Spiders and Magic IV: The Fall of Spider-Mane

by Maximus_Reborn

Calling to the Night, Part IV

Chapter Forty"Calling to the Night, Part IV"

Twilight's eyes fluttered open, only to take in the sight of absolute darkness. She attempted to move, but her muscles were locked in place, due to her limbs being bound by a pack of tendrils. She looked around aimlessly, attempting to learn what her current location was exactly. However, just as she shifted her line of sight to the front, Venom, while in possession of Luna, materialized into existence mere inches away. Holding her silence, the symbiote simply extended her hand and drove a tendril into Twilight's chest.

Suddenly, images rushed into Twilight's mind as the symbiote enveloped her body. Luna watched from a distance as the locales flocked to her sister, never giving her the same admiration. This continued for years, decades rather. In spite of Luna's earnest and valiant efforts, nopony wanted to recognize her in the same light as her sister. Celestia vowed that everyponydidacknowledge her, but Luna knew that her sister was poorly attempting to console her. It was patronizing and came off as coddling.

Darkness spiraled around the princess, in turn doing the same to Twilight as she watched from inches away. Nightmare's voice echoed through the confines of her mind as Luna lost herself to jealousy and envy. Sadly, there was nothing anypony could do as Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish her own sister to the moon. Eons passed as Luna quietly watched Equestria from a distance, left with only her own thoughts, misery, guilt, and the lingering voice of Nightmare constantly reminding her of what she did.

As if she was in sync with Luna's emotions, Twilight sniffled before sobbing as eons of loneliness filled her heart. Time quickly sped forward to Luna's eventual return to Equestria, but things hadn't changed. Rather, the inhabitants were afraid, knowing the princess had nearly plunged the world into eternal night twice. While Twilight had helped a tiny number of the ponies to accept the princess, she could do nothing for the rest. Seeing as her transgressions against Equestria were well-documented, nopony wanted anything to do with Luna, and she had grown to accept that isolation, keeping everypony at a distance.

However, that all changed when the Outworlder came into Equestria. Suddenly, a sense of warmth spread over Luna and Twilight as an image of Peter materialized in front of them. Upon their first meeting, Luna found Peter's aloof and talkative nature irritating beyond measure… and yet, there was a charm to his friendly and honest demeanor. This one pony never judged Luna for what happened in the past. Instead, he sympathized and understood her plight, having resisted a dark influence on his soul as she did. What started as mutual respect turned to friendship, and that soon morphed to admiration, deepening to love.

Never before had Luna experienced this sensation, of a skipping heart and butterflies in one's stomach at the mere thought of a stallion. She longed to embrace it, but there was some hesitance keeping the princess from acting out on her desires. Peter was not from their world to begin with. After learning what her own sister went through with a Sombra from another reality, Luna was skeptical to advance, knowing heartbreak was a highly probable possibility. However, Celestia herself encouraged Luna to chase after that dream.

"If he makes you happy, pursue him. If you know deep in your heart that you love him, don't hesitate to act on it. No matter what happens, I will always love you. I just want you to finally be truly happy," Celestia warmly stated, her voice echoing throughout the vicinity.

Luna readied to do just that after several days. Peter had earned her trust as a friend and even saved her life. There was no reason to not tell him how she felt. However, something happened. As Peter recovered from his accident during the Manehattan race, Twilight Sparkle had confessed her love to him. Luna could only watch with an aching heart while the stallion accepted Twilight's feelings mutually.

It was improbable. She had known of Twilight's emotions for Peter from the start, but Luna assumed that nothing would come of it. Celestia even stated beforehand that her student was emotionally reserved, almost to an extreme. While not as cold and socially-awkward as she was before her move to Ponyville, Twilight was still relatively dense when it came to certain emotions. However, it seemed she had grown, thanks to her time spent with Peter. The fact that Twilight actually acted out on her emotions rather than her stubborn sense of logic showed how much Peter had influenced her as a mare.

Luna could only accept what had happened. Twilight was a dear friend, one who had saved her from the clutches of the Nightmare, and Peter had become the only stallion she truly loved, even now. She would not act selfishly and risk tarnishing those bonds. In spite of the pain, Luna vowed to support their relationship. Over the course of the decade, her love for Peter never faded, and it only grew, even as Peter formed a family with Twilight. However, for as much as Luna begged to switch places with Twilight, she never wanted the depths of loneliness to reach her friends either. As long as Twilight loved Peter, Luna would forever keep her personal feelings a secret, in spite of the pain.

The images ceased instantly, but their effects were everlasting. Twilight could feel Luna's emotions as if they were her very own. However, Venom's fanged smile surfaced before all faded to black. She begged to scream, only for silence to escape from her mouth. Twilight could only yield to the growing suppression and pray that her husband would find her, before it was too late.

-u-

Patricia climbed onto the bank, soaked deeply from the river. "Ugh. There's nothing worse than a dip in the murky lagoon-Oh. My. God!" Her masked eyes widened as they fell onto the pair of symbiote hosts, specifically Twilight. Sonata sped to her position, helping Spider-Woman out of the river. Patricia shook her head in disbelief. "Well,thatescalated quickly. What the heck happened?!"

Zecora hurdled over a toppled car as she ran towards the group, and Felicia leaped from the nearest rooftop, landing in a perched position on the light post above them. Trixie peeked out from the alley nearby before joining as well, while Sunset appeared next to Sonata in a flash of light. Peter and Gwen swung across the skies on a pair of web strands, releasing their grips at the same time and landing gracefully a few feet away from everyone. Both Venoms smirked at the sight as they hovered high above their positions.

Peter scowled, growling under his breath. "Venom broke a piece of itself off, and it latched onto Twilight."

Gwen exhaled, alternating her masked gaze between Venom and her group. "Seriously? We could barely put a dent inoneVenom. Now we have to deal withtwo?" As the symbiote-clad women landed on the street across from their position, Gwen shook her head. "Look, Peter. Twilight's super cool and all, but this is the second time that she's been possessed by an unholy evil. Is this a regular thing of hers?"

Peter frowned, forcing a laugh. "Actually, no. It's only ever happened whenyou'rearound, Gwen. I think you might be the unlucky one for once."

Sweat dripped from Trixie's forehead, a bleak expression on her face. "I'm certainly glad that you two are taking this well. I strongly believe that we're utterlydoomed."

Luna grinned, the symbiote hissing as the woman's wings spread. "That much is true. None of you will leave here alive."

Twilight clenched her fist as magical energy glowed from it, and a fanged smile twisted into her features. "It's as simple as this. Your luck's run out."

Twilight's eyes faded behind a blinding light, and the same transpired with Luna's. Lightning crackled across the darkening skies while the surrounding winds intensified, whipping their long hair about respectively. Both Venoms raised their glowing hands before unleashing a pair of magical bolts at the group. The energies combined into a spiraling wave, expanding while increasing in speed.

The energy wave tore through everything in its path, rupturing the street, disintegrating all vehicles, and melting away all traces of steel. As the wave quickly approached, Sunset hopped forward before vanishing from sight in a burst of light. Felicia leaped high from her light post onto the side of the nearest building, scaling the wall in a sprint while Sonata did the same in a blur. A burst of smoke rose from underneath Trixie before she reappeared in a distant alley away from the incoming projectile. Gwen and Patricia hopped to the greatest of their ability, and Peter grabbed Zecora's arm before doing the same.

The magical wave sped through the street and tore into the river, having missed its intended targets. The energy detonated in the horizon, triggering an explosion potent enough to send several large waves through the river. Twilight huffed, disappearing from sight. Just as Peter and Zecora landed, Luna's wings stretched out, and she soared in their direction, forcing the pair to flip out of her path.

Materializing into existence behind Zecora, Twilight lashed out a tendril, but the ebony warrior ducked underneath the attack, countering with a wide swing of her staff to the side of the head. Venom staggered back, hissing upon regaining her footing. Peter readied to strike with a clenched fist, only to pause once his hazel gaze met Twilight's glazed, violet irises. Venom cackled at the sight, extending a hand to the young man before generating a shockwave. The force of the blow sent Peter into a skyward pinwheel, his body flying for several yards until it collided into the side of an empty bus.

Patricia soared through the sky into a freefall, extending her leg in a kick as she neared Twilight, but Luna shot out a tendril from a distance, snaking it around Spider-Woman's neck before snatching her into her waiting grasp. Venom glanced off to the side, noticing Sunset materialize into existence a few feet away. Planting her feet, Luna spun around and threw Patricia directly into Sunset before she could react. Both individuals bounced off the pavement for several meters, skidding to a halt in a heap.

Meanwhile, Twilight fired a barrage of energy bolts at Zecora, forcing the staff wielder to spin her weapon like a propellor and deflect each projectile. Felicia swung from the nearest lamp post, launching herself forward before she drove the point of her knee into Twilight's jaw. However, the symbiote-clad woman shrugged off the blow with a smirk. Suddenly, tendrils rose from Twilight's body and captured Black Cat's limbs before she could reach the ground.

Zecora readied to rush to Felicia's aid. However, Luna appeared directly in her path mere inches away, unleashing an orb of energy at her gut. Although Zecora narrowly raised her staff to block the attack, the energy's momentum had not ceased, sending the woman skidding across the vicinity for several yards. She soon struck a stationary vehicle with enough force to dent the door. Straining, Zecora used all of her strength to hold back the orb until its energy dissipated and shattered. She immediately collapsed to a knee, taking in harsh breaths.

The tendrils wrapped around Felicia's limbs shifted, conjoining before snaking around her waist, and the restraint tightened, crushing the woman's muscles. A blur sped across the area and struck Twilight from the side and knocked her off balance, causing the symbiote to lose its hold on Felicia. Sonata hummed a low melody as she continued to dash past both Venoms. However, Luna waved a glowing hand, prompting an ice slick to materialize under the siren's feet.

Sonata lost her footing, stumbling before falling onto her chest. Her momentum carried into a high speed slide across the street and into the river. However, just as the siren readied to plummet into the water, a strand of webbing latched onto her back and pulled her away from the ice, halting her momentum mere inches from the river bank. Peter extended his hand to the siren, and Sonata accepted the gesture, allowing the young man to help her to a standing position.

While Gwen engaged both Venoms, Trixie rushed to Peter and Sonata with a bleak expression. "This isn't going well in the slightest."

Peter frowned. "I know. We can't beat them like this. Wehaveto free Luna and Twilight from the symbiotes."

As Patricia hopped in to aid Gwen, Sunset approached the group, holding her head in pain. "I'm open to suggestions."

Trixie narrowed her gaze on the young man as he pondered with a furrowed brow. "Come on, Peter. Think. You've fought Venom before. Surely, it has a weakness."

"Yeah. Sonic vibrations, but since Luna and Twilight have magic, they'll just destroy any bell we bring by. Plus, we'll have to find a way to keep them stationary long enough for the vibrations to work on them, but we don't have anything like that… on… hand," Peter whispered, trailing off as his eyes widened at a realization. He quickly shifted his gaze to the silver-blue haired woman. "I have an idea, Trixie. It's crazy, but it just might work!"

Trixie frowned as a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. "Any idea thatyoubelieve is crazy is surely a bad one..."

Meanwhile, Gwen shot a pair of web strands onto Venom, attempting to pull. Twilight merely laughed at the attempt, jerking the thread and snatching the blonde from the ground. Once Gwen was close enough, Venom delivered a backhand, sending her foe careening into a wall. Luna whipped a tendril around Patricia's waist and lifted her from the ground before throwing her into the same wall next to Gwen. Both Venoms landed on the street, shifting their gazes to the side. They watched as Trixie pointed a finger angrily at Peter, barking at the top of her lungs. With a shared grin, both Venoms nodded before rushing towards the pair.

"That has to be the mostasininething I have ever heard of in my life!" Trixie exclaimed, her finger inches away from the young man's face.

Peter's brow twitched. "Youalwayshave to be difficult! Could you just listen to me for once without questioning my ideas?"

Trixie huffed, folding her arms obliviously as the Venoms neared. "I ask questions because we all know you're a complete idiot! Well, count me out! I willnotbe taking part in this act of suicide! Ienjoyliving and not dying prematurely! You canhaveit!"

Peter exhaled, holding an exasperated glare. "We'reallgoing to die if you don't get your act straight! Now, stop being stubborn and-!"

Luna cackled, lunging alongside Twilight once they were a few feet away from Trixie and Peter. "You're going to die regardless, Parker!"

Both Venoms tackled their prey to the ground simultaneously before they could react. However, Trixie and Peter exploded in a cloud at the point of contact, fading from sight entirely. Twilight's eyes widened at the sight. Luna hopped to her feet and ran forward, only to collide into a barrier. Both Venoms were enclosed within a small bubble shield while Sunset Shimmer held the magical barrier in place, her hands glowing. A puff of smoke rose from the ground behind Shimmer, and once it cleared, Peter and Trixie stepped from the cloud.

Luna frowned. "A trap?"

Trixie held the back of her hand inches away from her mouth, releasing a haughty laugh. "You have fallen prey to Trixie: master illusionist. There is no shame in that."

Peter nodded. "You can say that again." He tilted his head to the side, holding a smile. "Okay, Sonata! You're up!"

Both Venoms' eyes widened as they turned around, spotting the siren within the barrier alongside them. Sonata simply waved innocently. "Hey. I apologize in advance."

Twilight alternated her gaze between the siren, the barrier, and those outside before grinning smugly. "Do you seriously think trapping the smallest one in here with us is a good idea?"

Baring her fangs, Luna faced Sonata while Twilight did the same. "We'll tear her to shreds."

Trixie merely closed her eyes and placed her fingers inside of her ears. Peter mirrored her actions, nodding feverishly. "Sing, Sonata!Sing!"

Sonata inhaled deeply before shrieking at the top of her lungs. Vibrational waves rushed out of her mouth, colliding into both Venoms. The energy ricocheted off the barrier's walls repeatedly and wildy, amplifying as the siren heightened her voice. The barrier itself rumbled profusely, sending tremors through the ground until the earth itself began to split around the barrier. Trixie staggered about, leaning into Peter for support as she could hardly gather her footing due to the strengthening quakes. Sunset gritted her teeth and gripped her forearm, struggling to maintain the barrier.

Twilight fell to her knees, clutching at her head while the symbiote hissed in pain. Luna staggered about, screaming as Venom's hold on her weakened. The black substances hissed wildly, stretching out and away from their hosts. Before long, both Twilight and Luna stumbled forth, while the symbiotes fell to the ground, conjoining before shriveling submissively.

Peter's eyes widened at the sight before he quickly lowered into a defensive stance. "Now!"

Sonata immediately ceased her singing, allowing the vibrational waves to slowly fade from existence. Sunset lowered the barrier, allowing Trixie and Peter to help pull Luna and Twilight away to safety. Just as the symbiote recollected itself, Sunset conjured a much smaller bubble shield around it before levitating the glowing orb over her hand. The black goo growled at its capture, prompting the fiery-haired woman to shrink her barrier until its protesting snarls diminished to disgruntled hisses. Sonata bore a toothy grin, while Sunset and Trixie smiled in response.

Peter gave each girl a thumbs up, chuckling. "You girls are my heroes. Great work!"

Sonata rushed up, patting the young man's shoulder eagerly. "You deserve some credit, too! It wasyouridea!"

"Weallcontributed," Sunset grinned, nodding.

Nodding, Peter warmly smiled. "Sunset's right. This was a team effort. You girls saved my wife and best friend. Thank you." Peter glanced to the side and smirked at the silver-blue woman. "That was some illusion, Trixie. Where'd you learn that?"

Trixie placed her hands over her hips. "What do you think I've been doing for the past few weeks while you trained? I wasn't going to stand by and get left in the dust this time," She huffed, smirking, "It's a good thing that I stepped in, finally. As usual, you and Twilight are completely hopeless without me."

Peter could only chuckle a response. "Well, keep that up, and we'll call you the 'Great and Powerful Mysterio' from now on. Earth has one, but Equestria could use a Mysterio."

Placing a finger against her lower lip, Trixie glanced skyward. "Hmm, that's actually not a bad title. I find it fitting. I'll consider using it, perhaps."

Twilight began to stir, prompting Peter to gently lower the woman to a sitting position. He placed a hand over her shoulder. "Take it easy, Twi. How are you feeling?"

"My head's ringing," Twilight groaned, holding a hand over her forehead.

Sonata chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry about that."

Twilight's eyes fluttered open as she analyzed her surroundings. While the rest of the group approached, the woman wrapped her arms around her husband's neck for a warm embrace. "Oh, Peter. I'm so sorry. I couldn't control myself, but I was still aware." She wiped a forearm across her face, disheartened while sharing a glance with everyone around her. "Please forgive me."

Peter patted Twilight's shoulder reassuringly as a humorless smile formed on his face. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Everyone smiled, as if sharing the sentiment. However, Patricia rubbed the aches from her shoulder and blankly glanced to the side. "Just wait until you get my bill- Ow!" She cried out as Zecora roughly tapped the back of her head with the tip of her staff. Patricia grumbled incoherently before shifting her gaze to the encased symbiote with a furrowed brow. "Anyway, what're we going to do with Venom?"

Before anyone could respond, the orb containing Venom vanished in a burst of light. Sunset's eyes widened as she shifted her gaze about aimlessly. "That… wasn't me."

Eris materialized into existence at the center of the group with a scowl. "That was Discord's doing. His influence is growing stronger here. We don't have much time left. I'll undo the damage done to the city. You all should return home and rest."

Peter arched a brow at the woman. "Will you be okay?"

Eris weakly forced a smile. "I'll be fine. It's just a minor inconvenience for the embodiment of chaos." She nodded appreciatively at the group. "You all did a fantastic job. Thank you. Now, leave this mess to me. It's the least I can do to repay you for your services. I'll see you in a matter of minutes."

The entire environment darkened to a grey tone, slowing to a halt as time itself froze. Broken shards of the street levitated back into place, and all other forms of collateral damage began to undo themselves, repairing magically. Eris raised a glowing hand, keeping her back turned to the group. Snapping her fingers, everyone vanished from sight in a flash. Beads of sweat dripped from the woman's face, and her breathing sounded like glass scratching against a rough surface, echoing throughout the reaches of the astral plane.

Eris frowned inwardly, a glazed tint growing in her crimson eyes. "I'd beg that was the last intrusion, but from how frantically Julia's been acting, I can assume that there's more trouble around the corner."

---

"Princess Luna?" Twilight quietly called out as she knocked on the bedroom door. A day had passed since the Venom incident, and Luna had shut herself off in her room, keeping away from the others. No response was given. Twilight inhaled deeply, forcing the lump in her throat down with a swallow before leaning against the door. "There's something I really wanted to talk to you about." She narrowed her gaze. "It's urgent."

A bright light flashed momentarily, escaping from underneath the door. Magical energy suddenly enveloped the knob and turned it, allowing the door to open slightly. Twilight peeked inside, her eyes stiffening as she found Luna standing by the window with her arms crossed. The princess closed the door behind her once she stepped inside. With daylight invading through the opening in the curtain, Luna never turned her gaze to meet her guest.

Twilight raised a hand, placing it over Luna's shoulder, but the blue-haired woman still refused to meet her gaze, sighing somberly. The air was tense, making the simple art of breathing difficult. After what transpired yesterday, what could they possibly say? Luna's fingers dug into her dress as she pulled against her arms. She wanted to disappear, to fade into nothingness and never return. A monster such as herself deserved such a fate.

Luna huffed, shaking her head. "It happened again. I lost myself to the darkness, only to be saved by those around me. I'm beginning to realize how weak I am on my own."

Twilight furrowed her brow, shifting her sight to the open field outside of the window. "We werebothin trouble yesterday. That's not our fault. We have only Discord and Venom to blame, and our friends to thank."

Luna nodded, sighing. "I suppose you are right. Is that why you came to consult with me?"

Twilight leaned forward, sobering as a stern expression surfaced on her face. "Actually, no. This is a very personal matter that we need to talk about." Pausing, as if contemplating her words, Twilight frowned. "When I was possessed by Venom, I saw memories from Peter's life, but more importantly, I saw and feltyours. I saw everything… even that you're still in love with Peter."

Luna's eyes widened at the comment, and her complexion paled, as if the blood in her body had suddenly turned cold. "What?"

Twilight's face stiffened. "That's right. I saw what it was like when Nightmare Moon possessed you, how lonely you felt during your banishment, and so many other things. I felt and experienced it all." Folding her arms, the woman paced across the room with a distant glare in her eyes. "I knew the entire time that you loved him, but I had no idea you feltthisstrongly for him. We practically fell in love with Peter at thesame time. Even after we got married and had our children, you never stopped loving him. I just couldn't believe what I saw."

Luna's gaze lowered shamefully, never lifting from the ground. She opened her mouth to speak but decided against the notion, knowing she had not the right to refute Twilight's statements. Every word that she uttered was the truth. Twilight spun Luna around, forcing the slightly taller woman to face her. The princess of the night slammed her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable tongue lashing or physical blow to occur.

However, it never came. After an awkward amount of time, Luna reopened her eyes, only to find a small smile on Twilight's face. "I wanted to tell you that I finally understand."

Bewildered, Luna blinked. "What are you saying?"

Twilight inhaled deeply before sighing, brushing her forearm solemnly. "You've been alone through your entire life. You always felt lost in Princess Celestia's shadow, and you only ever wanted to be accepted in the same light. I saw how terrible everything was for you during your banishment. A thousand years without a single companion. I could only imagine what that's like. Even after Nightmare was gone, everypony just couldn't forget what happened. It's hard to open up to anypony, when youknowthat they can't fully trust you, but that all changed when you met Peter."

"That's… correct," Luna whispered, her voice cracking.

The images in her head were still clear, as if they were her very own. Twilight's eyes softened. "It just neverregisteredto him that you nearly threw the world into darkness. How could somepony be that dense and naive to befriend such a being? You asked yourself this nonstop, right?" Twilight managed a light laugh, shaking her head. "It's just who he is. You've more than learned that by now. Trust me. I'm still amazed to this day at just how forgiving Peter is sometimes. He's... arguably naive."

Luna grimaced, glancing to the side. "Then you really do understand. He's the only one that I've ever loved. I know that it's wrong, but whenever I'm around him, I just feel… alive." She placed a hand over her chest, smiling as her heart thumped profoundly. "Peter's talkative and annoying, but he's thoughtful and caring. I'm envious of how much he caters to you. However…" she trailed off, frowning, "I know that it's not my place to intervene. You are hiswife. Whenever I'm in close proximity to him, you're always somewhere on his mind, and it goes the other way around in regards to you. What you two have is something special."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. You've been very unselfish, and I know how hard that's been," Twilight sternly declared, folding her arms. Her brow lowered in thought before she lifted her gaze to meet Luna's. "I try to imagine what would have happened if things didn't work about between Peter and I."

Inhaling sharply, Luna felt her heart stop. Forcing down the lump in her throat with a rough swallow, the princess nervously brushed a hand through her hair. "How does it make you feel?"

"Scared... and sad," Twilight whispered, nodding. "Peter's my first and only love. I know I'm lucky in regard. I never had to experience a breakup. The closest I think we ever came to that was when Peter went off to Manehattan to catch Black Cat without telling me." She let out a low sigh and smiled. "Even then, I couldn't stay mad at him. He only did everything behind my back just so I wouldn't worry. To be honest, he still has that problem somewhat, but we've learned over the years that communication is key in any marriage. It's easy to forget that we were almost children when we were engaged. The fact that we've made it work for ten years makes me happy."

Speaking had become a considerable effort, and Luna found her hands trembling. She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her reeling mind. Years of watching the subject of her love and affection had culminated into a desire beyond her reach. With a few simple words, it all changed, and the entire situation was almost surreal. Numb relief had filled every part of her body, and the empty despair that had consumed her heart for well over a thousand years had faded completely, replaced by a small yet powerful sensation: acceptance.

"That's because you both are steadfastly dedicated to each other and your children. You're both young, but your hearts are in the right place: with each other..." Luna trailed off, her eyes swelling with tears as she was forced to choke back a sob. Luna leaned, sniffling before nodding with a warm smile. "Twilight. Thank you so much."

Twilight tilted her head to the side. "Huh? For what?"

Luna could only bite down on her lip and nodded. "My first love is also Peter, and my feelings for him remain. However, I can't obsess over him any longer. While I may not have his heart in the same way you do, it's easy to see that cares for me immensely. Hedoeslove me... as a friend, and I'm okay with that."

Twilight placed a hand over Luna's shoulder. "That's because you and Trixie are hisbestfriends. Believe it or not, he talks about you two nonstop, too. When he lost you both in that future timeline, it crushed him."

"I can't love him anymore in the way that you do, Twilight, but I can make up for lost time and be the best friend that he deserves. I will no longer dwell on what could have been. I will focus on the here and now," Luna whispered. Her usually stern tone had long vanished, having been replaced by a lighter tone. She nodded appreciatively, wiping any stray tears that escaped from the corner of her eyes. It felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you so much again, Twilight. I can finally...let it go."

The pair shared a brief, yet warm, embrace before parting. "Don't mention it. That's what friends are for, right?"

Luna nodded, holding a genuine smile. "Indeed."

-u-

Julia continued to stand in the living room alone, staring at the forest behind the window in spite of her blindness. A nauseating feeling lurched at the bottom of her stomach. She couldn't rid herself of that unsettling and haunting sensation from her mind, even after three days' passing. Sweat formed across her brow, forcing the woman to wipe it away with a forearm.

"The Web is unraveling in this section of the world. I fear what it is to come," she whispered before a bright flash gleamed throughout her mind. Thunderous bolts seared into her cranium, causing the woman to scream in pain as she clutched at her head. Julia soon collapsed, leaning into the counter before falling across the floor. "Oh,God!"

Gwen rushed into the room, inhaling sharply at the sight. She placed a hand over Julia's shoulder, lifting her from the ground. "Madame Web! What's wrong?"

Julia took in ragged breaths, never meeting Gwen's gaze. "Bring Patricia, Peter, and Mayday here!Now! The great web is becoming undone. Soon… so soon… every spider… ALL OF THE SPIDERS WILL DIE!"

Gwen's eyes widened at Julia's erratic response. "What?! Patricia's out in the city with Mayday right now.Howare we going to die?"

Elsewhere, a fire erupted in the midst of the city streets as a car exploded. People scattered from the chaos, but one individual remained, clad in a white vest with matching cuff link and blue suit. A man with pale skin stood on the top of the car, impervious to the flames. His long, jet black hair blew at the mercy of the wind. A malevolent aura emitted from his cold eyes as he stared intently at the path ahead, maliciously, yet stoically.

"The time has come. It is time for me to feast."

To be continued...