//------------------------------//
// Friendship Express 
// Story: Spiders and Magic: Rise of Spider-Mane 
// by Maximus_Reborn 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Sixteen "Friendship Express"

From newspaper articles to radio shows, the race between Wonderbolt's captain, Spitfire, and Ponyville's hero, Spider-Mane, had become the single-most talked about subject in Equestria. The challenge was accepted two days ago, and tickets for the event were already sold out. Luckily, thanks to Spidey's request, his group of friends would be given exclusive passes to both Manehattan Palace and the race.

With their reservations ready and destination set, everypony waited for the train to arrive. Twilight, much to her diligent nature, inspected the collection of suitcases her friends brought, and Spike followed with a checklist in hand. The others sat not far from the unicorn's position in a row of benches. Considering they were going to be away from Ponyville for a number of days, Twilight wanted to be certain everything was accounted for.

"Okay, Spike. Are we ready to begin? We're on the clock," Twilight said, her eyes remaining locked on the pile of cases.

"Is your friend always so thorough, Rarity?" Octavia giggled, offering the designer a cup of tea.

Rarity playfully exhaled, using her magic to retrieve the cup. "Please forgive Twilight, Octavia. She is not the type to take preparation lightly." The sweet, warm scent of the drink seeped into her nostrils, causing a blissful sigh to escape from Rarity's mouth. "I hope this does not discourage you from accompanying us to Manehattan."

"Hardly. I enjoy the unique air your friends exude." Both mares took a sip of their tea simultaneously. As the librarian and dragon continued their inspection, the smile on the gray pony's face remained intact. "Which reminds me, I simply must thank you again for inviting me. The village life can be so lackluster. Manehattan shall be a breath of fresh air."

Waving her hoof, Rarity haughtily laughed. "Think nothing of it, dear. Your company is always welcomed." However, Rarity's smile diminished, an irritated frown falling in its place. Her royal blue irises opened slightly but slammed shut once they landed on the blue unicorn sitting several feet away. "I can't say the same regarding certain others."

Trixie, keeping her back turned, closed her eyes and huffed. Once news regarding the trip came into light, Trixie demanded to come along, while the others were present nonetheless. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were not familiar with the unicorn, but Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity remember Trixie all too well, the Ursa Minor incident being impossible to forget. However, Twilight and Peter gave no protest, allowing Trixie to come along for the journey and take the tenth spot on the train pass.

At that point, the truth regarding Trixie's knowledge of Spider-Mane's identity came into light, and everypony accepted the circumstance. Though Trixie was known throughout Equestria for her acts of fraud, it was best not to run the risk ofsomeponybelieving her. If one pony spread a rumor, many would follow, and Peter would not have a moment's peace, constantly hounded by the media or those who wish to do him harm.

Rarity let out a very unladylike growl into her cup, its sound echoing through the glass. Only for Peter's sake, she thought. Only for Peter.

"What is taking so long?" Trixie moaned as the early morning breeze brushed across her thin coat. The mare shuddered at the hint of contact, forcing her to pull her cape close to her body. Without her hat, a second breeze 'attacked', brushing through Trixie's silver blue mane. A strand of her mane fell between her eyes, leaving Trixie to moan for a second time. "The train was supposed to arrive ages ago."

"It's only been a few minutes, yer' highness. Try to be a little patient," Applejack mused, tapping her hoof against the bench.

Trixie sharply turned with a venomous glare, and Applejack countered with a freckled scowl. Fortunately, before the situation could escalate, Peter stepped between the two mares and placed his hooves on their shoulders respectively.

"Play nice, ladies," he grinned, causing both girls to turn their gazes from each other.

The smile seemed to have been etched into the stallion's face, remaining intact since the night he accepted Spitfire's challenge. Perhaps he missed the city life, the web-swinging, or skyscraper climbing, but Peter could only contain his excitement for so long. Hopping from the bench, Peter trotted over to Fluttershy and placed his hooves on her shoulders, sending the Pegasus into a spiral of giddiness. Her coat grew warm, burning immensely as Peter's cheek playfully graced her own.

"You're going to love the city, Fluttershy! Aren't you excited?" Peter chuckled, unaware of the frazzled state Fluttershy was in.

Her mind grew fuzzy, disabling any intellect she had momentarily. Fluttershy's cheeks grew hotter, and her heart threatened to burst from her chest. Somehow, she managed to nod her head, non-verbally responding to Peter's question, but the second he broke away from the Pegasus, Fluttershy's wings rose, perking with a familiar stiffness. Luckily, Rainbow Dash saw what was transpiring and pulled Fluttershy out of sight before anypony else could notice.

"Careful, Fluttershy. You poke somepony's eye out with those things," she politely, more so sarcastically, stated.

The flush on Fluttershy's face remained a fair shade of crimson, worsening upon laying her ocean blue eyes on her perked wings. Shaking her head, Fluttershy slammed her eyes shut and let out a series of whimpers, their pitches heightening every second. Not again, she thought. This was the Gala all over again.

While a part of her being wanted to come into contact with Peter again, Fluttershy did not want to relive the humiliation of that night. Her wings slammed back into her side with a snap, causing the meek Pegasus to let out a soft 'ouch'. Once the situation was rectified, Fluttershy lowered her body until Rainbow's shadow concealed her entire being.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow. I didn't mean for this to happen again. Peter just-"

"Yeah, yeah. Peter's hot, but try to keep a lid on it, okay?" Rainbow Dash nonchalantly replied, her gaze fixed on the stallion of interest. Unlike Fluttershy, who's interest in Peter was 'positive', Rainbow seemed to be the opposite, evident by the glare she held. "I still can't believe Spitfire chosehim. Why not me? I can actuallyflyfor crying out loud. What do you think, Fluttershy?"

Rainbow awaited a response for several moments, but after what seemed like minutes, she turned, only to find Fluttershy had long left her company. Shifting her eyes, Rainbow found her pink-maned friend making her way back to where Peter stood. Rainbow let out an exasperated groan as her hoof fell over her forehead. She readied to chase Fluttershy down, but her sense of logic intervened in the form of a defeated sigh.

Tremors vibrated through the railroad, followed by the sound of churning that echoed across the sky. Peter stopped next to Twilight and shifted his sights to the approaching train from afar, its black fumes escaping from the exhaust port. As the train neared the station, Twilight's eyes scrolled through the list in Spike's hand one last time, and after a brief moment, the unicorn smiled, having finally completed the checklist.

"So we're good to go?" Peter chuckled, earning a giggle from the lavender mare.

Pinkie emerged from within a suitcase just inches behind Peter, causing the stallion to let out a high-pitched yelp. "Yeah! We're good to go! She checked the list three times! I would say we're great to go!" Pinkie eagerly stated, hopping from the confined space of her case. Once her case was closed, the eccentric mare bounced in place. "I can't wait to reach Manehattan! IfI'mexcited, I can't imagine howyoufeel! Super excited? Extra super excited?! Which is it?"

Peter's heart had not yet recovered, remaining at an alarming pace. Tapping his hoof against his chest, the stallion blankly muttered, "I'm ecstatic..."

Everypony left the benches and gathered around Twilight's position. It was then that all ten individuals were identified, being Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Octavia, Trixie, and Peter. The train finally arrived at the station, its single couch brightening the scene with a yellow and blue design. Peter watched the train with a furrowed brow, his mind questioning if the locomotive was his predestined one, but as if sensing his doubt, Twilight edged over to his side until they were only inches apart.

"See the Wonderbolts insignia?" she whispered, pointing at the symbol imbedded over the door of the car. "This is definitely our ride."

Peter scratched the back of his head. Though there was only one car present, it made up for what it lacked in quantity through quality. Its size surpassed that of a normal car greatly, and considering the small number of ponies present, this meant there was room for everypony to do whatever they pleased and then some.

He sighed inwardly. It was a good thing Twilight told the headlines that Spider-Mane would find his own way to Manehattan. If she hadn't, it would not have taken much for anypony to deduce Spider-Mane's identity from a group of mares, a dragon, and a stallion.

'That would have been awkward.'Rolling his eyes, Peter pushed his worries to the wayward side of his mind. "First class, huh? This gets better by the minute." The stallion's eyes widened at a late realization. "You have our pass, Twilight?"

In a flash of pink energy, the pass appeared right above Peter's snout. As he let out a second yelp, Twilight closed her eyes and giggled innocently. "I take it that answered your question?"

Peter shrugged his shoulders and followed Twilight into the train while Rainbow laughed at his expense. After introductions and several security precautions, everypony boarded the train. However, the luxury of the car was unparalleled, far exceeding anypony's expectations. If not for the exterior, the interior would have been mistaken for one's home. A large sofa sat in the middle of the 'room', bolts drilled through the legs into the floor for obvious reasons.

Unlike its makeshift predecessors, bearing cushions as hard as steel, this particular sofa could rival the softest of beds and match the largest in size. This was but a taste of what the car had to offer. With five rooms separated from the main lobby, half of the group opened their doors alternatively. Behind the first three doors were a pair of bunk beds in each room, combining to a total of twelve, and a kitchen occupied the fourth, equipped with all things mandatory for eatery means. The fifth served only as a storage room with extra mixes, utensils, and condiments stacked across the shelves.

"So I'm not the only pony riding this train?"

Everypony turned at the sound that came from behind, finding a mare with a snow white coat standing by the entrance, sky blue streaks running through her royal blue mane. She lifted her violet shades and placed them behind her perked ears, revealing a pair of crimson irises. However, they widened upon landing on the group gathered before her, particularly the gray pony hidden among them.

"Holy smokes! Octavia! What are you doing here?" she happily said, gesturing a wave.

Octavia's response was lackluster, in the form of a half-hearted smile. "Vinyl Scratch, this is certainly a... surprise," she paused, struggling to find the best word. The shock remained intact, but Octavia shook her head, extending her hoof to the group while her sight remained locked on Vinyl. "I'm here as Rarity's guest on course for Manehattan." Closing her eyes, she sarcastically added, "I take it you're on the wrong train?"

"No way! I'm going to Manehattan, too! I'm actually the DJ for the Spitfire/Spider-Mane race. Awesome, right?" Vinyl remained upbeat, undeterred by her friend's sarcasm. That same instance, Vinyl removed the ticket from behind her ear and extended it for Octavia to see. "Luckily, this sweet pass Spitfire gave me allows anypony to board whatever train they want. Guess it was a good thing I missed the train yesterday, because not only is my buddy, Octavia, here, but the original party animal, Pinkie Pie, is here, too!"

Vinyl Scratch hopped over to Pinkie, and both mares greeted each other with a friendly high hoof followed by a down low. Afterward, the DJ reacquainted herself with the others, making up for lost time since the end of the Canterlot Wedding. Peter broke away from the get together and collapsed face-first on the sofa, allowing his slender frame to sink into the marshmallow-like cushion. He watched as the chauffeurs brought everypony's belongings into the train.

Based off what Twilight told him, it'd be two full days until they reached Manehattan, and with the race five days away, Peter had plenty of time to think things over. The train's horn blared, echoing across the airwaves. Before long, the journey to Manehattan officially began.

Peter lifted his head and furrowed his brow at the collection of baggage scattered around the sofa. He'd think about things later. Right now, it was best to help the girls get situated. Leaping, against his will, from the comfort the sofa provided, Peter trotted over to his backpack. However, he stopped in his tracks once his hazel irises spotted a crimson cloth hanging from the bottom half of his bag.

'Oh, not again,'his mind spat, not wanting the Trixie incident to replicate itself.

Luckily, the cloth Peter found was not his costume but a scarf. It was actually a gift given to him just before his departure from Ponyville. His heart lightened, causing Peter's lips to curl into a warm smile. The crimson design was simple, but a small blue circle rested near the lower half with four golden ponies imbedded within. Above the circle were the words 'Cutie Mark' and below was 'Crusaders'. Peter's mind recollected yesterday's events, namely his time spent with Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Applebloom.





Peter sat in an upright position with his hooves folded across his chest. The day was a gorgeous one. The sun burned brightly overhead but not enough to cause any discomfort. Sadly, he spent the majority of the day helping Twilight and Trixie pack, the latter being a tad bit obnoxious about it. With that done, Peter would have had the entire day to himself, but the Crusaders wanted to have a team meeting with their begrudged leader before his departure for Manehattan.

A sense of dread washed over his mind. Peter hoped the Crusaders didn't have another plan to earn their cutie marks. The last time they tried, Peter was left with a drenched coat and soggy attitude. Turned out swimming was not his special talent.

That same moment, the door slowly opened, freeing Peter from his daydream. Applebloom scurried into the clubhouse first, her bright orange pupils widening as they landed on Peter. Unfortunately, Scootaloo had not slowed any, causing the young filly to collide with Applebloom, and both ended up in a tangled heap just inches away from Peter, who could only watch the spectacle aimlessly.

"Ah' told ya'll he'd be here," Applebloom slurred, her eyes struggling to fixate back into position.

Scootaloo, shaking her head, flapped her wings to lift herself from the ground but failed to make any vertical progress. After Peter placed his hooves under her body, he gently lifted the filly from the ground, earning a flushed yet irritated glare from Scootaloo.

"That wasn't me. That was Sweetie Belle that said Pete wouldn't show," Scootaloo replied, pushing herself free from Peter's grasp.

Peter raised his brow. "Speaking of which... whereisSweetie Belle?"

Everypony in the room turned their gaze to the opened door, awaiting the snow-white filly to make her appearance, but only a gentle breeze entered the abode, pushing the door further open. Of all the Crusaders, Sweetie Belle was least likely to ever miss a meeting. Her presence had always been felt, especially from Peter's perspective, but that came from the fact that Sweetie usually remained physically close (in terms of proximity) to the stallion, usually by his side or right behind him.

Peter had not paid it any mind, really. He figured she just thought his blank flank was too weird a sight to ignore.'Yeah. A horsewithouta tattoo on his butt is weird.'Peter placed his hoof over his forehead.'I'm going to need therapy...'

Before he could dive further into the subject, Sweetie Belle slowly reared her lavender head through the door. Her bright emerald irises shifted from everypony in the clubhouse, but once they found Peter, Sweetie cowered, taking a step back outside. Scootaloo and Applebloom rushed after their friend and dragged her inside despite her protesting whimpers. This continued for several moments until the tiny unicorn sat just inches under Peter, but instead of a usual cheery greeting or bright smile, Sweetie murmured an incoherent squeak.

Peter cringed slightly, resisting the urge to coo.'Hng. That's so cute.'With a small smile on his face, the stallion placed his hoof on top of Sweetie's head. "What's wrong, Sweetie?"

Sweetie gave no direct response. She only clutched the bag in her hooves tightly enough to strangle a living being. Her face grew hot, particularly her reddened cheeks, and she found herself leaning into Peter's hoof. Realizing what she was doing, Sweetie's thoughts screamed, freeing the filly from her trance. Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of crimson, prompting Sweetie to turn to her friends for help. Scootaloo and Applebloom flailed their hooves about suggestively, but once Peter shifted his gaze to them, he only found them whistling forcefully.

Much to everypony's relief, Peter densely shrugged his shoulders. After an awkward moment of silence, Sweetie Belle finally gathered her nerve and pushed the bag over to Peter with her snout.

"T-this is f-for you, P-peter," Sweetie stammered, struggling to maintain eye contact with the stallion.

Removing his hoof from Sweetie's head, Peter reached out for the bag. "What is this?"

Applebloom nuzzled into Peter's side until she was wrapped underneath his hoof. "It's a present. We were gonna wait fer' you to come back from Manehattan, but-"

Scootaloo hopped onto Peter's shoulders, her body musing his mane. "Sweetie Belle insisted that we give it to you now. This was mostly her idea."

"Is that right?" Peter replied, his vision obscured by Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle brushed her hooves against each other, unaware her blush had turned to a dewy shade of pink. Shaking her head, she opened the bag, revealing a small crimson cloth with a golden underlinen. "I thought you would have liked a uniform." She bit her lower lip, shifting her gaze to the ground shamefully. "I didn't have enough to make it the right size..."

Peter only stared at the cloth dumbly, adding to Sweetie's growing misery. Once Scootaloo hopped from his shoulders, the stallion, much to Sweetie's surprise, grinned happily. He held the cloth out, analyzing every detail, especially the golden underlinen that left a sparkle in his hazel eyes. Without a hint of hesitation, Peter slid the cloth around his neck. While it may not have been the length Sweetie longed for, Peter seemed to have been pleased, chuckling as the scarf tickled the top of his back.

"Wow, I'm touched." Peter's voice was genuine, filled with warmness the girls had grown to adore. Reaching out, he pulled Applebloom and Scootaloo into an embrace, one smiling while the latter groaned. "Thanks, girls."

A saddened look filled Sweetie's irises, the empty feeling of neglect consuming her, but her eyes grew as wide as saucers when a pair of hooves found their way around her body. Peter's cheek brushed against Sweetie's own gingerly, causing the filly's body temperature to rise drastically.

"Thank you, Sweetie..." Peter's grip only tightened, but the filly didn't seem to mind, evident by the wide smile she bore.





It was silly. A gift so small meant the entire world to Peter. The Crusaders were annoying at times, but it couldn't take away from their innocence. As Peter wrapped the scarf back around his neck, his mind wandered, trying to figure the best way to repay the Crusaders. He knew they'd love a souvenir from the trip, namely something Spider-Mane related, but Peter furrowed his brow at the thought, knowing if he wanted to do such a thing, he'd need bits, something he was relatively short of.

Peter shrugged his shoulders in defeated fashion. He'd figure something out. Right now, he only had the trip to look forward to, and hopefully that wouldn't go off without hitch. Suddenly, Peter's eyes widened at a late realization. He lifted himself from the sofa, finding everypony was gone, and once he stole a glance at the nearest window, he found the previous blue sky had turned black, nightfall taking over. His ears rose, twitching at the sound of laughter that gathered from behind one of the bedroom doors.

Rubbing his hoof across his eyes, Peter could only scold himself for drifting off and not realizing it. He contemplated on entering the room, but his inner male prevailed, knowing it was best to stay away from an all-girls meeting. Considering how late it may have been, Peter decided to go into one of the spare bedrooms. Once he reached the door furthest away from the one everypony occupied, he entered without so much as a second thought.

"Parker?" Peter's eyes widened as he snapped his head to face the direction in which the voice came from. He found only Trixie, who sat idly by the window, her hot breath brushing against the cold surface. "So you've finally woken up," she dully added, shifting her gaze back to the window.

"Sorry, Trixie. I didn't mean to barge in like this," Peter quickly stated, scratching the back of his head. "I thought you might have been in there with the others."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "As if I'd associate with them. Trixie enjoys her space." Her tone seemed unusually forceful.

"Is this about what happened with the Ursa thingy?"

Inhaling deeply, the unicorn reopened her violet irises. "An Ursa Minor, you twit." She paused, a saddened frown forming on her face. "...and yes. It is."

"You want to talk about it?" Peter asked almost too swiftly for his mind's liking.

Trixie's brow lowered, leaving wrinkles on the lower half of her forehead. Peter readied to make his exit, not wanting to be scolded for his curiosity, but oddly enough, Trixie's demeanor softened. She brought her hoof over the other, caressing it gently. The frown on her face only deepened, matched only by the sadness that generated in her large glossy eyes.

"It's a long story..." she whispered, her ears lowering into her silver blue mane.

That same instance, Peter promptly turned, seemingly making his exit, but Trixie's eyes widened once she witnessed the stallion close the door to the room, all while remaining inside. With a spot available on the bed, Peter took a seat next to the mare, earning a second baffled expression from Trixie.

"It's a longer train ride." He smiled. "I've got time."

Trixie's jaw fell before it slammed shut, forcing the mare to bite down on her lower lip. However, she finally returned his smile with a small one of her own. "All right, Parker. I'll bite." Running her hoof through her silky mane, Trixie shifted her gaze back to the window. "See the stars in the sky? Aren't they grand?"

Peter edged over, his flank nearly gracing the side of Trixie's own. He glanced at the window, but his attention remained centered on the mare. Gone was her boastful tone, replaced with one of somberness. Peter chose not to speak, giving a simple affirming nod instead. Trixie turned to meet the stallion's gaze. While her lips curled into a smile, it seemed only to contrast the saddened look in her violet irises.

"I was no different, high and mighty for everypony to see." She stopped, bringing her hoof to catch a single tear that escaped from her eye. "But like every star, my fame burned out, and I became nothing but a distant memory."