Spiders and Magic IV: The Fall of Spider-Mane

by Maximus_Reborn

The Fall of Spider-Mane, Part II

Chapter Fifty "The Fall of Spider-Mane, Part II"

Sonata's eyes fluttered open as the siren's senses blurred, slowly recollecting. Her mind grew fuzzy, struggling to recall what had just transpired as her vision swam. The loud ringing echoing throughout her eardrums steadily diminished, allowing the sounds of the surrounding battle to refill her hearing. Slowly but surely, the siren lifted her gaze at the being standing over her.

However, her complexion paled upon recognizing the individual's orange mane. Adagio weakly stood, the muscles in her body trembling profusely to hold her upright. Deep burns plagued her being, emitting an uncomfortable wave of heat. Sonata's eyes continued to widen at the sight as her emotions ran rampant. She reached out, unable to shift the disbelief from her mind, but before she could further react, Adagio limply fell forward and collapsed in a heap.

Peter coughed as he traversed through the dust cloud. The explosion had been massive, decimating a considerable portion of the plains. The stallion paused upon reaching the edge of a crater, briefly in awe of its size. The width of the depression stretched out to easily match that of a fully grown dragon in size. The dust steadily cleared, revealing those at the center, and Peter inhaled sharply at spotting Sonata and Adagio, one virtually unharmed while the latter was visibly worse for wear.

As Peter slid down the crevice of the crater, Sonata freed herself from her self-induced trance, but she remained paralyzed at the sight of her fallen friend. The stallion eventually reached the pair, reacting instinctively upon noticing the severity of Adagio's injuries. He slid his hooves under Adagio's body before gently rolling the siren onto her back. A foreboding chill crept down Sonata's spine as she weakly crawled over to the pair on trembling hooves. Peter, meanwhile, lowered his head against Adagio's chest and held it in place for what seemed like an eternity to the other siren.

His ears perked at the sound of her heartbeat. However, his expression quickly fell upon noticing how weak it was. "Oh, God.No," he whispered, shaking his head.

"Peter? Please talk to me!" Sonata cried out, frantically alternating her gaze between the stallion and Adagio. The siren's lower lip began to tremble as her eyes swelled with tears. "Please tell me she's gonna be okay!"

Peter couldn't meet her gaze as he weakly glanced to the side. "I'm sorry, Sonata. She's… dying."

The stallion's words cut as deeply as any knife could, causing Sonata to throw a hoof over her chest. "You mean Adagio is…?" Shaking her head, the siren fought back her building sobs and stood on her hooves. "No! There's still time! Therehasto be! Zecora's good with medicine, right?" Peter's expression remained desolate, fueling Sonata's frustration further. She took hold of Adagio's hoof, readying herself to move the prone siren. "I'll take her to Zecora myself then!"

Suddenly, Adagio pulled her hoof away from Sonata before she could hope to make any progress. "Don't…" she coughed as her eyes slowly opened, revealing an almost glossy gaze. Adagio winced hard as she shook her head, managing a weak smile. "Parker's right. You'd just be wasting your time…"

A flurry of emotions overran Sonata's mind as tears streamed down her cheeks. "That's nottrue! We can still get you some help!" She lowered by Adagio's side once more, this time taking her hoof with a sob. "I've already lost Aria. I can't lose you, too! I justcan't!"

Peter watched with a saddened gaze, placing a hoof over the crying siren's shoulder. "Sonata…"

The surrounding dust continued to fade, clearing the field of vision for everypony. Positioned high in the air, Celestia gazed sadly at the sight within the crater before a glare formed in her light violet eyes. She turned to face Tirek, who crossed his arms with a satisfied smile, chuckling wickedly at his feat. The alicorn raised her glaive, causing the clouds in the sky to part until the sun's rays beamed over her. Soon afterward, the flames ofIgnus Solarisroared to life, and Celestia flew toward the centaur, releasing a battle cry loud enough for the entire field to hear.

Luna swiftly placed a hoof over her chestplate, causing particles of energy from the atmosphere to channel into a tiny blue orb hovering inches from the mare's face. Suddenly, the magical energies shifted and materialized into Celsius, a sword whose blade emitted a vibrant blue aura. Raising the weapon defensively via telekinesis, Luna took flight after her sister. As if on command, Twilight soared toward the centaur with a bubble shield glowing around her while Gwen and Patricia latched strands of webbing onto the barrier, swinging closely behind the alicorn. The rest remained behind, continuing to engage the thestral forces.

However, Peter and Sonata remained still as the earth moved on around them. The siren buried her eyes behind a hoof in a vain attempt to slow her tears. "Why did you do that, Adagio?"

Adagio shifted her gaze, huffing under her breath. "I don't know. My body just moved on its own." A warm smile surfaced on the siren's face as a crack spread across the ruby gem around her neck. "Even still, I'm okay with this. As least one of us will live by the end of the day. I'm just glad it's you."

"Don't talk like that," Sonata whined, placing a hoof over Adagio's shoulder.

Adagio glanced towards Peter dismissively, the sound of her breathing resembling glass scratching against a rough surface. "Hey, Parker. I don't know what your little cure has turned Sonata into, but she'syourresponsibility now. She's gone and gotten attached to you." She narrowed her gaze, forming a stern yet gentle glare. "Make sure you take care of her for me."

Peter nodded softly. "I promise Adagio."

Adagio's eyes softened. "Thank you. I'm glad there's still some good Equestrians in the world. If I met somepony like you instead ofhim, I might not have learned what such a betrayal felt like." Adagio's voice cracked momentarily as she roughly coughed blood from her mouth. "If I was just alittledifferent, maybe I wouldn't have pushed Aria into doing what she did."

The center of her chest ached, but Sonata stifled her sobs, sniffling. "That's not your fault, Adagio…"

Her vision blurred as her eyelids grew heavy, yet Adagio would hold off death's embrace just a while longer. "It hurts to talk, Sonata. I want you to listen carefully to what I have to say. So pay attention for once, okay?"

Sonata slammed her eyes shut, weakly nodding as she wiped her eyes with a foreleg. "Y-yeah… okay."

Slow to respond, Adagio's eyes quickly began to water as her lower lip quivered. "I'm sorry for always being mean to you and Aria. I'm sorry for always calling you two idiots. I'm sorry for never listening to either of you, and I'm sorry for calling you a burden." With every apology she muttered, the louder her accompanying sobs grew. Like the water of a flowing river, tears streamed down Adagio's face profusely. The mare reached out and grasped Sonata's foreleg, her limb quivering weakly with clear signs of strain. "Thank you fortolerating me! Thank you for still finding a way tolove me! T-thank you for being the best friends I could...a-ask for! T-thank you f-f…f-for…"

Despite her great struggle, Adagio couldn't muster the strength to finish her statement. In an instant, all the tension in the mare's body eased as what little life she still possessed faded from her eyes. Sonata froze in horror as her friend's hoof slid from her foreleg, falling limply to the ground. An ill and silent wind blew past the trio as the world slowed to a halt. At the start of Adagio's conquest, there were many sirens, but in the present at the end of her journey, only one now remained, and she wasn't even sure if shewasa siren anymore.

Sonata nearly lost herself in a sea of anguish as she sobbed sorrowfully. In the span of a few short hours, she had lost both of her closest friends. The force of this reality was too real to ignore and too painful to accept. Sonata only wanted to go back to a simpler time, a time when they were still together and shared laughs and smiles. However, that illusion was just a distant dream now, far out of reach, like an earth pony wanting to touch the clouds.

However, something else arose from the depths of the siren's sorrow. Her friends were gone now, and Tirek's actions had led to this moment. What started as an unsettling irritation morphed into seething anger, evident by Sonata's trembling hooves and the piercing glare in her bloodshot eyes. The entire world grew mute for Sonata as she pulled herself to a standing position.

In that moment, she only wanted one thing, and that was to see Tirek pay for what he had done. The wings on the siren's back emitted a warm energy as her rosy irises faded behind a blinding light. Almost instantaneously, Sonata rocketed into the air with the force of a missile, and a dust cloud rushed out from underneath, covering everypony in the vicinity. Peter used a hoof to shield his eyes, but he still managed to track Sonata's silhouette in the clouds before she darted off toward Tirek.

Peter readied to follow the siren, but he paused upon gazing down at Adagio's lifeless body. With a softened gaze and defeated sigh, he reached down and slid his hooves underneath her body before lifting the siren bridal style. Suddenly, Chrysalis hovered high overhead, lowering gracefully to the ground next to the stallion. Both ponies shared a glance before her gaze centered on the siren. No words were needed between the pair, evident by the changeling queen's darkened expression.

Chrysalis let out a low sigh and shook her head. "Yet another life is lost. I had hoped this one would change."

"She did," Peter whispered, earning a surprised expression from Chrysalis. "Adagio gave her life protecting Sonata." The stallion's eyes widened at a belated realization. Sobering, he edged closed to the changeling queen. "Chrysalis. I want you to take Adagio's body to Ponyville for me. Grab any of those that are injured and do the same for them. You get in there, too. I'm not letting your children grow up as orphans." His expression darkened. "Don't argue. Just… do this for me, okay?"

Nodding, albeit hesitantly, Chrysalis's magical energies levitated Adagio's limp form out of Peter's hooves. "If you insist. I will get everypony that I can to safety. I must ask something, however. Where willyougo?"

Turning sharply, Peter shot a strand of webbing onto the upper portion of the crater's crevice. "To make sure nopony else dies."

Meanwhile, Tirek watched as the resisting forces charged towards him with a furrowed brow. "You still want to fight for this land?" The centaur laughed wildly as a process of energy from the atmosphere channeled into the orb hovering between his horns. "I'll send you all to your maker!"

The centaur unleashed the orb at his nearest target. Princess Celestia stopped in midflight, gazing deeply at the incoming projectile, and the alicorn raisedIgnus Solarisat the last moment, managing to block the attack. She strained as the orb pushed her back and threatened to carry her into the stratosphere. However, shifting her glaive skyward, Celestia turned the orb's momentum, causing the projectile to harmlessly soar past the clouds.

Luna rushed past her sister, rearingCelsiusback before vanishing in a burst of light. Suddenly, the alicorn materialized into existence inches away from the centaur's face and threw a wide slash with her blade. However, Tirek raised one of his massive arms in the path of the attack, andCelsiusstopped in its tracks, unable to cut through the centaur's thick hide. Before Luna could react, Tirek's free hand swatted her tiny form from the air with a blunt slap, sending the alicorn careening toward a stone barricade.

Patricia's masked eyes widened at the sight from her position. The mare relinquished her ride with Twilight and Gwen, leaping away from the barrier, and fired a strand of webbing onto Luna's chestplate as she flew by. The alicorn's momentum was too great, snagging Patricia out of midair, but Spider-Mare recollected her sense of balance before planting her hooves into the ground, straining as she pulled her thread of webbing. Luna managed to halt her immediate momentum mere inches from the stone, and the princess sharply turned around, soaring back toward Tirek.

Twilight eventually reached the fray, firing a volley of magical beams at the centaur from high overhead. Tirek glanced skyward before raising his arms over his head, shielding himself from the onslaught. Amidst his distraction, Gwen latched a strand of webbing onto the centaur's horn and bungeed herself high into the air before swinging in a circular rotation around his head. Once the dust cleared, Tirek caught sight of Spider-Mare, but just as he readied to grasp the pony, she reached the end of the thread and delivered a diving kick across his jaw at her final pass.

Tirek staggered from the blow, planting a hoof to regain his balance. A glint of light flashed across the vicinity as a blur raced toward the centaur, stopping instantaneously mere hoof-lengths from his face, and everypony paused upon recognizing Sonata as her wings flapped vigorously to maintain her flight. Tirek's eyes widened as the siren inhaled deeply, but he could not react in time once she shrieked at the top of her lungs. Sonata's distorted voice echoed across the airwaves of Equestria while a massive force of energy escaped from her mouth, completely engulfing the centaur's colossal form.

The land ruptured under the pressure of Sonata's voice alone as every stone in the blast radius disintegrated to rubble. An explosion of energy ignited, generating a shockwave potent enough to launch Tirek across the vicinity until he collided into the side of a mountain. Tremors rushed throughout the land at the point of impact while fissures spread across near the mountains. Tirek rose from the destruction unscathed, lifting a chunk of the mountain over his head with a heavy grunt before tossing it at Sonata. The mass of land soared across the plains, blotting out the sun and casting a shadow over the earth.

Sonata remained in place with a blank glare, staring down the rapidly approaching mountain. A blue aura began to emit from the siren's wings before she released a deep howl. A massive wave of vibrations slammed into the stone, and cracks spread across the mountain before it exploded harmlessly to rubble. Thousands, if not millions, of small stones scattered from the blast, magical energies encasing and eating away at each shard until everything disintegrated to dust before ever touching the ground. Vanishing in a blur once more, Sonata raced toward the centaur with the speed and force of a missile.

Tirek narrowed his gaze at the siren as she neared, and he slammed his hands together with a fierce clap mere yards away from her being. A shockwave of sheer force erupted from the centaur's hands, stopping the siren in her tracks. A loud ringing echoed throughout Sonata's cranium, further disorienting her. Clenching his fist, Tirek struck the siren from overhead, and Sonata crashed into the earth with enough force to create a large crater, generating a dust cloud at the point of impact. The centaur stared down at the hole with a frown before raising his hooves high, as if ready to stomp on the incapacitated siren.

However, a large boulder soared from the side and crashed into Tirek's jaw, shattering on impact. The centaur shifted his glare to the source, spotting Twilight alongside the edge of a cliff with three massive boulders hovering behind her via telekinesis. The alicorn fired all three stones at once, forcing Tirek to raise his forearm to block the projectiles from hitting his face. With a frustrated growl, he retaliated by unleashing a magical blast from his horns. Peter suddenly dashed in front of his wife withTwilight Armsaround his hooves, howling before delivering a straight punch to the center of the incoming magical orb.

A crack swiftly spread across the projectile before it shattered, spreading throughout the wind while dissipating from existence. Suddenly, Peter leaped high into the air toward Tirek, and as if on cue, Gwen and Patricia mirrored his actions. The centaur lunged his hand forward, but all three Spiders swayed out of his reach in separate directions simultaneously. Peter, Gwen, and Patricia extended their hooves and unleashed an array of webbing together. The gossamer collided into Tirek's face, expanding on impact, and before long, his entire cranium was cocooned, compromising his vision.

Out of instinct, Tirek clutched at the sticky substance on his face. Luna and Celestia raised their respective weapons high over their heads before flying side-by-side toward their common foe. The alicorns pressed their backs against each other, fading into a blur as they spiraled into what seemed to be a vortex. The flames of Ignus Solaris and the cool energies of Celsius blended together, spreading across the winds of the surrounding vortex. Twilight's horn glowed, causing a sharp pink wave to spiral on the outskirts of the attack, as if reinforcing it further. The pair slammed into Tirek's face, triggering a chain reaction as all three energies from the alicorns combusted into a bright aura.

Peter, Gwen, and Patricia staggered back, mere yards away from the spreading explosion. However, Twilight teleported next to the trio with Sonata hovering over her shoulder. She gently placed the siren down as Celestia and Luna materialized into existence in bursts of light around the Spiders. All three alicorns generated a bubble shield around everypony before the explosion could reach them. Every participant of the war paused, gazing deeply at the explosion in the not too distant horizon.

"Do you think that worked?" Twilight questioned, furrowing her gaze on the round explosion as its energies continued to emit a bright light.

Patricia grinned, waving a hoof dismissively. "Of course it did. You princesses nuked him.Nopony'swalking away fromthat!"

Luna frowned, taking in winded breaths as beads of sweat dripped from her forehead. "We haven't used that technique since the Ancient War. I only hope it was enough."

The energies from the blast eventually dissipated, leaving a thick cloud of smoke in its place. A firm gust of wind cleared the fog from the field, revealing Tirek standing at the center of a flattened field. The centaur's form remained intact, housing only a few small burns and scratches over his otherwise unharmed form. Slack-jawed, everypony within the bubble shield stared wildly at Tirek.

The centaur huffed, smirking as he held a hand away from his face. "I must admit that that actually hurt. If you'd done that a few days ago, that would have certainly killed me, but it seems the magical energies of the Crystal Empire's inhabitants have given me more strength than I could have imagined." Tirek raised both clenched fists high overhead. "However, I am beyond anything you could ever hope to become now."

Tirek released a deep roar as he slammed his arms into the ground, sending out wild tremors through the earth. Fissures spread out, rupturing the land, and the ground beneath the group separated them, causing each to stagger in different directions. Tirek unleashed a beam of wild energy before anypony could recover, causing an explosion to ignite between them. The alicorns careened to the side and into a ditch before a large chunk of rock landed over their opening, pinning the trio.

Sonata and Patricia pinwheeled through the air, both mares landing on the upper edge of a high cliff several yards away from the centaur. Peter landed roughly on the side of his head, groaning as Gwen crashed in front of Tirek mere yards away. The stallion's vision blurred as his cranium grew fuzzy, but he glanced up as the centaur stood over the blonde mare. With a huff, particles of energy from the atmosphere spiraled into an orb between his horns as he steadily lowered his aim at the prone pony.

Peter's mind raced as he pulled himself to a standing position, galloping toward Gwen and Tirek. Memories of old began to flash across his mind, of a tragedy that forever changed his life. An image of Gwen Stacy materialized into existence before it faded behind a wall of darkness. The outside world slowed asTwilight Armsmorphed over Peter's hooves.

Tirek smirked, lowering his head. "She will be the first to fall."

"No!" Peter exclaimed, leaping high into the air.

Without hesitation, the stallion landed in front of Gwen and faced the blast with his gauntlets raised. The enormous orb sped toward the pair, halting instantly upon colliding into the stallion's hooves. The sphere expanded, pushing Peter back as the cloth near his hooves burned away. Straining, Spider-Mane's muscles shook violently as he struggled to push against the projectile.

The stallion closed his eyes as his mind cried out at his failing strength. "I can't stop it! If I don't figure something out, Gwen will die.Again. Ican'tlet that happen!"

"Then you know what you have to do,"a feminine voice declared in the forefront of his mind.

-u-

Peter's eyes shot open at the sound, and he found himself now alone in a familiar dark void on top of a marble platform. He briefly glanced at his hand, quickly learning he had retaken his human form once again. Unlike the other platforms he encountered in previous experiences, this one lacked a stained-glass painting. Suddenly, a woman materialized into existence next to the man in a burst of light mere inches away, with a dark crystal in hand.

She held out the jewel, offering it to the young man. "Break the crystal. It's your only hope to save Gwen Stacy. I know that you don't want to fail her a second time."

With a defeated sigh, Peter accepted the crystal and stared at its blank surface. As if sensing his doubt, Twilight gently placed her hands over his, nodding before fading into the spreading darkness. His entire life was defined by his successes and failures, with the latter leaving lasting impressions for better or worse. However, innocent lives had been lost due to his incompetence, and he would not lose Gwen Stacy a second time. Peter tightened his hold until the crystal shattered in his grasp, its dark energies spiraling out, and enveloping the young man's entire being.

As everything faded to black within the void, Peter closed his eyes. "Forgive me, Twilight."

-u-

Back in the real world, a spark of black electricity circulated around Peter before a wave of darkness raced out. Tirek caught sight of the development as dark beams pierced through his magical orb, prompting the centaur to hop back out of its range. The black waves completely engulfed the sphere's energies, causing it to harmlessly dissipate from existence. Suddenly, the dark flames rushed back into Peter's body, and he staggered forth, breathing deeply with a glossy gaze.

Elsewhere, the massive stone positioned over the alicorn trio shook before a bright aura enveloped its surface. Cracks spread over the rock, and it shattered, its pieces falling all over the battlefield. Tirek glanced to the side, catching sight of Princess Celestia hovering into the air as Luna and Twilight were slow to crawl from the hole. However, the centaur quickly averted his gaze back to Peter, specifically to the tiny being that materialized into existence in a burst of light just mere hoof-lengths behind the stallion.

Peter's ears perked at the sound, turning to face the intruder, but his gaze softened instantly at the familiar sight of his daughter's violet and pink mane. "Mayday!" he wheezed, his harsh breathing resembling the sound of glass scratching against a rough surface. The stallion staggered toward the filly, placing his hooves over her shoulders once they were inches apart before she nuzzled into his side. "What are you doing here?! It's too dangerous!"

"I need tell you something, Daddy." Mayday shifted her gaze aside before lowering her foreleg to her knapsack at her side. "It's… kind of important."

Peter shook his head, taking a step back. "Tell me about it later, sweetie. Now isnota good time." He paused, shifting his attention to Gwen as she stirred to life, shaking her head. "As soon as Gwen is able, I'm having her take you to Ponyville."

Mayday frowned as her eyes softened. "I just wanted to say that I love you, Daddy," the filly admitted, closing the short distance between her and her father. "...and that I'm so sorry for this."

Peter turned, ready to utter a response, but his words fell as something pierced into the side of his gut. A sharp pain resonated within the stallion. It was already difficult to breathe, but it had become practically impossible as Peter's thoughts, mind, and heart raced out of control. His widened gaze slowly lowered to the source, settling on a knife jammed into his side, and on the other end of the blade was his own daughter.

The entire world halted as a silent air filled the vicinity. Everypony shifted their collective gazes at the bewildering sight, most stunned while others were horrified. Twilight's mouth fell agape as her eyes swelled with tears before the alicorn released a terrified scream potent enough to match the cries of a siren. However, for Mayday, she heard nothing. The filly watched on in amazement as her father clutched at the wound given, one he could not sense coming.

---

"Are you sure about this?" Mayday questioned, arching a brow at the knife before shifting her gaze to Discord. "I mean, I'm still getting used tomine, but my dad has had his foryears. Nopony can really sneak up on him most of the time."

Discord nodded, folding his paw and talon over his chest. "Yes. That is true. It's no wonder poor Rainbow Dash has yet to succeed in pranking your father over the course of a decade." The draconequus smirked after a moment. "However, in my time observing your father from the astral plane, I've learned of a critical, consistent flaw."

Mayday tilted her head to the side. "What's that?"

"The Spider Sense is tied to your father's basic instincts. Whatever he would acknowledge as a threat in any normal circumstance will often trigger his sixth sense, whether it be a dragon or a harmless bird," Discord stated, pulling at the fur over his chin with a talon. "It's up to your father to judge and react to the danger. However, there are certain things he won't acknowledge as a threat. Your mother, Twilight Sparkle, fits the criteria."

Blinking, Mayday stared at the draconequus with a bewildered expression for several moments before laughing. "You're kidding, right? Mom can levelmountains. Why would my dad not acknowledge her as a threat?"

Discord chuckled under his breath. "Simple. Because he loves her." The filly's expression perplexed once again as she arched a brow. The draconequus cleared his throat after a brief silence. "I don't expect you to understand. You're just a child, after all. Love is something never fully understood, even by those who experience it thoroughly. It's quite chaotic and cathartic, really."

"Focus, Discord," Mayday blankly stated, glaring at the draconequus.

Discord hummed, as if contemplating his next words carefully. "With love comes trust. Your mother and father wouldn't be together if they feared each other. By all means, Peter knows what Twilight Sparkle is capable of. After being together for over ten years, it's safe to say that they're well aware of the extent of each other's abilities."

Mayday scratched the back of her head and groaned. "This is confusing."

The draconequus smirked. "Alright then, I'll ask you this then, young Mayday. Your father can dodge incoming projectiles and whatnot at ludicrous speeds at point blank range, correct?" Once the filly hesitantly nodded, Discord raised his paw objectively. "So, isn't it a touch strange that your mother can hit your father, and it almostalwayssurprises him? Every. Single. Time?"

Mayday's eyes slowly widened, as if a belated realization had come into mind. "As a matter of fact… it is."

Discord's smile widened at the sight. "Nowyou're beginning to understand. Peter loves Twilight Sparkle very much, and his basic instincts don't deem her as a threat. I've seen that his lovely Aunt May has the same effect on Peter. Trixie, as well. So, it's not exclusive to Twilight Sparkle." The draconequus nodded. "If they can bypass his Spider Sense, then the same should apply to you, his loving daughter. However, I must ask you again. Are you up for this? It's a rather crude method."

"Yeah. I'm sure," Mayday replied, taking the knife in hoof, "This'll hurt him, but it won't kill him. We just need him to stop."

---

Gwen's masked eyes widened at the sight as Peter lowered to a kneeling position, clutching at the blade lodged deeply into his side. The stallion's shocked and pained expression spoke volumes in spite of his silence. Twilight's heart practically stopped as her emotions ran rampant, like a tornado tearing the land asunder. Words could not describe the horror she felt at her own child stabbing her husband.

Unable to contain her overflowing emotions, Twilight soared toward her family. However, Discord appeared in a flash of light mere hoof lengths away, raising a glowing talon as she neared. Suddenly, the alicorn collided into a wall of energy before limply falling. Before Twilight could even touch the ground, a bubble shield formed around her, trapping the princess.

"Now, now, now. Don't be so hasty, little princess," Discord coolly stated, shaking his head. "You shouldn't interfere at such a delicate juncture."

Twilight shook the cobwebs from her head before shooting up to a standing position. "What have you done?!" she exclaimed, slamming her hooves against the barrier repeatedly. She glared venomously at the draconequus, who held an indifferent smirk, but the alicorn's gaze softened once it fell on the filly by his side. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes. "Mayday… Howcouldyou?!"

Mayday glanced at her mother with a small frown. "Because Discord is right. Everything's been thrown off course because of Celestia's means to control things. Chaos is needed to counterbalance order and vice versa. If there's too much of one or the other for a long time, it disrupts the natural balance." She shifted her gaze to the battlefield, stretching her hooves. "It took something as chaotic asthisto contest the princess's rule and set the wheels in motion for everything to return tonormalagain."

Twilight's hoof struck the barrier once more, causing the filly to jump back. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gritted her teeth. "That doesn't even make anysense! Look around you! Countless ponies are injured, dying, or dead because of Discord's need tofixthe system?!"

Mayday released a frustrated groan, rolling her eyes. "Don't yougetit, Mom?! Discord wouldn't haveneededto fix the system if the princesses hadn'tmeddledwith it in thefirstplace!"

"You juststabbedyourfather!" Twilight cried out before lowering her head, sobbing. "Look at me and tell me what you did wasright!"

Slow to respond, Mayday glanced to the side and pursed her lips. However, Discord stepped in front of the filly and faced the alicorn. "Don't be so hard on the child. Mayday only did as I instructed because she was actually willing tolistento what I had to say. So, if you have anypony to be angry at, it's me."

Upon receiving no response from Twilight, who refused to lift her head, Mayday frantically stepped forward with an frustrated gaze. "Mom, come on! We know a single stab wound isnothingto Dad. He's survivedmuchworse. This is the last part of Discord's plan! He just needed to push Dad to the very limit."

Twilight paled as she struggled to register what her daughter was saying. "I can't believe I'm hearing this from you…"

Mayday glanced over at her prone father before pointing her armed hoof at the stallion . "You'veseenit, too, Mom! Daddyalwaysholds back when he fights! He never uses his full strength unless the situation isdesperate. So, if wemakethe situation desperate, Dad will push through the pain, and with hisrealstrength, he can save the world like he always does! Then, everything goes back to normal, and balance is restored! Right?"

Discord smirked. "Think of it this way, Twilight Sparkle. Do you remember that one time several years ago when you were still studying the fundamentals of friendship? I recall an instance where you couldn'tfindany friendship problems to fix." Twilight's eyes slowly widened as the memory surfaced, causing Discord's smirk to shift to a large grin. "So, in order to stillsolvea friendship problem on time, you decided tomakeone to compensate. This is practically the same thing… is it not?"

Twilight frowned. "That's not the same! It doesn't evencompareto this!"

Mayday leaned to the side with a frustrated groan. "Take a look around us, Mom! Things arereallybad right now! So the sooner Daddy stops holding back, the less ponies are going to get hurt, and the quicker things can go back to normal!"

Inhaling deeply before sighing, Twilight lowered her head. "You still don't understand, Mayday!"

Tirek watched the situation unfold from a distance with a piqued gaze before he slowly chuckled under his breath, exploding into deep laughter after a duration. "In spite of his great strength, a small knife from a child does him in? How… disappointing."

Mayday nervously glanced at her father, as if hoping he would do as she suggested. Unfortunately, no such thing happened. The entire world grew mute for Peter as he stared bleakly at the ground, failing to acknowledge Discord's presence. All his mind could register was the knife's sharp pain, but it failed to compare to the anguish burrowing into his heart.

In spite of everything, even his own daughter turned her back on him. As if the world itself had grown too heavy to bear, Peter's eyes closed, and the stallion collapsed into a lifeless heap, earning the collective gasps from those around him. Amidst the confusion, Tirek huffed before raising an arm. Along the other side of the field, every member of the thestral forces stopped fighting those resisting and took flight, gathering around the centaur. Meanwhile, Mayday rushed to her father's side, nudging him to no response.

Discord furrowed his brow at the unconscious stallion. "Thatwasn'tsupposed to happen," he muttered, all humor having left his voice. Mayday's anxiety grew as she continued to nudge her father, and Twilight was beside herself, banging at the barrier desperately to reach her husband. Discord narrowed his gaze critically on Peter, who grew numb to the world. "Something isn't right here. No… something isverywrong."

-u-

Within the dark void, Peter glanced down onto the marble floor he stood over. At its center was a stained-glass painting of those closest to his heart, with Twilight posed gracefully alongside small pictures of his children, Trixie, Gwen Stacy, Aunt May, and Uncle Ben. However, each picture cracked before shattering from existence one after the other. Before long, the entire platform shook as a crack spread through the center of its foundation. Peter fell to his hands and knees, unable to lift himself from the ground.

Trails of darkness spread out as tendrils rose from the cracks in the platform. A light usually shone to chase off the spreading darkness, but nothing came this time. A being materialized into existence from the shadows and took shape into that of a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Peter himself, much like a twin sister. However, her eyes were blue and slitted, unlike his hazel irises. She stood over Peter with a stern gaze, watching as the darkness began to devour him.

"We both knew it would come to this eventually," the woman whispered, folding her arms over her chest. Her words, though cold and stern, were spoken with an air of gentleness. "You've given everything imaginable, but in spite of your many sacrifices, the world is forever cruel to you. There's no need for you to keep fighting." She knelt down in front of the young man, gazing somberly at him even as he failed to lift his head. "It's time for you to rest. Please. You don't owe this ungrateful world anything anymore."

Before anything could be said, a small beacon of light burrowed through the darkness next to the woman. "The world isn't as cold as you think," a male's voice warmly stated as Uncle Ben stepped through the light. "It doesn't matter if you fall. It's if you get back up that matters." He offered his hand to Peter, smiling. "Take my hand, son."

Peter never lifted his head to acknowledge either person, but tears dripped from his face, falling to the ground. "No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, I always find a way to fail those closest to me. I couldn't save Gwen. I couldn't save Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie. I couldn't save the sirens. I betrayed Twilight's trust, and now my own daughter hates me. I can't keep doing this."

The surrounding darkness spread, chasing away what little light had remained. Uncle Ben stood firm, never pulling back his extended hand. "You're stronger than you think Peter."

However, Peter only shook his head before finally lifting his saddened gaze. "I'm sorry, Uncle Ben." He continued to shake his head, even as his uncle's image steadily faded into the darkness. "I am Spider-Man… no more." Dejected, Uncle Ben closed his eyes before disappearing completely from existence. All light had faded from the world, leaving Peter alone with the woman bearing his image. He stared somberly at nothing in particular, muttering, "No more."

The woman's blue eyes glowed as a small smile graced her features. She edged closer to Peter, gently wrapping her arms around him while allowing the side of his head to rest against her bosom. The world grew silent, fading to black, and the young man slipped into the darkness as his eyes closed. While Peter fell into a deep slumber, the woman traced her fingers through his unkempt hair while the darkness emitting from her body enveloped him. Soon enough, everything had been consumed by the void, and all that remained was darkness.

---

Back in the real world, Peter's eyes shot open with a potent glow. The stallion casually pulled himself to a standing position, paying no mind to those around him. However, he centered his gaze on Tirek in the not too distant horizon, scowling. Yet, once he took a step, a mildly irritating sensation tugged at his side. Peter glanced down at the knife lodged into his abdomen with a blank expression, taking a hoof before nonchalantly removing the blade from his being and tossing it to the ground.

Mayday watched as the stallion walked past her without sparing a glance. "Daddy?"

Peter paused upon reaching the barrier holding Twilight captive, never averting his gaze from the centaur on the horizon. He swiftly thrust his hoof to the side into the barrier, causing the shield to shatter from existence. Bewildered, Discord stared wildly at Peter as he continued to march forward. Twilight fell to the ground, reaching out to her husband, but his horn glowed momentarily, causing a magical shield to rise and cast rift between them. Suddenly, the stallion's horn sparked, causing both Celestia and Luna to vanish from their positions and reappear alongside Twilight behind the barrier.

Celestia alternated her gaze between Peter and her former apprentice. "Twilight, what is going on?"

Twilight shook her head, holding a concerned expression. "I don't know. He just got up and hasn't said a word."

Luna walked up to the barrier's wall with a widened gaze, and her rapidly beating heart refused to slow down as a horrified expression formed on her face. "Oh, no…"

Meanwhile, Peter slowed to a halt during his march, shifting his gaze downward. With a low huff, the stallion placed a hoof over the spider insignia in his costume before ripping it free. Suddenly, black flames ignited over Peter's body, burning away the remains of his costume. The stallion's body vanished in the dark fire as thunder rumbled throughout the skies.

Lightning struck the ground around the flames before a vortex of black energy erupted from the center. Without prompting, the thestral forces lifted their heads at the sight, with all that were available rushing out. Within seconds, hundreds of thestrals had the building energy surround them from every conceivable angle. The vortex soon diminished, spiraling into a single point, and the flames vanished, revealing a lone figure.

A stallion rose from the flames, his chocolate brown mane holding a sparkling gleam. His once light brown fur darkened to a grey tint, matching the armor covering his frame, and his body had grown in stature, matching the tall and slender frame of Celestia. Wings sprouted from the stallion's back, stretching out before closing into his sides. Fangs grew from his mouth, sharpening as a triumphant grin graced his features. Suddenly, the stallion gazed unto the nearest thestral with his cold, blue slitted irises, nodding.

The thestral knelt before the stallion, bowing her head out of respect. "Master…" she whispered, prompting the others to mirror her actions. The entire thestral force lowered before the stallion while the entire outside world watched in shock, awe, and horror. His cutie mark finally materialized over his flank, taking the shape of a spider emblem with a pair of smaller ones perched near its head. The female thestral shook her head upon raising it. "We thought you were lost to us, Master Nightmare."

The stallion placed a hoof over the thestral's shoulder. "Fret not, child," he declared, his voice distorted with that of a strong female's. He marched forward, turning to face his followers with a fanged grin. "Let the worldhowlin despair, forIhavereturned!"

To be continued...

Comments

[Edguy0009]

Discord you idiot!!