//------------------------------//
// Ch. 1: "Gold Standard" 
// Story: Ultimate Spiders and Magic: Episode IV "Friendship Games" 
// by Maximus_Reborn 
//------------------------------//

Chapter One “Gold Standard”

The sun peered through the clouds, allowing its light to spread throughout the land beneath. Sunset ran through the school courtyard, clutching at her purse as she passed several students. Making her way past the equine statue at the center of the courtyard, the girl eventually reached the main door at the front of Canterlot High. Rainbow Dash stood on the steps with her back turned, pausing to glance at Sunset from the corner of her eye. 

Easing to a halt, Sunset’s eyes softened. “What’s wrong, Rainbow? What’s the emergency? Is it something having to do with magic? Do I need to get in touch with Twilight again?”

Applejack walked up to the pair with a bemused glare. “It’s not that kind of emergency, Sunset. If I had known any better, I would have stayed at the barn.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled sheepishly. “Well, it is a big deal.” She turned around with her guitar in hand, pointing a finger at a broken string. “I can’t perform with this, and I’ve got an audience.” Sunset turned to the side, furrowing her brow at a trio of younger girls sitting at the steps behind Rainbow. Each gestured a friendly wave, prompting Sunset to do the same. Rainbow posed, smirking while gripping her guitar tightly. “They want to see a taste of the magic we used to defeat those sirens! What kind of hero would I be to deny them that request?”

Scoffing as she approached, Rarity rolled her eyes and clutched a pair of pins in her hands tightly. “You made it sound so urgent! I was in the middle of customizing the cutest dress.”

Fluttershy frowned lightly, placing her hands over her hips. “I was giving the little animals at the vet their medication. Looks like I’ll have to start over when I get back.”

“And I had a pie in the oven! I had to take it out early,” Pinkie declared, popping up behind Rarity and Fluttershy with a finger raised. However, she simply shrugged and giggled afterward. “Oh, well. I can always make more.”

Shaking her head, Sunset reached into her backpack before retrieving an extra string. “Just be careful with this one.” 

“No promises! When I rip and shred, I’m a wild animal!” Rainbow Dash grinned, riffing her guitar before pausing momentarily. 

One of the girls leaned forward in her seat, narrowing her light violet gaze. “Is it true that you blasted some monsters with a rainbow pony cannon?” She stood from her position, holding out her hands while making explosive gestures with her hands and mouth. “That sounds so cool!”

The second straightened the large pink bow in her bright crimson hair before nodding. “You say that, Scoots, but I’m more interested in that Spider-Man fella! Does he have multiple arms, legs, and eyes?”

Scootaloo bounced to her feet. “Is he more of a spider or a man?”

Applejack furrowed her brow and shrugged. “I already told you that we don’t know much of anything about him, Applebloom. He just showed up and left.”

Scoffing, Rainbow Dash shook her head and waved a hand dismissively. “He just got in the way before I had to save the day!”

“Try not to think about him too much, girls. He is far too unsettling for anyone’s good,” Rarity declared, shuddering involuntarily.

Brushing a hand through her lavender hair, the third girl playfully tapped her elbow into Rarity’s side. “You’re just saying that because you’re afraid of spiders.”

Clearing her throat, Rarity paused as her face flushed. “Shush, Sweetie Belle.”

Rainbow Dash smirked, pausing before stealing a glance at her smiling pink-haired cohort. “You know something? You’ve been grinning nonstop all day. Like, way more than usual. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so hard before.” she questioned, freeing the girl from her self-induced trance. Blinking, she narrowed her gaze while placing a free hand over her hip. “Spill the beans already. What happened?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the comment, causing her to blink rapidly before glancing to the side. “I wouldn’t say that anything happened. Well, maybe it did. I just met someone that I really admired yesterday, and it turns out that he is just as nice as I thought he’d be,” she nodded, gigging involuntarily, “Actually, he’s nicer. All of the dogs I was walking loved him.”

Rarity edged closer with an arched brow. “He? So, you met a boy then? That would most certainly explain the glow about you!” The corner of her lips curled into a devilish grin as a dark tint filled her eyes, all while she rubbed her hands together greedily. “Oh, Fluttershy, do share the details already! You’ve never really openly expressed an interest in boys before! Please! Hold nothing back!”

Shaking her head, Fluttershy continued to smile as her cheeks flushed to a shade of pink. “Um… I’ll tell you about it later.”

Rainbow Dash looked to the other girl, raising an open palm. “Hold on! You can’t just drop everything and leave it with a ‘I’ll tell you later’. That’s not how it works! We know you! If you don’t say anything now, we’ll never hear about it again!”

Clapping her hands together, Rarity grinned uncontrollably. “Goodness! Rainbow is right! You can’t just expect me not to pry now that we know you’re interested in someone! What is he like? Is he tall? Is he handsome? What’s his name?”

Just as Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, everyone paused as someone approached. Peter whistled obliviously, walking accordingly to the music playing within his earbuds. Sunset lifted her head and smiled at the sight, but Rainbow frowned in response, clutching at her guitar. He paused momentarily upon glancing at the group, abruptly (and clumsily) lowering to a knee before tying the laces of his shoes.

“Real smooth, Parker!” he whispered, fumbling over the strings as if they were snakes avoiding his grasp.

Rarity walked to Sunset with a furrowed brow. “I have been meaning to ask you something, darling.” She alternated her gaze between Sunset and Peter as he mindlessly hummed to himself. “Just why is it that you associate with such nefarious company, Sunset? It goes without saying that they don’t exactly have the best reputation. The recent addition of that Aria girl has done them no favors either, after everything that’s happened at the Battle of the Bands.”

Sunset blinked. “What do you mean?”

Clearing her throat, Rarity was slow to respond as if she was considering her words carefully. “I’ve just noticed that you have taken in the company of questionable individuals recently, and I’m simply just worried that they will become a bad influence. You’ve worked so hard to make amends for your past mistakes, and I would hate for it to become unraveled thanks to a group of ruffians.”

A soft chuckle escaped from Sunset’s mouth. “Ruffians? They’re all harmless.”

Applejack crossed her arms as a look of uncertainty formed on her face. “Ditzy, sure. That girl’s just as clumsy as a bull in a chinashop, but what about the others? I saw that you added another to your ranks recently?”

Pinkie Pie emerged between the girls with a finger raised. “Oh, Eris! She’s the one who pranked Vice-Principal Luna with the whoopie cushion twice,” she giggled momentarily, “That was funny.” 

“So funny that she’s still serving detention for it,” Rarity interjected, placing her hands over her hips.

Sunset waved a hand dismissively. “Eris just likes playing her share of pranks. Besides, Rainbow Dash does the same thing, right?”

Just as Rainbow Dash glanced to the side sheepishly, Applejack huffed. “That’s fair, but what about that siren, Aria?”

Slow to respond, Sunset pursed her lips before nodding. “You all gave me a chance after I messed up. I’m just doing the same for her. Apparently, she took a liking to Peter, so I’m just going along with the motions,” she paused, tracing a finger across her cheek, “Although, I’m pretty sure that Aria hates me for some reason. Half the time lately, it feels like she’s just glaring at me.”

“You’re not exactly doing the best at selling your case, dear. Besides, the difference between you and her is that you actually accepted our help,” Rarity declared, frowning before shaking her head, “We actually reached out to her a few times, and she was very rude to us. Is she always like that?”

Sunset stammered, hesitantly waving her hand from one side to another. “Aria’s just a little… dry.”

Rarity continued to hold a bemused gaze at the redheaded girl. “There’s dry, and there’s overly apathetic. I don’t think she intends to change her ways at all. We even tried talking with Adagio, and we were given the same response… with a bit of crude sign language as well.”

Pinkie Pie pursed her lips. “Oh! I thought she was telling us we were number one!”

Slow to respond, Sunset exhaled. “Okay. I admit that Aria isn’t the most welcoming person right now, but my point is that she isn’t doing anyone any harm,” Narrowing her gaze, Sunset waved a hand dismissively, “Give Aria some time. She gets along with everyone else in the group, so I imagine she’ll come around eventually.”

Rainbow smirked. “What about Trixie? She just used a trap door on us to keep us out of the Battle of the Bands, not to mention everything else about her claiming to be the most powerfulest or whatever.” 

Sunset’s brow twitched as she gritted her teeth. “It’s. Not. A. Word. Stop it.”

Oblivious, Rainbow eyed her guitar, strutting its strings fiercely and swiftly until wings and ears materialized into existence onto her head and back. “How do you even stomach being around someone who’s so arrogant and self-absorbed?”

Exasperated, Sunset stared blankly at the girl before reaching out and grabbing her shoulder. “I’ve had a little practice,” she whispered, exhaling once Rainbow’s energetic wings and ears vanished from existence. Tracing a finger against her own cheek, Sunset hummed as if deeply considering the question for what seemed like minutes. “I mean, Trixie’s… um. Well, she can be… Uh…” the girl stammered aimlessly until she could only inhale deeply before letting out a sigh, shrugging. “Okay. I can’t defend Trixie. She’s a bit of a special case, but if you’re around her long enough, you just get used to it. Indefensible attitude and narcissism aside, she’s virtually harmless. All bark and no bite, you know?”

Applejack scoffed, rolling her eyes while chuckling. “If you say so.”

Huffing, Rainbow pointed at the young man in the distance while he finished tying his shoes. “What about him?”

Sunset blinked, humming as her gaze fell to the ground. “Peter is… a bit mysterious. I honestly don’t know what he’s thinking. Half the time, he runs off with little to no explanation. When we’re around each other, he’s super cute in a geeky way,” As her thoughts ran, Sunset glanced skyward while letting out a low sigh, “He seems pretty open with Aria and Eris, but it feels like he keeps me at arms length. It’s like he doesn’t trust me.”

“Are you certain that siren hasn’t put him back under a spell? You saw how prone to suggestion everyone was during the Battle of the Bands?” Rarity asked, holding a hand over her mouth. 

Applejack winced. “Have you heard them try to sing without their magic? It’s like nails on a chalkboard.”

Waving a hand dismissively, Sunset huffed lightly. “No. It’s not that. Without those necklaces, they can’t control anyone. All they can do now is feed on negative emotions to sustain themselves,” Blinking, the girl chuckled sheepishly, “Really, Aria doesn’t even boss him around. Trixie does that enough for everyone.”

“What could he possibly have to hide that isn’t illegal? It just makes him look sketchy,” Rainbow Dash sharply barked, all while shrugging her shoulders, “Think about it. He lets the shady characters come close to him, but can’t talk to someone honest and good natured? I’ve been saying it from the start, but the guy’s a creep, simple as that.”

Fluttershy placed a hand over her chest. “I think you’re being a little harsh, Rainbow Dash. He might just be a little shy.”

Snorting, Rainbow Dash huffed. “There’s shy, and there’s secretive. It doesn’t help that he’s secretive with the wrong people. Sunset’s my friend, and I just don’t want anything bad to happen to her, you know?”

Crossing her arms, Applejack narrowed her green gaze. “While you do make a good point, don’t you think you’re pushing this a bit hard? Is this still over that boy calling you Skittles? It’s not like you to hold a grudge over something so small.”

“You know I hate being called that! It just–!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, trailing off as her gaze fell to the side, “Okay. Maybe you’re right. I may be laying it on a bit thick, but I still don’t trust the guy.”

“Oh, hey! I know who that is!” Sweetie Belle cheered, her voice cracking. She hopped to her feet and sped past everyone, skidding to a halt once they were a few feet apart. Sweetie gestured a wave and smile, prompting Peter to remove his ear buds. After a brief duration, the girl nodded feverishly. “I never got a chance to thank you.”

Peter arched a brow, staring intently at the girl for what seemed like ages. “Thank me? Who…?” His eyes widened upon spotting the flow of poofy lavender locks over her head. “Oh! You’re the girl who lost her lunch. I mean, not in a gross way, but…” Clearing his throat (and thoughts), Peter chuckled under his breath, “Anyway, I tend to ramble. Are you doing okay?”

Sweetie Belle smiled. “I’m okay. You gave me your sandwich without thinking twice. That was really nice of you, and I never had a chance to thank you. I’ve been thinking so much about it,” She brushed her forearm bashfully while glancing to the side, “I was really starting to think I wouldn’t see you again without learning what your name was.”

Glancing to the side, the young man hummed, “It’s Peter B. Parker. What about you?”

“I’m Sweetie Belle,” she quickly responded, unknowingly edging closer to Peter. The temperature in her face steadily rose, evident by the pink tint staining her cheeks, “You’re a little taller than I thought.”

However, before the distance between them could grow shorter, Rarity reached out and pulled her younger sibling away. “That’s enough, Sweetie,” she sternly stated, narrowing her icy gaze on Peter before turning to depart, “How about we take this to the auditorium?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, sliding her guitar strap over her shoulder. “I can use some more space anyway.” She walked to the door, prompting Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to stand from their seats. Soon, everyone followed suit, entering the building. After Rarity and Sweetie Belle walked inside, Rainbow turned, pausing upon noticing one of her friends still standing behind. She furrowed her brow. “Sunset! Are you coming?”

Sunset’s eyes softened as she shared a glance with the young man, who seemingly just shrugged in response. She soon shook her head. “You guys go on ahead. I’ll catch up in a few.”

Peter walked up to the steps before Rainbow exited the vicinity, closing the door behind her. He shared a glance with Sunset while easing his earbuds back into place. “Was it something I said?” he lifted an arm before sniffing the underside, “Do I offend? I actually don’t smell like garbage today.”

Crossing her arms, Sunset smiled lightly. “Don’t let it get you down. I think they’re still just a little skeptical about you,” Her demeanor softened as her shoulders lowered, “I know you’re a good guy, but maybe you can help your cause by opening up to them.”

“That’s funny, coming from you. But sure. Last time I did that, I put my foot in my mouth, and they’re still holding a grudge because of it,” Peter dryly muttered, rolling his eyes.

Sunset blinked, frowning. “Are you okay? It feels like you’ve been more agitated than usual.” she reached out, ready to place a hand over his shoulder, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Peter instinctively pulled away before she could make contact, shifting his attention to the phone in his hand. “Not really. I’ll get through it. I always do.” The latter of his statement was low, delivered through a whisper, but Sunset never averted her gaze from him. Peter shifted inwardly, turning to the side. “Anyway, I guess I’ll leave you to it. For once, I’m not running late to class.”

“Hang on. I wanted to ask you if we’re good?” Sunset questioned, her voice wavering. 

Pursing his lips, Peter’s frown deepened. “I don’t know. Are we? You’re the one who cut me off, and I still don’t know why.”

Sunset winced, inhaling deeply before sighing. “It’s complicated. I can’t go into detail about it, but I’m trying to figure things out. I just need some time.”

Exasperated, Peter scoffed lightly. “It’s fine. A bit vague, but almost everything is nowadays. Do what you have to.” His eyes widened suddenly as sirens erupted in the distance. He glanced to the side. “I’ll catch you later.”

Just as Sunset readied to respond further, Peter walked into the building past the girl, before shutting the door behind him. The girl could only let out a defeated sigh as she sat onto the lowest step, brushing a hand through her crimson hair. She soon reached into her backpack, retrieving a diary and pen. Lifting her gaze momentarily, Sunset stared longingly at the clear skies above before returning her attention to the book in her grasp.

“Hey, Princess Twilight. It’s me, Sunset. How are things in Equestria? Learn any new spells?” she murmured, narrowing her gaze, “Things have been pretty quiet here since the Battle of the Bands. I was just thinking about you. We’re still trying to figure out how our magic works exactly. It always seems to activate when we’re playing music or singing, but everyone seems to really like it, especially Rainbow Dash. I think she really likes the idea of having superpowers. If I had to guess, I believe she’s pretty jealous of your friend, Spider-Man. I’d love to know who he is, if you’re willing to share.”

Pausing, Sunset’s eyes softened as she shook her head slightly. “I’m really writing because I could really use your advice. I’ve been in this world for a while now, but I still don’t feel like I belong here. I’m always asking myself… What am I doing? You helped us the last time you were here, and I didn’t do anything to help. Plus, I can’t grasp why we pony up everytime we play music. So much has piled up. There’s even a boy that I really like, but I can’t bring myself to date him, because I’ve got so much on my mind. It’s really unfair to him, and I can tell that he’s really frustrated about it. To top it all, I’m homesick. Life’s a mess right now.”

The corner of her lips managed to curl into a smile. “I still can’t believe you’re married. What’s your family like? Still no hint to who the lucky guy is? One day, right? Either way, I’d love to hear from you, especially if you have any advice. Talk to you again soon.”

As Sunset eased her diary back into her backpack, an individual walked up to the statue at the front of the school. Pausing, the person held a device in hand before holding it near the statue. The needle on the radar buzzed uncontrollably. They wore a hoodie, concealing their face while looking around and ensuring nobody was watching them. Sunset stood from her seat with a furrowed brow, staring intently at the individual.

“What are you doing?” Sunset questioned, causing the hooded individual to glance in her direction momentarily. Faster than she could react, they spun around, before bursting into a sprint. Taken aback, Sunset stumbled forward, while eventually gaining ground. “Hey, wait!”

Without hesitation, the person raced across the busy street and narrowly avoided traffic, and Sunset skidded to a halt, unable to pass once mere feet away. In the process, the individual jumped into a bus as it slowed to a halt. Once inside, the transport vehicle sped off before Sunset could hope to do the same. 

She watched with a narrowed gaze, tilting her head to the side as the bus faded into the distance. “Who was that?” 

Meanwhile, within the confines of the bus, the individual took a seat at the back of the bus before pulling their hood back. Soon, a flow of lavender and pink were freed, revealing Twilight as she inhaled deeply before sighing. She retrieved her radar from her pocket, furrowing her brow as she stared intently at the device. The girl pecked away at its buttons, exhaling upon glancing at the numbers on its screen.

Twilight removed her glasses before shaking her head. “The energy signature was massive, but it doesn’t explain anything. All I know is that there’s an electromagnetic anomaly.” Placing her glasses back over her face, the girl frowned, “I’ll have to go back and find the signal. There’s something that I am missing.” She closed her eyes, slowly yielding to slumber. As her mind drifted into an abyss, the past surfaced, and the girl could only mutter a weak yet firm saying. “I have to do better.”







The grounds of Crystal Prep were meant only for the elite to walk upon. Yet, Twilight tiptoed lightly, not wanting to agitate those around her. She clutched her books tightly against her chest while navigating the halls, wanting to reach her destination as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, as Twilight cut around a corner, something obstructed her path, and she collided face first into what felt like a stone wall, losing her glasses in the process. 

Out of instinct, the girl dropped to the ground in a haste and brushed her hands across the floor, desperate to reclaim her spectacles before any harm could come to them. However, the task proved daunting with her blurred vision, prompting her hands to sway even more frantically. Soon enough, a group of five students surrounded the girl before one of the males picked up her glasses.

“Look who it is! Cinch’s pet,” he called out while placing the glasses on top of the nearest locker, well out of Twilight’s sight and reach. 

A girl huffed, folding her arms in a pout. “Ever since you became Principal Cinch’s apprentice, she’s been buckling down on all of us! The tests were already hard enough as is! Now, Principal Cinch wants us all to try harder because someone had to set new school records.”

Another male student snorted, lowering to a knee before swatting the books out of Twilight’s grasp. “Congratulations. You’re the new gold standard. Now, school sucks thanks to you. Go crawl back into your closet.”

Just as one of the girls reached out with a devilish grin, Peter slipped between her position and Twilight before straightening the glasses over his face with a finger. “Hi! Excuse me. Is this the way to the cafeteria?” he lightly asked, alternating his gaze between the five students surrounding the lavender skinned girl. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly while holding a full bottle of water in his free hand. “I’m terrible with directions, and you guys are my only hope to not starve.”

Everyone shared a befuddled glance before one of the male students walked up to the oblivious young man. “Get out of here. We’re in the middle of something,” he growled, reaching a hand out to Peter’s shoulder.

A faint buzz rang throughout Peter’s cranium before he raised his bottle near his mouth, squeezing the plastic. Water shot out past his head, splashing over the stranger’s face. The boy staggered back, throwing both hands over his wettened eyes. 

“Oh, geez! I am so sorry!” Peter innocently exclaimed, turning to remove his backpack from his shoulder, “Let me get that for you.”

That same second, one of the girls watching the spectacle readied herself to reach out. Peter’s head rang in response, prompting him to duck out of her reach while retrieving a dry cloth from the confines of his bag. The girl tripped over his frame, slipping due to the small puddle left from the bottle, and she fell into the unwaiting arms of her unsuspecting cohort, inducing a domino effect of bodies. Peter tilted his head to the side at the sight, blinking while the remaining two members of the group watched him while slack-jawed. They helped their friends from the mangled heap, walking away with flushed expressions soon afterwards.

Peter chuckled sheepishly, shrugging. “Was it something I said? I swear that I am not usually this clumsy.” Once the group had left the vicinity, he reached onto the top of the locker and retrieved the pair of glasses before lowering to a knee. Peter soon gently placed the spectacles in Twilight’s hand, prompting her to immediately slide them back over her eyes. Nodding, the young man scooped up her books and extended them over to her. “Is everyone always so friendly around here? Are you okay?”

Twilight nodded, inhaling deeply before sighing. “Thank you. I’m fine. That’s pretty normal, sadly,” She stood back to her feet, nodding, “What’s your name?”

Taken aback, Peter scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Oh, sorry. The name’s Peter. I’m actually new here. I just transferred from Empire State.”

Reminiscent to lightning striking a rod, Twilight’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Wait! You’re the new prospect Madame Cinch informed me about.” Straightening her posture, the girl managed a smile before extending her hand. “My name’s Twilight. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Madame Cinch told me that your grades were extraordinary and that you excel in physics. I can introduce you to her.”

Accepting the gesture, Peter gently took her hand into his own. “I’d like that. Thanks.”







“Hey! Check it out!” a voice erupted, freeing Twilight from her dream. 

The girl stirred from her brief nap, shaking her head. Everyone on the bus held their gazes by their windows, looking intently outside. Twilight blinked, inhaling sharply once she caught sight of someone swinging in the distance high above the ground. Narrowing her gaze after fixing her glasses, the girl discovered Spider-Man swinging across the city skies on a strand of webbing. However, she paused as a small set of beeps reached her ears. Twilight glanced at her radar device, inhaling sharply upon spotting its needle following Spider-Man. 

“I knew it! He’s got something to do with the energy spikes in this city!” Twilight exclaimed, narrowing her gaze, “I’ll have to investigate Canterlot High a bit further. And if I’m lucky, I’ll find out who or what this Spider-Man really is.”

To Be Continued…