie marks being significantly limited, Peter turned his gaze back inside of the house.

"Twilight, could you come down for a second?" he said, hopeful his roommate could provide a decent enough answer.

An exasperated groan echoed from upstairs. "Peter, if you're trying to weasel out of practice, you've got another thing-" Twilight said with a hint of irritation in her voice, but it dissipated, along with the glare in her eye, once she made it downstairs and noticed the three fillies surrounding Peter. "Oh, hi, girls. What can I help you with?" she said, her tone now a sweet one.

Peter's sighed inwardly. Girls were a puzzle inanyworld.

Sweetie Belle pointed her hoof at Peter's flank, causing his face to flush once more. "It's about your friend. Why doesn't he have a cutie mark?"

"Actually," Twilight said before she paused to furrow her brow at Peter. It seemed as if she was at a loss for words, but she threw her hoof over her mouth and cleared her throat. "Peter has many talents, just like all of you, but he hasn't found his one true talent yet."

A pitiful chuckle escaped from Peter's mouth."Many talents? Who are you kidding?"

Twilight shook her head and shifted her gaze from the fillies to Peter. "I just realized something. Do you even know who these girls are, Peter?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Peter raised his hoof and pointed it over to the snow white filly's lavender color head. "I just met Sweetie Belle while I was at Rarity's, but the other two are newcomers for me."

"I'll introduce you then." Twilight walked over to the yellow filly. "This is Applebloom, Applejack's little sister," she said, turning her gaze over to the third filly, "and this is Scootaloo, a friend from their school."

"Well, aren't you the cutest things?" he said honestly before a groan echoed in his head."Why is everything in the world so darn cute?"A late realization came into mind, causing Peter to fire the fillies a puzzled expression. "I have to ask though. What do you want with me?"

As she made her way to his side, Applebloom gazed up at Peter. "Easy. You don't have a cutie mark," she said bluntly.

Peter's eyes grew blank. "And I guess you're here to make fun of me? It'll be like my old preschool days. Elementary school wasn't much different. Middle school was just as bad. Don't get me started on high school. Now that I think about it, college was exactly the same, too. I guess I'm a subject of ridicule to this day." He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, sorry. I was rambling. You were making fun of me? Go right ahead."

Applebloom stared at Peter, unsure of what to make of his ramble, but she recollected her senses and shook her head. Her expression turned apologetic. "We wouldn't make fun of you!"

"Of course not," Scootaloo said as her lips curled into a confident smile. "After all, you're just like us!"

Her statement caused Peter to tilt his head to the side. "Just like you? How?"

"Because you're exactly like us!" Sweetie Belle said, hopping into Peter's line of sight until her eyes were only a couple of inches away from his own.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his cheek. "I heard you before, but can you tell mehowexactly?"

After a few moments, Sweetie Belle stopped bouncing and turned her gaze to her wagging tail. "We don't have our cutie marks either."

Peter's eyes widened at the statement. He was not the only one looking for his cutie mark? Twilight had told him everypony earns their mark eventually, but it was unnerving for Peter since it seemed everypony he saw already had their mark. Turning to the side, he found Applebloom and Scootaloo with their flanks facing him. Just like Sweetie Belle's, they were blank.

"We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Scootaloo said with vigor in her voice.

"We're trying to earn our marks, too!" Applebloom said, stepping in front of Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle bounced back in front of Peter, inadvertently headbutting him in the process. Unfazed, she giggled, "Since you don't have one, we want you to join our team!"

A stinging sensation circled around his forehead. He placed his hoof on his horn and received no response, but once his hoof landed in between his eyebrows, he winced in pain at the newly formed knot. If he wasn't an odd enough sight, now he was a two-horned unicorn.

"Great," he sarcastically said, unaware of the conversation he was roped in.

"That's awesome! Since you hang out with Rainbow Dash, I'm sure your cutie mark will be something cool!" Scootaloo said, snapping Peter out of his trance.

"Wait. Wait. What did I agree to?"

"He was just at my sister's. Maybe it will be something pretty, too?" Sweetie Belle squeaked, causing Peter to raise his brow.

"Pretty? What? Can someone- Gah! I mean somepony- rewind and tell me what was said two sentences ago? The headbutt knocked me silly for a moment."

"Perhaps something like both? What if it's like Rainbow Dash'sandRarity's?" Applebloom said, oblivious to Peter's statement.

"Okay. We're going to take a few steps back and-"

"What if Twilight is mixed in there, too? He lives with her, right?" Scootaloo said, causing Peter's eye to twitch.

"Seriously! What are talking about?"

"If he hangs out with Twilight the most, maybe it will be like hers the most?" Sweetie Belle said, prompting Peter to slap his forehead.

"Oh, my God. Is this what it's like when I talk to the bad guys? I feel like I'm losing my mind. I almost feel bad for talking Doctor Octopus and Vulture to death now. You know what? No, I don't. They found me annoying because theylistenedto me. Right now, I'm just being ignored. That's a different level of annoying. It's almost as annoying as the times I've been ignored by a girl. That happens enough in my life, and I don't need it tripled thanks to these little ones."

"Do you agree, Peter?" Sweetie Belle said, unknowingly piercing Peter's inner monologue.

Peter, still in his trance somewhat, murmured, "Huh? Yeah, totally."

"All right!" Scootaloo jumped, flapping her wings haplessly before she landed back on the ground.

His eyes shot open."Oh, crud. Not again."He raised his hoof to hold everypony's attention. "What just happened?"

Sweetie Belle's smile grew. "We just nominated you to become the leader of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

His jaw dropped. "...what?"

Applebloom rushed over and giggled. "And you accepted!"

His eye twitched. "What?"

Before he could hope to protest, Applebloom made her way to the door. "All right, if everything's settled, I say we go to the park."

"Sounds like a plan," Scootaloo said, following the filly outside.

Peter stood slackjawed. So much had happened, and he could not recollect any of it. He turned to Sweetie Belle, desperate she could be the one strand of sanity in the world of madness he was trapped in, but she only smiled and gently placed her tiny hoof on top of his mildly larger one.

"We'll find you if something comes up," she said sweetly, turning to make her exit right after. "See you later, Captain Peter!"

As quickly as they came, the fillies left. His brain felt numb. Never had he felt so confused a day in his life. He was put in charge of three little girls he had just met, and he had no experience with children whatsoever. His days in Equestria were becoming more unusual by the day. Peter let out a sigh. He collapsed onto the sofa, determined to sleep the previous moment off, but Twilight, who had remained quiet throughout the entire scenario, rolled her eyes and groaned at Peter.

Magical energies enveloped his body and pulled him from the couch until he fell face-first onto the floor.

"Did you forget we have magic practice? Come on! Let's go!" she said sternly, earning a defeated sigh out of Peter.

He rolled over onto his back and stared at Twilight. She was relatively quiet during the Crusader's 'attack' and did nothing to help. He poked her hoof, bringing her violet gaze down to meet his chocolate orbs. He was partially upset with his roommate, but for some reason, probably because of the way her violet mane, with the cute pink strand that fell between her beautiful eyes, rested over her shoulders, he couldn't bear to hold a grudge.

"A pony should not be this cute. Seriously."He rolled his eyes. "How could you let those girls talk me into joining their group? We're roomies. Can't you save me from danger?" he said in a mix of plea and sarcasm.

Much to his surprise, Twilight's gaze softened. "Because those girls are reckless."

"Huh?"

She gently placed her flank down and positioned herself right over Peter's body. "I thought about how you acted with Rainbow Dash the other day." Her lips curled into a sweet smile. "You didn't show off or fight fire with fire. You actually reasoned with her, and it worked!"

He looked away to hide his embarrassment. "It's no big deal."

"Itisa big deal. Those girls are trying too hard to earn their cutie marks, but I think a level-head like yours can help lead them in the right direction."

"I'm not exactly role-model material, Twilight. I make more mistakes than most people- I mean ponies- should be allowed to. Honestly, you're putting way too much faith in me. You did with the dragon, and now you're doing it with these girls."

Twilight bit her lip. The upbeat tone in Peter's voice left and transformed into one of uncertainty. She reared her head down until her snout nearly touched Peter's.

"Peter, the spell I used was to bring the greatest hero of all time to Equestria. It chose you, and magic is incapable of making a mistake. You saved my friends' lives and brought new-found hope to Ponyville." She rolled her eyes and giggled. "You talked sense into Rainbow Dash, something none of us have been able to do easily, but those aren't the only reasons why I have faith in you."

He sighed. "Really? What other reason could there be?"

His eyes shifted back up, just in time for the pink strand of Twilight's hair to brush over his snout. Their eyes were locked onto each other, but Peter felt a bit of warmth escaping from Twilight's face. Thanks to their eye contact, Peter failed to see the large blush that had filled the girl's cheeks. She looked away for a moment, but her smile only grew in width.

"It's because you're my friend, and friends should always have faith in each other," Twilight said honestly.

Her words were so simple, but Peter felt something vast behind them. Despite his failure to live up to her standard, Twilight's faith in him remained steadfast. He was not great, let alone the 'greatest of all' as Twilight described, and considering the high caliber heroes he knew back at home, Peter refused to accept that title. Despite his constant protests, Twilight spoke as if she firmly believed it, not because of the spell, but because she was his friend.

It was laughable. Such a cliché saying should have stayed in the cartoons where they belonged, but Peter couldn't help but smile. Twilight believed her friend could stop the dragon and Discord in a number of weeks, so if she had that much faith in him, the least he could do was take care of three little girls for her. He shifted his head slightly and nudged the tip of his snout against Twilight's, causing the girl's blush to intensify.

He smiled innocently, unaware of his actions. "Thanks, Twilight. I'll try not to let you down again."

She shook her head madly. The temperature in her cheeks continued to heighten. She turned around, careful to not reveal her flushed features. She cleared her throat, made her way to the door, and shot Peter a glare, still failing to hide her blush.

"That's enough of that. Come on! We still need to practice," she said, finally allowing herself to smile once her back was facing him.

Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, Peter chuckled haplessly."Madness, thy name is Equestria."

His thoughts ran while he forced himself back up. Being the leader of the Crusaders gave Peter the chance to come up with a catchphrase for his new team. His eyes widened when an idea came into mind, but he groaned inwardly, knowing it was too cheesy to pull off with a straight face. The image of Scootaloo wielding a magic hammer, Applebloom wearing a suit of armor, and Sweetie Belle being an unusual shade of green while Peter carried a shield played throughout his mind.

"Crusaders! Assemble!"

His hoof smacked his forehead. It was cheesier than he imagined, but deep down, he found it unusually cool. He rolled his eyes. He truly was losing his mind.





Peter's jaw nearly hit the floor. He stared at the costume Rarity held in her hooves with bewilderment in his eyes. While the design was similar, the changes were easy to spot: the spider emblem on the back was much more slender, and while red remained the dominant color on the costume as a whole, the amount of blue was increased thanks to the shortening of the arms and legs. Overall, the design itself was edgier, giving it a bit more of a serious look.

Rarity clutched the costume tightly and fidgeted in place. Peter's glare remained firm, only adding to Rarity's nervousness, and once he shifted his gaze in her direction, her heart threatened to leap out of her chest. Everything Rarity designed, she put her heart into, and Peter's costume was no exception. The idea of rejection was an excruciating one, but in her profession, it was to be expected. It only made Rarity more nervous considering what Peter had done for her. If he hated the design, she would have failed to repay the debt she owed to him.

"Rarity," Peter said coolly, causing the unicorn to bite her lip. "This costume. It's-"

Her defenses fell like a crumbling wall. She threw her hoof over her forehead and whined, "You hate it, don't you? I just knew you would!" She collapsed with her grip sound on the costume. "It was a mistake for me to change anything! I should have just-"

"But I like it."

"-restitched it the way it used to be!" She stayed prone on the ground, but as if her brain just registered his words, Rarity glanced up at Peter with her ocean blue orbs as wide as saucers. "What did you say, dear?"

He trotted over to her side and smiled widely. "I said I liked it, but I'm not saying it the way I want to. It's more like-" he cleared his throat and grinned, "-I really like it!"

"Do you really mean it? If you don't, you can tell me," she said hesitantly.

"Of course I mean it! I only wished you'd designed my costume in the first place. It's pretty slick."

Rarity's cheeks burned. It reminded her of the dresses she made for her friends not too long ago. She had poured everything she had into them, being extremely thorough with each unique design, but after a dreadfully long set of days, she showed her friends the fruits of her labor, only to be shocked that they did not like their dresses.

While the situation was later rectified, Rarity could not help but feel she could have done better. Perhaps it was her perfectionist nature or sensitive heart that clouded her judgment, but she expected a similar response from Peter, only to be shocked by his significant show of gratitude.

"How long did you stay up working on this?" Peter said, the concern apparent in his voice.

Rarity readied to respond, but a yawn escaped from her mouth instead. She brushed her mangled locks back and giggled nervously. "I honestly lost track of time. I actually just finished it a couple of hours ago."

Peter's eyes softened. He walked over to Rarity, and his heart sunk when he noticed the small bags underneath her large, gorgeous eyes. "You pulled an all-nighter? You didn't have to do that. A beautiful girl like you shouldn't lose sleep over me," he said while a sad smile formed on his face. His thoughts threw a swift kick into his senses."Parker, must you insist on calling these ponies cute and beautiful?"

Her cheeks flushed to a deeper shade of crimson. She turned around, knowing she looked like an absolute mess, and carefully folded the costume up in a diamond shape. Using her magic, Rarity slid Peter's costume into his backpack before gently handing him his possession.

"It was nothing at all, darling. Believe me, I'm just pleased to hear that you liked it," she said before she placed her hoof over her mouth to stifle a yawn.

Peter gave the unicorn a smile matched only by the warmth of the sun. His gaze shifted to the ground. "I really appreciate this, Rarity. I couldn't ask for this kind of favor back at home. I'm really happy to have met you." A desolate groan echoed inside of his head."Seriously, could you come off any cheesier?"

Her heart skipped a beat and flipped inside of her chest. Rarity bit her lip, determined to maintain her professional demeanor, but the rising temperature in her cheeks made it difficult to focus. "The pleasure is all mine, Peter," she said, fully aware how shaky her voice had grown.

Peter, oblivious to Rarity's embarrassment, chuckled and slid his backpack over his shoulders. "I better go. Hope you get some sleep soon."

As he steadily made his way out of the room, a late realization struck Rarity like a lightning bolt. "Peter, wait!" She walked over to one of her mannequins and shifted her gaze to Peter. "I'm sure Twilight told you about the Grand Galloping Gala?"

He simply nodded. "She did, but I don't think I'm really fit to go. It sounds pretty fancy, and I'm a bit too average for that."

Rarity closed her eyes and huffed. "That's preposterous! You are perfectly capable of attending. Besides, Princess Celestia has personally invited you. It would be rude for you to turn down her highness."

"But-"

"No buts!" she said sternly, causing Peter to cringe slightly. Rarity's horn sparkled, and a large roll of jet black fabric hovered over her head. "I trust you'll be needing something formal to wear for the occasion. I can assure you that I will make you look simply-" her eyes beamed, "-marvelous!"

"I appreciate it, Rarity, really, but you've done more than enough-"

"Leave me to my work. I'll call you once I'm done."

Even in this world, girls were astoundingly stubborn. Peter watched Rarity stretch the fabric over her sewing table and smiled. She had just stayed up the entire night fixing up his costume, and now she was working on something for him to wear at the Gala, which was still a week away. To make matters worse, Rarity asked for nothing in return from the guy she just met a few days ago. Peter sighed. Rarity was right to bear the Element of Generosity.

Not wanting to bother her any more, Peter opened the door and stepped outside, but he peeked back inside and offered a wide smile. "I promise to pay you back, Rarity," he said before he sadly looked away. "I promise..."

The door closed behind her. Rarity kept her gaze locked on the fabric, but her mind remained focused on the colt that just left her abode. She resisted the urge to daydream, though the image of the handsome devil's smile played mercilessly throughout her mind. Biting down on her lip, Rarity began to work on Peter's suit, but a playful thought brought up a distinct possibility, forcing Rarity to suppress a giggle.

A coy smile formed on her face."If this keeps up, I may find my Prince Charming after all."





Peter traveled with his gaze locked on the ground. It had nearly been a week since he was pulled into Equestria, but he was adjusting far better than he had anticipated. It was only because his new-found friends were so supportive. If it weren't for them, Peter would have long since been overwhelmed by the vast amount of changes he was forced to take.

His chocolate orbs darkened. While he honestly appreciated everything they had done for him, it felt as if he wasn't pulling his weight. Twilight provided housing and tutelage, but he gave nothing in return. Rarity made him a new costume, but he couldn't give her a single cent for her trouble. Hurt continued to fill his eyes. It reminded him too much of the days Aunt May struggled to support herself and Peter after Uncle Ben had passed. Just like now, he did nothing to help.

Images of the sweet elderly woman flashed across his mind. He only hoped Aunt May hadn't grown too worried about his sudden disappearance, but he mentally cringed, knowing that was certainly not going to be the case. Now his guilt truly took over. In Equestria he only caused his friends grief, and despite being in a parallel universe, he still found a way to worry his aunt.

"For such agreathero, I tend to do more damage than good. I only caused problems for Aunt May, and I can't help Twilight or Rarity."His heart sank while a horrid memory pushed it even further into the depths of despair."I can't help anyone. It's just like the time I couldn't save-"

"Pete?"

His eyes widened at the sound of a young woman's voice calling out to him. He turned and found a large pair of beautiful emerald orbs staring at him intently. The golden hair on her head was as bright as the light of day matched only by the smile on her face. Peter felt the air in his chest leave his body.

"Gwen?" he said below the hint of a whisper.

No response was given right away. Her image cleared, revealing more of her distinct features like the snow white freckles sprinkled across her cheeks, the beautiful shade of orange her coat displayed, and the large hat placed firmly on her crown. Peter shook his head and mentally slapped himself at the realization of the mistake he had made.

"Oh, Applejack," he said solemnly, closing his eyes to hide his shame right after.'Real smooth, Parker. Calling a pony by your ex's name is just plain stupid. Even for you.'

Peter opened his eyes and found he was on the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres. He placed his hoof over his eyes, groaning at his ignorance. Though Ponyville was tiny compared to a city like New York, he should have had the wherewithal to pay a little attention to his surroundings andnotwalk past his home by a great distance.

Ever since he arrived in Equestria, Peter found himself drowning more into his sorrow by the day despite the amount of positive energy his friends shot in his direction. It didn't help that a small part of him wanted to talk about the demons in his life to his new friends. After all, they knew his secret identity, but it just didn't seem right to tell them about his greatest mistake, Uncle Ben, or Gwen Stacy.

Peter never felt compelled to talk to anyone about his problems back at home, so he shouldn't start now. They were unforgivable crimes, and he didn't want to lose his friends just yet. He shook his head. Why was he even thinking about this? Something was slipping within him, but what was it?

Applejack noticed the troubled look in Peter's eyes and frowned. "You okay, partner? Something on your mind?"

'Yeah. I'm depressed over everything. Other than that, it's Tuesday.'Peter ignored his thoughts, sighing inwardly, and forced out a smile. "Sorry about that, AJ. You just caught me in the middle of a daydream," he lied, hoping she wouldn't find any deceit in his words. "What are you doing out here anyway?" His thoughts groaned. 'Maybe because she lives here, Einstein.'

She bit her lip to stifle her laughter. "I kind of live here, Pete."

'Exactly my point.'

Applejack shifted her gaze to the range of apple trees scattered across the field behind the barn. "I'm just about to do my share of apple-bucking for the day."

"Twilight told me about that. Isn't that when you go around and kick the apples from the trees?"

She nodded. "That's right. I only need to buck a few trees so some fresh apples will grow in."

The troubled look in Peter's eye returned. He turned away from Applejack, ready to make his way back home. "Don't let me slow you down, AJ."

Before he could progress any further, the blonde stepped out in front of Peter and held her hoof up defensively. "Now hold on. You're not slowing me down one bit." She closed the distance between herself and Peter until her face was only a few inches away from his. "Something's obviously got you rattled. How about we talk it over while I take care of business? Heck, you can even help me. That'll help you blow off some steam."

Peter furrowed his brow. Was it painfully obvious that he was a little bummed out, or was it Applejack's keen intuition? In either case, with Twilight and Rarity still on his mind, Peter couldn't shake his guilt. He took a step forward and prayed Applejack would move out of the way, but she held her position firmly like an oak standing in the raging storm wind. Her emerald eyes softened before her lips curled into a saddened smile.

"Please?" she said soundly yet gently.

Peter's nerves slipped from his grasp. The genuine care in her voice combined with her indomitable will left his feelings astray. It was familiar in so many ways. Suddenly, Applejack's face faded, and it humanized for a moment, causing Peter's stomach to tie itself into a knot. The golden locks, emerald orbs, and warm smile were reminiscent to his first true love, Gwen Stacy. His eyes shot open before Peter shook his head madly, forcing the illusion from his mind.

He glanced back at Applejack, whose image had returned to normal, and placed his hoof over his forehead. Something was not right, but he couldn't talk to Applejack about it. No. He couldn't talk to any pony about it. He reached out until his hoof fell on Applejack's shoulder, bringing her concerned gaze to meet his apologetic one.

"I'm sorry, AJ," he said before he gently pushed the pony to the side and ran off in the direction of Everfree Forest.

"Pete! Wait!" Applejack called out but to no avail. As his image disappeared into the darkness of the forest, the concern in her eyes continued to grow. "What's got into you, partner?"





'That was beyond stupid. How could I run off like that? Seriously, this stuff always bummed me out before, but why am I having such a hard time keeping it under wraps here? This doesn't make any sense. Well, nothing nowadays makes any sense.'

The sun's light struggled to pierce through the leaves of the trees but managed to provide enough to allow Peter to see where he was going. After several moments of running, Peter finally stopped somewhere in the midst of the dank forest where a small lake rested. His thoughts drifted as he found a place to sit alongside a tree.

Even in such a peaceful world, he found a way to cause trouble for himself and those around him. Perhaps it was just him being homesick that caused him to act this way, but that seemed highly unlikely. He placed his hoof in front of his face and sighed. It felt as if these feelings of insecurity were pouring out on their own, like a crack in a dam waiting to give in to the pressure. Whatever the case, it was too much to deal with at the moment.

He noticed movements out of the corner of his eye in the bushes across the lake. A pony stepped through the limbs with a set of large golden rings on her ears and around her neck. Her white and gray mane was reminiscent to that of a mohawk, and it matched her striped dark and light gray coat. Peter tilted his head to the side at a realization. She wasn't a pony.

"A zebra?" he said before his eyes shot open. A blaring alarm went off inside his head, causing him to leap back up. 'Spider sense! But what could-'

Suddenly, something erupted from the depths of the lake. Peter stumbled behind a tree, but when he peeked up, his jaw nearly struck the floor when he found a gigantic beast with four serpent heads roaring at the zebra.

'A Hydra? Seriously? AHYDRA? I can take dragons and ponies, but I put my foot down at Hydras!'

The zebra ran off into the wilderness, but the Hydra followed, knocking over trees and whatever else stood in his way. He lashed out with his clawed hand, but the zebra swayed to the side, causing the Hydra to strike a boulder instead. However, it only delayed the inevitable when she ran into a corner, trapped between a cliff and the hydra. All four heads of the beast smirked with the exception of one, who only looked around aimlessly.

They reared back, ready to strike the zebra down, but a being clad in red and blue jumped from the trees, kicked the clueless Hydra's head, and landed in front of the zebra. Her turquoise orbs widened at the oddly garbed pony. He only glanced back and chuckled.

"Pardon me, ma'am, but you look like you could use some assistance of the Spider-Mane variety."