• Published 25th Dec 2016
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Spiders and Magic: What If Luna Revealed Her Feelings Before Twilight Sparkle? - Maximus_Reborn



What if Princess Luna revealed her feelings for Peter Parker before Twilight Sparkle could?

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Luna's Day Off

Chapter Three “Luna’s Day Off”

A couple of weeks had passed, yet time stood still for the alicorn. She paid no mind to the hours, losing track of time constantly. There were distractions abundant, but Luna was perfectly content with the circumstance. The nightly watches weren’t quite as lonely now since Peter decided to accompany her daily. Granted, his idea of small talk was hours of insistent chatter consisting of the most anemic of topics.

However, that unusual aspect both intrigued and irritated Luna about the stallion. They could literally waste hours talking about nothing, but the princess never found herself bored, just perplexed. Most ponies could hardly maintain eye contact for long, let alone a conversation, with Luna, but Peter never minded her presence, speaking with equality and earnestly. He had little to no tact in his words, yet the princess almost felt herself growing more fond of the stallion, in spite of his many quirks.

Luna shook her head, freeing herself from her self-induced trance. She felt the temperature in her face rising again before releasing an irritated groan. This was truly maddening for the mare. She couldn’t stop thinking about Peter, and whenever he was on her mind, her thoughts always grew fuzzy. Luna still could not understand why she felt so giddy around one individual, but for the time being, she was okay with it, much to her own begrudgement.

Peter had already left an hour ago, and she already missed his company. Absence truly made the heart grow fonder. Fortunately, the sun had risen, and her watch was officially over. Luna exited the balcony, walking slowly through the throne room with an unreadable expression. Luckily, with a day’s worth of sleep, night would swiftly return, and she would see him again all the sooner because of such. Sadly, before the alicorn could make any progress, she bumped into something in the middle of the hallway.

Flustered, Luna instinctively shook her head. “My apologies! I did not mean to…” she trailed off, her eyes widening at the sight of her sister. Celestia held an all too knowing grin as she gazed at her younger sibling, and Luna cursed her own ineptitude once more, evident by the blank stare on her face. It seemed as if for every mental mistake she made as of late, Celestia was there and primed to bring it to mind. Luna inhaled deeply before sighing, readying herself to march past her sibling. She would not give her the privilege this time. “Good day, Sister.”

Celestia simply smirked at Luna’s hasty response. “Now, hold on,” she gently called out, prompting her younger sibling to reluctantly cease in her tracks. Celestia walked in front of Luna before sharing a glance. “There was something that I wanted to talk with you about.”

“What is it?” Luna questioned, furrowing her brow.

Princess Celestia’s horn glowed momentarily before a scroll materialized into existence mere inches away from her face, levitating in place via telekinesis. “You’ve been working nonstop since you returned from your exile. I believe you are long overdue for a little time off.” The scroll vanished from sight in a burst of light. “As of right now, you have the entire day and night off. Please make the most of it.”

Luna’s eyes widened at the statement before she shook her head furiously. “Involuntary vacation time?! Just what are you trying to pull?!” Her firm voice echoed throughout the throne room, but Celestia stood unwavered, never losing her smile. Luna’s brow twitched involuntarily at the sight. “Don’t make light of the situation! What of the nightly watch? Who will raise the moon?”

“I’ve had missives delivered days prior to the commanding officers of all guards stationed throughout of Equestria,” Celestia coolly declared, although Luna could sense a trace of sarcasm in that condescending tone. “They are instructed to conduct a coordinated military drill this evening of extended watch through the night, in the event of an emergency that would require delicate vigilance in the late hours.” The taller alicorn closed her eyes and innocently huffed. “Plus, I’ve raised the moon in your place before for centuries. I can do so again for a day or two.”

Luna sharply pointed a hoof at her sibling. “Or two?! You planned this without my consent! This is utterly spontaneous!”

Celestia simply nodded. “Exactly. That’s why I know you’ll make the most of your time.” She arched a knowing brow. “If I had talked to you in advance, you would have found an excuse to come into work on your off day. Again.” Before Luna could hope to interject, Celestia chuckled and walked past her. “Have fun now.”

Frowning, Luna stared intently at her sister. “What if I refuse?”

“Then, you obstruct the drill. It is to be done as if you were not present,” Celestia stopped in her tracks, chuckling. “...and I tell Peter your nickname back when we were in school. Which I’m sure he would get a kick out of.”

Luna stood still for a duration with an exasperated glare, watching as her sister exited the vicinity. Once alone, she let out a defeated sigh. Luna wanted to refute Celestia’s claim, but her sister had covered all her bases, leaving absolutely no room for argument. Celestia was not one to use threats but promises, and Luna did not want her old alias to see the light of day, especially to a stallion that talked as frequently as Peter. While she grew tired of the monotony of her duties occasionally, Luna never conceded to taking breaks, seeing the world was too dangerous to ignore.

With her long life span, she knew the types of dangers the world could experience. The alicorn grumbled under her breath, as if disagreeing with the sentiment to an extent. She was not as paranoid as some would think. However, Luna particularly didn’t have a social life outside of her job in spite of her royal status, and off days were subtle reminders of that cruel fate. Sadly, so long as she remained on duty, the princess would almost forget her own loneliness or how deep it truly ran.

However, that brought Luna back to her current situation. She had the entire day and night to herself, but she could not think of anything to do. The princess whined under her breath. Of course, she wanted to spend that time with Peter. Luna’s complexion paled at the thought while her cheeks blossomed to a bright shade of pink. Once again, that pony was the first thing on her mind, and she didn’t understand why.

“Most tedious,” Luna grumbled, shifting her gaze to the side. “I suppose there’s only one way I can go about doing this.”


Within the reaches of Ponyville, tranquility ran throughout the village. During the time of peace, the wielders of the Elements of Harmony sat within the Treebrary, exchanging pleasantries while eating a gathered lunch. However, one’s mind seemed distant, evident by her blank gaze as she stared intently at the closed door to the basement. Pinkie Pie tapped Twilight’s shoulder, freeing the unicorn from her self-induced trance.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Pinkie questioned, tilting her head to the side.

Twilight cleared her throat before shaking her head. “Nothing.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed, downing her beverage. “Parker’s still asleep? What’s with him lately? He sleeps during the day and moves around at night.” She folded her hooves and grumbled. “It doesn’t help that he hangs out with Spitfire a ton now, too. It’s like he's forgotten all about us.”

Growling under her breath, Twilight glanced to the side. “Peter’s been visiting Canterlot for the past couple of weeks just to see Princess Luna. Why? I don’t know.” Hints of irritation escaped from the mare’s voice as her gaze shifted into a glare. “He shouldn’t go to the castle so casually. The princesses have important things to do, and the last thing they need is for an idiot to distract them.”

Applejack furrowed her brow at the unicorn’s tone, waving a hoof dismissively. “Hold on there, Twi. Princess Luna saved Pete from a nasty fall in Manehattan. Ah imagine our partner is just thankful to her.” She shifted her gaze to the ceiling before folding her hooves. “Besides, Princess Luna has always been honest to a fault. If she didn’t want Pete around, she would have told him by now.”

Rarity hummed. “Well, the poor darling is relatively dense. Maybe he simply hasn’t caught a hint?”

Before anypony could utter a response, Spike dashed into the room from upstairs with a scroll in claw. Twilight arched a brow at the baby dragon, standing from her seat. “Oh, Spike! Is that a letter from Princess Celestia?”

Spike simply shook his head, glancing about aimlessly. “Actually… no. It’s a letter from Princess Luna, and it’s for Peter. She wants to meet with him as soon as possible.”

“Why?” Rainbow Dash blurted out, blinking.

Slow to respond, Spike reopened the scroll and scanned through the words before rolling the letter back properly. “Uh, she’s been forced to take the day off and wants to spend time with him. That’s about it.” The dragon shrugged before opening the basement and heading below. “I didn’t even know Princess Luna could send letters through me like Princess Celestia!”

Fluttershy raised a curious eyebrow. “Um, neither did I.”

“Maybe Princess Luna just never bothered, until now,” Applejack chuckled softly, straightening out her hat with a hoof. “Well, Ah’ll be triple dipped. It’s almost safe to say that our princess has taken a liking to Pete.”

Meanwhile, the sound of rummaging escaped from the basement before Peter raced into the room, pacing in place. “Geez! I’m glad that I brushed my teeth before I took a nap.” The stallion passed by the mares at his door, nonchalantly lifting the sofa where Rarity and Fluttershy sat high over his head with a hoof, earning a collective squeak from the two before he gently eased the furniture back down upon removing his knapsack from underneath. Once situated with the bag’s straps around his shoulders, Peter made his way for the front door and waved a hoof without looking back. “I’ll see you later, girls!”

Oblivious, Pinkie waved back at the stallion and giggled while the door closed. “Okay! Later!”

Rarity cleared her throat, blinking. “Gracious. He most certainly left in a hurry, didn’t he?” the mare declared with a knowing smirk as a wide-eyed Fluttershy silently nodded in agreement with her. “Then again, a true gentlecolt never keeps a lady waiting.”

While the others carried on their conversations, speculating what was transpiring between Princess Luna and Peter. Twilight sank into her thoughts once more. There was much that she wanted to say to the stallion since their trip to Manehattan, but he seemed too preoccupied to spare more than a passing glance or greeting, as if he was enamored with the alicorn. That unsettling irritation churning within her continued to swell, threatening to burst. Twilight angrily bit down on a cookie, hoping she could clarify this matter before it was too late.


Luna sat within the confines of the royal garden, never averting her gaze from the reflection in the water’s surface in the fountain. She had trepidation on whether things would go accordingly or not. Considering that the princess had yet to formulate a plan, it was safe to assume that her confidence suffered. Plus, Luna was not certain how Peter would respond or if he would accept the invitation in the first place.

Fortunately, before those doubts could morph into anxiety, Peter clumsily stumbled into the garden, after nearly tripping over a potted daisy plant. Luna inhaled deeply before letting out a sigh of relief. Peter had arrived within an hour from when the princess sent the letter. She was thankful for that, not wanting to be alone for the day, and her own heart rate increased, a sign of her building nervousness.

Luna pursed her lips and straightened her posture, not wanting to unnerve in his presence. “Peter Parker. I thank you for arriving in a somewhat timely manner.”

Peter chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with a hoof. “I would have made it sooner, but the batmobile lost a wheel and the Joker got away.” Luna’s bemused expression hadn’t changed, prompting the stallion to hastily clear his throat. “Right. No one on this world gets my references. Anyway. How are you? What made you take a day off?”

“Circumstances beyond my control forced my hoof,” Luna grumbled, glancing to the side before returning her gaze to the stallion. “I didn’t want to take the day off, but I had no choice.”

Peter hummed, tilting his head to the side. “Sounds cool, but why did you invite me? You’re the co-ruler of the world and a princess. You could go anywhere with anyone.”

Luna looked at a loss for words momentarily, evident by her widened gaze, but she huffed, frowning. “I am not too familiar with social activities during the day, but I do know most ponies work during these hours. I only thought of you because you have the time to spare.”

“I’m not proud to be jobless, believe me. But if it means I get to spend time with you, I’m okay with being a bum,” Peter chuckled, glancing off to the side shamefully. “I’ll find a job eventually. It’s kind of hard to get one without a resume, unless folks are accepting ‘weird alien dude’ as part of the background check.”

Wincing, Luna shook her head. “My apologies. I did not mean to--”

Oblivious, Peter waved a hoof dismissively and grinned. “Oh! It’s nothing! I wasn’t offended or anything!” As the mare stammered about, the stallion tilted his head to the side. “So, where are we going?”

Luna paused to consider the question, blinking after a duration. “I honestly do not know. As I mentioned, I am… not familiar with social activities ponies like to do during the day. I spend most days asleep.” Flustered, the alicorn groaned. “It’s a pathetic truth.”

“Not at all,” Peter earnestly declared, raising a hoof objectively. “You’re nocturnal. It’s like asking an owl to give a hoot during the day.” Luna, once again, stared blankly at the stallion, and Peter cleared his throat, avoiding her glare as he tapped a hoof against his chin. “Tough crowd. Anyway. I have an idea.”

“Really? What could it possibly be?” Luna questioned, arching a brow.


Luna sighed, shaking her head in defeat. “Unbelievable.”

The city was relatively quiet under the sun’s bright light, enjoying the warmth it brought. Even during the hours of the day, Manehattan was a peaceful city. It was a welcome change from New York, where crimes occurred every hour, but Peter sighed, admitting that such serene settings were boring at times. A part of him missed the never ending excitement, but the rest of him revelled in the peace, for it never lasted as long as he hoped. Fortunately, this side of town was relatively empty during the work day, meaning the paparazzi were far less likely to swarm Princess Luna.

Peter pointed at a neon-lit shop down near the street. “I scream for ice cream!”

Luna furrowed her brow. “What made you think of an ice cream parlor?”

“I only got to check out the place once, but it was pretty cool. I mean, the service was friendly and the quality was top-notch,” Peter stated, nodding. “Then, I remembered them saying it’s a nice place to relax. You hardly strike me as the partying type, and I thought you might appreciate the… serene settings.”

Luna’s eyes widened as a sense of warmth spread across her chest. Once again, this stallion considered her feelings above all else. It was a small gesture, but it meant significantly to the princess. She asked herself repeatedly as to why she was being swayed by his actions. Her question was clearly rhetorical, but Luna could only smile in response. It was strange, seeing one so powerful act so youthful and immature.

“Very well,” Luna muttered, glancing off to the side. “We shall try their services.”

Peter chuckled victoriously. “Sweet!”

The stallion walked up to the door and held it open for the princess, earning a small smile from the mare as she accepted the gesture. It had been ages since she saw somepony practice chivalry so earnestly. It had all but died in the passage of time, yet this outworlder seemed to carry on the tradition of holding a lady in high regard with respect and eloquence. Peter Parker continued to be a puzzle to her, one that perplexed and enamored her all the same.

Luna felt the temperature in her face rise once more as she accepted the gesture, walking inside the shop. “I thank you.”

The shop was empty with the exception of the cashier. “Welcome to the Parlor. May I take your order?” the mare behind the register politely greeted, never taking her eyes off her work.

Peter pulled out a stool by the main counter, sharing a glance with Luna. “Do you want anything? I’m buying.”

“Really? How? I thought you were without a job,” Luna questioned, arching a brow as she accepted the seat.

Peter shrugged, hopping into the next available seat with a smile. “I’ve been working part-time with Spitfire. After what happened with the Manehattan race, we’ve been keeping in touch. She was nice enough to put in a good word for me after I shared my identity with her. I’m… a freelance photographer. Again.”

The corner of Luna’s mouth curled into a smile, as if musing the comment. “You don’t sound thrilled about it.”

The stallion grumbled under his breath. “That’s what I did back at home, and I’m making even less now than I was back then! I didn’t think that was possible! It almost makes me miss my old boss and his flat-top.” He trailed off, pausing before waving a hoof dismissively. “Almost.”

Slow to respond, Luna considered the stallion’s words before nodding. “That’s okay. There was something my sister and I were considering. We’ll make our decision in a few days, but if things are well, you will find yourself in new and improved employment.”

Peter’s smile widened. “Really? That’s awesome!”

“Well, it would be a shame for somepony of your talent to waste away jobless. It’s hardly fitting,” Luna bluntly declared, frowning. “I can pay if it’s troublesome for you.”

Peter instinctively cringed. “You sure don’t pull your punches, do you?. And here I thought princesses were supposed to be dainty and eloquent. You’re probably the meanest of them all.” Waving a hoof dismissively, Peter reached for his knapsack. “I’m paying. It’s only right for the guy to take care of the girl on a date.” His eyes widened at a realization. “Uh… Are we on a date?”

Luna’s face burned at the comment, but she straightened her posture, huffing as she glanced to the side. “O-Of course not! Don’t be ridiculous! You are simply accompanying me to a destination of my choosing! That’s all!”

“Uh, I’m pretty sure that’s a date,” Peter chuckled. “Especially if I pay.”

‘Then I will not let you pay,’ she muttered in the depths of her mind, unable to get her mouth to repeat the same sentence. Peter’s light tone sent shivers down her spine. She wanted to object to the idea, yet there was a part of her that welcomed the proposition. Not wanting to argue with herself, the princess hesitantly nodded, folding her hooves in a huff. “Fine, but only because I allow this. I’ve exiled fools to the depths of Tartarus for suggesting less to me in the past.”

“Then that means you must like me if we’re not doing the banishment thing,” Peter coyly declared, arching a brow at the princess.

If one could scream to the heavens, Luna would. Not only did her sister best her with an elaborate set up, but she suffered another defeat at the hooves of a nitwit thanks to a poorly thought-out response. Due to her own incompetence, she was outed and forced to face the truth. It was easy to just teleport the idiot to Tartarus, but Luna couldn’t bring herself to do it, longing to stay in his company even if he irritated her to the ends of the planet. However, in spite of the shame brought by defeat, that familiar giddy sensation surfaced in the center of the mare’s chest.

Refusing to accept the circumstance, Luna sat in a flustered, defeated pout. “S-Shut up and order our food!”

Peter edged closer to the mare, grinning. “Why is it so hard for you to admit that you like me?” Luna sharpened her glare as her horn glowed with energy. Peter cleared his throat and eased back into his seat. “All righty then! Ice cream!” His eyes widened at a realization. “Oh! What flavor of ice cream are you getting?”

“I… don’t know,” Luna whispered, colouring. The princess furrowed her brow in thought. “I used to adore ice cream before my exile. Though now that I think about it, I actually haven’t had any since I returned.”

Peter tilted his head to the side. “Sounds like it used to be your favorite snack.”

Luna nodded. “It was. I’ll admit that I preferred ice cream, while my sister has a weakness for chocolate cake. Well, any cake actually.” The alicorn paused, cursing under her breath for the slip of the tongue. She glared at the stallion. “Keep that information to yourself. Should she find out I told you that, I will make you suffer in ways you can only imagine.”

Peter traced a hoof over his mouth. “My lips-- or muzzle? I don’t understand the specifics yet-- are sealed.” The stallion finally faced the cashier, who had yet to free her gaze from her work. “Oh! Sorry! I would like a large helping of cookies n’ cream. Two spoons, please.”

Nodding, the mare grabbed a container and dropped three scoops inside. “One large cup of cookies n’ cream. That’ll be…” she trailed off, finally looking up to see Princess Luna with a bemused glare, “six... bits. Oh.”

Peter took the container and nonchalantly dropped over a dozen bits on the mare’s frozen hoof. “Keep the change!”

The cashier’s eyes never stopped widening, and her mouth hung so low that it nearly hit the counter. Peter, with his spoon in hoof, shoved some of the cold treat into his mouth, sighing contently. He edged the container closer to Luna, pausing until the mare reluctantly lifted her spoon with her magic and scooped a tiny piece of the ice cream in her utensil.

The mare eyed the substance carefully. “Somepony actually broke cookies into pieces and melded it with ice cream? What manner of madness is this?”

“Don’t knock it until you try it. Some folks like french fries with ice cream,” Peter simply stated, downing more of the treat.

“That doesn’t sound any better, if I may be candid,” Luna groaned, inhaling deeply before sighing. She hesitantly eased the substance into her mouth, and her eyes widened as a sweet sensation channeled through her sense of taste. “T-this... this is amazing!” Luna downed more of the treat without hesitation, pausing to clutch at the side of her head as it numbed. She quickly recovered, pointing her spoon at the treat’s container. “How had nopony thought of this flavor before!? It’s delicious!”

“I prefer the term ‘spectacular’, personally,” Peter chuckled, sobering. “Oh, hey.” Luna paused, glancing at the stallion with her spoon in mouth. Peter’s smile remained intact. “Thanks for not banishing me. And if it’s any consolation, I really like you. Legitimately.”

Luna fidgeted in place, blushing. “And I really…” she trailed off, her better judgement winning over, “find your presence… tolerable, at the very least.”

Peter grinned. “I’ll take it.” The stallion smirked as the alicorn’s cheeks continued to blossom to a bright shade of pink. Fortunately, he would not press the matter for her sake just yet. “You know, you’re very cute when you’re mad.”

Luna rolled her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze. “Mind your tongue, clown. I will smite you.”

Both ponies ate in a comfortable silence, spending the rest of the day exchanging small talk about nothing in particular. Some would think it was a waste of time. Luna had her first off day in centuries, and she spent it talking with a loudmouth while eating ice cream. It was absolutely wonderful, and Luna wouldn’t change that for the world.

Meanwhile, Celestia stood along the edge of the rooftop across the street from the ice cream parlor with a wide smile before she vanished in a burst of light.

To be continued...