• Published 4th Feb 2012
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Spiders and Magic: Rise of Spider-Mane - Maximus_Reborn



Spider-Man is brought to Equestria for a second chance at life, but his luck may ruin his opportunity before it can truly begin.

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Revelations

Chapter Eight "Revelations"

Rarity, doing her best to multi-task, slowly moved the fabric underneath the sewing machine's needle while she gave affirmative nods in between Twilight's statements. Once the clothing was threaded together, Rarity used her magic and brought the cup on the table to her mouth, allowing the unicorn to take a sip of the cold content without needing to leave her spot. Twilight's rant behind her continued to grow in volume, forcing Rarity to turn away from her design and blankly stare at her friend.

"I do believe you are overreacting," she said at the sight of Twilight literally pacing a hole into her floor. "So Peter ran into some trouble yesterday. We should be grateful. If he hadn't, there's no telling what would have happened to poor Zecora."

Twilight stopped in her tracks and shot a glare at Rarity. "That's not what I'm angry about. I'm happy Peter saved Zecora, but I'm upset that he didn't consider the possibility that his powers could have failed. He rushed in blindly. That wasn't brave. That was stupid!"

"The heroic typesareunusually daring, but this is hardly surprising. He fought a dragon without so much as a second thought, and may I add that dragons are far more intimidating than Hydras in terms of size and ferocity?"

"He was poisoned. What if it was just a normal pony instead of a trained herbalist? Peter wouldn't have been treated and could have-"

"Well, let us thank Celestia for placing circumstances in his favor. Surely he's used to the danger. After all, didn't you summon Peter here specifically to deal with a dangerous situation? It seems to me you're backpedaling, dear."

Twilight resolved herself to keep her words mature than responding with a childish 'no, I'm not' argument. Rarity's words were in fact true, which only added to her frustration. Peter was regarded as 'the greatest hero' in the book, but Twilight acted as if he was just another pony. Despite his heroic background, Twilight learned that was the very case. Perhaps it was childish, but Twilight only wanted to believe she was looking out for Peter as a friend.

Rarity, noticing the troubled look in Twilight's eyes, giggled softly. "Ah, so that's what it is. I think you're taking a liking to the young stallion."

"What? I... No, of course not! I mean..." Twilight stumbled for words, unsure whether or not Rarity's accusation was fairly accurate. "Of course he's my friend. I just..." She looked off to the side and flushed red. "...forget it. I'm going to go back home."

Nodding her head, Rarity shifted her attention back to her sewing. "If that's how you feel, I can not force your hoof." The unicorn shrugged her shoulders. "You're not very good at lying, dear. There's no shame in admitting you like Peter. The fellowisquite charming."

"I'mleaving, Rarity," Twilight exhaled as she neared the door, trying her best to tune out her friend's accusation. However, before she could progress any further, Peter's backpack fell next to her side, causing Twilight to turn her head back to Rarity. "What's that?"

The glow in Rarity's horn subsided. "I went ahead and patched Peter's costume back together. When you see him later, make sure to tell the oaf to be more careful next time. I shudder to think if this kind of fiasco were to happen daily."

Twilight's brow twitched involuntarily. "He was here already?"

"Yes, but you needn't worry, darling." The snow white unicorn's lips curled into a coy smile. "After that little stunt he pulled yesterday, I, too, felt he didn't need to do anything stressful and sent him away to the spa."

"What makes you so sure he'll go along with it?"

Whipping her mangled locks to the side, Rarity's smile remained intact. "Trust me, dear. He's inverycapable hooves."


Peter stood with an exasperated look in his eyes. The fresh scent of assorted creams filled the room, and the sight of ponies with towels wrapped around their bodies served as a nagging distraction that was nearly impossible to ignore. Even in his new body, one thing was clear: Peter was the only male within the vicinity. He felt the stares of the mares around him, some amused and others bewildered, but managing to keep his inner man in check, which was pathetically easy to do, Peter stayed in line and waited to be seated.

Rarity was paying for this, and his body aches from yesterday made it difficult to decline the offer. Even with these circumstances, Peter wanted to find a reason to slither out of the door. He could have come up with an excuse along the lines of 'I couldn't find the place', but Rarity must have sensed his plan and left a little insurance in the form of an escort named Fluttershy.

The yellow Pegasus stood next to Peter with her ocean blue gaze fixed on the ground, causing him to sigh inwardly. With his costume in Rarity's possession and Fluttershy by his side, Peter knew he was defeated and forced to endure this trial.

"Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and all of you psychopaths would want to play hockey with my skull, a single pony did what you all couldn't do, and guess what? She's a fashion designer!"

"Um..."

Fluttershy's soft voice pierced Peter's train of thought and brought his eyes to her lowered frame. Her bright pink mane hid the majority of her face, namely from Peter's point of view, but her eyes met his before they fell back to the ground.

"Are you okay? You're not really talking," she said in a whispered tone before her head turned away and body drooped even lower to the ground. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you."

His eyes widened as a pitiful smile formed on his face. "You're not bothering me, Fluttershy," he reassured, placing his hoof on her shoulder. "Believe it or not, I've never been to a spa a day in my life. This is just a little awkward for me." He rolled his eyes."More awkward than the time I was pulled into an alternate dimension full of ponies? You bet."

Once Peter removed his hoof from her shoulder, Fluttershy stood up to match his height and managed to hold eye contact for a few moments. "You've never gone to a spa? Oh, my. You're missing out. The sauna and massages do wonders for the body," she said, the tone in her voice heightening by the word. She barely managed to stifle a giggle but couldn't contain her smile. "It's a good thing Rarity appointed us with the full treatment. It'll be so much fun!"

Peter instinctively gulped. What was fun for girls was usually boring for boys, which was more than enough of a reason for Peter to run while he had a chance, but the aches running through his body pleaded for a chance at some leisure time. Besides watching the smile on Fluttershy's face easily showed how happy she was, and what right did he have to shatter it. A little pride could be sacrificed to keep her happy.

He raised his brow. "So what's first on the list?"


Twilight walked back into her abode with Peter's backpack over her shoulders. Rarity was especially quick and thorough in the costume's repair, namely so she wouldn't lose any time working on Peter's formal wear for the Gala. With the entire day ahead of her, Twilight tossed the backpack over on to the couch and made her way to her library. Books were still scattered about, causing her eye to twitch involuntarily.

Given it was still early in the morning, Twilight expected Spike to have at least started reorganizing by now. She turned and inhaled, ready to call Spike from his slumber, but her words stayed in her throat once her violet irises found the book on its pedestal from last night. The memories of what she read were still fresh in her mind, from the spider bite that gave him his powers to the day his uncle was killed. Twilight shook her head madly and turned away from the book, desperate to ignore it entirely.

"It's an invasion of privacy! I can't just keep peeking into his personal life!" she said before the book glowed with magical energy. It levitated across the room until it dropped in front of Twilight, causing her to yelp. Once the energy disappeared, she furrowed her brow and used her magic to take the book back to its original position on the pedestal. "I don't understand. Why is the book revealing Peter's life to just me?"

The unicorn stared at the book for several moments, unsure of the course of action she should take. Obviously, destroying the book was out of the question since Peter was connected to it, and the outcome could turn out either harmless or catastrophic. Her choices were limited. Twilight could continue to read, perhaps finding the reason why the book had changed so drastically, but it may have been a spell misfire waiting to happen.

Sighing outwardly, Twilight opened the book, flipping through her previously read pages until she happened upon her desired location. She closed her eyes, shame sinking in, and shifted her head away.

"I can't. This is-"

Her protest was cut short once the book's glow returned, brighter than before. Newly formed words began to write along the page, causing the young girl's eyes to widen. The words continued to form, prompting the girl to force the lump in her throat down and read the message.

"I sense your doubt, young one, but please read this tale. What you have read was only the beginning of the hero's tragic life."

Twilight's eyes softened.

"After the death of his uncle, Peter went on to uphold his saying 'With great power comes great responsibility'. However, his resolve was weakened when his first true love, Gwen Stacy, was killed..."


Peter's mane drooped over his face, and it was fortunate since his eyes threatened to roll into the back of his head. As he rested on the bed, a mare ran her hooves across his back and shoulders, sending waves of pleasure through his mind. She pressed down, mindful to be firm yet gentle, and rubbed out the knots etched into his muscles. Once a content sigh escaped from Peter, a smile formed on her face.

"You poor thing. You must work yourself to the bone," she said, amazed with the level of tension in his body. She grabbed his hind leg and pulled it back, but Peter, in the midst of his ecstasy, had not paid it any mind. The mare continued until Peter's leg touched the back of his head, and she held it in that position for several moments. "It's odd. You're the only colt I've ever seen with this much flexibility despite the muscle tension." She smiled. "What's your secret?"

"Spider bite," he said bluntly, causing the mare to raise her brow. She readied to ask what he meant, but somehow and some way, Peter had fallen asleep in his awkward position.


"...the Green Goblin tossed Gwen off of the bridge. Using his webbing, Spider-Man managed to catch the girl, but once he pulled her back up, a horrible realization was made: Gwen Stacy was already dead. Even though evidence suggested that Goblin had already killed her, Peter believed he, himself, was responsible. His guilt reached a new level of height, crippling his mind and weakening his heart."

Fresh tears poured down the side of Twilight's face.

"The next day, the Bugle labeled Spider-Man as a murderer. He continued to protect the streets of New York, but with the citizens distrusting him, the police firing at him on sight, his personal life falling apart, Peter began to doubt his abilities as Spider-Man. However, he stayed the path of the hero. It is with my greatest sorrow that I tell you the greatest and final tragedy that will happen to young Peter."

Brushing her hoof across her eyes, Twilight shifted her sight to the next passage, but her heart nearly sunk into her stomach. Her breathing grew shallow.

"Hear my tale. This is how Spider-Man's life..." Twilight said, pausing to steady her heartbeat. "...will end."


Steam filled the entire room, and the temperature continued to rise. Only two ponies were in the room, but they seemed quite comfortable with the atmosphere. Fluttershy rested on her stomach over the long seat with her wings stretched out, allowing every pore in her body to open. She peeked to the side, finding Peter just a few feet across from her on his back with a grin on his face.

"How are you feeling, Peter?" she asked, her drenched mane obscuring her vision slightly.

Peter stretched his limbs overhead. "Sweaty but never better."

It felt as if every bit of his troubles were melting away. While his healing ability helped him recover from all of his physical endeavors, it couldn't take away the pent up mental stress of the endless heroics along with everything else he juggled. For the first time in ages, Peter was not thinking about Spider-Man (or Spider-Manein this sense), what school assignments he may or may not have forgotten, how far behind on rent he was, what new degrading word the Bugle labeled him as, or how will he find a way to screw up in Equestria.

"You know, Fluttershy," he said, softly breaking the silence in the room. The yellow mare murmured gently, signaling to Peter he indeed had her attention. "At first I wasn't too sure, but I think I'm starting to like this."

Her drenched mane stuck to her face, forcing Fluttershy to brush the majority of it behind her ear. "I just knew you'd love the spa. I'll talk to Rarity and make sure you come with us from now on," she said, turning her head to face Peter, whose gaze was fixed on the ceiling.

"I wasn't talking about the spa," he bluntly replied, shaking his head. Hurt filled Fluttershy's eyes, but once soft laughter escaped from the colt and echoed against the walls of the wooden room, they softened back to content. "I would like that though. The masseuse's hooves were made of heaven. You really think it'd be okay if I tagged along with you and Rarity from now on?" His mind sighed, remembering the mare's touch well."Seriously, I didn't think massages were physically possible without- you know- fingers."

"I think Rarity will be okay with it. At least,I'mokay with it," she droned off, looking away in embarrassment.

Her eyes shifted back, awaiting a look of disapproval on Peter's face, but instead, she found a warm smile underneath his half-closed eyes.

"Yeah, I'm definitely liking this," he said before closing his eyes completely, unaware Fluttershy's body temperature was a bit higher for some reason.


The book remained open, but its final pages had been read. Twilight sat with her hoof on the pedestal, clinging to it for support. She had been in this position for several moments, quite evident by the puddle of tears on the floor by her other hoof. Her head ached, not only from her prolific crying, but mostly from her mind having to absorb so much information at once. Peter, the greatest hero, was to meet with a premature end at the hands of a group called the Sinister Six.

Twilight tried to settle her nerves, but her heart continued to ache, numbing the rest of her body to a severe degree. Instead of finding happiness, despite all of his sacrifices and personal drama, Peter was destined to die a lonely death. To make matters more unnerving, it was supposed to take place two months from now. Peter, the goofy idiot, that had become an ideal friend of hers in his short time in Equestria, was going to die if he went back home.

It was surreal. Everypony finds happiness in their life, but Peter was destined to be the exception despite deserving nothing short of the best for everything's he given.

Not prepared to accept the words written out to her, Twilight forced herself from the ground and used her hoof to wipe away any remaining tears from her stained cheeks. Propping herself against the pedestal, the unicorn stared at the book for what seemed like an eternity, but as if it heard her silent pleas for an answer, a new passage formed on the page. However, unlike the time before, the magical energy around the book was dim, a sign the new spell was weakening, and to confirm her fear, the new passage as well as the rest of Peter's life story began to fade away.

Twilight cried out, using her magic to keep the spell alive, but a surge ignited, causing her horn to short out. Time was a factor, and she knew there was nothing that could have been done to stop the disappearance. Forcing the lump in her throat down, Twilight followed along with the final passage.

"Probably now, my tale is coming to an end. If you are still with me, I thank you. Spider-Man is destined to do great things. It is not supposed to be here however. With a new life comes new challenges, and I know he will persevere. Please, give him the second chance he deserves."

The book itself began to disappear, forcing Twilight to squint her eyes to read the see through words.

"Should Peter find out about this, tell him... Madame Web will be..."

"...watching," Twilight finished before her hoof fell through the spot the book used to be. The book transformed into sparkles before they scattered across the room.

For better or for worse, the book used to summon Peter was now gone, as was any chance of him returning home. So much had happened, and Twilight was the only witness to what had transpired. She wanted to tell some pony, but her heart screamed for an ounce of decency, knowing it was wrong to reveal such personal demons without permission. Peter was the first choice, since he was the center piece, but Twilight's stomach curled into a knot.

There was a good chance Peter would hate her for her intrusion of privacy and destroying his only way home. Her tears returned, pouring from her eyes like water would from a fountain. Twilight's sobs filled the room as she curled on to the floor and pulled her tail up, allowing the mare to bury her face within the silky cushion.

She wasn't Peter's friend. She was his worst enemy.

However, she could not cry for long. A hoof brushed her mane back and rested it behind her ear, bringing Twilight's teary gaze to meet a concerned Peter.

"Are you okay, Twilight? What happened?" he said, his voice filled with concern.

The mare tried to force herself up, but her strength had abandoned her, causing her to fall face first into Peter's chest. She pressed her hooves against his chest, trying her hardest to push herself away, but her emotions were too distraught. Once Peter's hoof fell on her shoulder awkwardly and slowly pulled the mare into an embrace, Twilight began to sob uncontrollably, burying her face into her friend's coat.

"I don't know what happened, but I'm here for you," Peter whispered, causing Twilight to pause for a moment. He smiled. "Because we're friends, right?"

Her sobs returned, stronger than before, and in the midst of it all, Twilight could only bring herself to say one thing repeatedly until her voice gave away.

"I'm sorry, Peter. I'm so... so... sorry."

Author's Note:

So much crying. Tis only the start! :pinkiecrazy:

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