//------------------------------// // Spider-Party Part II // Story: Avenging is Friendship // by Boltstrike58 //------------------------------// Equis, Ponyville Twilight just stared at Peter, her expression one of somebody who can't quite believe they're having whatever conversation they're currently having. The two were parked in the living room of Twilight's castle, along with Pinkie, in the aftermath of the Nightmare Night celebrations. The lavender alicorn was rubbing her head in exasperation with both fore-hooves, the way she always did whenever something got on her nerves. "So, let me get this straight," she started. "Your spider-like powers include an extrasensory 'spider-sense,' which apparently warns you of impending danger?" "Well, that might be a bit misleading," Peter replied. "It pretty much gives me a better sense of everything around me, and I can react to things I don't see faster than everybody else. Where it comes from, I'm not certain. I looked it up once, and tarantulas have really sensitive hairs on the outside of their bodies that react to really low frequency vibrations in the air, ones that most other organisms can't feel. I guess my body hair now acts like that. At least, that's the best theory I can come up with." "Cool!" said Pinkie. "But that's just—I don't—" Twilight stuttered, trying to come up with a response. "That doesn't make any sense! You shouldn't be able to know how to react to something like—" The rest of her speech dissolved into frustrated grunts. "Wait!" Pinkie called out. Her ears began to flip and bounce over her head, her eyes blinked rapidly, and her knees began to tremble. "Watch out for opening doors, Twilight!" Peter opened his mouth to ask the obvious question, but he was interrupted by the sound of a door slamming, and Spike walking in with a large box labeled "Twilight's Analysis Materials." "Got 'em, just like you asked, Twilight!" called the small dragon. Peter blinked in surprise. "How'd you know that was gonna happen?" he asked, turning to Pinkie. "Pinkie Sense," replied the earth pony. "My body reacts in various ways when things are about to happen. It's also what's making Twilight lose her mind right now." Peter felt his jaw drop. "Wait...how does that even work? I thought earth ponies didn't have that kind of magic, and—" "That's what I said," Twilight deadpanned from across the room, as she sorted through the box. "I spent days trying to quantify the Pinkie Sense, or figure it out. Eventually, I just sort of gave in, and had to believe it." "Now that was a doozy," said Pinkie. "But it was a happy doozy, unlike the earthquake." "But that doesn't mean I have to do it now!" Twilight declared, her horn glowing with power. "Um, what?" Peter asked, apprehensively, backing up ever so slightly. Spike chuckled. "Good luck getting out of this one, web-head!" he laughed. "Once Twilight gets set on some sort of scientific topic, she'll never let it go." "No, no, no, urgh!" said Twilight in frustration. "None of this is going to work! It's all too technical, especially given how little I know about human biology!" "I don't like where this is going," Peter mumbled. Twilight turned around, her hooves clopping on the crystalline floor as she walked towards him. "Don't worry, Peter. I'm just gonna perform a simple scanning spell on you. See if I can figure out exactly how this 'spider-sense' works." "I don't know, Twilight," said Pinkie. "You ever heard the phrase 'Be careful what you wish for?'" "What could go wrong, Pinkie?" Twilight laughed. "I become a giant spider-pony?" "This isn't gonna hurt, right?" Peter asked. As much as he trusted the Princess of Friendship, the mood she was in was starting to freak him out. "Of course not," Twilight reassured him. "It's just a magical view of your being. You won't feel a thing, and I won't see anything private." Her horn ignited once more, glowing with magenta energy, as Twilight cast the spell. Peter's entire body was enveloped in a layer of magenta light, and he rose a few inches off the ground. Twilight's eyes were shut tight as she focused the spell. "Hm, nothing there. Wait a minute, what's that—" Then her eyes snapped open. And they were pure white. Twilight found herself floating in a black void. The only visible feature she could see in the empty space was a massive spider web, stretching out in all directions. Twilight looked down the length of the web lines, trying to find the end of them, and failing. They just seemed to stretch out into eternity. It almost made her eyes hurt to look at. A loud scratching sound suddenly caught her attention. Twilight looked up at the center of the web, and she felt her heart leap into her throat, as her brain processed the terrifying sight. It was a massive spider, hairy and black, with eight beady eyes dotting its head. The eight legs stretched for eternity in every direction, and the abdomen was a large, bulbous sphere emerging from the rear. The mouth opened, and two massive fangs emerged. Twilight swallowed in pure fear, and she tried to ignite her magic, only to find her horn failing to respond. Then the spider spoke, and Twilight felt her fear deepen even further. "Who are you? How do you intrude on my domain?"The voice was massive, booming, and seemed to emit not just from the spider, but from everything around her. Twilight couldn't answer. She was too afraid. She was too afraid to even breath. The spider made direct eye contact with her, and she could see her own terrified expression in the reflective eyes. "You are not the spider totem. You do not belong here." "Wh-what are you...?" Twilight breathed. "I-I don't understand—" "Begone,"said the spider. A massive wave of pure force passed over Twilight, and she screamed as she was pushed into the void. Twilight gasped, her horn shooting off a few residual sparks as she stumbled over, falling onto her side. As her magic cut out, Peter dropped out of his levitation, though he managed to catch himself on his feet. He and Pinkie rushed over to the fallen alicorn. "Twilight! You okay?!" exclaimed Pinkie, shaking her friend with her front legs. Twilight's eyelids fluttered as the white light faded from them, and she shivered from a chill, one she wasn't sure where it came from. She managed to get herself on her hooves once more, blinking rapidly to regain her vision. Her wings jerked out reflexively, balancing her out once again. "I...I..." she mumbled, dazed, trying to regain some focus. She looked over at Peter, and everything she'd just seen came rushing back to her. "Oh. My. Celestia..." "What is it?" he asked, his voice full of concern. "I didn't feel anything, what did you see?" "I-I..." Twilight stuttered again, clearly on edge. "I don't know what I just saw, but I...think I've had enough unnatural senses mysteries for one day. Look, I'm just gonna go lie down, if you don't mind." With that, she turned around and trotted away towards her bedroom, magically shutting the door behind her. Pinkie, Spike, and Peter were left to stare after her. "Um...is she gonna be okay?" Peter asked, unnerved. Pinkie didn't answer for a moment, instead closing her eyes and focusing on her body silently, feeling every hair and piece of skin, trying to find some sort of reaction. "No Pinkie sense," she announced. "She'll probably be fine! Although..." Pinkie looked off into the distance, thinking. "What did she see?"