//------------------------------//
// Crowning Achievement 
// Story: Spiders and Magic: Rise of Spider-Mane 
// by Maximus_Reborn 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Forty "Crowning Achievement"

Seventeen Days Remain

Peter sat at a table near the back of the room, stealing glances of the young mare standing alongside Princess Celestia and Luna. Twilight Sparkle, the socially-awkward, sometimes-eccentric, and intelligent yet dense bookworm was now a princess of Equestria, one of the youngest in history. The coronation was brief, lasting for only an hour, but the royal party was quite the opposite, lasting for nearly twice as long thus far. What most stood out in Peter's mind was perhaps Twilight's speech. The stallion closed his eyes and dove into his mind, reliving that very moment.

Twilight stood over the podium, her nervousness evident by the sheepish smile on her face. "'Oh, um… A little while ago, my teacher and mentor Princess Celestia sent me to live in Ponyville. She sent me to study friendship, which is something I didn't really care much about, but now, on a day like today, I can honestly say I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the friendships I've made with all of you."

The alicorn paused, glancing off to the side. "Each one of you taught me something about friendship, and for that, I will always be grateful. Even now, I have so much to learn about it and…love."

Although her motion was swift, Twilight's eyes fell to the section beneath her position, focusing on the acorn-maned stallion standing with her friends. Somehow, he could see the pink blush on her cheeks, and she smiled at that fact, unashamed. She turned back to the crowd at large. "Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in Equestria. Thank you, friends. Thank you, everypony!"

Peter's chest felt light as his lips curled into a smile. He watched Twilight exchange brief dialogues with many nobles and aristocrats, each usually beginning with a 'congratulations' and ending with a 'thank you' or other form of gratitude. Peter wanted to be there as well and congratulate his mare for her accomplishment. She earned this. The stallion sighed. Honestly, he just wanted tospeakto her. Due to time restraints and preparations, the couple weren't given the opportunity to bid each other any parting words earlier that morning.

Fortunately, his friends provided welcomed company for some of the duration of the day, but the moment the acceptance party started, everypony broke off and went their separate ways, much like they had last time. Peter chose to remain stationary by the punch bowl to remain as inconspicuous as possible as well as maintain a rest point for the girls should any of them choose to return. The task was proving rather easy, considering how out of place Peter was among the gathering of high-class elitists.

His royal blue suit helped mask that truth to some extent, but the stallion was still a wallflower at heart and quite comfortable with the fact. Sighing, Peter downed the last of the punch in his glass before stealing another glance of his mare. The bright pink dress she wore, compliments of Rarity, graced her figure rather well and matched the color of her cutie mark, but Peter felt it went perfectly with the unique strand in the alicorn's mane, the one he loved beyond measure.

Even now, it was surreal. Peter was actually in a relationship with a princess, and it wasn't a secret, far from it. Peter could only grin at the warm and fuzzy feeling he felt. It was nice to be loved. Plain and simple. Peter's eyes widened once a couple of mares took a seat on both of his sides, but they softened, recognizing the warm emerald gaze of one and the meek, blue irises of the other.

The stallion chuckled. "You two are back early. They didn't have the assorted cheeses you wanted?"

Applejack grinned. "Cheese isn't really my thing, sugarcube." The blonde adjusted herself in her seat, taking a moment to brush the wrinkles out of her western-style dress. Peter poured the farmpony a drink, earning a warm smile in return. After taking a sip of the sweet beverage, Applejack directed her emerald gaze to the crowd spread throughout the room and sighed. "Ah'm just not a fan of these fancy parties. Most of the ponies are so uptight and quick to judge. It makes a girl feel unwelcomed, you know?" Shrugging, she turned back to the stallion with a smile. "Ah'd rather hang with ponies that like me the way Ah am."

"I know the feeling." Peter managed to reply before finishing what seemed to be his fourth glass of punch. Stealing a glance out of the corner of his eye, the stallion found Fluttershy fidgeting with her hooves. She peeked at Peter occasionally, alternating her gaze between him and the ground. The stallion rose his brow at the mare's features, which were as pink as her bright, silky mane. "You okay, Fluttershy? You look flushed."

Her glossy blue eyes widened. "Um… I'm all right. I'm just… happy to see you." Peter stammered at Fluttershy's words, chuckling sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. Her body temperature rose even further, threatening to set the leaf green dress on her body ablaze, but despite her rattled nerves, Fluttershy managed to give the stallion an earnest smile. "I'm… not good with crowds either, and since the gardens are cut off, I thought it would be nice if I stayed with you." A strand of her mane fell between her eyes as the pegasus glanced off to the side. "Um… if that's okay with you."

Peter blinked before laughing lightly. "Sure, Fluttershy. I can always use your company." Fluttershy giggled, stifling what nearly sounded like a neigh. Oblivious, Peter simply shrugged and gave the pegasus a glass of punch. As Fluttershy graciously accepted the drink, blushing nonetheless, the stallion paused, raising his brow at the tingling sensation coursing through his cranium. He shifted his gaze about, determined to find the source of the disturbance, and having failed to accomplish the task, Peter turned to Applejack and Fluttershy. "Hey. Spider sense. Are you two going to hit me?"

Furrowing her brow, Applejack shook her head. "Of course not. Why do you ask?"

Before Peter could respond, his body disappeared behind a blue blur. Applejack and Fluttershy searched around aimlessly before settling their gazes behind their position on the ground. Peter, flat on his back, groaned as Rainbow Dash sat over his frame, frowning at the stallion on the ground. Fortunately, due to the surrounding commotion and their somewhat secluded location, nopony saw what transpired or heard the'thud'that followed.

Eventually, Applejack and Fluttershy joined the two in their lowered positions, all while making certain not to earn any unwanted attention. Despite moving at such a speed, Rainbow's multi-colored dress remained perfectly creased and her mane unhinged under her golden tiara.

Peter's vision spun as his aching cranium struggled to recollect his senses. "Skittles, we have to stop meeting like this."

Rainbow Dash huffed, paying the stallion no mind. "Yeah, whatever. Listen! I was just getting ready to talk to the Wonderbolts, but Spitfire stopped me before I could! At first, I thought she was finally going to invite me to join the Academy, but she wanted me to give you something!" Retrieving the letter from inside her dress with her teeth, Rainbow dropped it by the stallion's hoof, pouting. "What's weird is that Spitfire left the party right after she gave me that letter. At this rate, I'll never become a Wonderbolt! So what're you waiting for! Open the letter! Let's see what she wants!"

Applejack blankly stared at the pegasus. "You can be really pushy sometimes. You couldn't tell Peter thiswithouttackling him?"

Peter eventually pulled himself from the ground and into a sitting position before opening the letter Rainbow 'delivered' to him. He paused, peeking over the table, and once it was clear nopony had noticed their presence, Peter lowered himself back to his previous position and motioned his hoof for the girls to come closer. Placing her hooves over his shoulders, Rainbow leaned over his head while Fluttershy and Applejack occupied the stallion's sides. Their brows furrowed as they all read the letter inwardly, but upon the letter's completion, everypony's eyes shot open and mouths fell agape.





Hey, Spider-Mane,

This is Spitfire. Sorry it took me so long to get in touch with you after what happened in Manehattan. There's a lot I want to talk to you about, but I'm not going to tell you through this letter. Around noon tomorrow, meet me by the Gorge outside of Ponyville. We can talk then. Come alone.

Sincerely, Spitfire

P.S. - I'm sure Rainbow Dash told you already, but I know who you really are, 'P'. Make sure you bring your costume tomorrow. You're going to need it.





"Oh, my," Fluttershy gasped, placing her hoof over her mouth. "I completely forgot Spitfire found out who you were after your accident."

Applejack closed her eyes and shook her head. "Much good it did her.Everypony'sgoing to know Peter's secret soon, but it ain't like she's blackmailing him. Spitfire would have given the letter to Pete herself instead of having Rainbow deliver it for her." Exhaling, the blonde scratched the back of her ear before sharing a glance with Peter. "So what are you going to do, sugarcube?"

Peter was silent for a moment, but the stallion nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I'll go and see what she has to say. If Spitfire's known my identity for this long and hasn't told anyone, that's a good sign I can trust her. After all, that's what happened between me and Applebloom. Look what's come ofthat." Folding the letter in a poor diamond shape, he offered the paper to the farmpony. "You mind holding on to this for me, AJ?"

"Sure thing," Applejack replied, sliding the letter under her hat before adjusting the headpiece on her golden crown. Peter and Fluttershy smiled, unaware Rainbow Dash sat with a pout and her hooves folded across her chest. Glancing at the ground, Applejack grinned nervously as a pink flush filled her cheeks. "So are we going to sit down here all day? Everypony may get the wrong idea if they see three mares and a stallion cooped up together like this. Ah don't mind, but…"

Rainbow Dash was the first to retake her proper seat at the table, hastily and clumsily preparing herself a glass of punch. "W-Wrong idea? Withhim? Ha!" the pegasus stammered, unable to quell her increasing body heat. Her breathing grew erratic and sweat fell from her forehead, prompting Rainbow to go through several glasses of punch while the others took their seats. "The day I'm interested in Peter 'Puny' Parker is the day I turn down being a Wonderbolt! Not happening! Ever!" After her sixth glass, the mare trotted off for the next available bowl of punch, oblivious to the fact that her face was as red as a tomato's. "Is it hot in here or what?!"

As Rainbow Dash pressed through the crowd, glaring at anypony foolish enough to cross her path, Trixie, Pinkie Pie, and Spike emerged to join the group at the table. Spike wore a black tuxedo with a red bow tie. The baby dragon looked around aimlessly for something, but once Applejack pulled a stool from behind the table, Spike smiled and climbed onto the seat. Pinkie Pie, in her blue dress, giggled as she placed a chocolate cake at the center of the table. The delicacies were scattered across the party, and the pink mare wanted to be certain her friends had the chance to enjoy one.

Applejack wasted no time cutting into the sweet treat, dropping slices on small plates. Everypony accepted a piece but waited for Trixie to take her seat. Her dress was navy blue, a shade darker than her fur coat, and her mane was pulled back into a small ponytail, held by a large violet ribbon. The unicorn rose her brow at Rainbow Dash before shifting her purple irises to the ponies at her table and shaking her head bemusedly.

"I take it everypony is having a fair time? Trixie won't bother asking about Rainbow Dash. I fear the answer regarding her would be redundant," Trixie huffed, lifting a glass of punch with her telekinesis.

Applejack smiled. "Pete just got a letter from Spitfire. We'll tell you about that later. As for Rainbow, she's just realizing what it's like to be a mare." Trixie smirked before sipping her beverage, and the blonde took a bit out of her slice of cake, cooing as the chocolate melted in her mouth. Restraining herself from devouring the rest too soon. Applejack pushed her plate to the side and placed her hooves over the table. "Anyway, what brings you here, Trixie? Ah figured these would be your kind of ponies."

Using her magic, Trixie placed her glass down and faced Applejack. "In the past, that certainly was a fact. The Great and Powerful Trixie was an elite, and she only associated herself with such. As you know, that was a facade, and I didn't make any real friends in the meantime." Sighing, the mare stole a glance at Peter before centering her gaze back to Applejack. "I guess I'm not too comfortable associating with the high crowd since I started acting like myself. Don't get Trixie wrong. While you are my friends, you're all a bunch of ruffians, but…" Trixie bit her lip and glanced off to the side. "I wouldn't change any of you for the world."

Applejack's eyes widened. Not too long ago, she and Trixie couldn't stand the sight of each other, but now it felt as if they had been friends for years. Placing her hoof over the unicorn's shoulder, Applejack gave the mare an earnest smile. "That means a lot Trixie. We wouldn't change you either."

"Hey, Pinkie," Peter called out, earning the collective gaze of everypony at the table. The pink mare hummed, nodding as she took a sip of her beverage. The stallion grinned. "What did the gorilla say to the chimp after they failed to sign a contract?" Pinkie tilted her head to the side, not freeing her mouth from her glass of punch. Peter raised his hoof. "I don't have time for thismonkeybusiness!"

An awkward silence befell the table, the only sounds to be heard coming from the surrounding party. Trixie groaned, slamming her hoof directly into her forehead. However, the faint sound of snickering escaped from Applejack, prompting Trixie to shoot an exasperated glare in her direction. The situation worsened. Fluttershy brought her hoof over her mouth to conceal her light giggles, but despite her whispered voice, her laughter could be heard by Trixie's ears. If that wasn't bad enough, Spike chuckled along with the pegasus, leaving Trixie to feel alone in her sane world.

However, what followed was the final straw. Pinkie snorted, accidentally inhaling some of her drink. She lowered her head behind the table, coughing and laughing alternatively, but eventually the pink mare cleared the punch from her mouth and nostrils, breaking down into rumptious guffaws. Pinkie earned the attention of some spectators, but they simply shrugged, paying everypony at the table no mind. Exasperated, Trixie stared at her friends, her brow twitching involuntarily. Rainbow Dash returned to the table, only to immediately succumb at the sight of Pinkie's nonstop giggling and snorting.

Trixie could only shake her head and sigh lowly. "I take it back. I hate you all."

"Hey, Trixie," Peter whispered as Pinkie's laughter quietly subsided, giving the mare ample time to recollect her oxygen. Trixie frowned, raising her brow at the stallion. "What's the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?" Peter smiled while the magician stared at him blankly. "One sells watches. One watches cells!" He grinned. "Wocka! Wocka! Wocka!"

Much to Trixie's dismay, the awful pun garnered a similar to the last. Applejack smiled widely, gritting her teeth to stifle her laughter. Fluttershy giggled softly, and Spike withheld himself to chuckles. Rainbow Dash laughed uproariously, but it paled in comparison to the volume of Pinkie's guffaws. Trixie felt like the most intelligent pony on the planet. Nopony in their right mind would laugh at Parker's idiocy. She opened her mouth, ready to chide her peers for being so stupid, but her body betrayed her intentions, leaving a short burst of laughter to uncharacteristically escape from the usually stoic Trixie.

She threw her hooves over her mouth, desperate to hide what had transpired, but it was too late, evident by Peter's knowing smile. Ashamed, Trixie's cheeks burned, and the mare scowled, turning her back to her allies. The madness was spreading, and she was powerless to stop it. Not that she actually minded, but Trixie refused to give Parker an inch, knowing he'd take a mile.

"Greetings, everypony," Rarity cheered, gracefully trotting over to the table. She was welcomed with warm smiles from her friends, prompting the unicorn to mirror their actions. Her crimson dress swayed with her movements while her violet mane remained still, wrapped delicately and stylishly in a bun. She took a seat next to Peter, taking a moment to playfully wink at the stallion before turning her attention to the others surrounding the table. "I take it everypony has been on their best behavior?"

Peter grinned. "Do we get cookies if we were? I want oatmeal raisin, Pinkie likes chocolate chip, and Skittles likes-"

"Quiet, you," Trixie exhaled, her ears twitching at Pinkie's giggling.

Rarity raised her brow at the comment before poking her lips out in a mock pout. "Peter, darling. I must beg that you act a bit more professionally." The mare tilted her head to the side, her gaze stiffening at a sight. Her horn glowed, allowing magic to envelope Peter's crimson tie. Before long, the neck-piece was properly straightened, and Rarity gave the stallion an approving nod. "You have a reputation to uphold, after all."

Smirking, Peter fixed his posture, sitting properly in his seat. "Here I thought you liked me for myself."

"I do, quite a bit," the designer firmly stated before planting a kiss on the stallion's cheek, "but you can be rather silly sometimes. While I find it endearing, others may think it is annoying."

Spike fumed, folding his arms, but nopony noticed his quiet glare. Peter chuckled nervously, beads of sweat forming over his forehead due to the sudden rise of heat in his face. To this day, he had no answer for Rarity's open affection.

Trixie huffed, smiling. "Look at that. Youcanshut him up."

The entire table joined together in harmless laughter, prompting Peter to join along sheepishly. Unfortunately, before they could partake in friendly conversation, a snow white stallion approached the table, laughing. A majority of the table stared at the pony questionably, failing to recognize his cool, blue eyes and freshly combed, short blonde mane, but Rarity grimaced, wishing that horrid smug grin would leave the confines of her memory.

Rarity turned her head in a huff and closed her eyes. "Prince Blueblood. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The stallion scoffed. "Rarity. I see you're as much of a brute as ever." He towered over the table, standing considerably taller than Peter would in his position. He raised his brow at the lot, pausing to glare at the only stallion present at the table. "I've come to confirm a suspicion. Your name is… Peter, correct?"

Glancing to the side, Peter threw the remnants of his slice of cake into his mouth before giving the high-class stallion a nod. "Mm-hmm."

Prince Blueblood frowned in disgust. "As I thought. You are utterly average." His smile returned. "I fail to see why anypony would make a fuss over you."

Rarity's eyes shot open. "Why, you pompous-!"

Peter nonchalantly continued his chewing, shaking his head disapprovingly to Rarity. She heeded his notion and eased back into her seat, but her glare remained fixed on Prince Blueblood, growing more venomous by the second. The high-class stallion took a step back, wary of the violet-maned unicorn's fury, but that uneasy air spread, sending a chill through Blueblood's fur.

Peter, the unimpressive stallion, remained oblivious as he finished his treat, but the mares sitting around him stared intently at the prince. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Trixie shared Rarity's scowl, but they sat still, perhaps due to Peter's lack of interest at the moment. Fluttershy, whose fury was seen by many at the previous Gala, glared at Blueblood quietly yet intently. This was more than enough for the high-class stallion to keep his distance.

Having finished his treat, Peter turned to the pink mare by his side. "Hey, Pinkie. You mind saving Twilight a slice? I know she'll love a piece of this cake."

"Okie dokie lokie," Pinkie giggled, hopping from her seat and past Blueblood. She quickly returned with a few napkins, but before she reached her seat, the mare snarled at the high-class stallion, causing him to recoil sharply. Then, as if nothing transpired, Pinkie sat next to Peter with a large smile on her face. The slice of cake had been wrapped carefully, and she surrendered it to her friend. "Here you go!"

Peter nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Pinkie." His eyes widened at a late realization. Tilting his head to the side, Peter gazed at Blueblood questionably, blissfully unaware every mare at the table glared at the high-class stallion that same moment. "So… who are you again? Sorry. I can hardly eat and listen at the same time."

Laughing forcefully, Blueblood turned sharply on his hoof and hastily made his exit, as far away from the entourage of angry mares as he could. However, as he cut his way through the crowd, his mind continued to ponder what made such an average stallion special. Half a dozen beautiful mares just defended a single stallion, as if they were part of a herd. To make matters worse, they were the wielders of the Elements of Harmony with the exception of the silver-blue maned unicorn. This Peter surely couldn't have beenthatspecial.

After all, he was just a common pony, not a noble or prince with a grandiose title such as Blueblood's. The high-class stallion furrowed his brow, finally stopping once he was certain he was a safe distance from those ruffians. He stared intently at Peter, frowning as those girls continued to smother him with attention. He wasn't special, not in the least. Blueblood's mind broadened, remembering seeing this pony and his unkempt mane strolling through the castle as of late. Just who was this Peter, and how did he garner this much attention? Blueblood closed his eyes and huffed. He would not be outdone by this commoner.

Meanwhile, back at the table, Peter shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that was weird. Just who was that, anyway?" In unison, every mare exhaled, letting go of their gathered frustration. Peter shifted his gaze across the table aimlessly, raising his brow. "Was it something I said?"

Rarity shook her head and placed both of her hooves over one of Peter's own. "Of course not, darling. Blueblood is just an arrogant oaf who thinks he is above everypony. Sadly, I used to be quite enamored with him. That is, until I found out just how loathsome he really is."

Peter smiled sadly. "Sorry you went through that."

The lights inside the room dimmed, centering on the three alicorns at the top of the stairs. Rarity turned at the sight, and it wasn't for an embarrassing amount of time that she realized her hooves were still in contact with Peter's.

The mare pulled back and cleared her throat, thankful the lack of light in the room hid the blush that surely filled her cheeks. "Don't worry about Blueblood, Peter. You're ten times the stallion he is, but enough about that. Looks like it's about to begin."

Peter lowered his head and placed his hooves over the table. His breathing grew shallow all of a sudden as immense nervousness took hold of his being. "Yeah, I was afraid of that," he sighed, managing to smile once Pinkie patted his back reassuringly. It was fortunate his unkempt mane hid a majority of his face, and that Twilight hadn't demanded he cut it (yet). "Everything I've done has led me to this point. Let's hope I don't screw this up."

Princess Celestia stepped forward, prompting everypony to hurry and take a seat. Once the entire room fell silent, the sun princess shared a nod with Luna and Twilight before facing her peers. "Thank you all for attending Princess Twilight's coronation. This is a day of change as we walk toward the future. However, the coronation is not yet complete." Whispers and murmurs escaped from the crowd, each matching the sound of befuddlement, but Celestia simply smiled in response. "Princess Twilight shall explain the rest."

Twilight and her former teacher exchanged nods before trading positions, and the younger alicorn cleared her throat upon reaching the center stage. "Thank you, everypony. As we know, the Canterlot Guard serve as knights for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. However, as per my request, I have already chosen a pony to act as my personal knight. The high council have already discussed this, and it unanimously decided that he deserved this role."

The crowd maintained their silence, but their clamors could still be heard, albeit barely. Twilight smiled. "Although he will serve as my protector, he will also act as a knight of Equestria, protecting anypony from the reaches of danger despite their status, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna included. He had done so before. This is a way to recognize him for it."

Her brow furrowed. "Understandably, some of you are wondering just who I'm talking about. The truth is, he's kept his identity a secret from the world for quite some time. The wielders of the Elements of Harmony, Prince Shining Armor, Princesses Celestia, Cadance, Luna, and myself are the only ones who have known this stallion from the start. He is a kind-hearted and humble stallion, who thinks about the safety of others before his own, and I trust him with my life as well as my heart."

Twilight's lips curled into a smile as she felt the temperature in her face rise. "I speak with an open mind when I say I'm happily in love with this stallion, and I couldn't be more proud of him. The world knows him as Spider-Mane, but as of now, you will know of the pony underneath the mask. He is here, attending the party, and I ask that he join my side right now."

The entire room buzzed at the declaration and request. A pony was personally picked by Princess Twilight to be her knight, and it was Spider-Mane, the one who had bested both Celestia and Luna in a duel respectively. Plus, judging from the way the young alicorn referred to the stallion, she was in a relationship with the hero. These statements coursed throughout the vicinity, and several ponies shifted their heads about, trying to pinpoint which stallion in the room was the chosen one.

As Peter expected, evident by his empty smile, nopony even so much as gave him a passing glance with the exception of his friends at the table and his special somepony, who motioned her hoof. Twilight was waiting, and Peter refused to make her do so for too long. Inhaling deeply, Peter forced himself from the comfort of his seat and into a standing position. The muscles in his legs locked, freezing with trepidation, but thanks to a well-placed hoof on his shoulder from Trixie and eager nods from the rest of his friends, Peter found a way to transverse through the room.

He kept his eyes fixed on the ground, avoiding the stunned gazes and bewildered glares of his peers, but his ears could only fall into his mane, having heard quite a few quotes of disbelief. Peter felt himself shrink. It felt as if he was the only strand of grass lost in a land of metal, ostracized and alone. After what felt like an eternity, the stallion reached the stairs, and he raised his hazel irises to find the violet embodiment of beauty at the top, waiting for him. From afar, Blueblood watched the supposed common pony ascend the staircase in horror, his jaw practically unhinged.

Eventually, Peter reached his princess, managing to return her smile with one of his own, but the uncertain gazes of the nobles in the room caused the stallion's doubt to steadily resurface. As if sensing his confidence dwindling, Twilight reached down and took Peter's hoof in her own. They remained as such, allowing the world to see them as they were. This was the stallion to which Twilight referred to, but the mare felt unsatisfied, sensing everypony in the room did not fully take her word. She bit down on her lip, feeling her stomach tighten into a knot.

Twilight had full confidence in Peter, and she wanted the populace to do the same. Princess Celestia told her yesterday to follow her heart. To heed her mentor's advice now seemed ill advised, but the young alicorn wanted to make a statement, to the ponies in attendance, to those who doubted her decision, and to the stallion she loved immensely.

Against her better judgement, Twilight closed the gap between herself and Peter, syncing her lips with his. She was not one to condone public affection, but this needed to be done for a more personal reason. The kiss was brief, lasting a couple of seconds, but the message was clear. Peter was Twilight's, and she proudly stood alongside her choice. They continued to hold hooves, locked in a frozen state of time as the outside world buzzed wildly, but Twilight hesitantly relinquished her hold, taking a step back to give her stallion full rights to the stage.

Exhaling, Peter faced the crowd before his nerves finally settled. "What is there to say? To tell you the truth, I almost have nothing to say, and that's weird since my friends always tell me I talk too much. For so long, I hid behind the mask, keeping Peter Parker and Spider-Mane as far away from each other as possible. It wasn't until I met Twilight Sparkle and my friends that I was able to accept that I didn't have to keep myself a secret from all of you."

He smiled, taking Twilight's hoof in his own. "'With great power comes great responsibility', that is a saying I always upheld. I don't want anypony to think this changes anything. It doesn't. I'm here to help everypony that I can. My friends, family, all of you, and my princess. If anything happens, I promise I'll give you everything I've got to protect this land. I am Spider-Mane, I am Peter Pony Parker, and I am a knight forallof the world."

Nodding, Peter kissed the tip of Twilight's hoof before kneeling out of respect. Everypony in the room, breaking free from their states of shock, made their way to their hooves and stood tall, acknowledging the stallion before the trio of princesses. Applejack took her hat off and smiled. Trixie's stoic demeanor diminished, and that moment, tears poured from the unicorn's eyes. However, she maintained a smile, feeling happy her bumbling friend achieved such success. Rarity wiped away her own tears while the others smiled widely.

It had come full circle. For every life Peter had saved, for every villain he defeated, and for the lives he mourned, this was the crowning achievement to repay him for his selfless acts. Princess Celestia stepped over to Peter, all while sharing a smile with Twilight. Using her magic, the sun princess lifted a sword from her side, levitating it over the stallion's head. Its sheath was black, pelted with a crimson design along the side. Celestia carefully unsheathed the blade, allowing everypony to see the light reflect off the sword's smooth surface, and lightly tapped both of Peter's shoulders with the blunt side of the sharp object.

"In the name of Equestria, I hereby knight thee, Sir Peter Pony Parker," Princess Celestia declared, sheathing the blade before surrendering it to Peter, prompting the stallion to accept it with a hoof. As he and Twilight shared a smile together, the sun princess used her magic to retrieve a silver medallion from Luna. Celestia placed it around Peter's neck. "In honor of everything you have done for us, I am happy to name you Prince Parker, personal knight for Twilight Sparkle. Your rank is just beneath ours, and we shall call upon you in times of severe duress. Do you accept and promise to uphold your vow?"

"I do," Peter firmly stated, receiving a hug from Twilight afterward. Everypony joined together in applause, congratulating the new power couple of Equestria. Twilight broke away from Peter and embraced her former teacher, allowing the stallion to steal one final glance of the surrounding crowd. There was no longer a secret to be kept. Soon the news would spread, but how things would turn out remained to be seen. However, Peter smiled inwardly, perfectly content with the developing situation.'I hope you're proud of me, Uncle Ben.'

Life was changing. Peter Parker was Spider-Mane, knight and prince of Equestria.





Several hours had passed. In the dead of night, Canterlot slept, but a few souls remained awake. Fulfilling her duties, Princess Luna watched over the land while the castle guards patrolled, making certain nothing was wrong. Peter would not yield to the reaches of sleep either in the confines of his quarters. He rested on his bed with his hooves behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

The bundle of life at his side shuffled, stretching her limbs before placing her hooves over the stallion's chest. Twilight's eyes fluttered open, eventually centering on the pair of hazel irises that watched her closely. Peter shifted his position and wrapped one hoof around the mare's body, allowing the other to brush through her wet mane. She had just taken a shower an hour ago, the fresh scent of her choice soap and shampoo still vibrant.

Twilight nuzzled further against Peter's warm body, cooing. "Can't sleep?"

The stallion chuckled, kissing the center of his mare's forehead. "No, not really. I guess I'm still trying to take this all in." He paused, replaying the event through his mind, and after a few seconds, Peter lowered his gaze. "Okay, I lied. That's not why I can't sleep right now. I'm actually taking the whole 'the world knows who I am' and 'I'm a knight and prince' thing pretty well. It's something else that's bugging me."

Her eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

Peter turned over until his body was directly on top of Twilight's. She inhaled sharply, blushing at the compromising position she was suddenly in, but the alicorn didn't protest, keeping her eyes locked on her stallion's. The temperature surrounding their bodies rose, heightening further once Peter placed his lips over Twilight's. Perhaps out of instinct, she opened her mouth, allowing the stallion to explore her further, and he did just that, using his tongue to the greatest extent. Twilight's moans increased in volume, matching her growing pleasure.

They soon parted, heeding to their bodies' need for air, but Twilight smiled, nuzzling her head against the underside of Peter's muzzle. He took in the sweet scent of her mane before tightening his grip on her body. His mind grew fuzzy, and a burning sensation coursed through his chest, causing the stallion's heart rate to quicken. Peter slammed his eyes shut. This sense of yearning had returned, much stronger than the last time, but it was becoming quite impossible to ignore.

He managed to avoid this topic with his mare so far, but his mind reached a breaking point, begging to finally confront Twilight about the matter. Peter opened his eyes once he felt his mare shifting in his grasp, and they softened after coming into contact with the alicorn's loving gaze and warm smile. The stallion chided himself. He could talk to Twilight about anything. It was a common fact he regularly forgot, but this was a fairly sensitive subject. The last thing Peter wanted to do was make Twilight uncomfortable.

Peter brought his hoof over Twilight's cheek and caressed it gently. "I'm just thinking about us." he removed a strand of mane from the mare's face, and she stifled a giggle, smiling instead. "This is the third time we've shared a bed together, but it still feels like the first for me. I had time to think about it. There's something I wanted to ask you."

Twilight's cheeks burned. "What is it?"

Peter inhaled deeply and held his breath for several seconds before exhaling. "We've come so far together. You're a princess, and I'm your knight. You have no idea how happy I've been since we started our relationship. You've given me your best, and I have no way to repay that. There's something I want to do… and it's only with you. It may be too soon for me to think like this, but it feels like the right thing I should do. Remember, if you're not okay with it, just tell me the truth."

Sharing a brief yet affectionate kiss with the mare, the stallion dropped his final defensive barrier. "Twilight, I may not be your prince yet, but I would like to be sometime in the future. Tonight, I want to take that step forward and become your lover. I want to give you my heart and body. It's something I only want you to have. I'm ready to move forward with my new life with you by my side."

"Peter! I… Of course we can!" Twilight fumbled over her words while her mind delved into a world of bliss. She wrapped her hooves around the stallion's neck before pressing her lips against his, fueling their passionate desire to strengthen and solidify their bond. Her horn glowed, causing every curtain in the room to close. All form of light had been cut off, leaving the couple alone in the dark, but they were content, refusing to let go of each other. "I want you to make me a promise, Peter. Don't you dare leave me behind. No matter what happens...we'll see everything through together. Okay?"

Despite not being able to see, Peter used his instincts, leaned forward, and kissed his mare, earning a pleased moan for his efforts. He parted, allowing his hot breath to brush against Twilight's coat.

"I promise," he said simply, resuming the kiss.

This was the dawning of a new age. From this day forth, Peter would no longer lead a dual lifestyle. Spider-Mane and Peter Parker were one in the same, a knight of Equestria. However, what mattered more to the stallion was his relationship with Twilight. Their hearts were one, fused by their growing love, and their bodies were shared, only with each other. Peter vowed to the world that he would proudly serve as Twilight's protector, and as her lover, he promised to never leave her behind.

In the end, Twilight's life and love were irreplaceable. Peter would protect both…

...no matter the cost.