Ultimate Spiders and Magic: Episode II "Rainbow Rocks"

by Maximus_Reborn


Ch. 1: Negative Vibes

Chapter One “Negative Vibes”

Peter inhaled deeply before exhaling. Students all around were preparing for the Musical Showcase, an annual event Canterlot High School hosted yearly. Everyone could enter and sing their own original song. Winners were decided by the judges and people in attendance. Peter could only shrug at the indifference he felt, knowing he had no sense of musical practicality.

Trixie had already assembled a band and wrote her own song. Thanks to his performance, Peter was left out of the gathering. The young man let out a relieved sigh. His reputation within the school was already in tatters with him being the new student and folly to Flash’s influence. Merely being associated with Trixie didn’t help matters due to her arrogant nature, nor was socializing with the likes of Snips and Snails.

Peter rolled his eyes. Even with a clean slate, things were almost worse off than they were at Midtown High. Yet, he shrugged before nodding. At the very least, he was seemingly free of Trixie for a time with her attention being occupied. It was clear she was a girl who craved admiration, and winning the Musical Showcase was the best method to achieve such a goal.

“Or she could just be nicer. There’s that,” Peter groaned inwardly, arching a brow as he watched some students hang banners in the hallway for the Musical Showcase. He paused, stealing a glance at the watch on his wrist before alternating his gaze about. “I’ve still got some time to kill before lunch. Guess I’ll go see what Doctor Octavious is up to.”

Just as the young man exited the vicinity, Adagio walked into the hallway with a furrowed brow. Aria followed, exhaling as she crossed her arms in a fit of bemusement. Sonata cheerfully eyed the scenery, smiling widely while even waving at passing by students. Both of her sisters shot her a glare, prompting the blue girl to straighten her posture.

Rolling her eyes, Aria huffed. “Are you sure that Spider guy is even here?”

Adagio analyzed her surroundings before frowning. “Don’t be so dense. It’s not as potent as it was last night, but he’s around here somewhere. No doubt about it. He’s practically oozing negative energy.” A coy smirk surfaced on her face. “Poor boy must be all in his feelings.”

Sonata held a finger against her chin as she tilted her head to the side. “I wonder what he looks like? Do you think he has eight legs? I bet buying pants must be a chore for him. I bet he has a hundred eyes.”

Adagio slammed a palm against her head. “He’s not an actual spider, moron. You just saw him last night!”

Blinking, Sonata hummed. “Oh, yeah. I forgot.”

Exhaling, Adagio rubbed her temples. “Anyway. If that was the case, we would have found him already. If he’s blending in with everyone, we have to find him based on his negative emotions. With that podcast going, he’ll glow like a beacon for us.” Clearing her throat, Adagio placed a hand over her hip. “Don’t forget, there’s Equestrian magic here, too. We find the source, and we’ll get our old powers back!”

Aria raised her hands and shrugged. “And what do you plan to do when you find either? I hope you have a plan that won’t blow up in your face for once.”

“I always have a plan,” Adagio spat confidently, failing to cause a change in Aria’s bleak demeanor. Sonata simply whistled, unaware of the argument her sisters were having. With a harsh exhale, Adagio waved a hand dismissively. “Now shut up and just follow my lead.”

Just as the trio readied to venture forth, Sunset Shimmer casually approached them with a hand gently raised. “Hi. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before. I noticed you were looking around, and I can’t help but feel you’re new around here.”

The trio shared a glance with each other, smiling widely, before Adagio cleared her throat and nodded. “We were trying not to make it too obvious. My sisters and I just transferred here.” The girl paused, lowering her head politely. “I’m Adagio Dazzle. These are my sisters, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk.”

Sonata waved eagerly, showing a smile with teeth. “Nice to meet you!”

Aria scoffed, her mouth twitching as it strained to form something resembling a smile. “Charmed, or whatever.”

Adagio swiftly thrust an elbow into Aria’s arm, earning a growl from the dismissive girl. She quickly returned her attention to Sunset, holding her smile. “If you have time to spare, we’d really appreciate getting a tour of the school.”

Sunset simply nodded, accepting the gesture with a smile of her own. “Um, sure! I don’t mind at all.” She pointed behind her position, narrowing her gaze. “Lunch is about to start soon. So I can show you around before we head to the cafeteria.”

Just as they began walking ahead, Sonata caught sight of another banner. “What’s the occasion? Is there a party or something?”

Sunset’s eyes widened before she grinned. ‘Oh, that! It’s the Musical Showcase! Everyone enters in groups to perform songs! The winning band is based on how many votes they earn from the audience and judges. It’s pretty popular every year.” Nodding, Sunset shared a glance with the trio before turning her attention back to the path ahead. “It’s free to enter. Maybe you three should think about it?”

Brushing a hand against the crimson pendant around her neck, Adagio shared a brief nod with her sisters before the corner of her lips curled into a wicked smile. “We just might.”

Aria held out a hand, eyeing her nails before she smugly laughed. “We have been known to sing from time to time.”

“Hello~! We sing, like, all the time! It’s how we get people to do what we want!” Sonata obliviously declared, smiling. Aria slowly shifted her gaze while Adagio sharply turned, shaking her head. Blinking and ever blissfully unaware, Sonata shrugged. “What’d I say?”

Adagio cleared her throat and waved her hand dismissively. “What you meant to say was that the Musical Showcase sounds like a great way for us to meet the other students.”

Sonata nodded. “Yeah. That’s exactly what I meant to say.”

Bemused, Aria stared blankly at her sibling before crossing her arms. “I swear you are the absolute worst.

Huffing, Sonata shot a glare back. “I know you are, but what am I?”

Adagio stepped between the pair, exhaling before facing Sunset with a tired smile. “Please excuse them. They’re idiots.”

Sunset stared at the trio for what seemed like an eternity before her eyes widened at the crimson amulets around their necks. She slowly extended a hand, reaching at the jewel. “Those are pretty.”

Faster than she could react, Adagio grabbed Sunset’s wrist before she could hope to contact the gem. Blinking, she relinquished her hold and laughed nervously. “Sorry! These are very precious to us, and we’d hate for anything to happen to them.”

Adagio slowly walked past Sunset, prompting Aria to follow in a huff. Sonata stayed behind, blinking dumbly as she shared a glance with Sunset. Adagio reached back and grabbed the girl’s arm, leading her away. Sunset watched the trio with a furrowed brow, frowning as she hummed inwardly.


The cafeteria seemed even more lively than usual, with everyone conversing heavily and loudly about the upcoming spectacle. Peter alternated his gaze about, attempting to find a bright array of red hair in the masses. After failing to find his target, the young man took a seat at the corner of the room. Away from the center was his preferred locale, and he had a better chance to avoid unwanted attention.

Once seated, Peter reached into the confines of his backpack before retrieving a sandwich. The treat was tightly packaged between two slices of bread, holding lettuce, tomato, and turkey. His stomach growled in anticipation, yet he paused, glancing around once more. Fortunately, he saw Sunset waving from a distance with a tray in hand before she made her way to the table where Peter resided.

“Sorry I’m late! I was a little tied up,” Sunset whispered, waving lightly.

Peter smiled. “No problem. I’m glad you made it.”

Sunset watched the young man with a narrowed gaze. “How do you feel about Canterlot High so far? I know your first day was pretty rough.”

Slow to respond, Peter lowered his gaze while scarfing down his sandwich in four bites. “It’s okay. I’m still adjusting and getting used to things. I’ll have to get back to you on that.” He retrieved a second sandwich from his backpack, holding it momentarily before chomping away at it. As if a realization came to mind, Peter cleared his throat after quickly finishing the treat and chuckled sheepishly. “Oh sorry! I, uh, get carried away while I’m eating.”

Sunset blinked before chuckling. “It’s okay! I’m just surprised. You’re so slim. Your metabolism must be insane!” She slowly ate away at her apple, pausing once it was halfway gone, and the girl could only stare with a widened gaze as Peter had already completely ingested a third sandwich. Clearing her throat, Sunset raised a hand. “Where were you from before you moved here? How was it there?”

“In New York? Queens, specifically. It was the same, just way more crowded. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it a little,” Peter responded, glancing to the side. “If you’re asking about Midtown, the only things I miss from there are my two best friends, Harry and Eddie. I was bullied a lot, and those two always looked out for me. I haven’t been able to get in touch with either since I moved here. It kinda shows that I can’t catch a break here from Flash. My semester at Crystal Prep wasn’t much better before I came here.”

Her eyes softened. “Give it time. I know things will get better. I’ll see if I can get Flash to lighten up. He told me that you two have known each other for years.”

Just as she readied to reply further, a male student accidentally dropped a pencil underneath her seat. Sunset arched a brow before retrieving the item, offering it back to the boy. However, just as the student was about to accept the gesture, he froze upon making eye contact with Sunset and released a frightened yelp. Faster than anyone could react, the boy reached into his pockets and retrieved seemingly all of his spare change before offering it to Sunset. Peter’s gaze widened at the sight as the boy trembled in place, slamming his eyes shut.

More surprisingly, Sunset snarled at the gesture. “I don’t want your lunch money! I’m not mean! Got it?!” she yelled, her voice sharpening. The boy ran off, breaching through the nearest exit doors without slowing. Many of the surrounding students stared at Sunset, further fueling her frustration. Clenching her hands into fists, Sunset glared at everyone glancing in her direction. “Come on! I’m not mean!”

Everyone stopped in their tracks as Sunset’s voice echoed throughout the cafeteria, and they eventually shifted their attention elsewhere. Peter watched with an arched brow. “Whoa.”

Sunset’s eyes widened once she faced Peter, her entire face flushed. “Oh, no,” she moaned, burying her face in the palms of her hands before she sank back into her seat.

“What was that about?” Peter questioned with a furrowed brow.

Slow to respond, Sunset folded her arms and sighed. “Right before you transferred here, I was the school bully. It’s not something I’m proud of. I even… blew up the courtyard.”

“That was you? How’d you manage to do that?” Peter blurted out, tilting his head to the side. “You have superpowers?”

Blinking with bewilderment, Sunset stared at the young man. “You don’t seem surprised? Doesn’t that seem a little weird to you?”

Peter retrieved a wheat cake from his backpack before shrugging. “I mean, sure, but where I come from, there were superpowered folks all over. I mean, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men all live in New York.” Scarfing the sweet item down in a single bite, Peter took the time to clean his face and hands with a napkin. “So what happened?”

Shaking her head, Sunset glanced to the side brushing her arm. “It was magic, and I don’t have those powers anymore. When I did, I abused them… all while looking like a demon. My friends that I introduced you to and a girl named Twilight Sparkle stopped me. They forgave me and took me under their wing while Twilight went back home. Now I’m just trying to make amends, but not everyone can forget what happened so easily.” Sunset cleared her throat and exhaled. “So that’s my story. I know it’s pretty weird.”

Peter glanced to the side. “Twilight. Where have I heard that name before?” Shrugging, the young man dismissed the thought before returning his gaze to Sunset. “Eh, it doesn’t matter. I know what it’s like when you screw up. The best thing we can do is try to make up for our mistake, even if we never make up for it entirely.”

“Is that from experience?” Sunset asked, arching a brow while smiling.

Peter hastily cleared his throat. “N-Not really. It’s something my aunt and uncle would say.”

Sunset’s smile widened. “Well, I like it. I’ll try to remember that.” The girl paused, brushing a hand through her crimson and blonde locks. “Thanks for talking with me and not… running away. Hopefully this isn’t the last.”

“If it’s up to me, I’d like to have lunch with you again. It’s nice having a normal conversation for once,” Peter cheerfully stated, smiling widely. Like lightning to a rod, his eyes shot open at a realization, and his “Oh, God. That came out wrong. I meant--!”

“I’d like to have lunch with you again, too,” Sunset politely interjected, causing the entirety of Peter’s face to flush to a shade of pink. The girl giggled, leaning forward in her seat. “Same time tomorrow?”

Just as Peter opened his mouth to respond, a hand fell and smacked the table between the pair. Flash held a smirk. “Hope I’m not interrupting!”

Exhaling, Peter shook his head. “Not at all, Flash. I was just leaving.”

Sunset quickly stood between the young men, with her back to Peter as she faced Flash. She angrily pointed a finger at the taller boy. “No, Flash. You need to leave Peter alone. This has gone on long enough.”

Flash’s brow furrowed as he frowned at the girl. “I never thought you’d hang out with a dweeb like Parker. I thought you were cool, but it sounds like you’re just a loser like everyone says.”

Extending a hand out, Peter stepped in front of Sunset and faced Flash with a narrowed gaze. “Hold on. It’s one thing to pick on me, Flash, but leave Sunset out of it.”

Flash blinked at Peter’s sudden defiance before he alternated his gaze about, sharing glances with the surrounding students. Eventually, he simply nodded. “You’re right, Parker.” Suddenly, Flash snatched the juice carton from Sunset’s tray and poured its contents over Peter’s head. The juice left the young man’s hair drenched as it seeped into his clothes. Flash dropped the carton while the whole cafeteria erupted into laughter. “Try to stay hydrated, Parker.”

Peter gripped the handles of his backpack until his fists trembled. No empathy was shown, evident by the countless smiles around him, and the surrounding laughter only grew in volume, echoing through the confines of his mind. Slamming his eyes shut, Peter frowned. He buried himself in thoughts of anguish before he quietly walked out of the cafeteria. Flash turned to his audience, waving his arms about as he reveled in their splendor. Sunset stared intently at Flash for what seemed like an eternity before she faced the direction Peter left.

Just as she readied to depart, Flash brushed his hands free of dust. “So you’re really choosing that dweeb over me? After what you did, I’m the only thing keeping you popular.”

“Grow up, Flash,” Sunset darkly whispered, pushing through the door.

Flash shook his head. “Don’t say I never gave you a chance. Have fun with the losers, loser.”

As the cafeteria continued to laugh at what had transpired, Adagio and her sisters sat at a table nearby. Aria glanced off to the side while Sonata, with a tray in hand, ate away at small slices of pizza. Unbeknownst to everyone, green sparkling energies traveled underneath the area and seeped into the trio. Each inhaled sharply at the filling sensation before their demeanors eventually relaxed.

“That was refreshing,” Adagio blissfully declared, holding a firm gaze on Flash as he retook a seat with his entourage. Her lips curled into a devilish smile. “I like him. He’s certainly assertive.”

Aria scoffed before shrugging. “Comes off as a total meathead to me, but whatever floats your boat, I guess. I do feel a little bad for that other guy. The taste of his negativity just then was almost… too rich. Like it had been bottled up for too long.” Her eyes softened momentarily. Yet, she brushed aside the thought and rolled her eyes. “Oh, well. At least his misery is our lunch, but I hate junk food. I hope he loosens up a bit.”

Sonata scarfed down a slice, burping slightly afterward. “The cheese pizza isn’t so bad, but I bet tomorrow’s will be better. It’ll be Taco Tuesday!”

Adagio grumbled, tapping the table just loud to get her siblings’ attention. “Would you two be quiet? I can’t be the only one who recognized the negative energy pouring out of that boy.”

“Who? The dweeb? You can’t be serious,” Aria scoffed, prompting Adagio to give an affirming nod.

Sonata’s eyes widened. “Whoa! You mean he’s--!”

Adagio lunged forth, covering Sonata’s mouth with her hand. “Of course, you fool! He’s Spider-Man, but keep that to yourself,” she whispered, stealing a glance of their surroundings. Once certain no one had heard them, Adagio relinquished her hold and shielded her mouth with a hand. “If we exploit him, there’s a chance he’ll just move away, and we’ll lose our meal ticket.”

“Fair enough. So what do we do about him?” Aria questioned, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “You know there’s a chance he’ll try to stop us if he finds out what we’re up to.”

Raising a finger, Adagio huffed. “I know. We’ll keep tabs on him. Now that we know who he is, that shouldn’t be a problem. He’s so miserable right now that he’s just radiating negative energy.”

Sonata hummed, pursing her lips. “Do we have to? It almost doesn’t feel right.”

Glancing to the side, Adagio glanced at a banner hanging high overhead before grinning. “Think of him as an appetizer before the main course. Besides, I’m more interested in this Musical Showcase. We can use that to our advantage. That feeding has restored some of our old power.” Clearing her throat, Adagio stood and motioned for her siblings to do the same with a hand. She faced the cafeteria with a coy grin as the amulet on her neck gleamed. “How about we motivate everyone to try something a little different?”


Meanwhile, Peter stormed down the hallway with a glare in his eyes. Sunset eventually caught up to him, placing a hand onto his shoulder. “H-Hey! I’m so sorry that happened, Peter!” she cried out, shaking her head.

Peter could only shrug before exhaling. “It’s not your fault. That’s pretty typical of an interaction with me and Flash. It’s not the worst he’s done. I’ll be fine.” Inhaling deeply before sighing, his gaze fell. “I’m just sorry you got dragged along for the ride. Sounds like you lost your place at the cool table.”

“They can have it. After that, I wouldn’t be caught dead with them. Besides…” Sunset whispered, trailing off. The temperature in her face steadily rose, evident by the pink stain on her cheeks. “That was pretty cool of you to stand up to Flash like that. I can tell you really wanted to hit him but chose not to.”

Peter chuckled sheepishly, waving off the compliment, but his eyes shot open as something warm fell over his cheek. Sunset had leaned in, planting a soft and brief kiss on his jaw. Never had his senses gone into overdrive to such a degree (excluding the day his spider sense activated), with the entire world growing fuzzy. Peter held a hand over his cheek once Sunset pulled back, never losing her smile. The pair shared a wave before the girl turned, jogging away.

Left to his own devices, Peter could only chuckle. “Getting dunked on by Flash doesn’t seem so bad now.”

Elsewhere, Sunset could not remove the smile from her face. Yet, she slid to a halt before reuniting with her friends as they exited the principal’s office. Sunset arched a brow. “Huh? What are you all doing here?”

Applejack was the first to step forth. “Sunset! Did you hear? The Musical Showcase has been changed into a Battle of the Bands!”

Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. “Some girls calling themselves ‘the Dazzlings’ just convinced the entire school to do it!”

“We even tried to talk with Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna about it, but they’ve already agreed to it and signed them up,” Rarity stated, shaking her head.

Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Something doesn’t seem right. We feel they might be influencing everyone. The way everyone reacted to their song was… scary.”

“When did this happen?” Sunset questioned, her eyes widening.

“It was right after your dweeb-friend got dunked in-- Ow!” Rainbow Dash bluntly replied before Applejack threw an elbow into her forearm.

Rarity raised a hand defensively. “We were about to follow you, but they started singing right after you left. It was those girls you were giving a tour to earlier.”

“Yep! Adagio, Aria, and Sonata!” Pinkie exclaimed, shrugging upon receiving glances from her friends. “What? I remember everyone’s names.”

Applejack frowned. “This is serious. What do we do? Maybe Twilight would know what’s goin’ on?”

Rarity pursed her lips. “The portal’s closed. There’s no way to get in touch with her.”

Sunset’s eyes widened as a realization came into mind. She gave a wave to her friends, motioning for them to follow her as she ran off. “There’s a journal we can use! Come on!”

To Be Continued...