//------------------------------// // How It Should Have Ended: Spiders and Magic Series (Ch. 2) // Story: How the Spiders and Magic Series Should Have Ended // by Maximus_Reborn //------------------------------// Peter placed a hoof over Applejack’s and Rainbow Dash’s shoulders respectively while Pinkamena and Sweetie Belle watched on. “Come on! We can do this!” Hesitantly, Applejack and Rainbow Dash shook hooves, earning a smile from everypony. However, Pinkamena furrowed her brow at a thought. “You know. This feels really familiar. I swear that I’ve seen this somewhere before.” Everypony paused while Sweetie Belle tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?” Pinkamena folded her hooves over her chest, huffing. “Let’s see. The smart and idealistic one out of the group gets lost in time, disappears, and comes back into a far desolate future. The funny one, being me, turns into the biggest badass and the exact opposite of what they used to be. The most unlikely one leads a resistance while two others fight over decisions made in the past.” She paused, nodding. “Not to mention that our worst enemy takes over during the chaos.” Peter blinked at the mare’s statement. “When you say it like that, it sounds like the premise of this story is beat-for-beat with another. Or a blatant rip-off. Whichever.” His eyes widened. “So, who are we ripping off?” Faster than anypony could have reacted, four anthropomorphic turtles showed up. One was missing an arm while another was without his eye. The third stood quietly to the side, donning a long, black jacket with a sword in hand. At the center was a younger turtle wearing a purple mask, piloting a mech suit with a staff strapped to his shell. “We were trying not to say anything, but… we did it first,” Donatello politely stated. Leonardo arched a brow. “Well, technically second, since Gargoyles did the desolate future thing before us.” Raphael huffed. “Don’t forget the X-Men before that.” Michelangelo stared intently at the group of ponies. “So, this is a Spider-Man and My Little Pony crossover that’s ripping off an episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?” Donatello blinked, rubbing the front of his chin. “The internet comes up with the most unorthodox pairings, it seems. Quite fascinating.” Everypony stared at the group of turtles, slack-jawed, before they all simultaneously shifted their bewildered gazes to Pinkamena. The pink mare simply cleared her throat and shrugged. “Just because I’m all emo doesn’t mean I have to stop breaking the fourth wall. Besides, it’s pretty obvious.” Peter let out a low sigh. “Now, I feel dirty.” Gwen inhaled deeply before sighing and turning her gaze towards the side. “Well, I guess I’m done here, Madame Web. I just hope Peter will be fine. It’s looking like his plate’s full right now.” Pinkie Pie trotted to a halt amidst the group before raising a hoof. “Maybe you should just hang around for a little longer? I mean, are you really missing that much at home?” Gwen, never minding the pink pony’s sudden intrusion and comment, held her silence for a few seconds, as if contemplating her words. She arched a brow. “I’ve been traveling between dimensions for a while, and time is practically an illusion. When I get back home, I’ll have only missed a few minutes at most.” “And wouldn’t you totally kick yourself if everything went downhill the second you left? I mean, what are the odds that this incident with the vines was only the start of the troubles?” Pinkie Pie offhandedly questioned, bouncing away with a hum. Gwen stood in silence with a pursed lip. After a brief wait, she shook her head and huffed. “Yeah. No. I’ll stay a bit longer.” “You want me to what?!” Mayday blurted out, her voice echoing throughout the room. Discord attempted to shush the girl, alternating his worried gaze between her and the nearest door. Once certain no one had heard them, the draconequus cleared his throat. “What I mean is to lightly give your father a flesh wound. That will certainly make it easier for him to see your perspective.” Mayday’s glare deepened, matched only by her scowl. She waved her hands defensively. “Yeah, I heard that, but it still involves me stabbing my own father. There’s no middle ground with that. It’s just wrong on SO many levels.” “Your father has survived far worse! Getting stabbed in the gut is a mild inconvenience for him!” Discord quickly retorted, chuckling nervously. “Besides, you’re the quirky geek who isn’t in touch with her emotions. It’s understandable if you think this is the best course of action!” “How?! What sense does that make?! I may not be the most emotional kid, but I clearly love my dad more than anyone in the world! The idea of me stabbing him just comes out of nowhere!” Mayday exclaimed, her voice cracking. A long awkward silence filled the room as Mayday folded her arms with a bemused glare in her eye. “Oh, sure. I can see it now. I just shank Dad in the middle of a big fight, he laughs it off, and we all come to a big understanding about how the world needs a little chaos!” Discord’s mouth opened, as if he was ready to respond, but his mind drew a blank, prompting him to pull at his goatee with a talon. “Oh, dear. It does sound rather dark when you put it like that.” Mayday walked past Discord, exhaling. “You and me… We’re done professionally.” “Madame Web, I have a question,” Peter lightly stated, walking up to the woman. She sighed, lifting her head slightly. “Of course you do. What is it, Peter?” Peter stretched his arms high overhead. “I mean, why don’t we just go back to my Earth?” Madame Web folded her arms across her chest. “Because Discord would have figured out where we were sooner. Plus, you have to face your biggest challenge in the most dramatic fashion.” “Dramatic is fine, but this comes off as convoluted,” Peter responded, scratching the back of his head. As Julia frowned in his direction, Peter held up a finger. “If Discord and his goon squad did show up, they’d have to fight us, the Avengers, and the X-Men. Heck, if things are bad enough, the Fantastic Four and Guardians of the Galaxy might show up.” Julia stammered about, frowning as her brow furrowed deeply. “Surely…” Before she could continue, Peter cleared his throat. “Since you brought Gwen here, the time-displacement thingy doesn’t seem to be a big deal. If it is, I’m sure Miguel O’Hara would tell us to stop. Not to mention, Eris is only exhausting herself by using her magic whenever Discord brings someone here.” “...very well,” Madame Web weakly uttered, clumsily straightening her glasses with a finger. “I’ll make the preparations.” Meanwhile, after a long silence, Discord materialized into existence with his Sinister Six closely behind them. “Did they really think it possible to hide from me? Different Earth or not, we will draw them out.” The draconequus raised a talon and shared a glance with his cohorts. “Time to cause some chaos while we’re here. Go out and—” Discord’s words fell into his throat as his crimson gaze peered up. Peter and his entourage stood before them, but they weren’t alone. The entirety of the Avengers were standing alongside them. To make matters worse, the X-Men were there as well. Thor swung his mighty hammer about while the Hulk and Wolverine cracked their fists respectively, growling. Iron Man held his cannons in place, aiming them at the Sinister Six while Cyclops adjusted his visor’s recticle. Hawkeye pulled back an arrow in his quiver while dark clouds hovered over the city, evident by Storm’s blank white gaze. Captain America raised his shield and pointed at the group. “Avengers Assemble!” Outmatched and outnumbered, Discord could only watch as his forces were utterly decimated. “Ah, crumbs…” Faster than he could respond, Hulk snatched the draconequus by his tail and swung him high overhead, reminiscent of a whiplash. He slammed his frame into the ground repeatedly, ceasing only once the earth beneath them was reduced to a pile of rubble. Discord could only stare at the sky with a bewildered gaze, letting out a pained grunt eventually. He weakly lifted a paw and groaned. “I surrender.” Hulk scoffed, stomping away. “Puny god.” In the distance, Loki threw his arms in the air. “See how that feels!” Discord sat in the pits of Tartarus, going over his plans for the Sinister Six with a pen and notepad in talon and paw. A bright light ignited behind him before a portal materialized into existence. Suddenly, a man floated through the portal, his bright crimson cape flapping against the wind. Discord eyed the individual with an arched brow, noting his blue warlock-like attire and grey streaks in his black hair. He soon landed before the group, walking confidently towards them as his necklace glowed with an emerald aura momentarily. “Discord! I’ve come to bargain!” Discord snorted at the brazzen request, managing a coy smirk. “Bargain?! Oh, my. And who might you be?” The man folded his arms, holding a stoic expression. “A friend of Spider-Man’s, but you may address me as the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange.” With haughty laughter, Discord waved a paw dismissively. “That’s nice, but I don’t bargain with strangers.” A wormhole appeared underneath Strange, causing the man to fall into an endless pit. Discord snapped his claws, prompting the gate to close. However, just as he readied to resume his business, Strange emerged from a portal behind his position. Discord blinked at the sight. “Wait. What?” “Discord! I’ve come to bargain!” Doctor Strange exclaimed, undeterred by what had transpired. Slow to respond, Discord cleared his throat. “Okay. I didn’t make myself clear.” Snapping his claws once again, a cage materialized around Strange before the entire structure and its captive vanished from sight. Yet, like the last time, Strange immediately reemerged from behind a portal once again. Discord’s brow twitched involuntarily. “Okay. No.” Doctor Strange strutted towards the draconequus. “Discord! I’ve come to bargain!” Exasperated, Discord exhaled before throwing his talon and paw into the air. “Okay! Just what is happening?!” “You’re stuck in an infinite time loop,” Strange bluntly declared, folding his arms once more. “Shut me out all you like, but this cycle will just repeat again and again and again until you hear what I have to say.” With a huff, Discord waved a glowing paw, thrusting Strange into the nearest pit. Sadly, he simply reappeared, demanding that they bargain. Undeterred, Discord tried to rid himself of the sorcerer’s presence for many hours, but like a roach, he simply kept coming back, unphased. Stuck in a loop, they relived the same few minutes repeatedly, and it quickly grew maddening for the draconequus, evident by his short breathing. Blinking, Discord and Strange simply stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity after hours of repeated attempts. Minutes later, after heeding Strange’s advice and bargain, Discord held a meeting with the Sinister Six. “What do you mean we’re disbanding?!” Adagio blurted out, slack-jawed at Discord’s confession. “Years of planning for nothing?! What are we supposed to do now?” Carnage glanced to the side. “I feel this is strangely anti-climatic. Who am I supposed to kill now?” “Not my problem,” Discord muttered before waving a glowing hand over the group, prompting them all to vanish from sight. With a defeated sigh, he shared a glance with Strange, who simply nodded before walking away through a portal. Discord could only exhale, slapping his own forehead with a paw. “This is why I hate sorcerers.” Elsewhere, Peter snorted and chortled at Madame Web. “Ha! And you said getting help from my world was a bad idea. I told you that Doctor Strange was the perfect guy to take care of Discord.” Julia frowned at the comment and let out a bemused sigh. “I hate my job.” Before Peter could say much else, the sound of soft laughter caught his ear. He glanced in the distance, catching sight of Luna resting in the arms of who appeared to be… himself. That same moment, they vanished in a burst of light. Doctor Strange materialized next to Peter while sitting in midair, causing the young man to yelp out. “Before you ask, the good princess asked a favor. She wanted to see if you two ever got together. I showed her a world where you two are married, and she ran off on her own to join that Peter Parker. I believe his hero name is Spider-Knight. Now, she isn’t sulking, because you can’t see what’s in front of you. And if I may add, his name isn’t as ridiculous as yours.” “I… How… What?!” Peter stammered about. Unfortunately, Strange vanished as quickly as he appeared, leaving Spider-Man to deal with his befuddlement. Slack-jawed, Peter alternated his gaze wildly before screaming at the top of his lungs. “I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!” “We have to free Peter from the Nightmare force!” Twilight declared, wincing in pain as she staggered back to a standing position. “But we can’t get close to him without triggering his Spider Sense! ” Celestia stepped forward, glancing at the vial in her magical hold. “Whatever is in this is the key. I’ll take care of it.” Luna snatched the vial away from her sister, raising a hoof once she readied to protest. “And needlessly sacrifice yourself? There is a much simpler way.” Suddenly, a black slimy substance enveloped Luna’s entire frame, and a white spider emblem formed over her chest. “We are Venom!” As Nightmare Peter tore through the battlefield, he could only yelp as Luna jumped onto his back and pinned him to the ground. She raised the vial over his squirming figure, pouring the liquid onto his head. A bright light erupted between the two, and once the energy dissipated, Peter emerged, completely purged of the Nightmare’s corruption. Peter scratched the back of his head. “What just happened?” The symbiote peeled back, revealing Luna’s face. “I remembered that your Spider Sense doesn’t work against the Venom symbiote. I’m just glad I didn’t jettison it to the moon.” Luna’s hoof trembled before thrusting forward, punching Peter squarely in the face with enough force to knock him to the ground. The alicorn cleared her throat. “We apologize. It seems to harbor something of a grudge.” The symbiote snapped back over Luna’s face before Venom roared out, pointing a hoof at the prone stallion. “Love us! Start a herd!” Peter blinked, holding a hoof over his stinging cheek. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” A tendril quickly snaked around his neck and lifted him from the ground before Venom edged forward until their faces were inches apart. “Love us or die!” “...okay,” Peter weakly whispered, earning a tight hug from Venom before he could respond. The symbiote peeled back, forming its own face alongside Luna’s. They both cheered, oblivious to Peter’s blank yet terrified expression. “The love has been doubled!” “So, you’re back?” Batman muttered, his voice as gravely as ever. He paused, staring at his hooves briefly before he released an exasperated exhale. “And I’m a horse again. Great.” Superman smiled playfully and chuckled. “If this keeps up, we’ll have to come up with new names to fit our forms. Just call me Supercolt, and you can be Batmane!” “Don’t push it. We know it wouldn’t work,” he groaned, clearing his throat before straightening his posture. He lifted his masked gaze and smirked. “Because I’m Batman!” “Who?” a soft voice questioned from nearby. Batman blinked before staring intently at everypony on the table. “What?” Superman and Spider-Mane shrugged while Twilight waved her hoof dismissively. Batman growled, shouting even louder. “BECAUSE I’M BATMAN--!” “Who?” the voice repeated obliviously. Batman looked around aimlessly with a deep glare. “I AM BATMAN!” Meanwhile, a bald blue man floated about outside while holding a mechanized umbrella. “And I’m Mary Poppins, ya’ll!” Suddenly, a small owl perched itself onto the top of the seat behind Twilight. “Who?” “Yondu, that’s who,” Peter chuckled, alternating his gaze between the owl and Twilight. “I told you bringing Owlowiscious was bad idea.” Twilight allowed her head to rest onto a hoof before she groaned.