Chapter Twenty-One "Fall of an Empire, Part V"
The late evening sun's image burned brightly and vividly, filling the courtyard with light and warmth. Twilight sat with Ben nuzzled into her side, conversing with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. The alicorn was compromised and still unable to fully use her magic properly. With the numerous incidents on large cities throughout the week, Celestia thought it would be best to keep the Elements of Harmony and their wielders under protective watch until Twilight recovered.
The last thing anypony wanted was for something to happen to any of the mares, lest they want this setback to last longer. In the meantime, everypony would make the most out of Canterlot's accommodations while Peter continued to react to the immediate threats. Rarity had more or less made herself at home, thoroughly enjoying Princess Celestia's hospitality to the fullest. Applejack seemed the most skeptical, the farmpony out of place from her preferred rural settings. Rainbow Dash was forced to be on her best behavior, seeing as Princess Luna slept during the day and had zero tolerance for roughhousing in her castle walls.
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were perfectly content, just enjoying Twilight's company during such troubling times. Even after all these years, their bond was stronger than ever, and while with age came maturity, everypony was still the same at heart. It seemed unusual that the one least likely to settle down outside of Pinkie Pie, Twilight was this far ahead, having formed a family with two children while the others continued to enjoy their single lives. Not that anypony minded, really. If anything, Twilight was more fun than ever, thanks to Peter's light-hearted nature and influence.
Mayday watched everypony from a safe distance, keeping most of her attention centered on the iPod her father made for her. Thanks to his ingenuity, the device was solar-powered, leaving the filly with the peace of mind that her one source of entertainment would last until she made it back to her haven that was the workshop in the Treebrary. In spite of the soft music playing in her ears, Mayday's troubled mind could not settle, playing back her chance encounter with Discord, his cryptic messages, and her father's plethora of woes of late this week. This was an unethical way of restoring balance to Equestria, and the filly could only ponder if there was any truth to Discord's words.
Sadly, this was a matter only she could dwell on. Her mother, or anypony, for that matter, would not have handled the news well if she learned that her daughter talked shop with the embodiment of chaos. Mayday groaned, knowing she'd be grounded for at least a month, especially since her father wasn't around to bail her out of the epicenter of her mother's wrath.
Suddenly, before Mayday could sink further into her own contemplation process, Princess Luna walked into the courtyard with a stern expression. While the Mare of the Moon was not as physically imposing as her sister in terms of stature, she had a reputation for being far more intimidating, even in spite of her height loss a few years ago. Her mere presence seemed to command that sort of reaction. The guards stepped out of her path, bowing out of respect as Luna made a beeline for Twilight. Mayday removed her earplugs before furrowing her brow at the sight.
She knew her godmother's body language, and it was easy to decipher even from a distance that something was amiss. Without making a sound, the filly edged closer to Luna and Twilight while staying out of their line of sight behind the fountain. Mayday cursed under her breath, as the running waters made it impossible to hear the opening portions of their exchange. The filly made certain to crawl behind the nearest bush, letting out a relieved sigh that she remained unnoticed for the moment.
"—attack in Whinnyapolis. Peter would know for certain the identity of the one responsible. Take the necessary precautions while I inform Peter of the situation," Luna declared, sharing a glance with the other wielders of the Elements. "I shall return shortly." Faster than anypony could react, Luna vanished from sight in a flash of light.
Applejack pursed her lips. "A pony made out of lightning? Where does Discord keep finding these nuts?"
Twilight frowned. "First the Green Goblin comes back and nowthis. I'm beginning to worry if Peter can keep fighting like this."
Rainbow Dash smiled, patting the alicorn's shoulder supportively. "Pete's got this. He's three for three! So four straight won't be a problem!"
Twilight shook her head. "I hope so, but you don't know as well as I do. He tried to hide it yesterday, but he's on the verge of collapsing. He has his limits, and I'm afraid he's going to push himself too far at this rate."
Fluttershy nodded. "Even if something happens, I know everything will be fine. I have faith… in Peter and you."
Twilight let out a defeated sigh. "Let's just hope for the best." The alicorn blinked, glancing about her surroundings with a furrowed brow. "Wait. Where's Mayday?"
Rarity huffed. "She was just here a moment ago, dear. I'll bet she snuck off again."
"Again?" Twilight exhaled, her exasperation and concern evident in her voice. "What am I going to do with that girl?" Exchanging glances with her friends, the alicorn eased back into her resting position and rubbed a hoof over Ben's silky mane. "Could you have the guards try and find her? She can't be far."
Elsewhere, Mayday watched from a distant door before sliding down a hallway. All of the questions she had regarding Discord returned with more vigor, filling the filly's mind with theories and guesses. Mayday could only growl under her breath as she raised more questions than answers. She wanted facts, and there was no way for her to find anything concrete without official verification.
Mayday's eyes widened at a thought. "The Canterlot Archives. It's only the greatest library in the world! If there's anything documented about Discord and the balance of the world, it'll be there." The filly's ears perked at the sound of approaching hoofsteps, forcing her to retreat around the corner. She stole a peek, finding Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy entering the hallway alongside a pair of guards. Glancing back to the long hallway behind her, she cursed under her breath. "There's no way I can make that before they reach this…"
Mayday trailed off as a sudden idea entered her mind. Placing her forehooves to the wall beside her, the filly proceeded to swifty scale it to the exceptionally high ceiling above. Looking up- down, rather, to the floor far below, Mayday waited silently as the other ponies rounded the corner and passed by underneath her obliviously. Once they had exited the area, the filly crossed the ceiling, turning back around before glancing around the corner from the upper wall. She waited until another pair of patrolling guards were out of sight before proceeding down the hallway from her position atop the ceiling.
Mayday grinned to herself. "Daddy's heroics aside, this ability sure has its uses. I should be able to easily reach the archives without getting caught like this." The journey through the castle was brief, thanks to the filly's genetic gift. She paused, slowly climbing down from the ceiling upon spotting the archive's door. She made her way inside, checking her surroundings before eventually closing the entrance behind her. Mayday stared wildly at the massive gathering of books. This grand collection clearly put her mother's library to absolute shame. With a brief nod, the filly huffed. "Let's see… what can we find first? I guess the best place to start would be at the beginning."
Mayday searched the library briefly before spotting her goal: the history section. The filly scanned the many rows of literature, retrieving a number of pre-Equestrian era history books. Wasting no time, she delved right into her gathered research material, taking several mental notes of how the land and its inhabitants were in this time period. Once the filly had a fair amount of information in mind, she moved on to a book centered around the founding of Equestria. As expected, a major contrast was shown between the two timelines, and everything progressed at a rapid pace. With the three tribes working together, great things were accomplished.
For almost a century, history and the land's advancement continued to move forward wonderfully. Equestria had clearly entered a golden age. Mayday sat with a furrowed brow upon completing the book. However, before she could question whether or not Discord's words held any truth, she needed more information. The filly moved on to the next book in historical progression, centering around the Era of The Two Sisters. Where prior history seemed to state Equestria having thrived, naturally progressing in all aspects; now, it all seemed to have stopped moving forward entirely. No true advancements were made during this era, and even well after a millennium, the foundation remained roughly the same.
Mayday frowned, tracing a hoof over the walls of text in the book. "This doesn't make any sense. As soon as Princess Celestia and Luna came into power, everything just… stopped. Why?" she trailed off, her eyes widening at a revelation as she glanced to the side. Could what Discord said actually be true after all? Are the princesses responsible for the sudden standstill?
The filly furrowed her brow as she reached to a new book. It focused on the time period just before the princesses came into power. Scanning through its pages, she took note of a number of scientific and cultural figures prior to the princesses' mention, as well as mention of other academic establishments.
Mayday narrowed her eyes at the text in front of her. "It seems that there was a magic academy before Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns existed, but its name is never actually mentioned, as if it's just… been forgotten." Mayday folded her hooves and pursed her lips. "Then, there's the individuals that graduated from the old school. It's as if they just fell off the planet, just like the other schools from before the golden age ended. This is clearly nothing short of a cover-up story, but why? Are they trying to hide something?" Mayday brought a hoof to her chin. "Something's definitely not right here..."
"What's the meaning of this?" a low feminine voice called out from behind, causing the filly to slam her book shut out of instinct. Mayday spun around, spotting Princess Celestia standing by the doorway. "Do you realize how worried your mother is about you? You can't just sneak off like that at a time like this." Letting out a small sigh, she turned for the hallway and faced an armored stallion standing a close distance away before motioning a hoof. "I'll have an escort return you to your mother. One moment."
"No wait!" Mayday called out, quickly opening one of the books before flipping through its pages. "Princess Celestia, there's something I have to ask first. Why was the previous academy prior to the Gifted School of Unicorns shut down? What happened to its graduates? I couldn't find any mention of their history in the newer books."
Celestia's eyes widened, taken aback by the question. She cleared her throat eventually. "To be frank, the old school needed a lot of maintenance, but I thought it would be better to just rebuild it from the ground up." She trailed off, glancing to the side. "As far as those students go, I can't say that I remember what happened to them. It was so long ago at this point."
"How could you forget? They were all really famous and went on to do important things! Youcouldn'thave just forgotten them!" Mayday yelled out, pointing at one of the images in the nearest book. "These ponies achieved accomplishments almost as grand as Starswirl the Bearded! Why is it onlyheand Clover the Clever are mentioned after the golden age? What happened to everypony else? What oftheiraccomplishments? You can't possibly tell me that so many talented individuals after the World Peace Treaty was signed simply vanished without leavingsomeform of documentation!"
Celestia offered no response and simply turned her attention to an armored guard standing behind her. "Escort Mayday back to Princess Twilight, please."
"Yes, ma'am," the stallion declared, gently nudging Mayday from her seat.
Mayday protested, turning back to Celestia. "Wait, I still want to talk to you!"
Celestia offered a small smile. "We'll talk more later. Right now, your mother is worried about you."
The princess watched as the pair walked into the distance in spite of the filly's protests, turning back to face the array of opened books scattered across the table. Her brow furrowed at the sight, particularly at the specific history books that were gathered. "Just what is that child looking for?"
Sunset winced as Zecora rubbed an herbal mixture over the stitches in her shoulder. "Do Ireallyneed this?"
Trixie nodded, never lifting her gaze from the book in her hooves. "Of course. I doubt you'd want an infection."
Zecora smiled. "The narcissistic one is right. Your injury must heal if you mean to fight."
Trixie frowned, staring intently at the zebra. "You don't have to agree with what Peter says about me."
Peter staggered into the room, holding a hoof over his heavily bandaged midsection. Even with his accelerated healing, the stallion's body was heavily compromised, suffering from broken ribs and multiple bruises. A majority of these injuries were sustained during Peter's encounter with Venom, and they were aggravated and worsened over the course of the week. The stallion longed to partake in Zecora's herbal treatment, but Sunset Shimmer's injuries took precedence, the mare getting her doses first. Unlike Peter, Sunset didn't have super durability or a special healing factor, so an understanding was easily reached.
The stallion eased into the sofa, wincing as bolts of pain rushed through his sides. "I only say it because it's true. Plus, it's pretty obvious that you can get pretty full of yourself sometimes."
Trixie brushed a hoof through her silver-blue mane and huffed. "There's a difference between confidence and arrogance. I just happen to tread the line to perfection."
Peter chuckled, instinctively clutching at his side afterward. "At least you're self-aware. That's always been part of your charm." A soft set of knocks came heard at the door, earning an exasperated groan from the stallion. "Oh, crap. I hope that's not who I think it is."
Before anypony could react, Felicia walked out of the nearest room and opened the door, revealing Luna standing on the outside. "Princess."
"Miss Hardy," Luna politely greeted, sighing upon settling her gaze on the mangled stallion. She walked inside, holding a sympathetic expression. "Peter! By the stars, you look terrible."
Peter managed a smile, pulling himself to a standing position. "You're just being nice." The stallion gritted his teeth before forcing a laugh, a poor attempt to hide his pain. "Is something wrong?"
The alicorn forced out a sigh, nodding. "Yes. There's an attack in Whinnyapolis. From what my sources could tell, the attack is being led by a unicorn made entirely out of lightning and electricity." She paused, arching a brow. "Wouldn't you agree that that sounds rather familiar?"
"Sounds like Electro," Peter muttered, trotting to the other side of the room. He retrieved his costume, gingerly sliding the pair of tights over his aching form. "Considering I've seen Venom and Goblin recently, this really doesn't surprise me. I'll go check it out." Once dressed, the stallion turned around. "Felicia."
"I know," Black Cat quickly replied, already dressed in her black attire. She climbed to the highest window. "I'll do my usual patrol."
Once the mare leaped into the village, Sunset stood, only for Zecora to place a hoof over her good shoulder. "You require much more time to heal. As of now, you cannot help with this ordeal."
Sunset exhaled in exasperation. "This bites! Goblin gets one lucky shot on me, and I'm out of action." Her ears lowered into her mane. "Sorry, Peter."
Peter nodded contently, holding his mask in hoof. "Don't worry about it. Just focus on recovering. I need you and Zecora to stay here and watch over Ponyville. In case something happens, I want you to keep Trixie, Felicia, and everypony here safe." Both mares nodded, with Sunset letting out a sigh as she glanced at the stitches in her shoulder. Peter returned his gaze towards Luna and paused upon sliding his mask halfway over his face, leaving his mouth exposed. "All right. You should head back to Canterlot."
Luna frowned, shaking her head. "No. I will not." The mare sternly glared at the stallion, holding her ground while standing firm. "You have fought alone long enough. It is time that I carry my own weight and help you. At this point, you're compromised, and help is something you truly need right now."Luna pierced his thoughts for the first time in nearly ten years, and both ponies' eyes widened at the revelation. The alicorn's heart stopped, but she suppressed her feelings long enough to place a hoof over the stallion's shoulder. "You're my friend Peter. Ihaveto stand by you. So whether you like it or not, I am coming with you."
Peter held a hoof over the side of his cranium. "How are we able to do this again? I thought that…?" He trailed off, unable to give a viable answer to the strange sensations his body experienced. Peter merely scoffed in a defeated manner. "Link or not, I guess I can't argue with my best friend. Fine. You can come with me." His brow furrowed. "What's going on? This is the second time I've heard somepony's thoughts."
Luna's expression brightened somewhat, evident by her small smile. "Thank you, Peter." The alicorn's horn emitted a bright light as Peter slid his mask on properly. "In regards to your sudden telepathy, we will figure that out in time. For now, we have an emergency to take care of."The pair vanished in a burst of magic.
Zecora simply held a knowing gaze. "It will make sense in time, Peter."
-u-
Within the heart of Whinnyapolis, fierce electrical currents rushed through the largest building. Ponies struggled to evacuate the area as bolts of electricity struck the ground in rapid succession, shattering the concrete and generating shockwaves potent enough to knock over large carriages. Each bolt resembled lightning, filling the streets outside of the building, and the very walls conducted enough electricity to form an image of a blue unicorn's face within the windows. Spider-Mane swung through the city on a strand of webbing, quickly approaching the scene with Princess Luna flying by his side.
The stallion relinquished his hold on the gossamer, soaring through the air before landing on the side of a billboard, and the alicorn slowed to a halt mere hoof-lengths away, her wings flapping to hold her frame in midair. The image on the side of the building shifted its gaze, staring intently at the two ponies underneath. In the dead of night, his image glowed brightly for the entire world to see. The outpour of lightning suddenly ceased, granting mercy to those on the earth.
"Do you see menow, Spider-Man?" Electro questioned, his distorted voice echoing throughout the airwaves. "It's time to meet our destiny."
All traces of electricity surging within the building dissipated, morphing into the shape of an equine. Electro faded from sight before materializing into existence mere hoof-lengths away from the pair's position. Never yielding to the reaches of gravity, Electro turned and took flight, prompting Luna and Spider-Mane to follow his trail of glowing blue aura. Peter leaped into the air, fired a strand of webbing onto the nearest building and swung after the entity.
As Electro teleported from one position to the next, Spider-Mane continued his pursuit, never losing momentum while alternating his swings. Luna kept pace, slowing and quickening her flight speed in moderation with Electro's movements. The journey was brief, reaching the outskirts of the city. Upon reaching their destination, Electro faded from sight before materializing into existence within the distance of what seemed to be a planting foundation.
Eventually, Luna and Peter closed the gap and arrived at the edge of the area. Dozens of apple trees stretched across the area, each vivid and lush. The front sign of the lone small building read 'Whinny's Apple Ranch.' Peter landed on the base of the building before scaling its wall, pausing to gaze upon Electro as soon as he reached the top.
Electrical currents sparked across the surface of each tree, resonating with the energy emitting from Electro's body. Luna's brow furrowed at the sight, especially that of the fruit hanging from the trees' limbs. Every apple morphed in color, shifting until their crimson bodies were multi-colored, rainbow patterned shades. Soon, the entire field emitted electrical energy, and sparks ignited across the entire area.
Spider-Mane analyzed the environment before groaning under his breath. "Oh, great. Zap Apple Season. I forgot it was that time of the year."
Luna frowned, narrowing her gaze on Electro. "This isn't a coincidence. This was elaborately planned."
Electro hovered in place, nodding. "That's right. Discord planned this out perfectly." The electrical currents sparking from the trees grew in velocity, sending tremors coursing through the earth. "It's over, Spider-Man. I've learned to channel my powers even more thanks to the magic of this world. I'm stronger now as a unicorn, and with the Zap Apples at my disposal, I'll be like a god to this city."
Spider-Mane shook his head and shrugged. "I'm sorry, but like I told my wife, a god named 'Sparkles' just doesn't strike fear into the hearts of ponies."
Electro howled, unleashing a bolt of lightning from his horn. Peter hopped over the projectile before it slammed into the building, detonating upon impact. Luna fired a magical beam at her foe, and she focused into the attack, causing the wave to expand. Electro countered with a bolt of lightning, stopping the alicorn's beam in its tracks.
"Is that all you got? Come on!" Electro yelled as the lightning from his horn pushed Luna's beam back before piercing through.
Luna's magic scattered in the lightning's wake, forcing the alicorn to take flight before the attack could collide into her. Peter dove through the air, delivering a wide kick across Electro's face with enough force to spin the electrical pony around. Electro's form faded from sight before materializing back into existence with his glowing horn aimed at Spider-Mane. Peter landed on the top of an apple tree and managed to leap into the air as a bolt of lightning struck the area where he previously stood. The entire tree detonated as it overloaded with electricity, triggering a chain-reaction explosion.
Electro readied to unleash another shot at his airborne opponent. However, Spider-Mane latched a strand onto the tree as its charred form was freed from the ground, spinning before slinging the timber into the electrical being. The object slammed into Electro, shattering on impact. Peter dove between two trees and latched a strand of webbing onto both with each hoof, jumping back until he slingshot himself through the air at high velocity. Spider-Mane tackled Electro out of midair, causing both stallions to spiral into the ground with enough force to tear through the earth.
Electro wrestled himself over Peter, but before he could hope to attack, Luna ensnared the electrical stallion in a magical bubble shield. Spider-Mane pulled his legs to his chest and kicked the orb high into the air before latching a pair of strands of webbing onto its exterior. Luna's eyes faded behind a blinding light, causing a second wave of magical energy to spiral around the bubble shield. Spinning around, Peter whipped both threads and sent Electro flying face-first into the ground. The energies surrounding Electro's body ignited at the point of impact, generating a shockwave.
Inches away, Peter could not react in time, and the force sent the stallion flying until the back of his head smashed into a tree. Luna narrowly managed to respond, raising a shield around her body. The defense held against the explosion, though cracks formed along its surface. The alicorn staggered as she lowered her shield while taking in ragged breaths, the limits of her younger body already becoming apparent. She held her gaze on Electro's prone figure before rushing to Peter's side. Spider-Mane struggled to gather his bearings, groaning as he could not make his way to a standing position just yet.
Luna placed a hoof over his shoulder, her eyes softening. "Are you okay, Peter?"
Peter forced a chuckle before coughing roughly. "Oh, sure. It's just my muscles, bones, and organs. All things I can live without." Suddenly, Electro faded from sight, and a zap apple tree glowed brightly, humming while electrical currents vibrated across its surface. Peter weakly raised his head at the sound. "What was that?"
Luna grimaced, lowering into a defensive stance. "Be on your guard. It seems that he's not quite done yet."
Peter groaned, holding a hoof over his throbbing midsection. "Oh, boy." The trees hummed in synchronized harmony, alternating in brightness before Electro emerged behind Luna and Peter. He unleashed a wave of energy, sending both ponies flying in seperate directions. Peter skidded to a halt and managed to stand, only for Electro to materialize inches away and blast a bolt directly into his chest. The beam carried his body for several meters before he crashed into a tree with a crack. Electro retreated back into a tree, in turn continuing the melody of beats and deep bass that echoed throughout the entire foundation. Peter groaned, falling to a hunched stance. "Ah, crap."
Leaving Spider-Mane behind, Electro sped towards Luna and blasted the alicorn with a wave of electricity. The currents rushed through her body, locking her muscles in place. Electro levitated into the air as the electricity from the zap apple trees spiraled into his glowing frame until each fruit withered into dust. Suddenly, the entire foundation fell into a blackout, with a hush filling the air before a large bolt of lightning ignited at the center of the field. A shockwave rushed out from Electro's position, reducing every tree in the vicinity to dust.
Luna's body was still locked in place, with the electrical sparks sending shocks through her muscles. Electro floated high above the alicorn, the electricity from his body sparkling wildly, and his horn glowed before a large bolt of lightning crashed down onto Luna. She screamed in anguish, but her voice was drowned out by the thunderous boom the lightning brought. The mare stood lifelessly, her fur singed from the attack. Eventually, she collapsed, twitching as bolts of electricity traveled through her body still.
Electro lowered until he levitated directly over the alicorn's helpless form. "Don't think I forgot about what you did to me." The entire earth shook as his horn emitted a bright light. Electricity sparked wildly, and Electro lowered his head, taking aim. "I bet you didn't see this coming, Princess. I'll make sure it hurts."
Suddenly, before Electro could react, a wave of water rushed into his side, knocking him to the ground. All forms of electricity evaporated instantaneously, and Electro was blown back by a shockwave, the result of his power outage. The water continued to pour onto his body, like a fall onto rocks even as he collapsed onto his stomach. Peter dropped the pipe he pried from the ground, panting before he made his way towards the pair.
"How?" Electro coughed out, weakly glancing at Peter from the corner of his eyes. "There wasn't any water in the foundation's schematics."
"That's because water's a well kept secret on any Apple Ranch. Only honorary Apples know where the water reservoir is," Peter nodded before tapping a hoof over his chest. "You're looking at one of them. I can't have you messing up the family business."
Electro offered no response, only yielding to subconsciousness. Before Peter could react, Discord materialized into existence with a coy grin, clapping his paw and talon together. "You've done it again, Peter! That was quite the lightshow!" The draconequus surveyed the area, waving a talon dismissively. "Do pardon the damage, won't you? Electro was justsoexcited to see you again!" Discord grinned, glancing at Electro before settling his crimson gaze on Peter. "See you later, alligator!"
Both the draconequus and Electro vanished from sight in a burst of light. Peter removed his mask and tossed it to the side. "I'll never understand that guy, and I really don't think I want to." The stallion's ears perked at a soft sound before he snapped around, eyeing Luna's damaged form. Peter rushed to her side, holding a hoof behind her head. "Come on, Luna. Talk to me." The alicorn weakly responded, her speech slurred, but she leaned into the stallion's touch, instinctively nuzzling her head into his side. Peter forced a smile, brushing a hoof through the mare's singed mane. "Don't worry, Luna. I'll get you back to the Treebrary. Zecora will take care of you."
"What wasthat?!" Adagio spat, pacing across the room. Sonata sat with a saddened expression while Aria held a look of bemusement. Adagio held a harsh scowl, glaring at the other sirens. "Parker's still standing, and you two barely tried to take him down!"
Sonata frowned. "This whole thing isn't right, Adagio."
"Whatever, Adagio," Aria scoffed, rolling her eyes. "We did exactly as we were told to by Discord. I don't see what the problem is."
Adagio grit her teeth. "Theproblemis you two didn't even try! Goblin and Electro carried their weight and gave it everything they had, but you two pulled your punches!"
Aria waved her hoof dismissively. "Discord says we're only supposed to wear him down a little for the 'big finish.'" She gestured across to Sonata. "Everypony has contributed to aggravating his injuries from his fight with Venom. At this point, Peter can barely stand. So in the end, we're still achieving the desired result, right?"
Adagio face-hoofed hard. "You're missing thepoint, Aria. Spider-Mane could've been evenworseoff had you two actually put in some real effort!"
Aria rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. "It's not like he's going to make it through the last day. There's hardly anything left of him now." The siren pointed at the orange mare. "Besides, aren't you up next? If you'resoconcerned with Spider-Mane not being hurt as much as he should be, why don't you fix that? Heck, go kill him yourself."
Sonata's eyes softened as she turned to Aria. "You don'treallymean that."
Aria avoided Sonata's gaze, her ears lowering shamefully. "Nothing I think or feel about Peter matters in the end anyway. I tried to convince him, but he's determined not to back down. Peter's in our way, and he needs to be removed. Simple as that."
Adagio paused briefly before turning to face Aria. "You know what? You're right, Aria. I think Iwilltake care of him myself. Maybe you'll forget about him when he's gone, Sonata." Suddenly, Discord materialized next to her position. The siren's demeanor shifted as she turned to the draconequus, a wicked smile forming on her face. "It's my turn, right? Where do I go?"
Discord simply smiled. "I have theperfectplace in mind. I think it's time you introduced yourself to some of Chrysalis's children." The draconequus folded his arms. "Just try not to betoorough."
The smile on the siren's face widened further, matched only by the dark glint in her large eyes. A black aura manifested from her body before a pair of pink wings sprouted from her sides.
Adagio simply grinned. "I promise that I'll be gentle."
To be continued...