//------------------------------//
// Expectations, Part I 
// Story: Spiders and Magic IV: The Fall of Spider-Mane 
// by Maximus_Reborn 
//------------------------------//

Chapter One "Expectations, Part I"

Lost in a deep slumber, Peter's body felt as light as a feather while he drifted aimlessly through nothingness. However, something clung to him, wrapping its limbs around his body, like a snake coiling around its prey. He shivered involuntarily, feeling his core temperature decrease. The unknown darkness holding the stallion tightened its grip, pausing to caress the side of his face momentarily.

Peter's eyes shot open, taking in his surroundings. He was lost in a black void, surrounded by endless darkness, yet there was light provided by the platform he was standing on. It resembled a stained glass painting, beautifully illustrated by the panels. At the center of the illustration was Twilight, with her angelic wings stretching across over half of the platform.

There were three smaller portraits positioned next to the alicorn, all contained in small orbs. They were of Aunt May, Ben, and Mayday, each smiling innocently. Falling into a trance, Peter stared longingly at the portrait under his hooves, his eyes glazing over. A hazy mist snaked around his body from behind, with a pair of limbs wrapping around the stallion's waist before taking the shape of hooves.

"You love your family more than life itself," the voice softly declared, echoing across the reaches of Peter's mind. That same moment, the mist took form and resembled Applejack from the future. "You have seen the worst fate has to offer. Would you want to risk losing your family again? Youdidfail to save me." A foreign tendril slithered against the back of the stallion's neck before pulling away and shifting into future Rainbow Dash's form. "Would they forgive you if they experienced such a loss? Aunt May still holds resentment against you for letting Uncle Ben die. Little Ben and Mayday would be devastated if their father allowed their mother to die."

Peter strained, glancing between the two mares before shaking his head. "No… I can't…"

More tendrils formed and bore into Peter's body, causing images to flash across his mind. "You've already betrayed Twilight once. What makes you so sure she isn't still with you out of obligation? You betrayed her… to sleep with Sweetie Belle, of all ponies. You don't deserve her."

An image of Twilight took shape with the alicorn holding a disappointed expression before turning her back to Peter. He reached out, only for Twilight to fade from sight.

The mist intensified, engulfing his entire body as future Pinkamena took shape beside him. "Just sleep and embrace it. The memories will no longer hurt you. Everypony will still love you, and Twilight will forgive you." A gentle smile formed on the pink mare's face. "So just sleep..."

Peter let out a deep breath as he slipped further into the darkness' hold. However, before he could fully succumb to the spreading darkness, his spider sense blared uncontrollably. A shockwave erupted from his being, chasing the mist away from the vicinity as well as evaporating the forms of the three mares. The ringing had ceased, but his cranium continued to throb. As Peter grimaced in pain and clutched at his head with a hoof, the mist gathered on the other side of the platform, taking shape.

The being bore the shape of a light blue mare, wearing a cloak as black as the darkest void. Peter's eyes widened as her violet irises narrowed on him. Trixie, with the Alicorn Amulet around her neck, levitated from the ground. A bright light ignited and glowed from the center of Peter's chest as energy was emitted from the mare's horn. A strong gust rushed out, staggering Peter. His own body moved in response to the assailing magic as it lifted him into the air.

"How could you?" Trixie asked with detest, scowling. "You were my best friend! We were family!" She grit her teeth, lifting the stallion higher in her magical grasp. "Did that really mean nothing to you? You didn't eventryto save me..."

Peter shook his head. "Ididtry to save you! I didn't know that the amulet would kill you! You have to believe—!"

Trixie closed the gap until her violet glare was inches away from Peter's soft hazel gaze. "Liar!You knew what removing the amulet would do to me!"

Before Peter could react, he was met with a downward force as Trixie snapped her head back. The stallion rocketed towards the platform, shattering the stained glass upon impact. The images of his loved ones scattered, dissolving into the darkness. Peter continued to fall, unable to stop his descent into madness, but a second platform materialized underneath his position.

Cracking the surface of the marble, all of the air rushed out of the stallion's chest. He rolled onto his stomach before forcing himself into a kneeling position. Peter's eyes shot open once his gaze settled on what was illustrated beneath him. Like the previous platform, this one bore a similar stained-glass themed painting, but where his family had once stood in the picture was now blank.

Trixie materialized behind the stallion. "You will lose everything. What you strived for is merely an illusion, a hopeless fantasy that someone like you could never achieve."

Peter growled, shaking his head defiantly. "Ihaveachieved it, and I'm going to keep it!" The images of his family resurfaced on the platform's stained glass painting. "Just shut up! This ismine! I refuse to lose it!"

Trixie frowned. "You cannot escape the past, or the future. You constantly try to deny that fact."

Mist formed, morphing into future Rainbow Dash before bolting towards Peter at lightning speed, leaving behind a multicolored contrail. She threw a kick once she was in range, forcing the stallion to duck underneath the attack at the last moment. The darkness transformed into future Applejack instantly, and the blonde dove into the air with her hooves raised high for an overhead strike attempt. Peter flipped out of her range, leaving future Applejack to strike the platform with enough strength to crack the marble surface.

Morphing into future Pinkamena's shape, she drew her swords and slashed wildly at the elusive stallion until he ended her barrage with a counter, catching the mare's hooves with his own. Trixie's form took shape before the light within Peter burned brightly, igniting into a flash. Once the stallion's vision cleared, he found himself locked in midair with his extended hooves bound by glowing black chains. Trixie materialized inches away from Peter, gazing deeply at him while he struggled to break free.

A glowing blade took form next to the mare. Using her magic, Trixie reared the weapon back, preparing to plunge it into her prey. Peter managed to swing his body away from the thrust attempt, countering with a fierce kick before the magical chains bound him back into place in midair. The force of the blow sent Trixie spiraling several meters back until she forced her unwanted momentum to an immediate halt.

Extending a hoof as her horn glowed, she pulled Peter into her waiting grasp via telekinesis. With magic digging into his neck, Trixie hissed before throwing the stallion high into the air. Gravity prevailed after a few seconds, bringing Peter into a rapid descent. Trixie readied herself to strike her approaching foe, shooting a beam of energy once her target was within range. However, Peter spun and shifted his momentum, dodging the attack while countering with an overhead strike. The blow sent the mare pinwheeling until she slammed into the marble platform with enough force to crack the surface.

Peter landed gracefully on his hooves nearby, but before he could react, Trixie's form dissolved into black mist and trailed over the edge of the platform. Soon, the platform shook violently, staggering Peter until he planted all four of his hooves onto the ground. That following second, the entire platform shifted, turning until its side was aimed skyward. Perched, Peter gazed at the source, finding Trixie hanging upside down at the bottom of the platform. She raised her hooves high overhead, even as her form alternated between that of future Pinkamena, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Sweetie Belle. Particles of energy from the atmosphere spiraled into an orb hovering above her hooves. The sphere expanded, growing to a size matching that of a small building.

Taking Applejack's shape, she slammed her hoof into the platform, sending waves of energy trembling through its foundation before she hopped from her position. The platform vanished from sight instantaneously, causing Peter to plummet into the void. The mist shifted back into Trixie as she eyed her target, throwing the colossal ball of energy towards the stallion from underneath. Time slowed as Peter fell, a collision imminent as the projectile was too large to maneuver around. His spider sense blared in response to the looming danger. Peter's eyes widened as a realization entered his mind.

The stallion regained his wits, flipped into an upright stance, and extended his hooves. A bright blue light surrounded them beforeTwilight Armstook shape over his forelegs. Peter threw the gauntlets into the center of the massive orb.Twilight Armsabsorbed some of the orb's energy as a chain reaction was triggered. An electrical current surged violently before the ball of magic detonated. The force from the explosion sent both Peter and Trixie flying in separate directions into the endless abyss. The mare's form dissipated into her mist-like state before spreading into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, Peter continued to fall while seemingly unconscious.

"Try as you might, you can't escape from the past. Italwayscomes back. You cannot hide from it," her voice calmly stated in Peter's thoughts. "You will come to accept the harsh truths of the world. It's in your nature to fail. You willalwaysfail… especially those that you love the most. No matter what you do or how hard you try,theywill always pay the price foryourmistakes."

Before he could plummet further into the abyss, Peter's eyes shot open, and he rose, finding himself in the warm comfort of his bed. Slow to gather his bearings, the stallion attempted to slow his rapidly-beating heart with slow-paced breaths. Bolts of pain continued to pulsate through his cranium. Peter's spider sense often gave him migraines, especially if the danger was significantly threatening to his wellbeing, but it was strange to experience these sensations during a dream, if not impossible. The stallion wiped the sweat from his forehead with a hoof, exhaling. Unfortunately, this had become a recurring trend since Peter had returned from the future timeline.

"Are you okay?" Twilight whispered, earning Peter's attention. The stallion found the mare by his side in bed. He readied himself to respond, only to pause once his hazel gaze settled on the baby unicorn nuzzled between himself and Twilight, sleeping soundly as Mayday did with a trail of drool escaping from her mouth on the edge of the bed. Peter hesitantly nodded before glancing off to the side. Twilight furrowed her brow. "Were you having another bad dream?"

Peter groaned, rubbing a hoof over his sore eyes. "Yeah. It felt so real this time."

Twilight carefully pulled herself into an upright sitting position, placing her hoof over Peter's own. "This has been happening so much ever since your time-travel incident. Considering everything that you've been through, it might be post traumatic stress disorder." The mare used her magic to retrieve a quill and scroll, writing down a brief note before rolling them off to the side on top of the nightstand. "I'm going to schedule an appointment for you first thing in the morning. I think it's high time we see a psychiatrist. If we don't, there's no telling what negative effects these flashbacks and nightmares will have on your psyche in the long run."

"Okay," Peter murmured in defeated fashion, knowing that there was no point in arguing now that his wife's mind had been made up. Both ponies settled back into bed, caressing their horns against each other while placing a hoof over Ben respectively. In the back of Peter's head, the voice loomed. "Hey, Twilight?" he whispered, holding his gaze on the mare until she opened her eyes. "Do you… hate me for what happened with Sweetie Belle?"

Twilight blinked, slow to respond as if taken aback by the question. She frowned before shaking her head. "No, Peter. I don't hate you. I never have, and I never will. I just wish you would stop bringing it up." Her voice wavered, as if frustration was surfacing. Peter grimaced shamefully, his ears lowering into his mane. Twilight's eyes softened before she let out a low sigh. Leaning closer, the mare planted a soft kiss on the stallion's cheek. "You're thinking too much. Try to get some sleep. We'll talk about this later." Twilight closed her eyes. "Do I need to remind you about our plans for the day?"

Peter's eyes widened at the mare's statement. Today was truly special, and it was meant to be busy, especially for a princess and her knight. Continuing to talk about his dream of Sweetie Belle would've been fruitless at this point, seeing as Twilight's light breathing indicated that she had already fallen back into her slumber. Peter nodded, taking a moment to plant a kiss over Mayday, Ben, and Twilight's foreheads before once more settling into bed. He only hoped the nightmares would cease eventually. For now, he would focus on his three great loves: his wife, daughter, and son.





Within the walls of Canterlot Castle, a celebration was taking place on the day of Winter Wrap Up. Numerous ponies were in attendance for this special day, coming from both Ponyville and the Crystal Empire. Celebrities, royalty, common ponies, and even changelings were a part of this special event for the sake of one pony, a young filly, even. Mayday fidgeted nervously, attempting to keep her breathing leveled as the entire world watched her like anxious buzzards.

She was not the type to enjoy being the center of attention... at least, not on a global scale. However, Mayday recollected her nerve as her father placed the cake over the table. Its nine lit candles stood tall in the thick icing, begging to be dissipated. Inhaling deeply, the filly closed her eyes and blew out the candles, causing everypony in the room to erupt with cheers and applause.

"Happy birthday, Mayday!" most cheered as innumerable cameras flashed alternatingly.

Minutes passed while the festivities carried on. Most of the spectators gave their regards to the Parker/Sparkle family before seeking an audience with Princesses Celestia, Cadance, and Cadance's husband, Shining Armor. Princess Luna had excused herself early, seeking refuge from the crowd. Meanwhile, Mayday simply sat still at the table, quietly watching those interacting around her. The filly observed her mother as she paced frantically in place with a clipboard in her magical grasp between a group of ponies, barking orders regarding Winter Wrap Up. Peter quickly took the available seat next to Mayday, much to her delight and relief. This was one of the few familiar faces she knew at the party.

"What's the good word, Birthday Girl?" Peter asked, nudging the filly.

Mayday smiled, alternating her hazel gaze between the surrounding spectators and her father. "Excessive is a good word. Did we really have to invite so many ponies?"

Peter chuckled sheepishly, stealing a glance at the pink mare on the other side of the room. "You know how Pinkie Pie is. If there's gonna be a party, it's gonna be huge." The filly exhaled, as if dissatisfied with the answer she had received. Peter's eyes softened. "Do you hate it so far?"

Mayday's eyes widened before she shook her head furiously. "N-no! No, Daddy, it's not like that at all. It's just…" she trailed off, pursing her lips as she struggled to put into words what her mind was transcribing. Unfortunately, it was for naught. Her entire thought process had broken into the equivalent of a jigsaw puzzle missing half of its pieces. Exasperated, Mayday stood from her seat and exhaled. "Forget it. You wouldn't understand."

"Come on, May. Talk to me. What's wrong?" Peter softly asked, only for the filly to ignore him and walk away.

Mayday made her way through the crowd relatively easily, thanks to her small size, but she could not escape undetected, having to stop and mingle with some of the spectators occasionally. Each ranged from reporters begging for an exclusive interview, paparazzi hoping to get the perfect shot of the 'Sparklers' first foal, and fans of her parents that longed to learn what she could do. The air was thick, making the simple act of breathing difficult to perform, yet the claustrophobic vibe that plagued the vicinity did not cause young Mayday to falter.

Instead, it only fueled her irritation and frustration further, seeing as this started happening more frequently in recent years since she earned her cutie mark a few years ago. Mayday was a prodigy, a perfect combination of her parents, and the entire world expected great things from her. Having finally reached the courtyard, the filly pause as her hooves sunk into the snow on the ground.

Twilight was usually in charge of organizing everypony's Winter Wrap Up duties, but the mare's attention was divided due to her daughter's birthday party. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a hint of snow remaining at this point. Mayday sighed, brushing her hoof through the snow. She held it out, watching as it melted in her grasp. Any hopes of a normal life were impossible to grasp at this point, for Mayday and the snow.

"There's a birthday party going with the entire world as your oyster, and you're sitting out here watching snow melt?" a female's voice asked from behind, prompting the filly to turn to the source.

Mayday quickly recognized the mare's silver-blue mane and violet irises, groaning at the sight of her aunt. "Auntie Trixie. Not everypony is a narcissist. Then again, I guess the mirror won't look at itself."

"You don't have to be like your dad, you know," Trixie deadpanned, taking a seat in the snow next to the filly. "Though, it seems your father was right. You're not in the best of spirits, are you?"

Mayday arched a brow before folding her hooves. "Why can't Dad mind his own business? It's not like he would understand."

"Because you're his daughter Mayday. Your business is his business. That's why," Trixie bluntly replied, brushing a hoof through her mane. "You know how much your father loves you. He's practically stuck to you like glue. You go and give him the silent treatment, and it's only going to make him worry about you more."

Mayday's face flushed to a light shade of pink as she frowned. "I know, but does he really have to be so involved? I mean, I'm my own pony. I should have more say in what I do and where I go." The filly let out a small groan. "I never wanted to have this big party in the first place. I wanted it to just be us. Our family and friends. Ponies that I actuallyknow, not all these strangers."

Trixie inhaled deeply before letting out a low sigh. "It's not easy to accept, but your parents are royalty. They have responsibilities and thousands of followers. I can assure you that you're the most important thing to your parents, and you will always be the center of attention whenever something important involves you." Trixie snorted involuntarily, chuckling. "Besides, Peter wanted to show you off a little bit to the world. You may not realize it, but he'sveryproud of you. Almost every chance that idiot has, he talks about how he made the perfect little filly. To Peter, saving the world isnothingcompared to the day you were born."

"It's a bit much, though. Flattering, but embarrassing. I love Daddy, but I really wish he wouldn't do stuff like that," Mayday whimpered, unable to rid the image of her braggadocious father from her head.

Trixie placed a hoof over her shoulder. "Trust me. I left my parents, and to this day, I regret it. You'd much rather have your father overly-involved than not at all. It only means that he loves you, and that he wants the best for you. Don't underestimate him. He comes off as an aloof idiot most of the time, deservedly, but if there's something he excels at, it's listening to and understanding those around him. It's how we met, and I will admit that it's panned out for the best." Trixie smiled, leaning in close to the filly. "And I know that's not all that's bothering you. Girl talk. What's wrong?"

Inhaling deeply before letting the breath out again, Mayday shook her head in a defeated fashion and shrugged. "Everypony's expecting me to be like my parents. Mom's the most popular mare in the world, a princess, and the center of the Elements of Harmony. Daddy's some kind of legendary hero. I'm not a fighter or a princess, and I'll never be either. I don'twantto be either. It doesn't help that I'm a hybrid, with a pony for a mother and an alien for a father."

Trixie's eyes softened. "Don't be so sure about that. You're quite young, and still have much to experience." The unicorn tapped the filly over the head lightly. "You're not a freak. You're a beautiful pegasus with unusual parents. Not many are so fortunate."

Pausing, the filly dug a hoof into the snow before tossing it across from her position. "I just want to livemylife without being compared to somepony. I just want to be normal. That's all, but I'll never have that chance." Mayday turned to the side and glanced at her cutie mark of a spider insignia at the center of a violet star. "Not as long as my special talent is being somepony's kid."

Trixie chuckled slightly. "Of all the traits you inherit from your father, you're just as overly dramatic as him at times."

"I disagree," a feminine voice declared from behind, earning the collective gaze of both Mayday and Trixie. A mare with pale yellow-orange fur walked into the courtyard, brushing a hoof through her puffy orange mane before placing it over the crimson gem around her neck. Garbed in a purple dress shirt, she approached the ponies with a smug grin. "Ponies are labeled by their cutie marks. It's a symbol of who they are. With a cutie mark like yours, I bet the expectations are ridiculously high."

Mayday seemed downtrodden, letting out a low sigh. "You don't know the half of it."

Trixie readied herself to step in, but she stopped once a hoof fell over her shoulder. The unicorn turned her head to the source, making eye contact with a light violet pony. Her dark purple mane was pulled back into two pigtails with blue streaks scattered throughout. She wore a simple blue jacket and a crimson gem exactly like the one the other intruder had.

Before Trixie could react, the light violet mare hummed a light tune. Its melody was hypnotic, coursing through the unicorn's ears and chest. Trixie's eyes grew unusually heavy as she released a deep yawn from her mouth before slipping into a slumber. Oblivious to what happened to her aunt, Mayday's full attention remained centered on the orange-maned mare.

Both ponies shared a small nod without the filly's acknowledgement before the first mare smiled at Mayday. "What if I told you there was a way to lower those expectations? I know somepony that can make you normal."

"What do you mean by normal?" Mayday questioned, tilting her head to the side.

The mare grinned, lifting her dress to show the side of her flank. Oddly enough, there was no insignia or mark. It was blank. "She knows how to remove cutie marks and give ponies a second chance."

The filly's eyes widened at the sight before her. "Is that... for real? You really don't have a cutie mark?

"No. Not anymore anyway," the mare chuckled. "I just had it removed the other day. I can'twaitto see what my new one will be."

"How?" Mayday asked, piqued. "I mean, my mom always said that cutie marks are permanent."

The mare put a forehoof to her lips with a wink. "That's a secret. However... We can take you to go see her right now if you wish. We'll need to hurry though."

Mayday beamed at the prospect, but she quickly sobered, glancing off to the side. "I-I don't know. What if my parents…?" An angelic theme reached the filly's ears, sending her into a trance-like state before Mayday quickly surrendered to unconsciousness.

The orange-maned mare huffed after sharing a glance with her violet compatriot, whom had finished humming. "Seriously!? You couldn'twait, Aria? She would've come willingly!"

Aria scoffed a response. "Your way was takingwaytoo long, Adagio. She was just gonna backpedal and talk to her parents anyway. I simply made up her mind for her. She'll thank me later." The mare let out a disgruntled shiver as a sudden gust of frigid wind brushed against her exposed fur. "Besides, I'm starting to get cold."

"Look. I hate winter too, but we have a job to do here,"Adagio stated bluntly before looking to Mayday and letting out a hard sigh. "That job would've beenmucheasier if shewalkedaway with us. Now we're going to have to sneak her out of here and hope we aren't seen!"

Aria shrugged, indifferent to the other mare's concerns. "Whatever. We've got the desired results, so it's fine, right? Isn't this what Discord wanted to begin with? Chaos and whatever?"

The other mare huffed. "Fine. Now, pick her up. You put her to sleep. You carry her." She paused, arching a brow. "Wait… where's Sonata?"

Aria groaned, begrudgingly lifting Mayday's light frame onto her back. "She's taking care of the guards. It'd be impossible for us to just walk off with this kid otherwise."

Adagio blinked, staring at Aria with bewilderment for what seemed like an eternity. "You left that toSonata? Are youtryingto throw away our only chance to come back to Equestria?"

Aria rolled her eyes. "Whatever. It's an easy enough job. Not even Sonata could screw it up." That following second, a light blue pony skipped into the courtyard with a cup of juice in hoof. Like Adagio and Aria, she wore a crimson gem around her neck. Alternating her bright rose gaze between both mares once she was mere hoof-lengths away, Sonata took a sip out of the cup she held. Aria shrugged once Adagio shot her a blank stare. "She made it back, didn't she? Be grateful."

Adagio shifted her gaze to Sonata. "What took you so long?"

Sonata paused and downed her beverage quickly before sighing blissfully. "Oh, nothing. Taking care of the guards was easy, so I went to check out the party." Sonata beamed the two girls an excited smile as she obliviously straightened her dark and light blue mane before pulling it back into a ponytail. "You should try the fruit punch. It's really good and sweet! Too much, and I might even get diabetes!"

Aria watched Sonata with exasperation. "You aresuchan airhead. You could've blown our cover doing that. Wejustgot back, and I don't want to be banished again too soon. I care about that much, at least. I mean, doyouwant to live with those weirdos in Tartarus forever?"

Sonata's eyes widened as she glanced off to the side, ever oblivious. "I didn't think about that. My bad!"

"That's the problem," Adagio cut in. "Youneverthink." She exhaled, sobering after a brief duration. Catching sight of her flank, she hummed a light tune. A cutie mark resurfaced, revealing an orange gem. Adagio nodded once she was whole once more, sharing a glance with Sonata. "Do you still have the letter?"

Sonata nodded, brushing the wrinkles out of her violet jacket before retrieving a folded piece of paper from one of its pockets. "Yeah. It's right here."

"Good. Leave it here," Adagio declared, pointing a hoof at Trixie's sleeping form. "If Spider-Mane is anything like Discord says, he'll come after his daughter right away." Adagio turned and walked away, prompting Sonata and Aria to follow with Mayday in tow. "Let's go. We don't have much time before somepony comes to." Sonata stopped in her tracks, turning to place the letter on the snow next to Trixie, but she paused, holding a saddened expression. Adagio exhaled, stomping towards the mare in a huff. "Sonata! Whats the hold up?! Let's go!"

Sonata blinked, frowning as she quietly grumbled. "Sorry, I just remember how much I hate the snow just now."

Aria's eyes widened knowingly at the mare's admittance and sudden change in demeanor, but before the purple mare could speak up, Adagio charged forward, fuming. "Who cares?! You and Aria always…!"

Adagio's words were cut off as a hoof placed on her shoulder. Turning around, she was taken aback by the surprisingly soft expression the normally aloof Aria wore. Shaking her head, Aria walked past Adagio to join by Sonata's side.

"Sonata," Aria whispered, tapping the mare's shoulder. "We really need to get going."

Sonata nodded hesitantly and dropped the letter by Trixie's side before walking towards Adaigo, her demeanor shifting immediately back to its usual cheerful self. "So! What happens now?"

Adagio eyed her curious for a moment before giving into a chuckle as a wicked smirk formed on her face. "Now? Now we watch the fireworks, of course."