//------------------------------// // Getting to Know Myself // Story: Spiders and Magic 3.5: Rise of Spider-Mare // by Maximus_Reborn //------------------------------// Chapter Four “Getting to Know Myself” Prince Solaris walked through the courtyard with a somber expression on his face. The day had been relatively peaceful, a welcome trend in the eyes of any ruler. Artemis had just retreated into his quarters for the day, leaving Solaris to go on his usual morning stroll before resuming any royal business. The alicorn stopped by the Spirit of Disharmony, eyeing Eris’s petrified form. It had nearly been a decade since she was sealed away, thanks to the efforts of Dusk Shine, Patricia Parker, and the wielders of the Elements of Harmony. Solaris prepared to take his leave, but he paused, arching a brow upon noticing that Eris was sporting a more masculine figure as well as a goatee. While their forms were similar, matching that of a draconequus, they were in fact very different. The realization struck the alicorn’s mind like lightning to a rod. “Wait. You’re not Eris,” Solaris whispered, his bewilderment evident by his widened gaze. “Surely, you jest. I am Eris! Can you not tell?” Discord dramatically questioned, his voice echoing throughout the alicorn’s mind. He chuckled once Solaris gave him an exasperated stare. “Oh, yes. Celestia looks at me the exact same way. I’ll be frank. I am Eris, but then again, I am not. I am a counterpart from a parallel dimension where I am the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. My name is Discord.” Prince Solaris furrowed his brow. “A parallel dimension? What are the differences between your world and ours?” Discord hummed a light tune, all while holding telepathic communication with the alicorn. “Some events have been altered, naturally, but the key difference between our worlds is that everypony’s genders are swapped. The same rules apply. To me, you are Princess Celestia and Dusk Shine is Twilight Sparkle. Do you understand?” “Mostly, I believe,” Solaris declared, nodding before a stern expression formed on his face. “Why are you here, and where is Eris?” “I’m merely spectating choice inhabitants of this world. Consider it a well-earned vacation,” Discord chuckled, releasing a sigh after an awkward silence filled the air. “Eris is simply stretching her legs in my world. Don’t concern yourself with her. She’s promised to return by nightfall. You have my word.” Solaris narrowed his gaze on the petrified draconequus. “I am concerned about the entire situation, but I must trust your word for now. I will return by nightfall. I expect to see Eris here when I do.” The alicorn turned sharply on his hoof to depart, but he paused, glancing at Discord from the corner of his eye. “Choice inhabitants. Who were you referring to, exactly?” Discord was slow to respond as he laughed under his breath. “I’m so very sorry, my friend. That information is confidential. Ta-ta for now.” The spirit’s voice faded from the alicorn’s mind, forcing Solaris to contemplate the answer he received on his own. Solaris could only sigh. “That is what I’m afraid of.” -u- “It’s time for you to go already?” Peter questioned, taken aback by Eris’ statement. Mayday glanced at everypony from the corner of her eye from across the room before shrugging, returning her attention to the small test tubes under the incubator on the table. Peter took a seat next to Twilight, who was rocking Ben’s cradle with her magic. “I guess two weeks wasn’t as long as I thought it would be. It was easy to forget you were here.” Eris smiled lightly. “As I said, I was merely here to spectate and observe. You all were very entertaining to say the least. I would stay longer, but I have a promise to keep.” Twilight exhaled, sharing a glance with Peter. “I can’t say that I’ll be thrilled to see Discord again. I just hope he won’t try anything when he comes back.” “That remains to be seen,” Eris whispered, her voice growing faint as her eyes softened. She forced a smile. “At the very least, I’ll urge him to behave. You two have your plates full as is, especially compared to Dusk and Patricia.” Peter’s eyes widened at the sound of their counterparts’ names. “I’ve been meaning to ask about that. What’s she like? The other me, I mean. I’ve met other versions of myself before, but none of them were girls. I bet it’s really trippy.” Twilight was slow to respond, keeping her attention centered on Ben, but her ears perked up attentively. “Out of scientific curiosity, I must admit that I’m interested as well. I haven’t had Peter’s luxury of visiting parallel dimensions outside of my own and his, let alone interact with an alternate version of myself.” “Well, there was that time you talked to a future version of yourself from what Luna told me,” Peter interjected, nudging the mare with a smirk on his face. Twilight stared blankly at the stallion. “That doesn’t count! That version of myself was only from a week in the future.” Her cheeks flushed to a shade of pink. “I really wish you and Princess Luna would stop bringing that up. It’s embarrassing.” Eris brushed a talon through her snow-white hair. “I could tell you what they’re like, but that would be so boring. I actually have much a better idea!” The draconequus turned around and walked to the other side of the room, smiling as everypony gave her a bewildered expression. She waved a glowing paw before a pair of ponies materialized instantaneously into existence. Peter, Twilight, and Mayday stared at the familiar yet different sight with their mouths agape while Eris winked confidently. “Voila.” “Don’t give me that look!” the mare whined, her mane and fur resembling Peter’s. Both she and the stallion resembling Twilight had not taken in their surroundings, never losing eye contact with each other. “You always give me that look when you’re annoyed.” The violet stallion shook his head, exasperated. “We could have finished this days ago, but you insisted on procrastinating again. You always wait until the last second to do something. I don’t know how you get things done with that attitude. You should really— Hey, why are we in the Treebrary?” he asked abruptly upon glancing off to the side. Both ponies blinked in confusion before analyzing their surroundings, quickly spotting the other two in the room. Patricia was the first to react, shrieking upon spotting the stallion that bore a striking resemblance to herself, and Dusk’s response was virtually identical, with a high-pitched scream escaping from his mouth as he laid eyes on his female counterpart. Eris burst into laughter, earning the attention of Dusk and Patricia. Her presence seemed to have calmed them somewhat, with exasperation taking the place of their initial shock. “My word! Your faces are absolutely priceless!” Eris snickered, attempting to settle her laughter with labored breaths. Dusk stared blankly at the draconequus, his brow twitching. “Eris? What’s going on? Where are we?!” “You’re in Equestria. Or, more specifically… in a parallel Equestria,” Eris replied, taking a seat in midair on nothing in particular. Twilight stepped between Dusk and Eris, facing the stallion with a sheepish smile. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think she would be so direct, but Eris is telling the truth. You’re in an alternate version of Equestria where everypony’s genders are the opposite from your own. Eris and our Spirit of Chaos, Discord, apparently swapped places for a while.” The mare stole a glance at the draconequus. “Eris was just about to return home before she brought you here. I was curious about you and wanted to meet you.” Dusk was slow to respond, arching a brow as he alternated his gaze between everypony in the room. His demeanor lightened after a few seconds. “That’s actually not too far-fetched. Considering where my wife came from, I’m entitled to believe in the possibility of multiple universes and realities.” The stallion tilted his head to the side, chuckling nervously. “Wow. So, you’re me? I’m Dusk Shine. I never thought I’d be introducing myself to… well, myself.” Twilight managed a smile while her disposition matched that of her male counterpart. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. This is a little more awkward than I thought it would be.” Her eyes widened at a realization, specifically the unusual silence that came from her other half. She turned her head to the side. “Peter?” Peter and Patricia circled around each other, sharing intense stares. The differences were only apparent through height, mane length and gender. They continued to analyze each other in silence, alternating turns as they glanced at every inch of the other’s body. Twilight and Dusk watched both ponies interact with concern while Mayday mirrored their actions, holding a hoof over her mouth. The stare-off suddenly ended, with both spiders turning their hazel gazes to their respective spouse. “I’m actually pretty hot for a guy/girl,” Patricia and Peter nonchalantly stated simultaneously. That same second, a loud knock echoed throughout the Treebrary as Twilight struck the back of Peter’s head while Dusk did the same to Patricia. They cried out in stereo, “Ow!” Twilight and Dusk exhaled in exasperation. “You have got to be the stupidest pony I’ve ever met!” Mayday fell off of her chair before rolling across the floor with laughter. “I’ve heard of duets, but this is ridiculous!” Introductions were briefly shared, lasting only a couple of minutes. Dusk and Patricia shared a sofa while Twilight and Peter did the same across from their position. Eris quietly watched the entire conversation unfold from above, smiling as she centered her crimson gaze on everypony. Mayday left her seat before finding a place next to her father. Patricia stared at the filly lovingly with a sweet smile. “Two children already? Wow. They’re beautiful,” Patricia whispered, alternating her gaze between Mayday and Ben before focusing back on Peter. “How old are they again?” Peter grinned, placing a hoof at the top of his daughter’s head. “Mayday’s eight, going to be nine in a little over two weeks, and Ben just turned one a few days ago. Do you two have any children?” Patricia felt her face burn as she shook her head. “No! I mean, well… not yet. We’re still warming up to that idea, really. We’ve only been married for little over a year now. Dusk just wants to make sure that we’re fully ready.” She tilted her head to the side, giving the stallion a knowing smile to her counterpart. “Hey. Was it weird for you at first? Dating a pony, I mean.” Peter shared a glance with Twilight before grinning lightly. “Yeah. It took a while for me to warm up to the idea, but I came around when I remembered that I was a pony, too. Oddly enough, Twilight was the one who made the first move. She kissed me before my race in Manehattan, and after I had my accident, we’ve been together ever since.” “That’s ironic. Dusk made the first move, too. He was the last one I was expecting to do that,” Patricia rested her chin in a hoof, blushing. “I guess I’ve always liked somebody that isn’t afraid of the direct approach. Same could be said about you. There’s nothing wrong with an aggressive mare that knows what she wants.” Patricia laughed under her breath. “Did the others like you at the same time?” Peter furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about?” Patricia waved a hoof dismissively. “Oh, come on. You know. If you’re like me and this world is similar to mine, then you’d have to have had quite a few admirers.” Peter snorted involuntarily, chuckling. “No way. I had horrible luck with girls before I met Twilight.” Twilight shook her head, letting out a sigh before placing a hoof over Peter’s leg while sharing a glance with Patricia. “That’s not true. Peter didn’t know, but he had the eyes of quite a few mares. He still does now.” “Seriously?” Peter blurted out, arching a brow. Twilight managed a smile, patting the top of her husband’s head with a hoof. “If there’s something I’m grateful for, it’s that you’re very dense when it comes to certain things. Rarity and Fluttershy are really infatuated with you. Rainbow Dash never wanted to admit it, but she had a crush on you. As a matter of fact, I actually think she still does,” the alicorn added, a bit of frustration escaping from her voice. “I’ve heard through the grapevine that Spitfire talks about you quite a bit. Derpy obviously still thinks about you a lot. And I’m sure you know about Princess Luna’s feelings. ” She frowned, folding her hooves. “Do I even need to mention Sweetie Belle?” Peter glanced off to the side, grimacing. “Okay. I deserve that one.” Patricia chuckled nervously, feeling at ease all of a sudden. “How’d you not notice that? It was super obvious when Blitz, Elusive, and Butterscotch were crushing on me.” The mare grinned. “Then again, you are a guy, and men just can’t see between the lines sometimes. I guess that’s another difference between you and me. I’ve got my woman’s intuition, while all you’ve got is your silly testosterone.” Peter tilted his head to the side. “It worked out for the better, I think. I mean, I did get to marry Twilight. What was it like for you, dealing with all of the attention?” Patricia was slow to respond as she thought back to her early days in Equestria. Blitz would always act macho in order to impress her, while Elusive was so flirtatious that his actual advances terrified her. Applejack and Bubble Berry were always close to her, yet they were such good friends that they never thought to cross that boundary. Then, there was Butterscotch and Dusk Shine, two of the sweetest ponies in existence. The choice would have been unbearable had it come to that. Fortunately, Butterscotch was too shy to advance, while Dusk, the dork, had the guts to do what nopony else would. After a few seconds had passed, Patricia finally exhaled. “It was… claustrophobic at times… Anyway, how long have you two been married?” Twilight smiled, as if forgetting why she was upset. “We’ve been together for ten years, but married for eight. It will be nine years in three and a half months.” Patricia furrowed her brow in thought. “Two birthdays in the same month with an anniversary right around the corner? Since you’re Dusk, I have a feeling this was carefully planned by you.” “It’s much easier and convenient,” Twilight stated, earning a blank stare from Patricia and a small chuckle from Peter. Flustered, the alicorn cleared her throat. “A little organization and preparation never hurt anypony.” Peter waved a hoof dismissively. “Just do what feels natural. That’s what we did… along with some planning.” Patricia smirked, passing Dusk a swift glare. “You’d better not try that, too.” He offered no immediate response, only staring deeply at nothing in particular. Patricia poked the stallion’s side with a hoof, freeing him from his self-induced trance before poking her lips out. “We’re here speaking with our doubles from another reality, and you’re being quiet. What’s up with that?” Dusk alternated his gaze between Patricia and Twilight before settling on his counterpart. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I still can’t believe that you’re an alicorn. How long did that take?” Twilight pursed her lips. “Well, I was eighteen when I deciphered Starswirl’s spell. Right after that, Princess Celestia gave me the final push, and I transformed.” “Starswirl? That’s the same spell I’m trying to decipher now. You managed to do it when you were only eighteen?” Dusk questioned, slack-jawed before sighing lowly. “It’s been over ten years, and I still have no idea what I’m looking for.” “Dusk, Dusk, Dusk,” Eris hummed, levitating over the stallion. “You are truly a slacker compared to Twilight. Did you know that she’s a princess as well?” The draconequus materialized besides Patricia, poking her shoulder. “You’re slacking, too, you know. Did you know Peter is a knight and a prince?” Patricia’s and Dusk’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “What?!” Peter scratched the back of his head sheepishly, chuckling. “Don’t let it get to you. We’re where we are because of my wife.” His smile widened as he placed a hoof over the alicorn’s. “Twilight’s an overachiever who excels at everything she sets her mind to. If anything, I’m just her glorified bodyguard, and even that’s a stretch, considering how powerful she is.” Flustered, Twilight’s face burned as she playfully tapped Peter’s hoof. “Oh, stop it.” Sobering, Twilight cleared her throat. “Dusk, I understand how frustrating it is. Princess Celestia told me to figure out the spell on my own, but I guess I could give you a little advice.” She inhaled deeply, as if contemplating her answer. “What you’re looking for is something you already have. Just look a little closer inside, and it’ll come to you. Follow your heart as well as your head. That’s what I learned from Peter.” “Look a little closer inside?” Dusk whispered, stealing a glance at Patricia before nodding to his counterpart. “Yeah, I’ll give that a try.” Peter glanced down to his side, arching a brow as Mayday stared intently at Patricia. “I know that look. What’s on your mind?” The filly hummed in thought, earning the collective gaze of everypony in the room. Eventually, she pointed a hoof at Patricia while holding eye contact with Peter. “If she’s you… does that make her my mom or dad?” Dusk blinked at the absurdity of the question, exhaling before sharing a glance with Twilight. “That sounds like something Patricia would say.” Twilight giggled, nodding. “Mayday’s just like her father. If I can take a guess, whenever you two decide to have children, it will be a boy first, and your son will take after his mother.” Her smile brightened. “Look forward to that.” Dusk watched Patricia interact with Mayday, chuckling as the filly laughed with her father. The stallion could only smile. “I will.” Eris turned her gaze to the setting sun behind the window, letting out a low sigh before lowering to the ground. “This certainly was enjoyable, but I’m afraid our time is up. We should leave at once.” Nodding, Dusk and Patricia made their way to the draconequus without objection. Eris paused, her eyes softening as she stole one final glance at Peter. The draconequus managed a smile before vanishing from sight, materializing back into existence with her arms wrapped around the stallion’s neck for an embrace. “Take care of yourself… and good luck,” she whispered into his ear before disappearing, prompting Dusk and Patricia to do the same. Just like that, the visitors from a parallel dimension were gone, as quickly as they appeared. “Okay. That wasn’t weird,” Peter droned, scratching the back of his head while sharing a gaze with Twilight. “Was it just me, or did Eris seem… off?” Twilight furrowed her brow, nodding. “No. I noticed it, too. Something must’ve happened for her behavior to change so drastically.” Before the alicorn could ponder on the subject further, Ben began to cry. Twilight used her magic to retrieve a bottle from across the room and made her way to the cradle. As she fed the baby unicorn, Twilight gave her husband a smile. “So, what do you think? Will Dusk and Patricia be all right?” “Of course. They’ll be fine,” Peter lightly declared, kissing the tip of Twilight’s horn. She shuddered involuntarily at the tingling pleasure, smiling as the stallion shrugged. “They’re us, remember?” In the realm of the astral plane, Eris materialized before Discord’s statue. The draconequus folded her arms, sighing. “I’ve returned. I wish I could’ve stayed longer, but I understand you have business to attend to.” Eris placed her talon against the statue’s head, closing her eyes before energy emitted from her body. A bright light erupted before Discord materialized into existence, free from his frozen state, while Eris stood petrified in stone. “Now, if all is said and done, I suppose it’s time for you to head home.” Discord chuckled, stretching his limbs high over his head. “It certainly sounds like you had fun.” The draconequus glanced off to the side, his eyes widening once he found Solaris approaching from the distance. Discord nodded. “I suppose I’ll take my leave, then.” “Wait,” Eris sternly called out, her voice lacking its usual playfulness. “I’ve read about your plan with the Sinister Six and Tirek. I do applaud your capacity for chaos, but…” She trailed off, letting out a low sigh. “I do think it’s over-the-top. Maybe you should find another plan for Peter. Something less extreme. You’re overloading his plate. You just might break him with this fiasco. Peter’s eternal, but he’s not immortal. You can only push one so far before...” Discord paused, holding a befuddled glare. “Why the sudden change of heart? Don’t tell me you’ve grown attached to young Peter Parker?” The draconequus snorted as Solaris neared, pointing at Eris accusingly. “You’re getting emotionally attached again. This is exactly why Patricia’s life is so relatively tame and everything is so peaceful here.” Discord scoffed, folding his arms. “Have you already forgotten why we are here?” Eris let out a low sigh. “I know... but do you really have to go that far? What you have planned could break Peter. Do you really want to risk that? He’s been through so much in such a short amount of time.” The draconequus held a talon over her chest. “I’ve never seen anything like it. He should’ve lost sight years ago, yet he stays on the path. What you’re planning could very well—” Discord gritted his teeth waving a talon. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing from you—from me! I would never let my emotions get in the way of my work like this! I’m honestly disappointed in you, Eris.” “Not as much as I am disappointed in you,” Eris whispered, sighing as Discord faded from sight. “...and myself.” Discord huffed, his voice filling Eris’s mind. “I suggest you reflect on what you’ve witnessed in my world to use as an example for future reference in your decisions. Do not forget who we are. What we are...” That same second, Discord’s voice vanished as Solaris finally reached Eris’s statue. The alicorn stared intently at the petrified draconequus. “Oh. So, you did come back, Eris.” An awkward silence filled the air before the alicorn turned sharply on his hoof, ready to take his leave. “Wait, Solaris…” Eris whispered, her voice reaching the confines of the prince’s mind. He gazed at the draconequus sternly, patiently awaiting her response. “I’m tired of  all of this... I’ve decided that I want to change my ways. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make a clean slate.” Taken aback, Solaris’ eyes widened at the declaration. The prince gathered his bearings, frowning. “Why? Over a thousand years, you’ve never even considered doing such a thing. Why should I even trust this sudden proposal?” “Because…” Eris trailed off, her voice cracking. Solaris furrowed his brow as a faint sound reached his ears. Small sniffles escaped from the draconequus before she managed to respond. “I, too, have seen what too much chaos can do to somepony.” The next day, Peter continued to work on his glider in the safety of the cellar. He focused intently on the circuits inside, sighing contentedly once everything was connected properly. Suddenly, a small light burst hoof-lengths from Peter’s face before a small note materialized into existence, landing on top of the glider. The stallion arched a brow, analyzing his surroundings until he eventually took hold of the note. ‘Eris’ was written across the front in dainty fonts, prompting the unicorn to open it in earnest. Hey! It’s been a while, at least for me. A year has passed. Yes, I am familiar with Starswirl’s spell. I am the embodiment of chaos. Reality bends to my will, so it’s very possible for me to do something as trivial as send a letter to the past across dimensions. Peter snorted, rolling his eyes with a smile before continuing. At any rate, I wanted to let you know that Patricia and Dusk are doing fine. It seems Twilight’s advice helped. Dusk became an alicorn almost a month after they talked with you two. Oh, and guess what? Just yesterday, Patricia announced that she was pregnant. Nodding, Peter couldn’t help but chuckle as he found a photo taped within the note. Patricia stood behind Dusk, laughing as she placed her hooves over the stallion’s eyes. Peter arched a brow at the wings closed against Dusk’s back, managing a smile before reading the last of the note. I’m working to change my ways. It’s a process, but… once I complete my rehabilitation, I’ll come visit you. Take care of yourself. Peter’s eyes widened. “Wow. I’m glad some people are still willing to reform. I don’t know what Discord’s up to, but I actually wish Eris would take his place for good.” The stallion shrugged, grabbing a pair of pins before placing the note and photo above his desk next to a picture of Twilight. “Oh, well. A guy can dream.” Deep within the pits of Tartarus, Discord materialized into existence next to Tirek, who acknowledged his presence with a nod. “Is it time?” “Yes. I’ve had my time to rest. I believe it is time for the real fun to begin,” Discord stated sternly, his voice lacking any hint of his usual lightness. “Prepare to send the Dazzlings to meet Starlight Glimmer. And make sure they bring young Mayday with them.” Tirek raised a piqued eyebrow. “And if she should decline or resist?” “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about.” Discord chuckled lowly.  “This opportunity will be far too good for our little filly to let pass by.” -u- “If a coin comes down heads, that means that the possibility of its coming down tails has collapsed. Until that moment, the two possibilities were equal. On another world, it does come down tails, and when that happens, the two worlds split apart.” -Philip Pullman The End