Spiders and Magic: Rise of Spider-Mane

by Maximus_Reborn


Life of Guilt

Chapter Nine "Life of Guilt"

The sun rose above the horizon, blessing the land with its light and warmth. Twilight shifted in her bed and slowly opened her eyes. Her mane obscured some of her vision but proved handy to block some of the sun's rays from striking her still adjusting sight. She rolled over to her side, turning her back to the light, and placed her hoof over her mouth to stifle a yawn. Brushing her mane from her eyes, Twilight groaned once she learned it was barely daybreak.

Last night's event flashed across her mind, causing the mare to frown slightly. In her emotional state, she must have fallen asleep without realizing it. Her violet eyes shot open at a late realization. The bed sheets and blanket were carefully wrapped around her body with great care, and considering she was last downstairs, it stood to reason that Peter tucked her in.

Forcing herself from the comfort of her bed, Twilight paused, careful not to wake Spike from his slumber, and quietly made her way downstairs. Each step was a slow and steady one, causing very little noise, but eventually she reached to the doorway at the bottom. The inside of her mouth grew dry all of a sudden, a clear sign of her immense nervousness. Biting her lip, Twilight pressed onward into the room until she reached the couch where Peter usually slept.

A star-patterned blanket covered the entire sofa as well as Peter's body with the exception of his head, which hung over the arm of the couch. His short mane fell over the side of his face, hiding Twilight from Peter's view, but once she was close enough, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest once it was clear he was still awake. In her panicked state, Twilight ducked behind the couch, albeit rather clumsily, pulled her tail up to her chest, and held her breath, mentally praying Peter had not noticed her.

"Why is he still awake?"she pondered, clutching her tail tightly."Could he not sleep, too?"She began to rock in place."Is it my fault?"Her heartbeat sped to keep with her racing mind."Of course it is! I should have stayed in bed..."

For all Twilight knew, her behavior from last night left Peter troubled, explaining why he was awake at such an early time. Her own guilt deepened at this thought. Twilight was notoriously known for not being the best when it came to keeping secrets. For Celestia's sake, she could not keep quiet about Spike's very well-known crush on Rarity, and the sheer idea of trying to keep her revelation about Peter's past to herself was too much to handle. Right now, Twilight wanted to come clean and talk to Peter about what happened, but it was unclear whether he was in the mood for conversation or not.

She shook her head."This was a bad idea. I should just wait until-"Her words fell into her throat once a hoof tapped her horn gently, causing the mare to look overhead and find Peter blankly staring at her. "Pe... Pe... Pe..." she stuttered, her mind struggling to form words.

"Bathroom's that way if that's the case," Peter said, pointing his hoof to the opposite end of the room.

Inhaling deeply, Twilight forced the lump in her throat down and held her hooves up defensively. "I'm sorry, Peter! I didn't mean to disturb you!" she hastily replied, unaware of the flush that had consumed her face. "I just..." she paused, turning her gaze away to avoid his, "...couldn't sleep."

Silence filled the room, adding on to Twilight's anxiety, but Peter's soft laughter lightened the atmosphere. The colt pulled the blanket from the top of the couch and wrapped it around his body before he slid to the end of the sofa, motioning for Twilight to sit alongside him. What used to be a mild flush turned into an intense blush, the stain on her cheeks going from pink to crimson, but Twilight steadied her nerve and accepted the gesture.

A chilling breeze seeped through the door and brushed against her coat, causing the mare to shiver involuntarily. Suddenly, something warm fell over her shoulders, shielding her body from the chill in the air, and Twilight's eyes widened once she recognized the cloth as the blanket Peter was using a moment ago. She snapped her head in his direction, ready to protest, but the colt held his hoof up and smiled.

"It's okay. I couldn't sleep either," Peter said, causing Twilight's demeanor to soften. "Been doing a lot of thinking. Well, a lot more than usual, I mean."

A twinge of guilt pulled with her chest, prompting Twilight to place her hoof over her heart. Luckily, the blanket around her body hid this action from Peter's viewpoint.

"Was it because of me?" Her gaze fell to the ground.

Peter shook his head. "No, not at all." He scratched the back of his head before his hoof clumsily fell on Twilight's shoulder. Once she brought her head up at the hint of contact, Peter quickly removed his hoof and stammered, "You're feeling better though?"

Closing her eyes, Twilight nodded slightly. "A little."

The pair sat in an awkward silence for a few moments, but if their thoughts could have been heard, two separate arguments might have awoken any pony within their vicinity. Twilight hounded herself for coming downstairs to talk to Peter when something was already on his mind, and Peter slammed himself for trying to talk about his troubles to an emotionally distraught pony. However, Twilight did not want to be selfish, considering what she had already done, and decided to speak first.

"Why were you awake then?" she asked, hoping to divert all attention from herself.

Peter's mind grew fuzzy. For the past few days, he's felt inclined to talk to somepony about his troubles. Back at home, he didn't have anyone to share his secrets with, and that ended up destroying several friendships. In Equestria, several ponies already knew his biggest secret and proved to be the utmost valuable friends, but a large part of himself felt if he were to tell them about Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy, the bonds forged would crumble horribly.

Not wanting to lose his friends just yet, Peter readied to speak, but his eyes widened as a tingling sensation coursed through his chest. "I just wanted to talk to you about something personal, Twilight," he said blankly. His mind screamed for his mouth to stop, but it tuned out his thoughts and continued. "I've been thinking about this for quite some time. I'm afraid if I tell you this..." he held his breath in a weak attempt to stop, but he quickly exhaled, "...you'll end up hating me."

As the tingling continued to grow within his chest, Peter's mind drifted."What the heck just happened to me?"

Twilight's lips curled into a warm smile. "I could never hate you, Peter." She looked away slightly."I think you'll end up hatingmeinstead."

"Do you mean that?"

"How could I hate somepony as selfless as you?" Twilight edged a bit closer to Peter with her smile intact. "Of course I do. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Shut up, mouth. Don't you say any more-"Peter shifted his eyes to meet Twilight's, nearly drowning in her warm violet gaze. "Because you'll see I'm nothing more than a failure." His thoughts screamed with all of their might."Why can't I shut up?"

Twilight continued to move closer to Peter. "I'd never think badly of you. After what you've done for us in your short time here, I already consider you a true hero," she said, pausing to share her blanket and slide it over his shoulders, "and a great friend." Her lips curled into a sad smile."It's just as the book said. Despite the countless sacrifices he makes, Peter always worries about what others think."

The temperature around the pair rose slightly. Peter stole a glance at Twilight as she shifted underneath the blanket. Since the start, Twilight and her friends proved to be more human than the people back at home with their acts of honesty, generosity, and companionship. They gave a great amount of trust by accepting him, an outsider, into their world, and though Peter gave them his identity in return, it was about time he returned the trust in full. The nagging pull in his chest tightened as if it agreed with this motion.

"Your heart carries so much grief, if you simply talk to your friends, you may find relief. I will not pry, but I insist you give it a try. Guilt is overwhelming when it has grown, but I assure you that you will not have to face it alone. Whenever you are ready to open your heart, to seek me out would be most smart."

"I feel like I'm going to regret this, but right now, I feel like I can tell you anything, Twilight," Peter said honestly, wishing he could mute some of his words.

Her eyes widened. "Really?" Twilight turned her head, unaware Peter was still looking down at her, and accidentally brushed her snout against his own. The mare shot back, nearly falling from the sofa, but despite the crimson stain on her cheeks and excelling body temperature, Twilight recollected herself. "I'm happy to hear you feel that way," she forced out, mentally cringing at the remembrance of the book."You shouldn't trust me though."

"So I need you to come with me to Zecora's later today," Peter said, breaking Twilight's train of thought. The mare looked at him questionably, but the colt placed his hoof on her shoulder for reassurance. "I know it's weird, but I'll explain everything then, okay? For now, just trust me."

It was an odd request indeed, but Twilight did not doubt Peter for a moment. After the book incident, she wouldn't mind going along with this request, and Zecora was very wise, meaning she might have learned something about Peter during their encounter with the Hydra. Twilight finally nodded and smiled, giving her approval.

"That's perfectly fine with me," she said sweetly, earning a relieved chuckle out of Peter. Twilight surrendered her half of the blanket, missing the warmth it brought instantly, and left the comfort of the sofa. "We should both get some rest then."

"Hold on."

Peter's words were stern and swift, causing Twilight to stop in her tracks. A great hint of seriousness could be seen in his eyes, and Twilight felt the strength in her muscles diminish the longer she stared into them. Beads of sweat ran down from her forehead. Paranoia seeped in, and it only worsened once Peter hopped from the couch.

"Does he know what I did? How could he possibly know about the book?"Twilight's eye twitched involuntarily."Could he have looked for it while I slept?"Her ear twitched alongside her eye."He's going to hate you, Twilight! Loathe entirely! And guess what? You deserve it!"

"Twilight..." Peter called out from behind, unknowingly sending Twilight even further into a mental upheaval. She slowly turned her head, but instead of finding anything reminiscent to an accusing glare, Twilight found a warm gaze matched with a kind smile. "You listened to my problem. Isn't fair that I listen to yours now?"

"Oh, he doesn't know?"Twilight placed her hoof over her mouth and cleared her throat. "Well..." was all she managed to say before her thoughts intervened."You can't tell him! He'll hate you if you do! Just wait until after we go to Zecora's. He'll be more likely to forgive you when there's less on his mind. That way you won't be labeled a horrible pony by PeterandPrincess Celestia!"The twitching spell moved to the side of her mouth, leaving the mare to carry an uncomfortably forced grin on her face. "There's no need. I'm feeling much better!" Her head tilted to the side sharply. "See?"

Peter stepped back with his brow furrowed. "Maybe it's just me, but it really doesn't seem like you're okay."

"Oh, I'm great! More than great! It's not like I did anything that'd make you hate me forever, right?"

"...what?"

Twilight slapped herself mentally, but it seemed her twitching ears were the physical form of that representation. "Exactly! We should get some sleep! Bigdayatzecora's!" she said too fast for her tongue and brain to match. "Well, good night!"

"Twilight..."

"What about the book?" Twilight bit her lip and shook her head madly. "I mean, yes, Peter?"

Peter, oblivious to the mare's erratic behavior, closed his eyes and exhaled softly. "When we go to Zecora's, there's one other pony that should come, too." He opened his eyes, knowing the chance he was about to take. "I owe her abigexplanation."


"All right now, ya'll. What in the hay is going on?" Applejack asked, staring questionably at Peter. "You've been acting awful strange lately, Sugarcube. What's wrong?"

"I know, and I'm sorry, AJ. Everything will be explained shortly," Peter replied, earning a baffled expression from the blonde. He turned back to Zecora, who was in the midst of mixing a bowl of assorted herbs and substances, and offered an apologetic smile. "Thanks for seeing me on such short notice. I would have called and signed for an appointment, but you don't have a line I can reach. You should totally open up a hotline or something."

Once she was done mixing, Zecora smiled back at the colt. "It is my pleasure to see you again, I was worried you may have tried to resist your mental strain. To bring your friends is a sign of trust, and I am happy you are willing to adjust." She slid her bowl over to Peter. "First you must ingest this, back in my home, it is called an 'honest kiss'."

"It's as if you knew I'd come back. You sure you're not a mind reader?" He stared at the bowl intently."Or Madame Web's counterpart?"After a quick sniff of the mixture, Peter ingested the contents, groaning right after. "Doesn't exactly taste like a salad. What's it supposed to do?"

Zecora closed her eyes, but before Peter could ask a question, a hot wave coursed through his chest and rushed into his mind, sending Peter into the depths of subconsciousness. However, in the physical world, he stood still as his eyes glazed over to a shade of gray. Twilight rushed over, unsure of what was transpiring, but Zecora raised her hoof to both stop and silence the unicorn before she could speak.

"Do not fret, this was to be expected, if you are his friend, then his wish must be respected." Zecora lowered her hoof and made her way over to Peter until they were inches apart. His gray irises shifted, acknowledging the zebra's presence Zecora nodded and gently placed her hoof on his shoulder. "Peter, a lot has been on you mind, tell me everything, if you would be so kind?"

Applejack inched closer to Twilight, whose lower lip quivered in fear, and gave the mare a firm, reassuring pat on the back. Peter shifted his eyes in the pair's direction, sending a wave of uncertainty through their hearts, but they paused when sadness filled his eyes, matched only by the grim frown on his face.

"I made new friends in my time here. Great friends. But I know if you found out the truth about me, I may lose those new friends. My name is Peter Parker..." he said somberly before he gazed up at the ceiling. "...and I am a horrible person."


A light tune echoed inside of her head. Pinkie bounced from one spot to the next, spreading decorations across the room. The party favors were scattered accordingly. The punch bowl was primed and ready, filled with the tastiest juice she could find. The record player was plugged in, ready to play an assortment of her favorite tunes and whatever sounded catchy. There were a couple of things missing, but she still had time to prepare. Her ocean blue eyes widened once a realization came into mind. She slid underneath the table that the punch bowl rested on and retrieved a small box. Holding it delicately to not damage the precious cargo inside, Pinkie stole a peek inside.

A giggle escaped from the mare. "I just know Peter'll love this." She closed the box and continued to bounce around the room with renewed vigor. However, she accidentally stepped on a custom made confetti gun, sending its material all around the room. However, her upbeat demeanor remained undeterred, evident by the growing volume in her giggling. "He'slongoverdue for a Pinkie Pie welcome party!"


My life is what any sane person would call complicated, but it wasn't always like this. Actually, things were relatively simple. I was but a geek who lived with his aunt and uncle in Queens. The only thing odd in my life were the days my gorilla-ish bully, Flash Thompson, didn't give me a swirlyanda wedgie before stuffing me ever so comfortably in a locker. Other than that, things were normal.

Until that day at the science exhibit...

The expo we went through had a whole room full of spiders, some even genetically altered and enhanced. I separated from my class for a moment to take some decent pictures for the school newspaper, and I was too focused on that to notice one of the spiders had escaped from its cage. With one bite (an incredibly mean one, mind you), he made his presence known, but I just flicked him away, thinking it was just a minor inconvenience.

Boy, was I wrong.

I woke up the next morning, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Seriously. My vision was cleared all of a sudden. No. It was perfect even! I didn't need my glasses anymore. If that wasn't enough, one look at the mirror and I find my scrawny frame with an athletic one. I was so much stronger, and I could scale walls with ease. Then, there was the alarm in my head that went off whenever danger was nearby. It was beyond weird, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the changes.

Unfortunately, I was turning into something ugly in the process.

I was always a wallflower to everyone. With these new powers, I had the ability to change that. It took some doing, but I become a showman to win contests and make some cash. To make my act even better, I created my costume and web-shooters to give the folks something to talk about. Spider-Man became a hit, but my head swelled with the success.

It came back to haunt me in the worst way.

After one night, my promoter cheated me out of my usual pay, and I was left fuming. Not too long afterward, he was robbed, but I didn't think it was my problem. The guy had it coming. The thief was on the run with a cop right behind him. If he made it to the elevator, he would have gotten away clean, but I was the only thing standing in his way. With my powers, I could have made mincemeat out of the guy. The cop yells at me to stop the guy, but I was arrogant.

I let him get away.

It wasn't my problem. Why should I care? On my way home, I saw a group of people in the middle of the street. They seem troubled. I don't know why, but I had a bad feeling. Cops were parked nearby. I rush through the crowd, and I find out something terrible had happened. Someone had carjacked and killed my Uncle Ben. I was angry. Furious. I couldn't let this go unanswered. Luckily, I heard the cop's radio go off, explaining where the burglar was. I changed into Spider-Man and quickly found him before the police could, but it was here that I found out who he was.

The burglar who killed my uncle was thesameman I didn't stop earlier that day.

It was my fault. My uncle died because I didn't step in when I had the chance. I was a punk who needed a reality check, but I wish Uncle Ben didn't have to be the one to pay the price. I'll never forgive myself for that. The least I can do is honor Uncle Ben's memory. That's how I became to be who I am.

With great power comes great responsibility.

It wasn't easy. The college life was expensive, and I needed a way to maintain myself financially. As luck would have it, the Daily Bugle, the city newspaper, wanted pictures of Spider-Man, and I was just to guy to get the close-ups no one else could. Unfortunately, the guy in charge of the stand, Jay Jonah Jameson, hated Spider-Man with a fiery passion. After I would stop a bank robbery, he would say I was actually robbing the place, or whenever a local baddie went on a rampage, Jameson would always assume Spidey was in cahoots with said baddie.

I don't know what was worse- Jameson telling the lies or the city believing the lies.

I couldn't quit the job. No one else would hire me, and money was becoming a problematic issue. It really didn't help Jameson was a jerk who barely wanted to give minimal wage, let alone decent dough for pictures of Spider-Man. I guess you can say Peter Parker is Spider-Man's worst enemy. It didn't matter as long as I knew I was doing the right thing. That doesn't mean it didn't suck though.

Finally, there was a positive.

I met someone in college. She was gorgeousandnoticed a wallflower like me. Her name was Gwen Stacy, probably the cutest blonde I ever met back at home. You actually remind me of her, Applejack. The blonde hair, green eyes, upbeat attitude, and sweet nature are things you two share in common. The two of us started dating, and for the first time since Uncle Ben died, things started looking up again.

But, as my luck would have it, the good life came to a screeching halt.

Gwen's father, Captain Stacy, of the police unit was killed in action, and Spider-Man was blamed for the entire scenario. I didn't kill him. I tried to save him, but the Bugle labeled me a 'murdering menace' for my troubles. Now I had the entire police force shooting at me on sight and Gwen hating Spider-Man for what happened to her father. I wanted to tell her the truth about my identity, but I couldn't stand the idea of what may have happened between us.

Looking back, I wish I did. It may have prevented what happened next.

It was just few months ago from now. My worst enemy, the Green Goblin, attacked. He kidnapped Gwen and took her over to a bridge. It all happened so fast. I was so far away, and I didn't think Goblin was sadistic enough to throw a helpless woman from that height. But he did! I wasn't fast enough to dive after Gwen, and with the speed she was falling, I knew my time was significantly limited. I reacted the only way I knew how and shot a strand of webbing to her ankle. Just like that, I managed to stop. I actually saved Gwen.

...or so I thought.

By the time I pulled Gwen back up, she was already dead. What went wrong? She was still alive when Goblin threw her. Did the shock of the situation get to her? Did Goblin do something before throwing her? As I checked Gwen body, it finally hit me. Gwen was falling so fast, and when I stopped her so suddenly...

Oh, God.Ikilled her!

How could I have been so stupid? The whiplash effect broke Gwen's neck! If I had just talked to her... No. If I had doneanythingdifferently, Gwen might still be alive. I'm a guy with such great power, but I seem to do is get everyone close to me killed. I killed Uncle Ben. I couldn't save Captain Stacy. I killed Gwen.

I killed them all.


Peter snapped out of his trance and shook his head. The color in his eyes returned to normal, and the strange sensation that coursed through his chest moments ago had long passed. His mind, still fuzzy, struggled to piece back together what had transpired, but it served only as a vague sense of denial, Peter quickly realizing he had indeed revealed his darkest secrets.

Against his will at that.

He turned, ready to yell at Zecora for what she had done, but his heart froze at an unsettling sight. The zebra stood with her eyes slammed shut, forcing back as many of her tears as possible. Despite his building frustration, Peter couldn't bring himself to yell at the mare. He went to her for help, and though it wasn't quite what he was expecting, she did indeed help clear his mind though it may have shattered whatever view Zecora had of him.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Peter shifted his gaze to Applejack, but the blonde too busy brushing the tears away from her eyes to notice. The upside of her hoof was as damp as a moist cloth, suggesting she had been wiping her face clean for quite some time. Peter felt his heart sink to a new depth. He held his hoof out, ready to console Applejack, but sobs coming from behind the blonde stopped him in his tracks.

Twilight sat with her head nearly touching the floor. Unlike Applejack and Zecora, she could not hold her tears back, evident by the small puddle her head hovered over. In between her sobs, she tried to face Peter, but it only proved to further add to her emotional state, causing her to break down further. Applejack placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulder, offering soothing words to calm her friend down. Peter sighed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry for not telling you all sooner. I just didn't want you all to hate me," he said, forcing out a pitiful laugh, "but I couldn't blame you if you did."

Zecora shook her head before a sad smile formed on her face. "We would dare not hate you, not in a million years, but your tale was phenomenally sad and produced many tears."

Peter's eyes widened. "You don't hate me? I mean, after what happened to Uncle Ben?"

"The price for wisdom is often high and causes us to ask ourselves why. There is no more to put yourself through, because your uncle would be proud of the pony you've grown into," Zecora said firmly, unaware of the tears that rolled down her cheek.

Her words, though simple, had an astronomical effect. The inside of Peter's chest grew warm, and the sense of dread that had hovered over his mind seemed to have lightened a bit. The doubts remained, clouding his judgment, but as if she sensed it, Zecora wrapped her hooves around Peter's neck, bringing the colt into a warm embrace.

"You will always be my friend, so nothing else matters in the end," she whispered into his ear before ending the embrace.

Peter's lips steadily curled into a smile. Despite his failures, there wassomeonewho still considered him a decent friend. Maybe Zecora was just more tolerant than most, but he still found relief in some form. He gave the zebra a simple yet friendly nod, showing his appreciation in a tiny way. However, there were still two others he had to confront. Peter turned, knowing the worst was going to happen, and made his way over to Applejack.

The blonde brushed her hoof over her eyes once more, this time succeeding in removing any evidence of tears. The pair stood in silence for a few moments before Peter's gaze fell to the floor. Even now, he couldn't bring himself to look at one so reminiscent to Gwen, a constant reminder of one of his greatest failures. Applejack took a step forward, closing the gap between herself and Peter.

"Pete... is that why you ran off the other day?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry. It's hard to tell a friend they remind you of an ex, let alone a dead one." Her expression grimed, causing him to cringe slightly. "Kind of hard to say anything to something of a killer, huh?"

The look in her emerald eyes darkened with a great hint of seriousness. "It wasn't your fault."

"But I-"

"Stop!" Though the outburst was considerably loud, it was enough for Peter to fold and slam his eyes shut. Applejack bit her lip, trying her best to keep her building emotions in check. "I'm not going to just sit here and let you beat yourself up. You're just one pony. You can't put the entire weight of the world on your shoulders."

Her tears resurfaced, but she didn't care. Applejack placed her head against Peter's shoulder. "As long as you're here with us, you'll have to let us carry the weight with you." Slowly and hesitantly, the blonde took a step back so that her eyes would be in direct contact with Peter's. "That was yesterday, and this is today, sugarcube. As of today, you're with us, and we will take care of you." She gave a friendly wink. "I promise."

Peter stood bewildered and amazed. Zecora and Applejack did not show any hesitance in their voices. After everything he put up with at home, Peter had a knack for only expecting the worst-case scenario. It was surreal how accepting these ponies were when he first fell into their world, but to experience the feeling again under new circumstances, the truth was a little easier to accept.

"I thought every pony was super friendly in this world..."Peter's smile grew in width as he placed his hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "Thanks, AJ," he softly said. Once the blonde returned the gesture with a smile of her own, a small realization struck Peter."It's not that. I was just lucky the find the best ponies possible."

A couple of tears managed to stray down the side of Applejack's cheek, causing the mare to groan outwardly, "Gosh darn it... I hate crying."

Peter's smile remained intact for a few moments, but once he shifted his gaze, spotting Twilight still in her prone position, it dissipated instantly. Though it took time, Twilight finally regained control of her emotions, evident by her periodic sniffling. Peter slowly made his way to the mare, treading ever so lightly to not disturb the delicate balance around him, until he was just inches away.

Placing his flank on the floor, Peter decided to not force his hoof. He had been living with Twilight for the past week, and the fact he kept such a secret from her probably explained her emotional state. His mind grimaced, imagining how much Twilight may hate him or how she would kick him out of the house. After all, nopony would want a murderer in their home.

Twilight placed her hooves firmly against the ground and pushed herself back into a sitting position. Her violet mane hung over the majority of her face with the exception of her quivering mouth. Peter brought his hoof up, ready to reach out to Twilight, but he stopped himself, figuring she would not have wanted any form of contact to be made. However, much to Peter's surprise, Twilight lunged forward, wrapping her hooves around his neck and burying her soaked face into his chest.

Peter felt his coat absorbing Twilight's tears, but he dared not stop her, running his hoof through his friend's silky mane. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I should have told you first," he said, glancing off to the side. "This is why I said I'm not the greatest hero. I'm a careless idiot who gets everyone killed." Peter chuckled halfheartedly. "If you're going to kick me out, I understand. It won't take me long to-"

"...don't want you to..." Twilight muffled into his chest.

His brow furrowed. "Huh?"

Twilight pulled herself away and peered up at Peter. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and that cute pink strand of hair Peter liked so much rested between Twilight's puffy eyes and wet snout. She shook her head before her hoof rose to brush away the tears that covered a great portion of her face. Once she felt ready to speak, her eyes met Peter's brown irises.

She stammered, unsure why his gaze captivated her the way it did. "I said I don't want you to leave."

"Even after everything you heard? My uncle? My ex? Aren't you going to be..." he paused to scratch the back of his head, "...uncomfortable with a guy- er colt- like me? I mean, I can find another place-"

"I don'twantyou to leave! I want you tostay!" she exclaimed, causing Peter to jump back slightly. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers at the late realization of her own outburst. "I mean," she struggled to backtrack, "if it's okay with you, I'd like for you to stay." Her face flushed.

"Take my word for it, Pete," Applejack said, placing her hoof on the colt's shoulder, "once this one makes up her mind, there's no point arguing." She used her other hoof and brought Peter's gaze over to meet her emerald eyes. "Same goes for me. You can't get rid of us that easily."

It was something unheard of. No, this was something ripped out of a cartoon. Peter shook his head inwardly, desperately trying to wrap his mind around the surreality of the situation, but Applejack pulled him into a second embrace, causing his mind to go fuzzy. Suddenly, Twilight mirrored Applejack's actions and hugged Peter from the other side of his body. The troubles that plagued his mind steadily melted away, turning into something warmer.

While it may have been surreal, Peter knew it would have been foolish to turn it away. He held his hooves out and wrapped them around the mares, returning their embrace in full. Zecora stepped forward but chose not to join the group embrace, giving the trio a warm smile instead. Peter shifted his gaze from Zecora back to the mares in his hooves.

"Everyone- I mean- Everypony," he said, unable to contain his laughter, "thank you."


The trip back into Ponyville was relatively short and quiet. Peter walked behind Applejack and Twilight with his gaze fixed on the ground. Though he felt better than he had for the past few days, something pulled at the back of his mind. He remained quiet until they finally reached Twilight's house. Once she placed her hoof against the door, Peter cleared his throat, causing Applejack and Twilight to stop in their tracks.

"Hey, do you two think we can keep this between us for a while?" he asked hesitantly. "I don't want the others to know quite yet."

Applejack tilted her head to the side. "Why's that, Pete?"

Peter held his hoof out defensively. "It's not that I don't trust them. It's just that Rarity's been really busy lately, Rainbow Dash probably wouldn't be interested in that sort of thing, I don't want Pinkie Pie to learn about something that terrible, and I can't imagine myself causing Fluttershy to cry." He glanced off to the side. "I will tell them... just not right now."

"So it's a secret between the three of us? That's fine by me, partner." Applejack winked.

The pair shared a smile before Peter shifted his gaze over to Twilight, who remained silent throughout the discussion. "Can you do that for me, Twilight?"

No response was given. Twilight frowned as sadness filled her eyes. Peter called out to her once more, knocking her out of her trance. Her eyes widened when she noticed the troubled look in Peter's eyes. Her mind quickly played back his previous words, only adding to her embarrassment.

"I'm sorry! Yes, of course, Peter," she stammered, bringing her hoof to hide her flushed features.

Peter walked over to the mare with a concerned look on his face. "Twilight... are you okay?"

"Just tell Peter the truth. He poured his heart and soul. The least you can do is be upfront with him."Twilight forced out a sigh. "Peter, I..." Her mind screamed."He'll hate you! Can you really stand that?"It felt as if her stomach was tying itself into a knot. "I..."

She couldn't. Peter had gone through too much already. Her confession would undo everything that was done at Zecora's. Right now, she just wanted Peter to be happy for once in his life.

"...just wanted to tell you I hope you'll grow to love Equestria," she said, resisting the urge to kick herself.

Peter stood silent for a moment, fueling Twilight's anxiety, but once he started laughing softly, she could let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Twilight. Honestly, I already like it here, but-"

Applejack pushed opened the door, merely to step out of the sun, but the second she did, Pinkie Pie leap from inside the house and landed in the midst of the trio. Twilight yelped loudly, stumbling back, but Peter, though surprised, still had the wherewithal to hold his hooves out and catch the unicorn.

"Welcome to Ponyville, Peter! I know it's late, and I know you've been super busy, but I wanted to throw you a welcoming party!"

"A... what?" Peter said, slack-jawed at the intrusion. He peeked inside, but the sight caused his jaw to fall even lower. Several ponies sat inside with Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy among them. Everypony gestured a wave and cheered for the colt at the door, causing Peter to glance down at Twilight and smile widely.

"I already liked Ponyville, Twilight, but I'm really loving this place now."