Episode 22 - A Hero Reborn
Episode 22 - A Hero Reborn
AVENGERS TOWER - THREE YEARS AGO
The training room rang out with the sound of metal ricocheting off a kevlar dummy, as Spider-Man attempted to once again perfect using Captain America’s famed shield. Though it seemed as if his technique was off. Many a time he had seen the First Avenger use his shield to knock out many Hydra agents, or deflect the blast from a weapon that would otherwise destroy a normal person. But Spider-Man himself couldn't seem to get the grasp of how to use it, his temperament turning sour with each failed attempt. “How do you do this all the time? I’m giving it all I’ve got and I just can’t seem to get it right!”
Captain America, or Steve Rogers as he was known as too, took up the shield and threw it forward. And as expected, it bounced from target to target before coming back to rest in his hands. “You use too much force in your throw. It's not about how strong you are. You gotta focus on the way you throw, then you can think about how hard you can throw it. Watch again.” Once more, Steve gave the shield a mighty throw, with it ricocheting even more times this attempt before it returned. Though each time there was a more distinct sound as the dummies struggled to withstand the added power.
“You make it look so easy.” Exclaimed a rather impressed Spider-Man, earning a chuckle from the Captain. “It's just practice, son. Thankfully, I’ve had a lot of it with this shield.” A few more throws and Steve was done demonstrating. Handing the shield back to Spider-Man, he took a break to observe the young hero in action. As he attempted to put what he had been shown into practice, Spider-Man began to wonder. “Did you ever get tired of all the killing? Even when it was Nazis you had to kill?”
The question caught Steve very much off guard. He had been asked many questions about his time in World War Two, but never one was he asked if he had any regrets. “It's different when you’re a soldier. You go into each day thinking about how many people you might have to kill today, or if you might get killed. But you’re different from me, Spider-Man. You’re not a soldier, and killing will never be a concern for you.” Despite how sure Spider-Man was that Steve was telling the truth, he couldn't help but worry that all his fears would still come true. “But what if it is one day? What if I have to kill to protect people?”
“That should never be a worry for you. I've seen you out there, always trying to avoid taking a life. You know how to hold back, even with those who might not deserve it. I guess there's a reason for that." Part of Spider-Man wanted to tell Steve who he was, everything he had been through so he could better understand. But enough people already knew without adding another to the list. So for now, he would have to keep it vague. “Someone close to me. I failed to save him. I had all the power to do it and I couldn't. Now I have to make sure I do whatever I can." Even though the young man before him wore a mask, Steve could see the regret behind it.
"It's an ambitious mission, to save everyone. The trouble is, you can't. Even your friend Superman can't be everywhere all at once, and he might just be the most powerful being on Earth." The mention of his friend made Spider-Man twitch slightly. It wasn't that he had hard feelings towards the Man of Steel, it was just difficult to not feel like he was always in his shadow. His mind then turned back towards what Steve had said. "Didn't you try and save everyone during the war?"
Memories began to flood back from a time long since gone for Steve, before he spent almost seventy years frozen in ice, when the world was ablaze in war. "I wanted so badly to join up and fight. I felt I owed it to my country and my fellow soldiers. And to the people who couldn't defend themselves. But times are different. The enemy comes from the stars, and they’re a lot more dangerous than Adolf Hitler ever was. And I'm not the only hero around."
Spider-Man began to imagine what things were like back then.
A time he had only read about in textbooks, or heard about.
"You know, my grandpa spoke about you alot. Even when his body failed him he still knew how to strike up a conversation. He said he would have followed you all the way from Normandy to Berlin if he could have." Steve couldn't help but chuckle under his breath, knowing what he did about Spider-Man. "If he's anything like you, he just might have beat us all there." While it was said as a compliment, Spider-Man could hear the tinge of negativity behind it. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
The laughter Steve had only moments before vanished, replaced by a more stern demeanour. "I don't doubt your conviction or courage. What I do question are your tactics. It takes more than brute force to win. Or to throw a shield; it takes planning to win a battle. If D-Day hadn't been planned the way it was, we might never have taken back Europe and won the war."
"I'm pretty sure the whole plan went out the window once you got on the beach." Spider-Man reminded him, thinking that the World War II veteran might have forgotten how the reclamation of Europe had begun. "It did. But the preparation, the secrecy? We had to keep our cards pretty close to the chest; we thought it through first. The strategy to get boots on those beaches is more important than just having them there.”
In the end, Spider-Man resigned himself. When it came to matters of the past, the guy who actually lived it would always hold the better argument. "Technique over strength? Is that the idea?" Once again, he tried to follow Steve's advice, focusing more on where the shield would go rather than how hard he threw it. It struck the first target, ricocheting off to the second before dropping to the ground. It was progress.
"Technique first. You want to hit all the targets at once, not just one of them. Not all of your fights will be one on one. And those fights won't be fair. In times like that, you have to think about how to take down multiple opponents at once." Once more, Steve took up the shield and hurled it, seamlessly bounding off all the targets in sight before it returned to him.
"Would definitely help against the Sinister Six." Lamented Spider-Man as the shield was handed back to him, along with a judgemental look from the Captain. "Exactly my point. You've already been in a situation where you've had to deal with a group of enemies. And while each one might not stack up to you normally, together they're more than capable of taking you down. I've seen the videos." Knowing that Captain America of all people had been watching him made Spider-Man feel a little self-conscious. "Soooo I could be better?"
A familiar tingling warned him something was coming. Quickly he raised the shield to block the incoming strike from Steve, only to have the legs swept out from underneath him. Humbled, Spider-Man started to get up, assisted by Steve. "You could be more careful. With your powers you should be untouchable. But you always make the mistake of putting your focus on one target when you have six to contend with. And even then, one target can become more dangerous than several. Always give it one hundred percent in a fight.”
EQUESTRIA - PRESENT DAY
It was easily the most intense Peter’s Spider-Sense had felt in some time. Though this was rightly so, given who he now faced. Starlight, Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon and Tirek all glared at him with malicious intent. Though he wondered how much of their ire was being aimed at Princess Celestia, given he stood back-to-back with her while she kept Sombra at bay. “Is this a staring contest now? Cause’ I’m pretty much cheating with the mask and all.”
“Enough of your bluster and move aside, insect! We have business with the Princess,"demanded Starlight Glimmer through gritted teeth, much to the annoyance of her teammates, who had started to become tired of her rather ghoulish outbursts. Villains with standards. Who knew?
Unbothered by the demands, Spider-Man held his position. “First off, it's arachnid, not ‘insect’;there’s a distinction. Two: I’m sorry, but the Princess can’t come to the phone right now. May I take a message?”
While the others tried to figure out a strategy on the spot, Starlight was beginning to see red, every thought consumed with murderous desire. Most of it was aimed specifically at Twilight, but she was beginning to find a small reservation for this annoying interloper. “You won’t be making any snide remarks after I’ve torn out your windpipe!”
As he normally would, Spider-Man took these sorts of threats and used them to irritate his opponents. “Wow, straight for the windpipe. Not the lungs? Heart? Liver? No wait, I need my liver.”
“You won't be needing ANYTHING after I kill you! Then I’ll gut Twilight infront of her preciou-” The wind was suddenly knocked from Starlights chest as Spider-Man closed the distance between them, his fist driving into her stomach. The impact wasn't enough to send her flying away, but the pain was excruciating. Falling to her knees, Starlight began to cough up blood. The others stood in shock at the speed in which Spider-Man moved on her, all still surprised by his sudden appearance and subsequent attack on King Sombra.
“I warned you about threatening Twilight and the others.” Rage filled Spider-Man's words as he towered over Starlight, his focus now entirely on her. Now that he had broken off, Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon moved in to strike while Spider-Man's attention was on their wounded comrade. Neither of their attacks connected as he had already moved in behind them, slamming an elbow into each of their backs. The ground beneath them caved-in as they were sent face first into the dirt. Before Spider-Man could carry on his assault, Tirek attempted to grab him, forcing the hero to move, lest he be snatched up in the Centaur’s grasp.
Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis were quickly back on their feet and in pursuit of Spider-Man, still keeping out of Tireks grasp. Having recovered from the blow she suffered, Starlight's anger began to rise. “Looks like you'll die first, Arachnid!” From her hands she conjured dozens of magical knives, all sharing the crimson glow of her aura. Her allies ceased their own attack, lest they be caught in the crossfire. With a thought she sent a maelstrom of magic metal hurtling towards Spider-Man, assured he would be skewered.
Even with his back turned, Spider-Man knew something was coming. Despite his brutish attacks earlier, his movements were fluid as he weaved through the barrage. Starlight was horrified to see the entire salvo had missed, though she was with little time to think about it as Spider-Man vanished from her sight, only to reappear right in front of her to once again strike. This time, the punch was aimed at her face. And unlike last time, she was sent reeling backwards several feet. A flash of green and blue appeared at either side of Spider-Man as Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis attempted to blindside him.
Once again he was much quicker, getting a speedy jab across the jaw of the Changeling Queen before moving on towards the Night Empress. Nightmare Moon was however much more experienced than most of her teammates, able to see the attack coming and move out of harm's way. Finding her footing, she pressed forward to resume her attack, only to have her vision taken away from her as something stuck to her eyes. “What in Equestria is this?! I cannot remove it! Such a cowardly tactic!”
“I can deal with him!”, roared Tirek as he approached, his hooves stomping into the ground. He was sure his sheer size alone would intimidate the hero, only to see Spider-Man running towards him at full speed. Aiming his web shooters, Spider-Man fired two strands to connect with one of Tireks legs, confusing the mighty Centaur. “If you were aiming for my eyes like you did her, you may want to aim higher!”
“Well then, it's a good thing I'm not aiming for your eyes!” Using the momentum of his run, Spider-Man leapt forward, circling himself around Tirek’s legs in one go. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he did the same again, his web shooters keeping a steady stream of webbing as it became clear what he was doing. “Could swear I saw this in a movie once. I think we all know which one!” One wrong step was all it took to bring Tirek tumbling down, a cloud of dust thrown into the air as he collided with the ground.
Not too far away, Sombra witnessed the four vs one fight play out, his eyes never leaving Spider-Man, almost as if he was studying him. “Seems your new friend is quite the fighter, Celestia. For one who isn't an Alicorn, his prowess is incredible. Perhaps I misjudged his capabilities.” While Celestia wished she could watch her new friend fight, and help him, her eyes never left Sombra, knowing full well how capable he would be.
“It would appear so. Looks like he's more than capable of keeping your cohorts occupied while I deal with you.”
Even though he was holding a conversation with Celestia, Sombra kept his eyes firmly on Spider-Man. Though he paid little attention to his comrades as they struggled to keep the threat to their plan contained. “They’ll serve their purpose. All I need is for this ‘Spider-Man’ to be distracted while I kill you.” Still readying herself for anything, Celestia contemplated going for a quick kill. However, she knew better than to assume Sombra would leave himself so open. “Then why haven't you made a move? Are you afraid to cross blades with me again?”
“Not as such. I would be a fool to just leap right into an attack. The Celestia of my timeline was formidable indeed. And you are her, with much more experience. And this… is a fight I want to savour.” Charging forward, Sombra went to lunge at Celestia, but missed as she gracefully moved to the side, blocking his attack as she did. As she moved, she whirled her weapon around, allowing her to utilise the butt of her glaive to strike Sombra in the back of the head.
“You'll have to do better than that, Princess.” Sombra chided as he swung his blade towards Celestia, who once again casually moved away from the attempt. “I give you one opportunity to surrender, before I make sure the next strike comes from the other end of my weapon.” Taking advantage of her style of weapon, Celestia pressed her attack, making quick jabs to test Sombra's defence. The Dark King held his ground, matching her speed and precision blow for blow.
Away from the battle, Twilight struggled to tear down the magical barrier that kept her and the others unable to help her friends. Sure enough, the power Starlight had obtained from the Alicorn Amulet had made her fearsome indeed. It felt as if the barrier itself was fighting her, trying to diminish her will. “Keep working, Twilight! If we can bring this barrier down at the right moment, we can move in and swarm Sombra and his allies.” As if sensing the plight of her fellow princess, Luna reminded Twilight of their mission, to keep her mind focused.
“Hopefully Pe-, Spider-Man can help Celestia long enough for us to get through!” Twilight said, making sure to correct herself as to not alert anyone else of Spider-Man's true identity. While she and her friends may have been aware of who was under the mask, it would be best if that information was kept in as small of a circle as possible. “I think he’ll manage ok, Twily. He almost took off Sombra’s jaw with a single blow. Your new friend is plenty strong.” Shining Armour's words offered some comfort as he rested a hand on Twilights shoulder. He was right; Peter was holding his own quite well. He just had to hold on for a little bit longer.
Having blinded Nightmare Moon for a few moments, Spider-Man turned his attention to the still conscious Chrysalis, who was in the midst of recovering from the punch he had delivered her moments ago. “So, you must be Queen Chrysalis? What's got you squadding up with these guys?” The tone of Spider-Man's question almost sounded like he was mocking the Changeling Queen for her choice of allies, which perhaps was partly his intention with everything she had done in the past day.
“A chance to expand my kingdom and save my people!” It was all she could growl out before she tried to attack Spider-Man again, her fists meeting only open air as her foe moved gracefully out of her reach, forcing her to try and close the distance yet again. She was left looking foolish every single time as Spider-Man would just move away from her a few feet, only to mock her all the while.
“So you couldn't have just asked for help? You either have to invade or kidnap? Or mind control; I almost forgot that one.” The ways in which the Changeling Queen had attempted to take power began to come back to her, bringing back memories from her failed attempt to take Canterlot. “I’ll do whatever is necessary! Why waste time when I can just take what I desire?” She snarled in reply while she tried in vain to land a hit on him. Every punch, every magical blast only found open air.
For a moment, Spider-Man stayed completely still, baiting Chrysalis to charge him in the hopes of a free shot. Before her punch could connect, her wrist was caught by a gloved hand. “I can tell. You even let King Edgelord try to kill a defenceless baby.” As he said those words, Spider-Man’s hand began to clamp down on Chrysalis’ wrist, her gut telling her to try and remove his hand from her as the pain increased with the pressure.
“That wasn't part of the plan!” Regret had found its way into the heart of the Changeling Queen as her wrist was being crushed. She was sure that she was about to have her bones broken or worse, when to her surprise Spider-Man relinquished his grip. Chrysalis backed away as much as she could, still pursued by her opponent.
“Aw, did someone get double-crossed? Curses, the inevitable nature of villain team-ups!” The mocking tone from Spider-Man wasn't missed by Chrysalis. Her body shaking with pain as she nursed her wrist. Her pain only served to make her angry.
“That will be the last time you lay your hands on me!” Festering in her own rage, Chrysalis allowed her guard to be dropped, leaving her wide open to attack, which came swiftly. A punch in her gut, and another to her face left her stunned, with the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She looked across to her opponent, his eyes gleaming red like they had with Starlight Glimmer. “How about you walk away and I don’t put a hole in your sternum? You put Flurry through hell, and her parents almost saw her die. You’re the worst kind of scum imaginable.”
For a moment, Spider-Man’s jovial nature slipped away, replaced by something angry. Chrysalis could feel it. “It… wasn't the plan…” She so desperately pleaded, trying to justify her actions. Though it did little to calm the fire now building inside the masked stranger, as trickling flames appeared around his arms as he approached her. “That sounds like something you should have considered.” His voice sounded different, with more anger behind it now. And… Chrysalis could swear she heard a second voice?
Before the two could resume their fight, Nightmare Moon attempted to slice off Spider-Man’s head when he appeared distracted, materialising behind him in a blue glow. Her strike never finished, as she felt something slam into her stomach. Without even looking at her, Spider-Man had aimed his elbow to intercept her, throwing her back. As she recovered, Nightmare Moon took a deep breath, winded from her failed sneak attack. “How… how could you have seen me coming? You were unprepared, focused on another opponent. You should have fallen more than once today, and yet you slip away each time!”
“Let's just say I’m rather perceptive in a fight. An old friend taught me to keep my senses sharp in times like this. And with the way your four teammates are fighting, you aren't gonna last much longer.” His words were sure, even if full of arrogance. Had this fight gone any other way, Nightmare Moon would have said otherwise. But she knew the truth - the entire plan was going up in smoke because of one unknown variable. And while Celestia wasted little effort holding off Sombra, she and the others couldn't even deal with ONE costumed freak.
“You are strong. Had you not had such clairvoyance I would have passed you off as another Earth Clan member. But it's clear to me you are something more. I dare say you could match an Alicorn if given proper training. But that opportunity will never find you.” Sword stretched out before her, Nightmare Moon circled around her opponent, trying to find any opportunity to attack. But even when she was right behind him, it felt like a pair of eyes were still on her, always keeping track of her. “So you must be Nightmare Moon. Gotta say, I definitely prefer Luna. Then again, the original is always best.”
To have someone assume that she wasn't the better entity irritated Nightmare Moon to her core. While she might not have admitted it, part of her was always scared that Luna would resurface in her being. “I am Superior to Luna in EVERY WAY! She was weak, and more than willing to accept what I offered her!”
For the first time in centuries, Nightmare Moon was losing control; a very real fear had creeped into her heart. Perhaps Spider-Man could take advantage of this. “Are you trying to convince me, or yourself? As far as I can tell, she's the one more assured of herself right now.”
Enough was enough. “Chrysalis! Assist me in killing this pest!” Commanded Nightmare Moon, though the still weary Chrysalis seemed to be losing the spark for battle as things continued. The two women charged their quarry, the slashing of metal coupled with the hum of magic being fired. But no matter how much they tried, none of their attacks connected with their target. Either Spider-Man was blocking or dodging as if he was barely trying. Or he was getting better.
“He does not fight like an amateur.” Pondered Nightmare Moon as she tried to make her blade find its target. “Four of us have tried to put him down, yet we have all failed. Just what is he?” As she became more aggravated with the fight, Nightmare Moon's moves became more desperate. Her precise and thought out sword strikes from before were now wide and unwieldy, becoming so obvious that Spider-Man made little effort to dodge them. They were becoming more of a danger to Chrysalis than what they were to her enemy, forcing the Changeling Queen to pause her own attack, should she be felled by her own teammate.
Now was the perfect time for Spider-Man to keep pushing buttons. “Gotta say, for a centuries old beings, your fighting skills are sloppy.” The insults only made the Night Empress increase her ferocity, at the cost of any precision she may have had before. Her guard was so nonexistent that every slash left her wide open, allowing Spider-Man to get in a few punches. While they didn't have much power behind them, Nightmare Moon felt every hit. Yet it did little to stop her determination.
“I have had no need for combat! All of Equestria has bowed before me! Any resistance is put down!”
“So all your competition is dead or submitted? No one left to test yourself against? Then you just stopped caring altogether. No need to train when you're the best, right? Well, almost the best.” The insults from Spider-Man continued, as did his assault. While his attacks became less frequent, their power began to increase. Nightmare Moon grew evermore agitated by this uncouth stranger, who not only dared put his hands on her, but equally so dared to lecture her about how to do battle.
“I will not take slander from someone so young, and who has little concept of combat! I may not be able to see your face, but your attitude reeks of youth! You have seen too few moons to lecture me about how to fight!” Though she claimed otherwise, Nightmare Moon continued to be made to look like a fool by someone many times her junior. It was almost as if he wasn't even struggling to dodge her anymore, and only lingered just to infuriate her.
“Oh you’d be surprised by the things I’ve fought . Your better half has had a peek.” At this point, Spider-Man knew which buttons to press.
“I AM THE BETTER HALF!” Something snapped within Nightmare Moon, as a burst of speed allowed her to finally get her hands on her opponent. In a fit of anger she dropped her blade, using her free hand to begin beating into Spider-Man. Each hit was heavy, fueled by the resentment of her previous self. Much to her shock, her hand was caught while her other was grabbed by the wrist, forcing her to release her hold. The two began to struggle, with their strength seemingly even. The flames that Nightmare Moon had spotted on her foe’s arms had returned, now more prominent. But it was his eyes that caught her off guard the most.
One of her punches must have damaged one of the lenses on Spider-Man's mask, as Nightmare Moon could now see his eyes, unfiltered. Gone was the milky whiteness of his eyes, and whatever colour his irises might be. Instead his eyes were a pure, blood red. She wasn't sure why, but the Night Empress felt a cold shiver run up her spine. “What in Equestria are you?!” Instead of words, a low growl escaped Spider-Man's mouth, followed by him headbutting her, the force of which sent her reeling back towards her comrades. Something wet could be felt on her forehead. A quick wipe from her hand showed that she was bleeding.
“Me? Wounded? By this barbarian?! I'll remove your head before the day is over, Spider-Man!” Calling her sword back to her, Nightmare Moon prepared herself to charge her opponent once again, his pupiless eye still fixed upon her. Though she wouldn't say it, his gaze began to unnerve her somewhat. Like she was looking at something unnatural. “He reminds me of something from the Everfree. Or a creature spawned from the depths of Tartarus itself. And I will kill him like I have every other abomination!”
Before she could move, a giant hand fell before her, blocking her path. “Tirek! What is the meaning of this?!” The centaur had been able to free himself from his webbed stumble and was now back in the fight. Though his defeat earlier had humbled him, making him even more cautious now.
“You are overcome with anger, Nightmare Moon. And it is clear that it doesn't serve you well in battle. Might it be best to reserve yourself in this fight? We can't afford a mistake with the odds not in our favour anymore.”
“Quite right, Lord Tirek.” Taking a few deep breaths, Nightmare Moon was able to calm herself down, her wounds healing as her anger subsided. Chrysalis and Starlight flanked her as Tirek stood behind them. It was now back to one against four, but the group of villains had taken some war wounds along the way, their pride in tatters. While she didn't say it out loud, Chrysalis had grown weary of the fight as the group's chances for victory slipped away. She gazed upwards, catching the eye of Tirek, sharing the same look of concern. Though they couldn't speak, enough was said.
“It would seem you are right, Spider-Man. Too long have I been without a proper challenge.” A now restrained Nightmare Moon called out to her foe as she began to limber up, trying to work muscles that hadn't been used in centuries. As if to respond, Spider-Man started to stretch out his own body right in front of them, the finer points of his physique showing through his skin tight suit. “I'm still working off the dust myself. Don't worry, I'll get there.”
“As if we would give you the opportunity. Lord Tirek, squash this spider under your heel, please.” Commanded Nightmare Moon, to which the centaur replied. “With pleasure.”
The titanic body of Lord Tirek trampled its way right towards Spider-Man, the ground caving way with each step. With all his might, the great centaur brought his front hoofs down towards his foe. The battlefield fell silent for a moment as everyone wondered if this was the end for Spider-Man. To their shock, one of Tirek’s hoofs never touched the ground, caught by Spider-Man as he made little effort to stop himself from being crushed, one hand being enough.
“Unfortunately for you, I’m more sturdy than the average spider!” With still only one arm, Spider-Man stepped forward. Tirek was unable to stop him as he was forced back, his hooves grounding up dirt as he still attempted to crush his opponent.
“How… How can you be this strong?!” With a thrust of his body, Spider-Man sent the colossal body of Tirek into the air like he weighed nothing at all, his body crashing down into the treeline where he had emerged from, his weight crushing the trees and kicking up dust.
“Chrysalis, Starlight. We must coordinate our moves if we are to win.” The three villains clustered closer together after seeing the largest of their number being tossed away like a rock. All three of them were now a little more fearful of the man that now stood across from them.
“Surely you can win on your own?” Chrysalis cautiously asked Nightmare Moon, knowing that the skill and power of the Night Empress far surpassed her own.
“Perhaps, but I will not risk it, even for my pride. There is something about him. A heat radiates from his body. And when I struck him it only grew hotter. This one thrives on combat. My sister has found quite the ally.” Her words only caused the fear inside Chrysalis to grow, a fear already crippling.
“So he's a dangerous one?” It took a few moments for Nightmare Moon to ponder the Changeling Queen’s question.
“Perhaps even more dangerous than Celestia. Sombra was right. My sister will not dare risk her full power to wipe us out. But this one… his raw might will be the end of us if we do not stop him!” Her words were enough for Chrysalis to fully sink into the pit of fear she had opened for herself. As her eyes fell on Spider-Man, her gaze locked with his, and she felt death looming over her.
Just across from them, Sombra was trading strikes with Celestia, the two ancient beings displaying great mastery with their choice of weapons. While he may have been holding his own, the dark king knew that the sun princess was only one wrong move away from putting him down. “Your strikes are sharp, Celestia. Heavy. Every block I feel, my arms ache. Such glorious battle! I haven't felt this invigorated in centuries!”
“At least you’ll be happy when I run you through!” Another flurry of jabs from Celestia forced Sombra back ever further, his instincts kicking in as multiple dark tendrils sprouted from his back to compensate for his lack of defence. Each tendril disappeared as it took what would have been a death blow should Celestia hit her mark. One even tried its chance to catch her off guard, narrowly missing her. “I do hate to mark that pretty face of yours.” Growled Sombra.
“Good. Cause you can’t.” Declared Celestia, throwing herself at Sombra with seemingly reckless intent. A wide strike cam, aimed at her neck, only to be blocked by the long handle of her weapon. Sombra could only watch as Celestia's fist found its mark in the centre of his face. A grim sound of bone breaking echoed across the battlefield, a flow of blood seeping from his now deformed features. Despite the pain, Sombra was able to move away from Celestia before she could finish the job, but only just. The sun princess took a defensive stance once again, ready for the next attack.
“You cannot defeat me alone, Sombra. Surrender and your end will be swift.” Even with unimaginable pain coursing through his body, Sombra refused to back down, his magical healing repairing the immense damage as it had done earlier. Even with his face back to normal, the sting had yet to subside. The one thing his magic was unable to do was deal with the pain from his injuries, and he had taken two severe hits so far today.
Behind the barrier, Luna looked on in amazement at the might of her older sister, but lamenting her own capabilities. “It's been so long. I had almost forgotten how powerful my sister is. Only now she is much stronger.” Twilight looked at her fellow princess with concern. She had seen this same doubt months ago with the Tantabus, and knew she couldn't let it fester this time.
“You have that same strength, Princess Luna. You are sisters after all. If she can do it, so can you. And if Spider-Man can find his inner strength, then what's stopping you from doing the same?!” She was right. Of course she was right. It was Twilight after all. Luna looked to the other battle going on, towards Spider-Man. The young man she had deemed useless and cowardly now stood his ground against four powerful beings, while she stood here beginning to feel sorry for herself. Again. “All of you stand back! Now is not the time for care! This barrier will fall… NOW!” The markings across Luna's body began to glow, their aura flowing from her before it exploded outwards.
Cracks began to form on the surface of Starlight's barrier, growing ever larger until the dome-like structure shattered. The villains looked on in shock now that their plan was sure to fail. “How could she do that? You said Luna would never have it in her! That she was a weakling!” Starlight chastised Nightmare Moon, the Night Empress almost amazed by the power her former self exuded. What she began to fear was the confidence Luna now seemed to possess, her gleaming sword now aimed towards the Night Empress. “Nightmare Moon! I believe we have a score to settle!”
Suddenly everyone's attention began to split. No longer was Spider-Man the villain's only concern. “I couldn't agree more, Luna!” The two beings, two sides of the same coin, broke ranks and advanced on one another, a crack of thunder from the sky almost signalling the start of their duel. “All troops, stand guard around the town! Defend the people at all costs!” As commanded, the soldiers of the Royal Guard and Crystal Empire formed up, shields rattling together as they lined up in a defensive wall. Beside him, a panicked Cadence surveyed the battlefield, hoping to find a sign of her daughter. “Flurry… We have to find Flurry!” As if waiting for the right moment, Flurry Heart appeared in a bright flash, landing into the arms of her distressed mother.
“Oh my precious girl! We thought we were about to lose you!” The three embraced, relieved they were all back together. If only for a moment, as Cadence handed the still terrified Flurry to Shining. “I'll handle Chrysalis. Take Flurry, stand with your men. I'm going to get even for our family.” Even after knowing her for years, marrying her and having a baby with her, Shining Armour had never seen the look his wife had in her eyes. “What do you mean, Cadence?”
“You know exactly what I mean!” She snapped back, almost terrifying the experienced Captain of the Royal Guard. A still shaken Flurry nuzzled into her fathers chest, prompting him to hold her ever tighter. “It's gonna be ok, Flurry. Mamma will handle it.” Before her exchange with Luna could begin, Nightmare Moon gave what could be her final orders to the others. “Chrysalis, you have your quarry. As do you, Starlight. It is now open warfare.” Of the two, Starlight was the most elated to hear that she could now freely battle her nemesis.
“FINALLY! TWILIGHT! You’re all mine now!” A still cautious Twilight began to walk towards the battlefield, only to be blocked by her friends. “We already told you, you’ll have to get by us first!” Rainbow Dash, alongside Applejack, stood at the head of the pack, ready to make a move should she have to. “No! I’ll face her alone.” Twilight's words sounded more like an order than a request as she pushed through her friends, their words of concern brushing off her as she moved towards Starlight. Only the firm hand of Applejack kept her back for a few moments. “Twi, look at her! She's a dozen apples short of a bushel. You really wanna fight her?”
The Princess of Friendship was apprehensive to answer, unsure of how ready she was for this. “Yes. Look at her. The amulet might be amplifying her magic, but as Adagio told us, it's killing her too. She might not have much longer left. I can hold her off till she burns out.” That was what she told them at least, but even Twilight was unsure of how well she would do in a fight like this, against someone so full of hate for her.
“You aren't thinking of trying to save her, are you?” Knowing her friend too well, Rainbow Dash asked the logical question. The girls expected some hopeful words from Twilight, but the look in her eyes told them what they needed to know before she said anything. “I don’t think there's anything left to save.” For the first time, her friends saw utter hopelessness in Twilight's eyes.
Tirek gazed around the battlefield noticing that everyone had a dance partner save for him, except for the costumed hero that was just within his vision. “Which leaves you with me. I have to say you drew the short straw here. Emphasis on short.” Even though Spider-Man had to admit to himself that Tirek was vastly taller than he was, he wasn't exactly scared of the centaur. “Oh please, I’ve fought a guy that eats planets for fun, and he had to be a dozen times your size.” While Tirek had seen many things in his long life, even he would admit he was perplexed by the idea of something even bigger than he. “No beings like that exist in Equestria!”
“Lucky you.” No sooner had he finished talking that Spider-Man sprung into action, landing a heavy hit on Tireks chest, forcing him away from the rest of the battlefield. “Might as well keep the big guy occupied, let the others handle things. Gotta say, those lessons from Cap really paid off today.” Despite his size, Tirek was still plenty fast. If not for his Spider-Sense, Spider-Man was sure he would have taken a few hits here and there. Thanks to it however, Tirek was unable to land a hit on him, which irked the gigantic centaur something fierce.
Though it had only been a few weeks since her trip to other timelines, Starlight felt like she had been waiting an eternity for the chance to kill Twilight, even though she had gotten to do just that with another version of her most hated enemy. But she knew even back then that it wasn't the same. But now her time had come. “So Twilight, what shall it be? Beheading? Disembowelment? Or should I obliterate you completely?”
If Twilight had any sympathy left, it was chipped away by each grotesque way Starlight wanted to end her life. She was also beginning to lose any patience she may have had as well. “None of the above. I think you’ll find I’ll be walking away from this battle, Starlight.”
A predictable answer, but one Starlight had expected. In her head it would all play out like it did last time. Twilight would put up a fight, lose, then Starlight would gut her in front of everyone. It was all perfect. “I’ve killed you before, Twilight. I’ll do it again.” The crimson glow of the Alicorn Amulet coursed through her body, turning her eye the same shade once more. Perhaps it was due to everything that had transpired that day, but Twilight looked unimpressed with the display. “Was this other me an Alicorn?”
It took a moment for Starlight to understand the question, perhaps even wondering why it even mattered. In her mind it would end like it did last time, a ball of energy building in her hand to launch. “No. It was so easy it was almost pathetic.” The fiery red blast flew towards its target, creating an explosion as it seemingly hit its target. As the smoke began to disperse, Starlight was horrified to see a lavender dome had been conjured, Twilight safe and untouched inside. “There’s where you miscalculated.”
The Princess of Friendship spoke with a confidence she rarely called upon, sounding almost like her peers. It was a little unnerving.
“But… I should be stronger!” Cried out Starlight, trying to rationalise how her attack had failed. In a fit of panic she hurled multiple smaller bursts, each deflecting off the shield. Twilight countered by dropping the shield at the right moment and throwing an attack of her own. Starlight caught the attack, but only at the last second. It took a great deal of her strength to hold it back. She tried to recover, only to have several smaller bolts hit her directly, each feeling like a small blade had pierced her skin.
Twilight had made sure she had an opening for a smaller attack. While she wasn’t as experienced as the other princesses, she had been in enough battles by now to have some idea of strategy. “You have raw power, but you have no clue how to utilise it. I’ve spent most of my life being trained for the day I’d become an Alicorn, even if I didn't know it. I earned my power. You just got a boost.” Slowly, Starlight regained her bearings after the surprise attack. Though she wasn't injured, she still felt the pain from those bolts of magic. And it was more than enough to get under her skin. “It's called the “Alicorn” Amulet, you preachy cow! It makes me just as strong as you are!”
Another flash of red manifested from Starlight, this time creating a wave that flowed across the battlefield towards Twilight, who used her own magic to counter, dissipating the attack. Weeks of planning, many more months of simmering in her own rage had led Starlight to this moment. now she was losing to the woman she so desired dead. Twilight was making sure this wouldn’t be an easy fight. “I'm sorry, Starlight. But you come to my home, kidnap my niece and threaten the lives of my friends and family. I won't be taking it easy on you!”
At the treeline of the Everfree forest, Tirek was trying in vain to knock Spider-Man out the air, the hero using the tall trees as an anchor to swing from while staying in view of Ponyville. While Tirek was big enough to push the trees away from him, his maneuverability was still compromised, with Spider-Man taking full advantage of his surroundings. “You know, I could swing here all day if I wanted to, and you still couldn't catch me. Why don't you just make things easy and surrender? You’ve not exactly been all that scary to me, big guy.”
“Surrender? I might as well throw myself into the pits of Tartarus! Anything would be better than being confined in a void of nothingness again!” The centaur continued to grab around in desperation, even firing off beams of magic from his horns in an attempt to hit his target. “Keep at it, big guy. Maybe someday you’ll be able to hit the broadside of a barn. But right now? Your aim kinda sucks.” Though Tirek had been keeping the most calm the entire battle, even his patience had begun to run out. Several wide, but desperate swipes took down most of the nearby trees. A chorus of wood smashing into each other singing out.
“How good is my aim now?!” The mighty centaur roared out, certain his unorthodox choice of attack would have caught his opponent off guard. He was to be disappointed, as before his eyes Tirek saw Spider-Man fade into view, moving swiftly from tree to tree. Next thing he knew, he felt a heavy impact across his jaw, his vision became cloudy, and he quickly lost consciousness. The other combatants more than took notice when the body of Tirek smashed into the ground, his groans of pain all that could be heard from him. A victorious Spider-Man could be spotted standing on his head.
“Well I hope they have good dental in Hell. It is Hell, right? Tartarus and all that. Oh yeah, you’re out cold, so this is a one-sided chat now. Soooo… I think I’ll go pick a fight with your friends over there. You just sleep tight, ok.” With one of the villains down, Spider-Man could now focus on helping the others with their battles. Scoping the other conflicts, his eyes fell on Sombra and something called to him. Like it was the Dark King most of all that he should fight. One jump later and Spider-Man landed right next to Celestia, the sun princess still on guard even with back up arriving.
“I see you have dealt with Tirek quite swiftly.” Sombra kept a very keen eye on Spider-Man, his intrigue in the hero growing steadily ever since he arrived. His attention was still with Celestia at the same time, knowing that now would be a prime opportunity for her to go for a finishing blow. She however remained vigil, while Spider-Man acted with seemingly much less caution.
“Well he was kinda a big target. You on the other hand, I have to hit a little harder.” It was a threat Sombra knew wasn't a bluff. He recalled the pain from having his jaw almost removed, and would never feel that pain again if he could.
“Both of you, fighting me at the same time. Not exactly fair, is it?” Sombra wouldn't admit it, but his unease of the situation was ever growing. What had started off as an easy victory was now turning into a slow defeat. And not a single one of his foes were dead yet. “You should have considered a fair fight before you attempted to murder a child!” Celestia's eyes burned with contempt, her mind working through all the ways to bring this fight to a close now that it was two against one. Though all of them relied on Spider-Man knowing her strategies, which of course he didn't. She was certain they would find a way regardless.
“You make a good point. I've set the terms of this encounter, so I might as well stick to them.” With a glee that reeked of malice, Sombra raised his free arm, taking aim towards Ponyville, his eyes never leaving his opponents. He then sent out a maelstrom of fire careening towards the town. Each building hit was obliterated, shards of splintered wood thrown across like shrapnel. Underneath, the cries of the cowering townsfolk were drowned out by the explosions.
Closer to the battle, the girls huddled behind any available cover, though even they weren’t fully protected from the devastation. Chips of wood and rock cut through their skin, making them cry out in pain. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash instinctively used their wings to cushion the damage to themselves and the others, but at the cost of their fragile feathers being singed and torn. The cries of her friends forced Twilight to break off from her fight with Starlight.
“Girls! Hang on, I’m co-” A hand around her throat stopped Twilight before she could get any further. She turned to see the horrifying visage of Starlight right in front of her, her one eye bloodshot.
“You aren't going ANYWHERE!” The two began to struggle with each other, Twilight trying to escape from Starlight's twisted grasp, desperate to get to her friends. “They have nothing to do with this, Starlight!” It was well known that Twilight was easy to annoy, and easier to anger. But when it came to the safety of her friends, she had discovered a new level of wrath, her fists impacting Starlight's face. Though this only served to increase her rage towards the Princess of Friendship.
“They have EVERYTHING to do with this! Without you six, I would have my dream, my world, MY KINGDOM!” The back of her hand found Twilight, the sound of skin meeting each other at high speed. The same hand came back and slapped her just as viciously, the sting of pain shocking Twilight to her core. She was rarely in a fight like this, so pain was all but foreign to her. Her determination however couldn't be stopped as she continued to grapple with Starlight. “Then punish me for it, not them!”
As her anger grew, Twilight’s punches became less and less panicked, and soon her form grew better. Each punch she traded with Starlight stung the fallen Unicorn Clanswoman and drew blood. But this only seemed to make her stronger. “I’m about to! The more you lose, the happier I feel!” The two women, so deep in hatred for each other, continued to trade blows. Gone was any elegance of a battle of magical prowess, the fight devolving into a slugfest. “There's no point trying to reason with you, is there?” Some part of Twilight still wanted to reason her way out of this, rather than go on with the brutish methods she was using.
“Not really. So I would prefer it if you gave up and died already.” Starlight growled back, her hands trying to wrap themselves around Twilight’s throat. Her tactics were growing desperate and barbaric, the reality of the situation sinking in. Unfortunately for her, Twilight's own determination was still strong, able to pry herself free and deliver a solid kick to Starlight's chest, strong enough to force her opponent off and away from her.
The kick had knocked the wind out of Starlight, forcing her to catch her breath. She noticed however that she was struggling to breathe at times. Was one of her lungs damaged? No. She would never accept that she could be hurt by Twilight again. Even as she tried to get to her feet, she could feel herself growing weaker. Her lungs felt like she was breathing in volcanic ash, making her gasp for clean air. Something was sapping her strength, robbing her of her means to fight. And then it struck her. “The Amulet! I’ve used it for too long!”
Now Starlight had to act fast. Her hope for revenge now came with a time limit. “Unfortunately for you, I have no intention of dying today, and I will not allow more harm to come to my friends! You want to kill me Starlight? Then you’ll have to earn it!”
Sombra stood reinvigorated, the flames of Ponyville almost soothing for him. The sight of destruction always did calm him. “Intriguing. This is the second time I have seen Ponyville in flames. And now that the multiverse is open to me; it will not be the last!”
A horrified Celestia stood speechless, praying to whoever would listen that everyone in Ponyville was ok. “If even a single innocent life has been lost, Sombra…” The markings on Celestia’s body began to glow, almost as if the very sun resided inside her. Though even this show of force wasn't enough to concern Sombra.
“I told you before, Celestia: if you would not surrender, then your kingdom would be reduced to ashes. Starting with Ponyville.”
“You twisted bastard!” Taking no care for any strategy, Spider-Man charged towards Sombra at full speed, the dark king expecting to thrust his blade into the hero at the last moment. Much to Sombra’s shock, his enemy dove beneath his strike, leaving himself wide open. Same as earlier, Spider-Man put all of his strength into his attack, sure that it would knock Sombra back. The king had readied himself for the punch, hoping to stand his ground. The result was Spider-Man’s fist going through his chest, viscera gushing through the exit wound. Sombra’s cry of agony brought a halt to the other battles going on, everyone staring horrified at what appeared to be a lifeless Sombra and his killer.
“Spider-Man… What have you done?” Lamented Celestia as she watched black blood drip onto the grass. Not too far away, Fluttershy’s own blood ran cold at the sight. “Peter… No…” The other girls looked on at what had just transpired, horrified by the idea their friend had killed Sombra. “There's no way. Peter wouldn't do that. Would he?” Rainbow Dash quizzed the others as she was still on edge, ready to intervene in Twilight's fight with Starlight. Nobody had the heart to answer, save Fluttershy. “No! I don’t believe he’d kill anyone!”
“I… I didnt think…” Spider-Man was beginning to panic, terrified at the idea he may have just ended someone's life out of anger. Before he could remove his fist from Sombra’s body however, he was grabbed by two hands, preventing him from moving away. He could also feel something else begin to clamp around his wrist, further holding him in place. To his shock, the once seemingly lifeless Sombra stood up straight, his eyes burning with rage. “Twice this day I have been wounded by you, Spider-Man. And if I were anyone else I would be dead. Perhaps the one I should be trying to kill, is YOU!”
Between Sombra holding on, and the wound healing around his hand, Spider-Man was routed in place, completely helpless. All he could do was watch as his opponent wound up a free hand, landing his strike right into the elbow of Spider-Man’s right arm. The shrill snapping sound was more than audible, as was the cry of agony that escaped from the young man. But his punishment was far from over, as Sombra relinquished his grip, only to sink his fist into Spider-Man's stomach. The hero flew back as Sombra withdrew his grasp, hurtling into the nearby treeline, his flight halted as he smashed into the thick stump of a nearby tree.
“Perhaps I overerestimated you, Spider-Man.” Sombra gloated quite gleefully, turning his attention back towards Celestia. The two readied themselves to attack, however both were shocked to see Spider-Man get back on his feet, clutching his now broken arm. A series of quite sickening snaps could be heard as his arm contorted back into place. In a matter of seconds, Spider-Man was moving his arm again like nothing had happened. “Don't count me out just get, Grimace. I'm just getting warmed up!”
Rather than become irritated by this, Sombra could feel something he hadn't felt in centuries - a burning passion for a good fight. “Good… VERY good! Perhaps a worthy opponent after all!”
No sooner had he healed and Spider-Man was already back in the fight, getting in a few quick punches before Sombra could bring his guard back up. Celestia returned to battle as well, testing Sombra’s defence while he tried to fend off the costumed hero at the same time.
Not too far away, Twilight was keeping her attention on Starlight, and at the same time trying to see what kind of condition Ponyville was in. All she knew was that much of the town had been annihilated, the townspeople trapped underneath their homes and businesses. “Focus on me, Twilight! Unless you want to die in front of your friends!” Screamed Starlight, taking keen notice of her opponents' divided attention. Close by, Twilight's friends were still recovering from the aftermath of Sombra's devastation, their bodies covered in cuts from the debris.
“We gotta help her!” Rainbow Dash cried out as she readied herself to charge forward into the fight, only to be stopped by Applejack. “We can't! Not with Ponyville burnin to the ground! People will start dyin if we don't get them out.” Around them, the inferno created by the burning buildings threatened to consume anything that was left, including the townsfolk now trapped below.
“Are we sure it's even safe?” Pinkie Pie rightly asked, her baker's attire cut and burned along with her frizzy pink hair. In amongst the inferno, the girls could just make out the screams of those now facing the end of their lives. And Applejack wasn't keen to leave them to their fate. “They'll either burn alive or suffocate! We gotta do somethin!” Everyone was trying their hardest to think of a plan, time not on their side. Unsurprisingly it was Rainbow Dash that was the first to spring into action. “Alright! Fluttershy and I can start grabbing clouds, see if we can douse the flames.” Usually the pink haired Pegasus Clanswoman wouldn't be so gusto to act like a hero, but today was different.
The makings of a plan were in place, which was more than what they had a few moments ago, which Al’s bolstered Applejack's confidence significantly. “Sounds good! Pinkie and I can start movin’ the rubble. Rarity, can ya lead people out town? Take ‘em to the farm, out of reach.” The normally prim and proper fashionista looked rearing to go in her task. “Of course!” The five girls briefly hugged before getting to their tasks. “Alright ladies, let's get to it!” Declared Applejack, finding the nearest building to wait for the Pegasi to do their part.
In the middle of her scuffle, Twilight could spot the girls doing what they could to help, a wellspring of pride building inside her. And her desire to protect them was ever growing. “Looks like my friends can handle themselves. Meaning I can put all my efforts into stopping you!” A grin emerged across Starlight’s bruised face, her teeth covered in blood. “Finally! I might actually enjoy killing you now!” She shrieked out before casting more spells, this time a bolt of red lightning, which Twilight more than easily deflected, countering with a powerful shockwave, the force of which threw Starlight back.
“I've had just about enough of you threatening to kill me. If this is what you want, Starlight, then I guess I'll respond in kind.” The timid tone Twilight had at the start of the fight was long gone, now replaced with a seriousness fitting of her title. Starlight sharply got to her feet, ready to continue the fight, only to notice her breathing had become even more ragged than before. “No! I need more time. Even if all I do today is kill HER…” An increasingly desperate Starlight hurled bolts of red fire with what little might she had left. They proved to have little effect as Twilight brushed them off with minimal effort, only for her to fire back with her own, catching Starlight off guard.
The impact of the blast was heavy, sapping whatever strength Starlight had left. “This… wasn't how it was supposed to end!” Her mind still raced with thoughts of revenge, every impure thought giving her boundless strength, only for it to be taken away a moment later. Her time really was running out.
“After you tortured my family, my friends, and your constant threats, this was the ONLY way it would end! I will not allow anymore harm to come to those I love!” Twilights words were angry, vengeful, brimming with hatred. An emotion she herself never thought she was capable of. Starlight was certain all of it was bluster, an emotional outburst from the goody two-shoes princess.
“And are you ready to kill me to stop me?!” As if in response to Starlight’s question, Twilight conjured a small dagger from her magic. The sight of it horrified Starlight to her core, as its appearance almost mirrored that of the one the other Twilight had used to remove her eye. Starlight hurriedly got to her feet, ready to continue the fight. Once she made eye contact with her opponent, her determination began to burn out. No longer was she looking at Twilight, Princess of Friendship.
She was looking at Princess Twilight Sparkle. “I will do what I must.”
A few feet away, Queen Chrysalis spotted her comrade’s dire situation, and was ready to intervene. While her hatred for Twilight didn't burn as brightly, she wouldn't have minded having a shot at killing the Princess of Friendship. As she tried to get close, something flew past her, just skimming the skin on her cheek. Blood could be felt trickling out, anger filling her being as she wondered who would dare try and surprise her. Her rage turned to fear as her eyes fell upon Princess Cadence, her bow ready to fire as another arrow was nocked in place.
“Cadence, you must believe me! I didn't intend for Flurryheart to come to harm!” A gust of wind flew past the Changeling Queens head, and another cut formed on her skin. Cadence's arrow may not have hit dead on, but that wasn't her plan. No. The Princess of Love was not here right now. Chrysalis now faced a mother. One she had caused so much pain. “Do you really think I care what you say to me?! You abducted my daughter and left her at the mercy of that MONSTER! I tried to forgive you for usurping my wedding, I REALLY tried! But now I am done trying to be the caring, forgiving one! Leave Equestria NOW, or I'll kill you where you stand! That is a mothers promise!”
“I believe you. But could you really leave someone else's children motherless? My poor, poor Changelings would be-” Her words were cut off by a searing pain in her abdomen. Looking down, she was shocked to find one of Cadence's magic arrows had penetrated her skin, blood leaking from the wound. Desperately she tried to remove the arrow, only to find it burned her hands to do so. Only after a glance did she realise that the arrow was made from magic, tingling with the baby blue aura she knew belonged to Cadence, who at this moment was preparing another in her bow. “I'm sure they'll survive. They are not my concern.”
The utter contempt from the Princess of Love was enough to make Chrysalis realise that perhaps she had gone too far this time. If things had gone differently then she could have had what she wanted. But it wouldn't be today. Or ever if she fell here and now. “I will not die here, Cadence!” The distance between the two women who had so much history was mere feet apart. Even a novice archer could kill Chrysalis at that moment if they wanted to. But Cadence was no novice. “Then return home, while you still can. Abandon this fight, or I WILL kill you!”
“Even you can't find it in you to kill me, Prince-” Once more, Cadence's arrow found its mark, right in Chrysalis' shoulder. A perfectly aimed shot by all accounts, and Chrysalis herself knew this. Looking down, she saw blood ooze from the wound, the magic arrow burning her skin as it refused to dissipate again. The draw of Cadence's bow could be heard, another arrow nocked into position. “The next one will be in your heart…”
There were dozens of things Chrysalis could say to get herself out of this, to put Cadence off her guard. But she knew none of them would work. The only options she had were to retreat or die. “We will meet again, Cadence.” The Queen of the Changelings struggled to regain her footing, meeting Cadence eye-to-eye. At this distance she could try and disarm her opponent, but with Cadence primed to fire it would be a death sentence.
“If I see you in these lands EVER again, I will kill you. Without question.” Her threat was true. Normally someone like Cadence would bluff and make pretend. But not today. Today, Cadence was a mother first, and a monarch later. Nothing would get in the way of a mother defending her child. Chrysalis could see it in her eyes. “I guess we'll see when the day comes. Farewell for now.” Even as she left the battle, Cadence kept her bow trained on Chrysalis the entire time, knowing she could make the shot if need be.
In the midst of her own battle, Starlight noticed the Changeling Queen taking off, bitter rage building at the sight of this desertion.“Chrysalis, you coward! Get back here or I'll kill you myself!” Her anger at her fleeing teammate left Starlight open, a blast of lavender energy hitting her in the back. “Focus on me, Starlight! Unless you want to die in front of your friends! Or are they really your friends?” Twilight's words were cold, just as cold as when Starlight had spoken them earlier, though with a much greater degree of malice. “You think it's funny, turning my words on me?!”
“No, actually. I just find it ironic.” It was clear that any sense of hilarity Twilight may have found in this situation was long gone. She couldnt find it in herself to laugh about what she had said inwardly. Starlight wasn't the only one to take notice of Chrysalis’ retreat. The emerald eyes of Luna and Nightmare Moon had kept watch on the other battles, with the former’s confidence being bolstered with every victory her allies achieved. “Your list of allies grows short, Nightmare Moon.” An eager Luna darted forward, almost catching her other self off guard as their swords clashed, the steel creating sparks. The Night Empress hadn't expected such resistance, knowing what she did about Luna so intimately.
“They were the weak ones. And with the knowledge of Starswirls time spell, I can freely return to my own timeline when I wish.” The two continued to clash, with Nightmare Moon increasing her own ferocity. But she was finding out very quickly that, just like with Spider-Man, a one-on-one battle with someone her equal wasn't in her favour. It didn't help that this version of Luna seemed more sure of herself, never holding back, always being on the attack. “You do not seek to rule in this timeline?” Luna was curious as to why her counterpart had no interest in taking over the same way the others did. It seemed she only had a set goal in mind.
“Of course not. All my energy must be centred on my own world. I only agreed to this pact to have a chance to kill you. To prove that I am the superior version of us!” A burst of speed found its way into Nightmare Moon's next flurry of strikes, her blade sweeping through the air. Luna however was prepared, her defence never faltering. “And how is that plan going?” It was the same arrogance that Spider-Man had displayed moments ago. Nightmare Moon could almost hear his words come from Luna. Whoever that masked stranger was, Luna clearly thought highly of him. “Do not become so self-assured, Luna. Celestia is too busy to help you. As is your new friend.”
“At least I have a sister to watch my back. You betrayed yours long ago. How does it feel to be truly alone?” Not only was there this newfound confidence in herself, but now a newfound bond with Celestia? It was apparent that this Luna had overcome everything that had brought Nightmare Moon into existence. Not that she cared. “Silence! I am Empress of all Equestria! My night is eternal, as is my reign!” Anger once again became the driving force behind her attacks, each swing predictable and easy to manoeuvre around.
Luna, however, knew better than to let her guard down. Even if Nightmare Moon wasn't at her best, she was still an Alicorn. “We shall see how long your reign lasts, after I separate your head from your neck. I honestly expected a better duel from you. But Spider-Man is correct: you have left your fighting prime behind.” Luna pushed her assault again, the Night Princess striking hard and fast to keep her opponent off balance and on the defensive. True to her skill, Nightmare Moon kept pace with her other self. But barely. Her bravado never faltered, even as she struggled.
“Why would I need to fight when there is no one left to challenge me?” Nightmare Moon lifted her sword high, ready to bring it down with all her strength. Luna not only blocked the attack successfully, but was able to force both swords to the ground, allowing her to use her free hand to hammer home a fearsome punch, which connected on the bridge of Nightmare Moon's nose, stunning her and causing blood to gush from her nostrils. The stricken Night Empress retreated several feet, her sword swinging freely from one hand while the other tried to plug her wound. For every step she tried to take back, Luna was always there. “A true warrior always keeps their skills sharp, even in peacetime. It would appear that victory has defeated you, Nightmare Moon.”
The fight between Sombra, Celestia and Spider-Man was growing ever more intense. The dark king was aware that he was down two allies, and was sure another would be lost if Starlight was unable to best Twilight. With this in mind, his attacks grew more ferocious, most of them aimed at the costumed hero he so desired to battle. What perplexed him most was how in sync Spider-Man was with Celestia, moving out of the way of any attacks she made with ease. Like he knew they were coming.
“You both fight well together. Tell me Celestia, have you perhaps found yourself a worthy mate in this timeline?” The words seemed to touch a nerve as Celestia brought a heavy strike down on Sombra, his arms throbbing in pain as he blocked the attack. “I swore an oath, and I shall uphold it.” Whether she was telling the truth or not, it still made little sense as to why she fought so well alongside the young man. From what little Sombra could see from the torn mask, Spider-Man had to be young. Very young. A detail that made his intrigue for this masked stranger grow ever stronger.
“Then explain this incredible synchronisation you both have.” Even as he fought for his life, Sombra’s curiosity couldn't be quelled. His attacks further focused on Spider-Man, ever wanting to see more of his skills in action. His momentary lack of judgement lead to a glancing slice from Celestia’s glaive, the pain distracting him from a punch to the ribs from Spider-Man. “We're just that good, I guess.” The hero declared as he prepared for the next attack, Celestia closeby, the wide red eyes of the Dark King swapping between them both as he picked his target.
“No… I don't think so!” With an almost animalistic fixation, Sombra charged forward, ignoring Celestia and bashing right into Spider-Man. Holding on tightly, Sombra ran straight towards the burning ruins of Ponyville, his eyes focused on the partially destroyed town hall. That is where he would make his stand. A still disorientated Nightmare Moon watched as he passed from sight, noticing a now free Celestia able to assist her sister should she desire. “It would appear that the opportunity has passed. And I will not allow myself to fall here today. It appears there is some strength to you after all, Luna. Perhaps one day we shall see who is the better of us.”
“Then I shall be ready for that day.” Though it took her little effort, Nightmare Moon was still wary as she opened up the viewpoint that would take her back to her timeline, her face half covered in blood as she kept an eye on Luna. As she stepped through and the viewpoint closed, Luna finally dropped her guard, a weight lifting from her shoulders. Only to have that weight replaced by Celestia pulling her into an embrace.
“Are you alright, Luna?” It took her a few moments, but the younger sister returned the hug, centuries of anger and bitterness now flooding away in the wake of her victory. “For the first time in so long… I think I am Tia. Thank you, my dear sister.” Though she was happy to see her younger sibling battle her demons and win, Celestia's attention was still focused on the fight now taking place in the ruins of Ponyville. “Quickly! Spider-Man is fighting Sombra alone!” As she tried to head towards the continuing battle, she was shocked to find Luna standing in her way.
“Tia! We must assist those trapped in their homes before they burn or suffocate!” Overhead, Celestia could see the battle rage on, Sombra’s almost mindless attacks pushing Spider-Man back, dark tendrils spreading from his back attempting to skewer the masked hero. It was clear he now had to put more effort into his defenses without Celestia backing him up, as well as Sombra's ferocity growing with every second. The Princess of the Sun then looked towards the burning buildings, her guards dragging out injured civilians while Twilight's friends attempted to quell the inferno. She had to make a choice.
“... You are right. But we cannot leave him alone with that monster!” If it had been any of the others left to battle Sombra, Luna would have dropped everything to save them. But after everything she had seen, her faith in Peter had been restored. More than that, it had grown. “He has fought worse. Trust me, I have seen it. And he would want us to help those who cannot defend themselves.” An ache filled Celestia's heart. To choose between her subjects and the young man she had left committed to a fight not his own, pulled at her mind. In the end, she chose to heed the advice of her sister, taking off towards the nearest destroyed home.
Sombra took notice that the two sisters weren't pursuing him, leaving him and Spider-Man alone. “It would seem you have been abandoned, hero. The princesses have forsaken you for their precious subjects.” Believing that the fight had become much easier, Sombra attempted a series of strikes to try and catch Spider-Man off balance, each one missing just as much as the last. One of these strikes went wide, too wide for Sombra to regain his defence in time, allowing Spider-Man to land a strong kick into the Dark King's chest. The kick forced Sombra back, his feet digging into the dirt to slow himself down.
“Nah. I just get you all to myself now.” Spider-Man's counterattack continued, rushing forward and aiming to score more hits. Ducking under a wide swing, he brought his fists into Sombra's chest, each hit holding almost all the might Spider-Man held in his body. All connected, winding Sombra in the process. But with his opponent so close, he forgoed his blade, grabbing Spider-Man by the neck with both hands, bringing his knee into the heroes’ stomach. Spider-Man tasted blood in his mouth, unable to recover before Sombra threw him into the ground, his body grinding up dirt as he skidded along.
The Dark King himself was beginning to feel the fatigue of combat, a feeling that made him happy and rageful at the same time. His time was, however, running out. “They may saved these people, but how long will it last? Once I kill you-”
“IF you kill me!” Spider-Man quickly objected as he got back to his feet, his exposed skin healing from the friction burns he was subjected to. He was certain that whatever damage he had done to Sombra had in turn been undone just as quickly. The battle was becoming a stalemate. “It appears we can only do this for so long. Our injuries may heal, but we will tire eventually.” Sombra did have a point. How long could Spider-Man keep this up for? How much time could he buy? He then began to realise he wasn't the only one on a timer. “What’s wrong? You're scared you’ll be at the mercy of the princesses?”
Another good point, this time made by Spider-Man. Sombra had already struggled enough against one of the four Alicorn princesses. But if all of them descended upon him, they wouldn't have to use their full might to kill him. They would easily overwhelm him. A fact he refused to let undermine his mission. “I am not the one who should be scared. Look around you. Even the Alicorns cannot save this entire town while I live. The fires may be quelled in time, but that will not keep them safe!
Sombra had already promised a tide of blood, should he be allowed to. The clock wasn't just ticking for Peter anymore, but for everyone in Ponyville, including his friends. “Then I’ll just have to win faster!” The two powerhouses resumed their fight, both now giving it all they could. Or at least one of them was. Sombra now found himself in charge of the battle, his fierce attacks landing much more than they had prior. He was winning. But it didn't feel like it. “How can you? Unless you let go of your fear, you will never defeat me. And your friends will die!”
What fear did he mean? How could Sombra have known about that? Had he seen something earlier while Spider-Man battled the others? Nothing else mattered. He knew his friends' lives were at stake, and the rage began to build. Less of Sombra's attacks were getting through, while more of Spider-Man's were finding their mark. The fight was now even again. The two locked hands, trying to overwhelm each other with sheer might. They stared into each others eyes, Sombra witnessing the red glare appear from Spider-Man as his pupils vanished, a feral growl rising to the surface,
“Oh yes, I can see it. A strength deeper still that you will not allow out. Why? Afraid of what might be unleashed? That you will appear a monster in front of your friends? Such ego.” If Sombra's intention was to goad Spider-Man into unleashing his full strength, it was working. The Dark King could feel himself being pushed back, his boots sliding in the dirt as he tried to stand his ground. Seeing his opportunity, he attempted to headbutt his foe while they were in close proximity. Unfortunately, Spider-Man was quick to see the attack coming, leaning back to avoid it, only to rush forward to attempt the same manoeuvre.
The headbutt landed successfully, striking Sombra on the bridge of his nose, blood flowing from his nostrils. He broke, in shock from the pain. Through it all, despite the pain, he felt excitement build. “Hahaha! Now THAT was much better! Come! Let us end this!” Before their battle could resume, Spider-Man and Sombra were surprised and shocked to see a torrent of water hovering above them, almost threatening to thrash down upon them. It seemed alive, deciding which of the two it should crush. A horrified Sombra was swept from his feet as the water descended around him. While the water had given Spider-Man room to breath, it had also extinguished the fires from many of the nearby buildings.
“Who DARES interfere?!” Roared a rageful Sombra as he got to his feet. From between two of the destroyed buildings emerged Adagio Dazzle, her Siren form replaced by something more humanoid, but every bit as beautiful. “You know, after your lackey hunted my sisters and I down, and threatened us, I have to say THAT was so much fun to do.” Sombra growled at her, his thoughts racing at the contemplation of dealing with the Sirens on top of everything else. The plan truly was falling apart.
“Adagio?! You came back?!” An elated Spider-Man raced towards the elder Siren, sweeping her up in a hug, one that she took a few moments to return, given he was the last person she had expected any sort of affection from. “Just be glad we did! These fires aren't so easy to put out with just rain clouds, no matter how much your Pegasi friends up there tried.”
“But… your banishment…” A finger muted over his mouth any further words from being uttered, but Spider-Man could tell from the look in Adagio’s eyes that she knew what they had gotten themselves into. In fact, she appeared almost content with it all. “Let me worry about that! You have a fight to finish!”
The two broke off the hug, resetting their attention on a viciously angry Sombra. “SIREN! You and your kin were offered a part in this deal, to be given more than what you had been dealt with! And THIS is your choice?!” From his hands he shot out a massive ball of fire, aimed at the pair now opposing him. With her own magic, Adagio raised a wall of water to shield herself and Spider-Man, the fire sizzling out as it hit the wall of liquid. The elder Siren looked less than impressed. “You offered nothing but death and destruction! I've seen enough of that for a thousand lifetimes. I will not see it again!”
While in the middle of clearing debris, Applejack turned a corner, almost running headlong into the midst of the standoff. She had yet to be spotted, allowing her to take in what was going on. When she spotted Adagio, she realised where all the mysterious water may have appeared from. Standing close by was Spider-Man, his suit tattered and torn. And across from them stood Sombra, the cause of all this destruction. “Hey! Sombra!” The three fighters looked towards Applejack now stomping into view, earning a chuckle from the Dark King.
“Ah, the apple farmer. How fortuitous that we meet again like this. Your town in flames, you and your friends desperately clinging to sanity. All that's left is to-” For a second time, Sombra found himself struck by Applejack. Only this time, the impact was much more severe. The sound of bone crunching could be heard while Sombra felt his jaw cave in. The remaining force of the punch was strong enough to send him flying into the debris of a nearby home. Even Spider-Man was impressed. “Damn! That looked just as painful as the shiner I gave him.”
Applejack on the other hand wasn't so happy, nursing the hand she used to sucker punch him. “Pretty sure ah broke every bone in there. Not ma best punch, but ah'll take it.” A flabbergasted Spider-Man stared at her in amazement. “THAT wasn't your best?!” An unenthused Applejack glared at him, all the while trying to contend with the pain she now felt. Unlike some of the others fighting, she had no super healing. “Let me see your hand.” Spider-Man requested, with Applejack holding her damaged hand out to him. A few shots of webbing created a temporary cast for her. “Thanks Pete. That feels a mite better.”
“Been a long time since I've seen an Earth Clanswoman with that sort of strength. Rather impressive, Applejack.”
It wasn't often Adagio gave out praise to anyone who wasn't herself, but she couldn't ignore the capabilities of the mighty farmgirl. In turn, Applejack was impressed and thankful for the Sirens’ reappearance. “Thanks. And hey, thank you for comin’ back. Ah know ya aren't supposed to, but ah frankfully don't care about any banishment right now.” Same as before, Adagio ignored the implications of their return, instead focusing on the task at hand.
“My sisters and I can deal with the flames. So long as we can keep the cause at bay.” Across town, pillars of white smoke began to replace the black swell that had taken up the sky. From around the corner, Sonata and Aria appeared, running into the waiting arms of Adagio. “Sonata and I dealt with the fires elsewhere. It should be clear to start working on the rubble.” So the fires had all been put out before anyone could be hurt? Hearing those words made Spider-Man and Applejack breath a sigh of relief, the former trying to find the words.
“I hope everyone is alright! We did take our time getting here.” Chirped Sonata, almost glaring at her sisters as she said it. Without a word, Spider-Man took all three Sirens into his arms, a feeling of relief washing over him. “Thank you… all of you.” The sisters returned the hug, all of them content in knowing they at least did something good, returning the kindness that Spider-Man had shown by standing up for them.
“ADAGIO! YOU VILE TRAITOR! I'll see you and your sisters burn in Tartarus for this!” The mood was broken by the shrill cries coming from Starlight Glimmer, as she hobbled her way towards them, her own battle with Twilight having clearly pushed her past her limits. Adagio removed herself from the hug so she could face the raving mad woman on her own. “I never agreed to any partnership with you. So I've betrayed nothing you psychopath!” The lone eye in Starlight’s head pulsed bloodshot, with only a very dim redness taking over.
“You don't think I won't kill you? Either way, you're dead! Coming back here after being banished? For all your good intentions, all you've done is seal your fate no matter what happens today!” Adagio found herself quickly flanked by her sisters, ready to fight for one another should the need arise. A battle-weary Spider-Man stood between them and Starlight. “Nothing is gonna happen to her, or her sisters! I don't suppose you've noticed, but the odds aren't exactly in your favour anymore. And you don't look so good either, Starlight.”
“It's the Alicorn Amulet, finally taking its toll. As I figured it would.” Adagio kept her eyes fixed on Starlight as much as possible. Her stress lessened as the others arrived. Celestia and Luna clearly had noticed the tides of water that had doused the fires and were landing on either side of Spider-Man. Cadence arrived without Shining Armour, likely keeping out of the way to watch Flurry Heart, but did have a slightly beaten up Twilight in tow, her own magic mending the wounds she had endured. From the rubble emerged Sombra, his wounds courtesy of Applejack still healing. Even with the pain he felt, he kept up the appearance of strength. “You do look weary, my dear Starlight.”
“I can still fight!” Through deprived gasps of air, Starlight stood sure of her mission, even if it was all but over. Her gaze was continuously fixed on Twilight, though the young princess could see that the burning hatred from once before was flickering away, replaced by anguish. They both knew that whatever Starlight had wanted was now lost to her. Sombra, too, was sure that she was finished. “No. I don't believe you can. It would seem the amulet has taken all it can from you. Meaning you are of no further use to me.”
“What do you m-” Without warning, Sombra reached out and grabbed the alicorn Amulet, wrenching it from Starlight with a firm tug. No sound of pain came from her, only the sight of her already pale skin growing dimmer, the glow in her almost lifeless eye fading to nothing. “Starlight!” Despite all she had done, Twilight used her magic to cushion Starlight's fall, levitating her to safety. All other eyes were focused on Sombra, clinging to his new prize. “How pitiful and desperate! Did she not understand the dangers of using such an artifact, or was she so blinded by rage that she would do anything to fulfil her desire?”
Even with her many crimes, Equestria’s heroes couldn't help but feel some pity for Starlight. Even Spider-Man, who had spent the past span of time fighting her, grew worried. “What the hell did he do to her?” No one responded, too shocked by the callus act Sombra performed on his apparent comrade. Only Twilight spoke, trying to tend to Starlight as best she could. “He removed the amulet forcefully. The Alicorn Amulet can only be removed by the user to prevent any repercussions.”
It was both surprising and disgusting to Sombra how quickly the Equestrians would flock to the plight of one of their own, even if she had committed so many crimes against them. “Come now! Why the concern? I'm here because of her. The young princess, was almost dead because of her. Your town is in flames, because of her! If she dies, does she not deserve it?” A few glances were shared amongst the group, but not a word was said by any of them, too afraid to make their feelings known. Sombra growled under his breath, sickened by the backwards logic of it all. “Take her. Save her if you can. I doubt she'll survive anyway. Not long enough to commence her execution.”
A truth none of them could deny. Their pity for Starlight wouldn't save her from any future punishment. Even Celestia, kind hearted as she was, would have to do something once all this was over. “If you hadn't noticed, she was your last backup dancer. So now what? You can’t fight all of us at once.” Spider-Man rightly pointed out, and Sombra knew it. He was now grossly outnumbered. Even with the power of the Alicorn Amulet, he would soon fall. But not before getting what he wanted.
“Then let me make a request of you Spider-Man, before I am so mercilessly cut down by superior force.” His words were so outlandish that everyone was caught by surprise, though none dropped their weapons for even a moment. With a little hesitancy, Spider-Man approached Sombra, his guard always up. Behind him, Celestia and Luna remained cautious as well as ready to move should they have to. Now only a few feet separated the hero from the villain. “Quite rich given, what you've done today, but go on I guess.”
“I challenge you to single combat. No outside help, no tricks. Just you and me.” Everyone recognised this for what it was - a last ditch attempt for Sombra to get what he wanted. Surrounded and with his allies defeated, what else was there to do but go out in a blaze of glory? His choice of target however was confusing. “Why me? Last time I checked you were gunning for Celestia about 20 minutes ago.” Spider-Man so rightfully pointed out. Sombra had made it abundantly clear who he had been gunning for ever since the battle started. It had seemed that things had changed in such a short span of time. “Celestia would never use her full strength around her subjects. She cares too much to put on a show. But you? Yes. Only you can give me the fight I've so long yearned for.”
Everyone, especially Celestia, kept their guard up as Sombra paced back and forth, his eyes fixated on Spider-Man. The hero felt the sinister gaze upon him, his body growing tense. “You want to fight me just to get your kicks?! That's what this is about?” A growl came from Sombra, the mere idea this was for fun baffling to him. “When I killed Celestia and Luna all those centuries ago, I thought I had won, that I had everything I wanted. But I was born to fight. To kill! And everything ever since then it has become has been too easy! But you… You have given me the thrill of combat I've so long needed.”
Quietly, Spider-Man contemplated this request, only to realise he was looking in a mirror of sorts. How many times had he wanted to fight someone just for some selfish sense of satisfaction? To challenge his skills and push himself to the limit? He finally understood where Sombra was coming from. “When I win, you'll take your sorry ass back to your own rotten timeline. Never come here again. Swear to that and I'll fight you.” A sinister grin flashed across Sombra's features. “I swear on my life. Should I be defeated, I shall return home. I will also return in the event of victory. Which is the most likely outcome.”
“And should one of us intervene?!” Celestia interjected, still believing that she should be the one fighting Sombra. “Then my slaughter will be indiscriminate. I will use every ounce of my power and kill as many as I can. No one shall be safe from me. I will die eventually, but this town will run red before I fall. And you will have to live with it, Celestia.” It was all Spider-Man needed to hear. However, Celestia wasn't convinced that it was a good idea. “Spider-Man, don't do this! With the power of the Amulet he is now so much more than he was before! You cannot win!”
Even with his desire to accept the challenge, Spider-Man knew the risks. A loud ringing in the back of his mind growing ever louder. “And if I don't try, he'll keep trying to kill everyone. I can't let that happen.” As he attempted to walk forward and confront his opponent, the firm hand of Celestia grabbed Spider-Man, holding him firmly in place. He looked back to protest, only to meet the eyes of the sun princess, tears about to flow to the surface. “Peter… You'll die.”
Her voice quivered with fear. Not for herself, but for the young man who had risked his life for herself and for her people. Spider-Man knew it himself. However, his mind had been made up. “Maybe. But I'm done running from death. Let me do this. Let me defend the home you gave me.” Celestia wanted to protest, to place her life before his. But the look in the heroes visible eye convinced her otherwise. Reluctantly, she eased her grip slightly, not ready to let him go just yet. “Then at least take this. I would feel better knowing you had a weapon to defend yourself with.”
In her other hand was her Glaive, the metal gleaming in the sunlight like it was made of gold. Spider-Man accepted it, feeling the weight as he got a sense of the weapon. Old memories came flooding back, as if his mind was unlocking skills he had locked away. A few test swings and jabs and he immediately felt comfortable with the weapon, as if he had been using it for years. “Been a while since I've trained with one of these. Good thing Diana isn't here to nitpick me.”
Seeing his opponent now using a weapon made Sombra grow evermore ecstatic for the coming fight. Raising his hand, he placed the Alicorn Amulet around his neck. A pulse of energy flowed through him, revitalising him from the previous scuffles. Every cell of his body felt invigorated; he felt invincible. “Such POWER! Perhaps I can take you on alone after all, Celestia. But first, I shall satisfy my appetite for death by slaughtering your young friend!”
Any faith Celestia had faded as quickly as it had arrived. Now she was unwilling to let anyone fight Sombra except for herself. “Spider-Man, I must insist you let me take over!” Despite her protest, the hero refused to stand down, weapon still branded in front of him in a defensive stance. “I’ve got this… I know I can win. Trust me!” Celestia, in no mood for such stubbornness, stood between Spider-Man and Sombra, facing the latter should he try anything.
“This is not the time for bravado! You will stand down and return my weapon!” The sun princess was shocked when Spider-Man defied her orders and pushed right past her. Swiftly, she grabbed her Glaive, trying to pry it from Spider-Man's hand. He swung around so that their eyes met again. “I already agreed! We can't go back on that now!” Realising that it was too late, Celestia's head hung low, a long forgotten sense of failure washing over her. In her mind, she had unwittingly condemned him to death.
“I remind you, my dear Celestia, that your interference will lead to the slaughter of this entire town. Choose your next move VERY carefully.” Sombra knew that he had the situation in his hands. He knew Celestia well enough to know that she would choose the many over the one. And as he watched her release her hold on her weapon, his cackle grew too loud to be contained, becoming a full on malicious laugh. “Look at it this way, Celestia - You will only have to bury one body today!”
The sun princess, as well as the other observers, began to back away, knowing the final act of this battle was about to begin. Only Spider-Man and Sombra were left, the two warriors contemplating what move to make next. A wave of his hand summoned Sombra's blade back to him, its dark surface almost the antithesis to Celestia's Glaive. The world fell silent. Like an old western, the hero and the villain faced off, waiting for the signal to draw.
The two lunged, steel impacting as their weapons clashed. They dug their heels deep, hoping to gain ground over each other. However, Spider-Man found himself slipping, the difference in strength was now back to being one sided with the Alicorn Amulet boosting Sombra past what he was before. “You will not succeed by chaining yourself! Unleash the monster within, damn you! GIVE ME A REAL FIGHT!” The bind broke, Sombra pulling his weapon back for a massive strike.
The obsidian blade came swift, forcing Spider-Man to dodge rather than block, almost losing his footing as he did. A quick recovery allowed him to dive forward with a solid series of jabs, all being blocked, leaving Sombra unimpressed. “Even with your life on the line, you refuse to give it your all? I am giving you everything I have as a warrior! YOU OWE ME THE SAME!”
Sombra’s anger was fierce, his attacks becoming less about finesse and more about pure power. “You have great skill, Spider-Man. You have been trained well. But you lack the will to fight with everything. Each attack felt like a massive hammer coming down, the metal of the weapons ringing out as they clashed against each other, vibrating violently in their wielders hands. A speedy thrust from Sombra almost gutted Spider-Man, the hero saved by a last second dodge. Though he wasn't quick in time to avoid being cut, a gash opened on his ribcage.
A dribble of blood fell from the wound as it closed over. Though healed, it still stung. “You bleed like any other creature. You may be strong, Spider-Man, but you can die like any mortal being.” Like a shark that smelled prey in the water, Sombra circled his opponent, ready to cut him as many times as he wanted to. Spider-Man steadied himself to prepare for the next attack, knowing he would have to change his strategy, a new fire in his eyes. “And you can run your mouth like every self obsessed asshole I've ever fought! It's always the same bullshit speech!”
The rude insult didn't miss Sombra’s attention. “And why not?! My power grants me the right to rule, to do whatever I please!” The two locked blades once again, Spider-Man once again matching Sombra’s might with each blow, the steel of their weapons ringing out with each hit, sounding as if they might give in to the stress. Using one hand, Spider-Man swung the glaive to Sombra’s right, leaving his left open for a solid punch. “Power doesn't owe you a damn thing! You don't get to decide the lives of people just because you're stronger than them!” Now on the offensive, the red glow in Spider-Man’s eyes resurfaced. Their blades locked once more, both men digging their heels to gain the advantage as their crimson eyes locked with each other. “The fates of the weak are to be dictated by the strong! We are GODS compared to them! Why do you fight for those who should kneel at your feet?!” Screamed Sombra.
The ground beneath them began to crack, the power of the two men like a force of nature, both unwilling to yield ground to each other. “Because it's my responsibility!” The red glow in Spider-Man’s eyes seemed to solidify, firing out in a streak of light. The beams caught an unaware Sombra in his own eyes, the fragile flesh melting away. “MY EYES! YOU BASTARD!” A burst of strength allowed Sombra to push his enemy away, gaining some distance so that he could heal. But it wouldn't be fast enough. Spider-Man was only a few steps away.
“I didn't want to do this… But this guy is too dangerous now. Nothing else worked, so let's go for the head!” The world seemed to stand still as Spider-Man brought the glaive down upon Sombra. So sure was his focus that he didn't notice his Spider-Sense going wild, and too late was he to react as black tendrils flew from Sombra’s body, indiscriminate in their direction. Little aiming had to be done as several of them pierced Spider-Man’s body, a guttural scream coming from the hero as he fell to the ground.
“PETER!” Cried out a horrified Fluttershy as she tried to run to her friend's side, only to be grabbed by the sturdy arms of Applejack. “Ain't no way, Fluttershy!” The Pegasi could do little against the superior strength of the farmer. “Is he…?” She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, though she wasn't the only one asking themselves that question. Much to their surprise, Spider-Man got to his feet, blood oozing from his wounds. “He's alive?” Cried out a shocked Celestia, gasps of relief heard coming from the others.
Sombra on the other hand was less than thrilled. “Impossible! You should be dead from such an attack! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!” His eyes fully healed, Sombra aimed his sword at Spider-Man, ready to run him through while he was still injured. An eruption of steam from the hero's body made him pause, his anger giving way to excitement once more. The others watched in amazement as the many wounds Spider-Man had sustained melted away, the only evidence of damage being on his suit. “You know… I've heard that so many times. From Super Villains, Gods, Demons… They all tried… And all of them failed!”
Flames began to erupt from his body once more, his eyes turning red. As he walked towards Sombra, a low growl could be heard, almost reverberating through the air. While the group of heroes felt a little uncomfortable, Sombra felt exhilaration. “YES! Finally! This is what I have been waiting for! Now we can have a real fight!” Winding his fist back, Sombra planned to use his might to embarrass Spider-Man one final time in front of his friends before executing him.
The blow never landed, caught by the masked hero, causing a shockwave. A small movement of his hand and Spider-Man moved Sombra’s in a rather unnatural fashion, several snapping sounds heard as the dark king fell to one knee in pain, his blade dropping to his side. “What… are you?” Something in his chest knocked all the air from Sombra’s lungs, that being Spider-Man's knee. Hunched over, the Dark King began to vomit oily black blood. “Scared Sombra? Isn't this what you wanted?!” The double voice was terrifying as Spider-Man mocked his foe. Never had Sombra been this humiliated. “No… This was to be my victory… MINE!”
“Oh, did the big scary king realise he's losing? GOOD!” Out of desperation, Sombra reached for his sword, only to find a hand wrapped around his neck, choking the life from him. All he could do was watch his foe wind back his fist, and prepare to possibly lose his jaw again. But Spider-Man wasn't aiming for Sombras face - instead aiming for the artifact around his neck. The force of the punch shattered the Alicorn Amulet, much to Sombra’s horror. “The Amulet… NO!” On the edge of town, the group of heroes watched in amazement as the battle was seemingly nearing its end.
“The amulet's destroyed?! How?! Is that even possible?!” Inquired Twilight, unaware that such a feat was even possible.
“It would have taken a tremendous deal of strength. It would appear… Peter's limits go far beyond what we thought!” Even with all her centuries of life, Celestia found herself dumbfounded at what she was seeing. Perhaps she was wrong to have lost faith in Peter so quickly.
Sombra was also perplexed at the events of the day. He could feel the power of the amulet slipping away, the energy it gave him fizzling into nothingness. “It matters not! I am still mighty enough to slay you! I am Sombra, Dark King of all Equestria!” With no strategy left in mind, Sombra threw himself forward, charging at his enemy with reckless abandon, only to find he was running at nothing as his footing gave way, his momentum trailing him through the muck as he fell. Looking up, he witnessed a menacing sight.
Spider-Man stood above him, relentless fury in his eye. “Not this Equestria. Here? You're just the dirt beneath my feet.” Before Sombra could defend himself, Spider-Man brought his foot down onto the Dark King's face with a powerful curbstomp, annihilating the ground beneath them. Sombra wrenched up more blood, knowing that something inside him had been broken. More powerful punches threatened to cave his face in yet again. Before more could land, a shroud of darkness covered Sombra, turning him incorporeal.
The sliver of shadow attempted to blindside Spider-Man as it faded, revealing Sombra’s true body. An elbow in the chest removed that idea entirely. A stunned Sombra threw several punches into the air, hoping it would buy him time, though none would find their intended target. The punches that Spider-Man threw however all found their mark. Sombra, realising he could no longer match his foe in offence, brought his arms up to block any further damage, a collection of tendrils doing the same to create a shell.
Despite his best attempts to block on the onslaught of punches that fell on him, Sombra could do little against the might that now stood before him. Each hit that landed felt like a hammer blow against an anvil, precise and devastating. Two hits to the stomach knocked the air from Sombra's lungs, three more to the chest let out a sickening sound of crunching bone. More and more hits got through until Sombra could no longer hold a defence. Now he could only watch as his opponent beat him mercilessly. Even his tendril shell began to fade.
It wasn't long before the Dark King could feel his legs shake beneath him, his great strength failing him. In a last ditch effort to win, he called fourth his blade, bringing it down upon his foe. To his shock, Spider-Man caught the blade in his hand, crushing the steel in two. His weapon broken and his body failing, Sombra collapsed to his knees in defeat. “You… fought well. Such power… and rage… it's magnificent.” Even when beaten, Sombra had something to smile about it seemed. He had gotten the battle he so long desired.
Spider-Man on the other hand felt no gratification in his victory. A great fire still burned within him, compelling him to put this monster down. Even with his opponent all but surrendering, Spider-Man didn’t consider the fight over. One solid punch was all it took to put Sombra on his back, a cracking sound audible as bone was potentially broken. Despite the hit, Sombra tried to push himself back up, only to be pushed back down as Spider-Man thrust his knee in Sombra's chest, the impact once again sounding like it had broken bone.
A helpless Sombra tried to push his foe off and away from him, but the gap in strength was now too great. The situation only grew more dire for him as a pair of hands found their way to his neck, crushing his windpipe slowly. Every breath was now a gasp for air, every attempt to swipe at his enemy now a desperate bid for survival. Behind the broken mask, Sombra got a better look at Spider-Man’s face. He couldn't see all of it, but enough to see who he really was. His features were young, skin unblemished by time. The only important part was his eyes. Eyes that Sombra had seen before. On creatures that lived for the fight. For the kill. “I see. In your eyes. That killer instinct. That desire to have true victory. Come then. Make it so. Kill me. Stain your hands with my blood for good, hero!” Every fibre of Spider-Man's being told him to do it. Hit him until he stopped moving. Rip out his heart.
“BREAK HIS NECK!”
That last idea brought Spider-Man hurtling back to reality. He looked down to see his broken opponent, seeing his bloodied and bruised face. He had been here before, his rage taking over, compelling him to kill. Even Sombra seemed to be wishing for his demise, perhaps to make his opponent look like a monster in front of his friends. His friends. From the corner of his eye, Spider-Man saw his Equestrian friends. The ones who had fought so hard for him to have a life here. If he killed now…
Sombra began to feel Spider-Man's grip loosen on him, allowing him to take in a sharp breath and cough up some blood. The Dark King attempted to get to his feet, only to find his strength had failed him. He had grown far too weak from the fight, with not even enough power to heal his wounds. Spider-Man on the other hand had healed completely, and his eyes had returned to their normal shade. Even the flames around his arms had faded. His rage had gone. “No. I've beaten you. I don't need to kill you. Now hold up your end of the deal. Go home, and never come back. I’ve won.”
Sure of his victory, Spider-Man turned to face his friends, their faces filled with joy at his triumph. The only one still on edge was Luna, sword still firmly in hand, ready to make a move. Her eyes were fixed on Sombra as he raggedly got to his feet, his own attention on Spider-Man. “You did… But… I have never accepted defeat… AND I REFUSE TO BEGIN NOW!” Taking the broken sword in his hand, Sombra lunged forward, his blade aimed for Spider-Man’s back. The distance between the two was so small that it surely looked as if Sombra would find his mark. Much to his horror, his target moved at what seemed the last moment, the world moving in slow motion as Spider-Man gracefully moved out of harm's way.
“That… is impossible. How did he-” An unending pain ceased Sombra’s train of thought. In fact, it felt like he had lost all control of his body, the remains of his sword falling to the ground. Just behind him stood Princess Luna, her blade coated in black blood. It was soon evident where she had struck as the head of King Sombra fell from his neck, his body tumbling to the ground. A disgusted Luna wiped her blade clean off his regal red cloak. “He swore on his life he would honour his deal. He paid the price for his dishonesty. The fate he so deserved.”
A still shaky Spider-Man looked down to see the headless corpse of Sombra, his posture still waiting for an attack that wouldn't come. It took him a few moments to calm down and relax. Though he was unsure he got out of the way in time. “Thanks. Gotta be honest, I'm not sure how much I had left in me. How stupid of me to think he'd actually stick to his word.” It was clear that Spider-Man had begun to regret the terms of the fight as his lungs burned and his muscles ached, his legs feeling as if they were about to give in from underneath him. Fortunately Luna was close by should she be needed, a proud smile upon her face.
“You on the other hand fought admirably, Peter. I was wrong to think poorly of you. And for that, I am truly sorry.” Regret filled her words as she remembered how she had treated Peter just hours ago, his decision to return only adding to her admiration of him. She was shocked to see his own eyes filled with the same regret, just visible behind the torn fabric of his mask. “I'm sorry too. I couldn't follow my own advice. I ran away when people needed me, when I swore I'd never abandon those in need. You were right. I was a coward.”
“You were scared, Peter. It is… easy for someone like me to ignore death’s call. I have lived for so long that I have almost grown numb to the idea of death. You however are still young, with much life to give. I cannot judge you for wanting to live it. But I have to know, what made you come back?” Looking back to where he had hidden before the battle, Peter could swear he saw the faint glimpse of an old man, one he knew all too well. A closer look revealed there was no one there. But he knew in his heart.
“I got a reminder that I have a responsibility to use my powers to help. Also, I think Granny Smith was mad that I tore up her floorboards to hide my stuff.” The two shared a brief chuckle before Spider-Man began to collapse, the fatigue of battle finally catching up to him. Fortunately Luna was quick to catch him, setting him gently on the ground. The others soon joined them, Fluttershy practically leaping at Spider-Man as they embraced.
“Peter! Are you alright?” While she might not have looked it, Fluttershy was plenty strong for someone so skinny, and her vice grip made many of Peter’s already aching muscles flare up. If it was anyone else he would tell them to stop. But with her, he’d let it slide. “I'm ok, Flutters. Just tired, that's all. Been a while since I've been in a fight like that.” The other girls began to huddle around Peter, embracing him in a group hug. This is what true victory felt like - the people he cared about, safe and sound. Celestia joined the group as well, kneeling in front of Peter, her head hung low.
“You showed incredible courage today, Peter. And you have done more than I had any right to ask of you. This should have been my battle to finish.” Peter could hear the anguish in Celestia's voice, as if she had let him down. Shifting himself out of the hug circle, Peter sat on his knees not too far from her, her amethyst eyes rising to meet his.
“Technically, I was the first to fight him. And besides, I did what was right. What I should have been doing. Ever since I got here, I've been running away from my responsibility. But that's not who I am. And besides, we helped each other in the end.” Peter extended his hand out, waiting for Celestia to take it. However, she instead took him by the arm, with Peter automatically doing the same. The shake was firm, a sign that a new bond had been formed between the two.
A sigh of relief came from Celestia, though deep down she still held some guilt for not having done her duty. Looking up, Peter's gaze met that of Luna, expecting her to have some judgement behind her eyes. “You must be mad I didn't put him down myself, right?” Rather than respond, Luna offered her hand to help Peter to his feet. Like with Celestia, Peter took her grasp by the forearm, with Luna doing the same for him. Peter could feel the fire in his muscles as he stood up, but Luna’s hold kept him upright long enough for him to get his bearings. Like with Celestia, the two beings who had only hours before quarrelled with each other, now cemented their new comradery.
“I am not. It's easy for me to make those choices. It's all I've ever known. But I can see you are not like that, Peter. Life is precious to you. Even the lives of your enemies. It's why you couldn't kill the Sirens. And here they are, helping us.” Luna's sight then turned to face the Siren sisters, still unsure of their fate even now. They only grew ever more nervous as Luna got to her feet and approached them. Their fears subsided somewhat as Luna bowed her head out of respect for their help.
“I believe I owe you three an apology as well. Without your help, many lives would have been lost. You risked your safety for those who threw you out. My sister and I owe you a debt it seems.” Now this was something the three sisters never expected to hear: the Alicorn princesses owed them. Quickly, the three formed a small huddle, whispers could be heard as they talked. The rest of the group began to wonder what they would ask for, and if it would be anywhere near reasonable. The huddle broke, and the Sirens gave their answer. “Say we forget the whole banishment thing and call it even?”
Adagio's words stunned them all except for Peter. He understood the most of just wanting freedom. “Is that all?” Inquired a perplexed Luna, sure that the Sirens would make some frivolous request. “We just don't wanna be persecuted anymore. We'll figure out the rest.” Sonata chirped in. Though she quickly fell silent again as Luna's attention fell on her. The youngest Siren still felt uncomfortable around the moon princess. Aria however perked up to add to the conversation. “Maybe a place to rest our heads. But that's about it.” Despite the extra addition to their request, it still wasn't an unreasonable one. Celestia and Luna shared a glance, with Luna nodding her head in silent agreement.
“Then I suppose it's settled. Adagio, Sonata, Aria, you are free to come and go from Equestria as you please. You will always find a place here.” Hearing those words from Celestia of all people, brought a feeling of relief to the sisters, the greatest they had felt in centuries. The three embraced, happy in the fact that they had all made it together. Though it wasn't long before they switched back to their usual selves.
“Well, that was quite the spectacle. And a little cathartic to see Sombra get his ass handed to him after his cronies threatened us. Gotta say Peter, love the costume. Much more professional than the other you. Although, I can't say I'm a fan of the torn and blood-strewn look. You might wanna rethink that.” Adagio was quick to point out the state in which Peter now looked, his suit shredded and matted in blood from his battle. A few eyes looked towards Rarity, though it seemed she wasn't bothered by the condition in which her hard work now lay. “Unfortunately, a new suit will be the least of our worries.”
The group knew exactly what she meant. “She's right. We got lucky today. As far as we can tell, no one in town died. But Ponyville…” As Rainbow Dash said those words, the group looked out towards Ponyville, or what remained of it. While the Sirens had been successful in putting out the fires, it had only made things more evident. Not a single building had been left standing; everything had been reduced to rubble or utterly annihilated. “Gone. All of it. As far as I can see, only my Castle and Rarity’s Boutique were spared.” Lamented Twilight, her friends clustering around her as they looked out on their hometown.
“Luna and I shall return to Canterlot to send provisions and supplies. There will be much to do.” Declared Celestia, Luna agreeing silently. The determination of the royal sisters began to lift the spirits of the others, wondering what they could contribute. “I can reorganise my Boutique to work as a logistics centre. We’ll have a lot of new people coming through, so they’ll need somewhere to organise. Pinkie, you and I can handle that.” While not the most hands on, Rarity was certainly the most organised outside of Twilight. And Pinkie was more than happy to help.
“Agreed. Shining Armour, have the guards escort the townsfolk to my castle. They can rest there until we start rebuilding homes. I'll tend to Starlight and keep an eye on her.” It was unusual to hear Twilight give out orders, especially to her older brother, but he took them in stride and got to his task, barking commands at the soldiers who were still able to walk. “Ah can start bringin some of the stallions down to help cart away the rubble. Dash, you come with me. Once yer feelin up to it, ya can help us out, Pete.” Applejack held out a hand for Peter, still trying to shake off the fatigue of battle.
“Just a bit of rest and I’ll get started.” Said a weary Peter as he struggled to stay upright. “What do we do with him?” Everyone was confused by who Cadence was talking about until they focused on where she was looking, down at the headless corpse of King Sombra “I will transport his body to a secure location to be studied, then disposed of properly.” Suggested Luna, knowing that they couldn't leave Sombra's body unattended. The group had their tasks and began to scatter, leaving just Peter and Fluttershy alone on the ravaged battlefield.
“Peter? Are you ok?” Fluttershy asked, her hand so close to Peters. She so desperately wanted to take his hand in her own, to know that he was ok. Her hesitation stopped her and she pulled away. To her surprise, Peter's hand sprung out to grab hers, their fingers melding into each other. His grip was tight, but not painful. It made Fluttershy feel safe. “Honestly? I've never felt better in months. We can fix this. I know we can.” Peter finally replied as they looked out at the ruins of Ponyville.
TO BE CONTINUED IN SEASON 2
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Man, I hope Pete soon finds out about Super Saiyan! That’d be so cool!