//------------------------------//
// Return to Equestria, Part III 
// Story: Spiders and Magic IV: The Fall of Spider-Mane 
// by Maximus_Reborn 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Forty-Six "Return to Equestria, Part III"

"How is thispossible?!" Tirek roared, slamming his fist into the nearest wall. The entire castle shook in response before the wall collapsed into rubble. Electro, Carnage, Blueblood, and the Green Goblin stood adjacent from each other, all holding equally frustrated glares while Tirek stomped across the halls. "For all of our gathered might, you managed to be bested by a lone pony believed to be dead?! This isunacceptable!"

Blueblood cleared his throat hesitantly. "Sir! We were just caught off-guard. How could we expect that Parker and his allies survived?"

Tirek snarled, folding his massive arms tightly. "We were too complacent. Because you were distracted with Spider-Mane, the Plunder Vines were destroyed by his friends. Now, our enemies' numbers haveincreasedwhile ours havedropped!" The centaur narrowed his gaze at the group. "Where are Starlight Glimmer and Adagio?!"

Electro frowned. "Adagio ran off on her own once Spider-Mane disappeared. She was pissed and attacked me when I tried to stop her. It doesn't take much of a guess that Adagio is going to try and kill Spider-Mane herself."

Tirek's disposition lightened, evident by the small smirk he bore. "Let her be. In her present state, she's nearly unstoppable. Let the siren do as much damage as she can." He huffed after a duration, returning his line of sight to the rest of the group. "What of Glimmer?"

"Nopony knows, sir," Blueblood retorted. Straightening his posture. "From the start, that mare has been rather suspicious. She was snooping around in the archives before Peter Parker's arrival, and it appears that she snuck off during the fight." Blueblood cleared his throat and glanced off to the side. "I had a pair of thestrals attempt to follow her, but she rendered them unconscious in her leave. Starlight clearly didn't want to be followed."

Slow to respond, the centaur murmured under his breath before huffing. "Starlight Glimmer is a lost cause. She does not share our ambition. When or if she returns, it would be wise to terminate her. I grow tired of betrayal, and Starlight Glimmer will be thelast." Tirek frowned as he sternly glared into the horizon. "We have no time to worry about that. The Plunder Vines are lost, and its captives have been freed. These so-called 'heroes' are coming to usurp us. Gather all of our forces and march straight to Ponyville at the break of dawn. We shall draw out these miscreants and grind them to dust, once and for all. This will mark the beginning of a new age for Equestria."





Deep within the heart of the Everfree Forest, everypony sat comfortably in Zecora's hut. Many carried conversations in groups, while Julia sat in a meditative state. Chrysalis paced aimlessly across the hut, unable to free her concerned gaze from the ground. Sonata practically mirrored the changeling queen's actions, rocking in place while frantically alternating her gaze between the surrounding group and the nearest window.

Meanwhile, Celestia simply nodded after Luna explained what happened beforehand. "I see. You were all saved by Eris at the last moment."

Shining Armor furrowed his brow. "Are you sure that she can be trusted? In a way, Eris isstillDiscord, so it's possible she might turn against when we least expect it."

"Gleaming- I mean, Shining," Patricia stated, clearing her throat upon receiving an arched brow from the stallion. "Sorry. Force of habit. You bear astrikingresemblance to my BFF back at home. Although, I have to admit that your butt isn't quite as big as hers." Shining's expression shifted to a widened gaze, prompting the mare to casually wave a hoof dismissively. "Right. Anyway. Eris is reformed back onmyEquestria, and she's really gone out on a limb to help us here."

Twilight narrowed her gaze. "We've spent nearly three months with Eris. To a degree, she is definitely Discord, but there are significant differences between the two. Enough that I actually do trust her… even if she can be irritating." The mare's eyes softened. "Plus, Eris helpedallof us when she didn't have to. We owe her."

Shining Armor's demeanor lightened. With a defeated sigh, the stallion smirked. "Okay, Twily. If you're sure about that, then I'll trust her, too."

Cadance inhaled deeply before sighing. "It's still hard to believe that you've been gone for nearly three months while it's only been a week for us."

"That was part of Eris's contingency plan," Sunset politely interjected, approaching the High Council from across the hut. "With that much time, we were able to recover and prepare for the fight that's about to come. The training really helped us all grow stronger, especially Peter."

Chrysalis's ears perked at the mention of the stallion. "Just where is he? I thought that Peter would've surely been with you all."

"He went to Canterlot to distract the Sinister Six while we rescued you," Felicia stated, straightening her costume as she stood up. "Twilight already called him. He should be here any moment."

"Not any moment. This moment," Julia coolly interjected, glancing to the side before a soft set of knocks came from the door.

Suddenly, the door slowly opened before Trixie casually entered the hut, followed by Spider-Mane. As both ponies removed their masks respectively, Shining Armor craned his neck back, staring almost bewilderedly at the red unicorn. "How'd she do that?"

Gwen waved her hoof dismissively. "Madame Web is a grade-A telepath. Mind-reading is kinda her thing."

Faster than she could react, Pinkie sped across the room and wrapped her hooves around Trixie's neck for a warm embrace. "Trixie! You're okay!"

Bemused, Trixie held a blank stare. "Yes. I'm okay. Were you expecting any less from the Great and Powerful Mysterio?"

Rainbow Dash tugged at Trixie's cape and smirked. "I'm actually digging the new look. Are you gonna keep it?

"If we survive what's to come, the possibilities are endless," Trixie replied in a haughty tone, brushing a hoof through her silver-blue mane.

Meanwhile, Peter turned his back to everypony before lowering his mask until only his jaw and mouth were revealed. Suddenly, Applejack hopped onto the stallion's shoulders from behind with a coy smile. "Don't think you can sneak in without saying a word, Pete."

"I wasn't sneaking. I promise," Peter grinned, patting the blonde's hoof playfully until she relinquished her hold.

"I have to see something," Applejack interjected, removing Peter's mask. The mare inhaled sharply upon spotting the stallion's blue, slitted irises. Managing a smile, Applejack nodded while a faint blush formed on her face. "Gwen sure wasn't kiddin'. Blue looks good on ya, sugarcube."

Peter furrowed his brow with unease. "Thanks, but it's only temporary. I don't plan on keeping this look."

"I know," Applejack grinned, patting the stallion's shoulder assuringly. "I just wanted to let you know that I like you with brown or blue eyes."

Peter shared a smile with the blonde. "Thanks, AJ." The stallion stood upright and knocked at the door before motioning a hoof to the outside. "Trixie and I would've been here sooner, but we had to pick somepony up along the way."

That following moment, a large creature peeked into the hut's door from the outside with large yellow and red eyes. Its body, while clear, was blue and furry, holding small stars. Peter stepped outside to gaze upon the sight of an astral bear, its sheer size dwarfing that of Zecora's hut considerably. Usually, such a sight would terrify those around it, but Mayday gleefully rushed outside with her hooves extended. Hugging her body against the cub's warm nose. Fluttershy followed the filly's example and rubbed a hoof across the bear's cheek, earning a content pur for their efforts.

"Hey, you overgrown furball," Rainbow Dash chuckled, unable to react as the bear licked her entire body affectionately. Drenched from head to head in drool, the pegasus held a blank stare and shuddered involuntarily. "Ugh. Gross."

Twilight's eyes softened at the sight as she made her way outside. "Oh, Ursa! I'm so relieved that you're okay." The cub smiled in response once the princess patted her cheek, growling playfully. Twilight returned her gaze to Peter. "Where was she?"

Peter folded his hooves and smirked. "She was in her cave by Ghastly Gorge. With Tirek attacking her and our home exploding, I imagine thatreallyscared Ursa. Her cave is a home away from home. After all that happened, I'm just as happy to see her as she is to see us." The stallion turned to the pink-maned pegasus. "Hey, Fluttershy. Could you check on Ursa and make sure that nothing's out of place?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Sure, Peter." The mare motioned a hoof as she slowly hovered away from the hut, prompting Ursa to follow closely behind.

Rarity approached the stallion with a smile, brushing the side of her head against his affectionately. "Must you make us worry so casually?"

"I believe it's firmly in Peter's nature to do so. It's what makes this friendship of ours so adventurous… yet rewarding," Chrysalis grinned, sharing a glance with the stallion. The mare lowered her head, warmly brushing her cheek against Peter's. The tip of her horn glowed in response before light rushed into her body, sending a warm sensation channeling through her. Chrysalis shuddered involuntarily, holding a pleased, fanged smile. "It's good to have you back, Peter."

Peter chuckled, patting the back of the insectoid mare's neck assuringly. "Likewise, Chrysi."

Sonata quietly watched both ponies as they parted and shared a smile, her eyes softening at the sight. She carefully approached, brushing a hoof across the ground. "Did you see Aria and Adagio by any chance?"

Peter's ears perked at the siren's soft tone before he turned in her direction, nodding. "Well, Adagio was there, and she was pretty steamed to see me. I didn't see Aria, though. It's just like Eris said. Blueblood and Starlight Glimmer were there instead."

Sonata glanced off to the side as her ears lowered into her mane. "Oh… I see. So, Aria really didn't come back."

The siren walked to the other side of the hut, as if concerned. Before Peter could question her, Shining Armor stepped in front of the stallion. "I hate to interrupt, but we have more important things to discuss first."

Princess Celestia frowned. "Indeed. We have a terrible situation to start with. Tirek has had nearly a week to absorb magic from the land of Equestria and its citizens. There's no question that he is more powerful than all of us here right now. We must think about this strategically."

Luna nodded. "Eris gave us a second chance, and wemustuse it to the fullest. Should we fall, all of Equestria is doomed. We must use every available resource at our disposal and sever Tirek's support caste, as he tried with us."

Shining Armor's eyes narrowed into a stern glare. "We don't know how much time we have before Tirek reacts, so every minute counts."

"We can't just stroll out of the Everfree Forest, you know?" Felicia declared rhetorically, folding her hooves before shrugging. "For all we know, Tirek's forces are no doubt patrolling the whole country, looking for us."

Chrysalis raised a hoof objectively. "I may have a way around that. We changelings are of one mind and share a psionic link. I can send out many of my changelings to scout many areas of Equestria." The mare sobered, pausing momentarily. "However, I can only truly relay their information from the central hive."

Peter gave an affirming nod. "Good. That's a start. Head for the central hive right away. We'll give you a headset, so you can keep us posted on what's going on." He edged closer until they were within whispering distance from each other, giving the mare a soft smile while handing her a small earpiece. "Plus, you need to check on your eggs while you're there. I know that's what's on your mind."

The changeling queen's eyes widened at the comment, but she soon smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Peter." Chrysalis stepped back as light enveloped her form, shifting until the mare resembled a thestral. Her slitted eyes glowed with a bright green tone before settling on a yellow shade. After her transformation was fully completed, she quietly trotted out of the hut. "I shall contact you all shortly."

Peter furrowed his brow in thought, murmuring before shifting his attention to the other stallion in the room. "Hey, Shining. Once Chrysalis calls back with the okay, I think it'd be a good idea for you and Cadance to head back to the Crystal Empire."

"Agreed. We'll gather what's left of our forces after checking on Diamond and come back," Shining Armor replied, earning a content nod from his brother-in-law. "I'll find our armor, too. Since we don't have your durability, we'll need a bit of an edge."

Peter quickly turned his gaze to the bright pink alicorn. "I need a favor from you, Cadance."

Cadance tilted her head to the side. "What is it?"

"If it's possible, I need you to make enough miniature Crystal Hearts to spare," Peter muttered, stealing a glance at the surrounding group before returning his gaze towards Cadance. "I can't be theonlyone using them this time."

Pausing as if contemplating the stallion's words, Cadance smiled and gave a friendly wink. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

Inhaling deeply before sighing, Peter faced the alicorn sisters. "There's something I need you two to do."

Taken aback by the stallion's direct tone, Shining Armor pulled Peter by the shoulder. "I know the situation's serious, but could youpleaseaddress the Princesses with a little more respect."

Celestia laughed lightly, shaking her head as she gently eased Shining's hoof away from Peter's shoulder with her magic. "Relax, Shining Armor. This ishardlythe time for formalities. Equestria faces its darkest hour, and we need a pony to lead us. I'm pleasantly surprised with Peter's change in attitude. Until this battle is finished, we willallfollow Peter's example." With a defeated sigh, Shining simply nodded before Celestia smiled at Peter. "Now… what is it that you needed us to do exactly?"

"Trixie and I were able to sneak into the castle. I'll need you and Luna to do the same," Peter muttered, raising his hoof until one ofTwilight Armsmaterialized over it. "I've gotmysecret weapon. It'd be a good idea for you two to grab yours."

Princess Celestia nodded. "A wise decision. Very well. From what we understand, Tirek absorbs magic. The flames ofIgnus Solarisare of no magic, andCelsiusis made up of pure energy. With the steel and anti-magical properties ofTwilight Arms, we will be able to take the fight to Tirek, at least long enough for us to weaken him."

Luna placed a hoof over her chin. "There are still the members of the Sinister Six remaining. It will take all of our combined might just to take down Tirek. Should he have support, that could be most troublesome. We should divide their forces and conquer, if we're given the opportunity."

Trixie huffed, taking the moment to remove her mask. "It shouldn't be too difficult to split apart their group. I eavesdropped on their conversation before Peter started fighting them, and from what I've gathered, it's a miracle that Discord's group of rapscallions haven't torn each other apart by now."

"Between all of their egos, that's not surprising," Patricia chimed, brushing a hoof through her chocolate-brown mane. Her hazel eyes widened at a belated realization. "There's already wedges in place. All we have to do is find and drive them in, then kick their divided butts one at a time."

Peter nodded, sharing a glance with everypony around him. "Okay. Let's just sit back for a few until Chrysalis gives us an update. We literally can't do anything before then. We'll have a better idea of what to do when we learn how Tirek and company are moving about and what their conflicts are."

Patricia folded her hooves and crossed her legs as she sat upright on the nearest table. "Honestly, it's so weird that the changelings on this Equestria are good. I'm totally slacking. I haven't even reformed half of the number of individuals that you have, handsome. I mean, there's some good karma that comes with it. Eris is helping us out now, and that's only becauseyouturned her around, Pete." She paused, pointing a hoof at the silver-blue maned mare. "Do I even need to mention, Trixie? I can't tell you how inflated Tristan's ego is back on my Equestria!"

"I'd say that goes without sayin'," Applejack grinned, earning a bemused glare from Trixie. "Ah mean, shedidhogtie me with her magic, just to show off."

Patricia nodded and grinned. "My point is that once this is all said and done, maybe you can help Miss Tall, Dark, and Broody reform on my Equestria."

Rainbow Dash levitated towards Patricia with a furrowed brow. "Who the heck would that be?"

"A self-proclaimed queen who used to be one of our history's greatest knights," Patricia declared, glancing at the ceiling, as if pondering a matter before motioning a hoof. "She has the blackest mane and the prettiest pair of red eyes. With those fangs and armor, she's surprisingly cute, but the mare never leaves her castle near the Crystal Empire."

Shining Armor grumbled at the mare's talkative nature before merely closing his eyes in a vain attempt to ignore her. "Black mane. Red eyes. Great knight. A queen," he whispered, snorting involuntarily once a realization struck his mind. "Hold on. Is she talking about…?"

Meanwhile, Peter knelt down next to his daughter, who had held an odd silence for the entire conversation. Strangely, the filly's line of sight seemed to have been fixated sternly on Princess Celestia. Paying that no mind, Peter lightly tapped Mayday's shoulder, freeing the filly from her self-induced trance. Letting out a low squeak, she blinked in a flustered manner before sharing a glance with her father.

"Hey, sweetie. I want you to keep an open ear for Chrysalis. Your mother and I have something really important to do real quick," Peter whispered in a melancholic tone of voice. "We're just going to Ponyville for a few minutes. Hopefully, we'll make it back before Chrysalis gives a call."

Mayday furrowed her brow, opening her mouth to object, but she slowly nodded, stealing a glance at the alicorn of the sun. "Okay. There's something I wanted to do anyway." The pair quickly embraced, nuzzling the sides of their heads together affectionately. Once they parted, the filly poked out her lower lip and gave a stern yet warm glare. "Make sure you hurry back safely, Daddy."

Peter managed a smile, recognizing the filly's reminiscent tone. He rubbed a hoof over her head softly. "You sound like your mother."

Mayday grimaced slightly at her father's words, glancing to the side as a faint pink flush filled her cheeks. "I'lltryto take that as a compliment."

"As you should," Peter chuckled, making his way for the door while waving a hoof innocently.

Across the room, Twilight used her magic to gently levitate Ben toward Zecora, freeing the mare from her meditation. "Zecora, would you…?" she trailed off, glancing to the side once Pinkie edged to her side with a wide grin. Twilight cleared her throat, easing back while sharing a glance with both mares. "Zecora, would youandPinkie Pie watch over Ben for a few minutes? We'll be back shortly."

Zecora chuckled under her breath as Pinkie giggled, taking Ben into her hooves. "You have chosen quite the odd pair, but rest assured, your son is in good care."

Pinkie eased the baby colt onto the back of her neck before bouncing in place, earning gleeful squeals for her efforts. "We'll be right here, Twilight! Right, Benny?"

"Pee-Pee!" Ben giggled, squeaking happily.

Pinkie stopped in her tracks, blinking profusely before bursting into ecstatic laughter. "Did everypony hear that?! Ben just…spoke! Oooh! I'm so happy and excited! I'm…hapcited!"

Rainbow Dash arched a brow. "The little dude is talkingalready? Isn't it a bit soon for that to be happening?"

Applejack blankly stared at the baby colt as a bead of sweat trailed down the side of her head. "I told ya'll that baby is so smart that it's scary. If Twi keeps readin' him math books every night, he'll be speakin' in fancy before we know it."

"He just started talking the day before yesterday," Twilight whispered, slowly making her way towards Peter's side by the door. She playfully elbowed her husband's side once she was within range. "I would tell you what his first word was, but Peter threatened to quote, 'put so much webbing in somepony's mane that they'll have to shave it all off if we we said anything.'Unquote."

Trixie smirked, examining . "Oh, my. Somepony's quite sensitive. Well, it rhymes with moblin. Perhaps cauldron?" Suddenly, a wad of webbing collided into Trixie's mask and expanded on impact. The mare stared blankly at the sticky substance. "Reallymature, Peter."

Peter reached out for the door. "Don't play with webbing, Trixie. We'll be right back," he muttered before closing the door behind him. Letting out a low sigh, the stallion stopped once he and Twilight were a fair distance from the hut. The mare slowed to a halt as a saddened expression graced her features. Peter placed a warm hoof over her shoulder, ceasing the mare's trembling. "We don'thaveto do this right now if you're not ready."

Twilight inhaled deeply before sighing. "I don't think I'lleverbe ready, but it's something wehaveto do." Her breathing lightened as the center of her chest tightened. Doubts slowly churned in the mare's mind, but she closed her eyes, pushing those thoughts to the side. Twilight forced a nod while pursing her lips. "Come on. The sooner we get this done, the better."

Peter's eyes softened at his wife's wavering voice. With a simple nod, he wrapped a hoof around her shoulder reassuringly. "I'm with you."





The trip was relatively short, lasting only a few minutes. Patrols were sorely lacking with perhaps most of Tirek's forces gathering near Canterlot or the locale of the Plunder Vines. The village itself was somewhat barren, devoid of life, and while every structure remained intact, the eerie silence gave the usually vibrant Ponyville the vibe of a ghost town. However, there was one casualty among the structures where a once beautiful tree used to stand.

Shards of bark crumbled into charred ash while what few leaves that were left dried into lifeless remains. The flames left behind by Tirek's magic could still be felt as the earth beneath carried an unusually warm temperature. The Treebrary's fresh and crisp scent was long lost, replaced with smoke. Many emotions plagued Twilight's mind as she fought back her building tears, but she yielded to one, clutching at the fading nostalgia churning in her chest. Peter quietly watched as the mare stepped into the center of the destroyed area, holding his silence out of respect.

Twilight brushed her hoof across the ground, frowning as she stared intently at the surrounding ashes. "I forced myself into thinking that it wouldn't be this bad. I prayed for the best-case scenario, that it was just a dream." Closing her eyes, Twilight let out a desolate sigh before shaking her head. "But this is reality. Our home is gone. Everything we held dear… is gone."

Peter remained stationary mere hoof-lengths away from the mare, not wanting to intrude on her soliloquy. "I know this has to be hard for you, Twilight."

Twilight was slow to respond, unable to free her saddened gaze from the ground. She forced a laugh while glancing to the side. "I remember when Princess Celestia first sent me here. I wantednothingto do with this place or the ponies around here. I would rather have cooped myself in my room in the castle next to the archives, but that all changed over the course of a year. I made friends, had my first slumber party, and…" she trailed off, pointing at the charred remains of a bookshelf. "I summoned who would become my future husband right into my living room. You crashed right into the bookshelf here. I still remember that like it was yesterday."

"Same here," Peter chuckled, closing the gap between himself and the mare. "I was born and raised in Queens, New York. Imagine what it was like for a city nerd to go from living in an apartment to calling a tree home. That was a weird transition for me, probably even more than turning from a human to a unicorn, but I really liked how quaint it was in the Treebrary. It was a nice change of pace for me, even if you were a bit bossy at times." He shifted his gaze skyward as Twilight turned to face him. "I've been living in Equestria for close to eleven years now, and the Treebrary's been my only home. However, we haven't losteverything."

Twilight stood abruptly with a furrowed brow, taken aback by the stallion's words. "How can you say that? Everything's burned to the ground, Peter. Nothing can repair what's been lost!" she harshly stated, as if insulted. "I wish you wouldn't say things like that so casually!"

As firm as an oak tree standing in midst of a raging storm, Peter stood with a smile. "I know, but that's not what I meant," he gently replied, his tone as light as the clouds. "Do you remember back when we were potty training Ursa?"

The princess tilted her head to the side at the sudden question, but her demeanor lightened after a few seconds, evident by the small smile that graced her features. "Yes. We couldn't have her doing her business in town. It seems like it took Ursa forever to learn the boundaries."

Peter chuckled. "Her last incident happened right here… when she took a leak right on the side of the Treebrary."

Twilight exhaled, shaking her head. "There'snothingfunny about that. It took three whole weeks for the stench to go away! We spent hours scrubbing and cleaning to speed things up. For goodness sake, we had to spend a few nights with Applejack until the scent went away." Her cheeks flushed at a thought. "I really thought the neighborhood was going to evict us after that."

Peter grinned mischievously. "The best part was that Trixie accidentally left her window opened when it happened, and her whole room got soaked. The smellnevergot out of the mattress. We had to buy Trixie a new bed and everything." The stallion placed a hoof over his mouth in a failed attempt to contain his snickering. "Boy, was shemad! Trixie gave Ursa the silent treatment for, like, a year!"

"I think Trixie hated the tomato baths more than anything else. It reminds me of how upset I was when you and Spike destroyed the living room curtains," Twilight declared, giving her husband a bemused glare.

Peter raised his hooves defensively. "I told you that was Rainbow Dash's idea! Four years later, and you're still mad about it!" The stallion chuckled lightly. "It was a stupid dare. Skittles mixed up seven different sodas together in a fifty ounce bottle and called it the Super Disaster Drink. We just weren't expecting Spike to drink it all in five seconds!"

Twilight exhaled, holding a hoof over her face. "Youknowhow easily he burps. One accidental belch later, and he sets my favorite curtains on fire!" She shook her head. "That was a birthday present from my mom, too. You just don't know how hard it is to find silk-pleated curtains."

"Well, Mayday thought it was funny," Peter playfully whispered, glancing at the mare from the corner of his eye. He paused, folding his hooves. "Then again, I think she was just grateful that somepony else destroyed the living room for once, especially after the glider incident. She pressed one button and accidentally activated the glider's homing feature. The whole living room got turned upside down." Peter blinked, scratching the back of his head. "You actually weren't that mad about it."

Twilight shook her head and grinned. "Stuff like that is pretty normal in our lives at this point, and I wouldn't replace any of it for the world."

Peter placed a hoof over Twilight's shoulder, earning his wife's warm gaze. "That's what I meant when I said we haven't lost everything. We may have lost all of our material possessions, but we still hold the love and memories of our time spent here. Tirek can destroy our home, but we'll always have the best thingshere," he warmly declared, lightly tapping his hoof against the center of Twilight's forehead before pressing it firmly yet gently against her chest. "Andhere."

Twilight inhaled sharply at the hint of contact, the center of her chest burning vividly. Her eyes softened as a loving smile graced her features. "That soundsexactlylike something you would say. Once again, you're absolutely right, Peter." She straightened her posture while gazing at her surroundings. "Our friends and family are still alive, and we'll always have our love and memories to cherish."

Peter playfully nudged the mare. "I told you that I'm right sometimes."

Twilight rolled her eyes, glancing at the stallion with a coy smirk. "Key word: sometimes." Sobering, the princess brushed a hoof affectionately against Peter's cheek, and she smiled sweetly. "Thanks for putting up with me."

"Likewise," Peter whispered, brushing his lips against Twilight's for a brief yet loving kiss. The couple sat in a comfortable silence as they surveyed the surrounding damage further. Peter let out a low sigh. "We'll figure something out, honey. We might have to… start from scratch."

Twilight nodded. "Yeah. I'll talk to Princess Celestia. Maybe we can make an arrangement once everything clears up." Inhaling deeply before sighing, the mare glanced to the side. "You ready to go?"

Peter readied himself to respond, only to pause upon noticing something. He narrowed his gaze beneath the rubble, specifically on a shiny object. The stallion alternated his gaze between the object of interest and the large chunk of charred wood over it. Sliding his hooves underneath the burned bark, Peter raised the weight high over his head before tossing it to the side. Twilight slowly approached, coughing as dust and ash spread out from the rubble. However, Peter narrowed his gaze on a clear protective case, the exterior cracked but intact. The contents within were also unharmed, of an emerald jewel and a crimson ruby.

Peter's eyes widened at the sight, specifically the golden lace wrapped around each gem. "Holy crap!"

Twilight leaned over the stallion's shoulder, gazing wildly at the pair of gems. "Those are the jewels that Discord gave you!" She arched a brow after sharing a glance with her husband. "It's been years since I've seen those. How did they survive the explosion?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. Whatdoesmatter…" Peter trailed off, giving his wife a confident smile, "is that we just found our trump card!"

To be continued...