Spiders and Magic (Alternate Rise and Fall of Spider-Mane)

Learning To Walk

It was like reliving a nightmare.

There she was, falling towards the river, a strand of webbing nearing her foot. The world slowing down as it closed in.

All Spider Man could do was look on and pray it would catch her. He got his wish.

The resounding ‘snap’ made him wish he didn't.

Spider Man was then holding Gwen's lifeless body, anger building deep within him. A cry of anguish then escaped from the hero as the world began to fade…

***

Peter awoke screaming. Sweat streaming down his face, and his breathing ragged. He then remembered the Nightmare - a day he wished he didn't have to relive.

That was so real… I must've taken a lot more punishment than I thought. Then again, probably just a fever dream. A quick jog and some milk and I'll be OK.

Giving his body a quick stretch, Peter realised that there were still aches and pains in numerous areas. For a second, Peter was confused, wondering why he was injured. He then remembered last night.

Oh yeah, I got my butt handed to me. I also slightly recall talking pastel coloured ponies. I would say I'm going mad, but from the feel of things, half my body is covered in bandages and casts. So yeah, I met talking ponies, I fought a dragon and it whooped me. Great. What could be worse?

Scanning his surroundings, the young hero noticed that he was in some kind of bedroom. However he reckoned it couldn't possibly be a bedroom - it was several sizes too big to be one. So he was either in this world's nicest hospital, or he was in the house of some with “Loadsa money”.

I'd like to meet whoever owns this place. Ask who their interior designer is… geez, it's hot in here. Someday I'll have to make this costume with some ventilation someday.

Peter then raised his hand, ready to remove his mask in order to hopefully cool himself down… Suddenly realising that his hand seemed to feel a little weird. Quickly, he brought his ‘hand’ into his field of vision, noticing he now appeared to have a stump. No, not a stump but a…

Hoof? I have hooves?! Please tell me I'm still dreaming!

Without so much as a second thought, Peter jumped from the bed, forgetting for a split second that he had superhuman strength. This caused him to rocket straight into the ceiling, leaving a hole going straight through.

The commotion caught the attention of Twilight and her friends, all of whom were waiting outside his room. However, they all became confused when they noticed the lack of Spider Man anywhere. Twilight wondered how he could have left the room in his condition.

“Spider Man? Where are you?”

Suddenly, a grumbling noise coming from above the girls turned their attention to the ceiling, and the hole that a certain masked hero had made. The mumbles were then followed by a weak reply.

“I'm up here… give me a second to regroup my sanity. I'm starting to think I'm a pony - I'm even seeing hooves instead of hands!”

From his position in the ceiling, Spider Man was able to see down into the room. He recognised pretty much everyone present, except for a pink mare with poofy pink hair and a mane to match. Before he could get a better read on her though, she appeared right in front of his face, somehow managing to jump 12 feet into air without any plausible means.

“Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name?!”

Spider Man could tell from how she spoke that Pinkie Pie seemed incredibly hyper, like someone who's been on too much sugar.

“Uh...I'm Spider Man. Nice to meet you Pinkie Pie. Now if you would kindly give me some space, I'm gonna get myself down from here”.

The pink mare beamed in response, as if happy was her default setting. “Okie Dokie Lokie!”

Once Pinkie had moved, Spider Man tried to orchestrate a way in which to get down, without taking the ceiling with him. “This would be so much easier if I had hands… hands I should still have! I can't have gone that mad!”

Rarity chimed in, confused to why Spider Man believed he was going crazy. “My dear fellow, unless the rest of us are losing our minds, you are indeed a pony”.

The conformation that what was happening was true instead of an illusion or dream caused Spider Man to force himself down from the ceiling, bringing down most of it on the 6 mares in the room.

“So… I'm not dreaming? OK. .. well then I have several questions. First off - Why I'm the heck am I a pony?!”

The sudden outburst caused the mares to reel back. However, they were quick to regain composure - Spider Man had been through alot in the last couple of hours. Twilight walked over and placed her hoof on the costumed stallions shoulder, hoping it would calm him slightly.

“We're not entirely sure why, but it would seem that the magical energies of Equestria are having some kind of effect on your physiology. That same magic transformed you into a pony to be better accustomed to the world around you”.

Underneath his mask, Peter's eyes narrowed, with a look of frustration setting in. He couldn't believe that not only had he been beaten, but now he had to deal with an entirely new body. Speaking of being beaten -

“What happened back in… Ponyville, was it?”

“The entire town is a mess. It'll take days for everything to be rebuilt. Fortunately there were no casualties thanks to you. But there's been no sign of the dragon since then”.

Spider Man snorted at that. He wasn't too particularly happy about losing to it. Then again - losing wasn't in his nature at all.

“Well I hope he's up for a rematch when he comes back… if he comes back”. Spider Man's outlandish statement made the mares worry. It was only a few hours ago that the stallion had almost been killed, and now he was in the mood for a round 2.

Rarity was the first to question Spider Man's logic. “How could you possibly want to fight that foul creature again? You barely survived the first time!” The other 5 mares nodded in agreement of Rarity’s statement, but it didn't seem to phase Spider Man one bit.

“Well of course I want to fight him again! I didn't get the chance to properly test myself against him - my power just decided to cut off. Must be due to the magic here playing red light and green light.” Saying that, Spider Man shot a quick glance at Twilight - it was because of her that he was here. But for some reason he couldn't stay mad. As a matter of fact he didn't stay the least bit frustrated after a few seconds. There wasn't much point really. Twilight had summoned him to help - helping any living being in need was his job.

“Hang on a second, I just remembered, that dragon wasn't acting independently. It was sent to your village by its master to - and I quote - Destruction and Chaos. Any idea who or what would plan such a thing?”

The six mares in the room perked their ears as soon as the word ‘Chaos’ was uttered, giving Spider Man and indication that they had some idea of who was responsible. Twilight seemed the most in disbelief. “It can't be him, can it?”

“We can only assume, my faithful student”.

The new voice garnered the attention of everyone in the room, for some reason signalling the mares to bow. Wondering who this new individual was, Spider Man turned around… and then up. Standing before him was another pony. But this one had to be three times as tall, and not only sporting a horn but a pair of wings as well. Her mane didn't seem like a normal mane, but instead flowed like water that streamed from her head. Same with her tail. Her coat was snow white, perhaps whiter than Raritys.

“Greetings, Outworlder. I am Princess Celestia, Ruler and Protector of Equestria”.

Spider Man would have responded, if not for the fact that he felt slightly intimidated by the Princess - something about her aura just screamed ‘Powerful Being’, and the young stallion had learned to be wary of anyone who gave off that kind of vibe. But for now, Spider Man would be civil, bowing the same way as the mares behind him did.

“Hello, your Highness. My name is Spider Man. I guess it goes without saying that I'm the one who… I guess, stopped the dragon”.

Celestia returned the hero's courtesy with a smile. “And I thank you deeply, Spider Man. Who knows what the extent of the damage could have been if my student had not summoned you to her home”.

A smile appeared behind the heroes mask - a job well done always made him feel good. Knowing that people (or in this case ponies) were kept safe was always a thing that Spider Man strived towards. Then again he couldn't always do that, as past events had shown. However, Spider Man then noticed that Celestia's smile had become a serious frown.

“Now, I have a request - could you possibly tell us your real name? I'm sure that the costume and title are covers for your true identity”.

This caused the stallion to have a chill run down his spine. Back home his identity was kept safe for a reason - should any of his enemies find out who he really was, his loved ones would be in serious danger. Himself not so much. Spider Man had traded blows with some of the strongest beings in his universe. Heck two of the strongest heroes back on Earth were his teachers.

“Ummmm, I’m not so sure about that your Highness. I kinda like to keep my mug hidden. I'd rather not have everyone know who I am. It kinda comes with the whole superhero package. It allows me to have some degree of a personal life”. The mares, including the Princess, all raised an eyebrow. Was keeping his face a secret all that big of a deal?

“I understand that back on your home world, keeping your true identity a secret is essential. But you have no enemies in Equestria, and as of present, you may wish to get comfortable here. You may not be able to return home for some time”.

This confused Spider Man. Why would he be stuck here… as a pony?

“Whoa, woah, woah! Hold on a second! Would you care to explain why I'd be stuck here?”

Twilight closed the distance between herself and the stallion, a look of guilt on her face. “I'm sorry to say this, but it's not so easy to return someone or something from a completely different reality. Magic is commonplace here in Equestria, so it's pretty simple to wield and manipulate it.

“But reversing a spell like this one is a one in a million chance, considering the size of the multiverse”.

The news slowly dawned on Spider Man - he was stuck here, and chances of getting home were slim. What were the implications of that? First off, how long before people started to notice he was gone? And when that happens, what will the consequences be?

Spider Man was responsible for keeping so many super criminals in check - Electro, Kraven, Kingpin, Rhino. And it wasn't just the super criminals - What about the really big bads that took multiple teams to battle. The likes of Darkseid, Thanos, Doomsday (god forbid). He would be unable to assist.

But there were other things to consider. One: the scale of powerful heroes; Spider Man was relatively in the middle. There were much stronger heroes than him, all capable of defending Earth better than he could. Perhaps just one less hero wouldn't be that big of a loss. Not only that, there were very few people left in New York that cared about him - the entire city hated him, and in the eyes of the other heroes, he was somewhat of a pariah.

“Well, I guess I can't be that mad. You brought me here to help save your town. I can't be too ticked off. Still, if there is a chance of me getting home, I humbly ask that you find it. As nice as you girls have been, I'm somewhat needed back home. Also I'm pretty sure I have college fees to pay”.

Celestia nodded, confirming that she would take Spider Man's request into consideration.

“Twilight and I will do what we can to get you home. I ask in return that until you can be sent back, you offer your services to help safeguard Equestria. Should we be facing the threat myself and Twilight think we are facing, your help would be greatly appreciated”.

Spider Man paused to consider. If his responsibilities were now in Equestria, it was his duty to live up to them. And if his identity didn't mean much here, and the only ones to know where these six mares and a Princess, he didn't see it as a big deal to keep it secret. However, the less people that knew, the better.

“Alright,  I'll tell you all my real name. But only under one condition. I ask that it still be kept between everyone in this room. Y’know, so I can at least have some privacy”.

The six mares all nodded, with the orange mare, Applejack was her name if Spider Man remembered correctly, stepping forward.

“Listen, sugarcube, considering all you've done for us in the past couple of hours, ah reckon everypony ‘ere has a right to keep your secret safe”.

Reluctantly, Spider Man began to remove his tattered costume, that had not only been damaged from the fight with the dragon, but had several holes and tears thanks to his new pony form. Taking it off became a struggle at a point, so Spider Man merely decided to just tear off what was left of his suit. Underneath, his new pony body was finally visible, with only his eyes and hair colour staying the same. The only changes were a cream coloured coat, and what seemed to be a horn standing out from his forehead.

“Huh, well look at that. Guess I ended up a unicorn. Wait, does that mean I can use magic now? Somehow I think that would be really handy to have”.

Twilight’s face suddenly glowed with a smile. “If you'd like to I can teach you some spells and how to control your magic. It's honestly pretty simple”.

Celestia cut into the conversation. “Well, now that we have seen your face, do you have a name to go with it?”

Upon realising his attention had been diverted, the now unmasked Spider Man cleared his throat ready to announce his name. “Well, my real name is Peter Parker… and I'm feeling mildly uncomfortable right now. Do ponies usually go around naked?”

Rarity gave a bemused look as she answered. “Yes, we ponies normally do our daily routine without clothing, but if you ask me it's a little undignified”.

Rarity then started to somewhat analyse the now naked Peter. “Hmm, underneath that tacky outfit, there does seem to be a rather handsome stallion”.

Even though he was clearly complimented on his new look, the only thing that registered with Peter was the insult to his costume.

“Why does everyone feel the need to hate on my suit? it's a classic. I put a lot of effort into it”.

Rarity gave Peter a judgemental look, not at all believing the stallions comments about his costume. “If you say so, darling. But to some of us it's an ungodly creation”.

The look on Peter's face gave off the distinction of being slapped, just minus the physical part of it.

"I… I have no comment".

But it seemed that Celestia was concerned with something else, as she seemed to be scanning over Peter's body, seemly looking for something. “Peter, it would seem that you lack a cutie mark. A most intriguing thing indeed”.

“A what mark? I just thought you were trying to figure out how such a scrawny guy like me can be so strong...well aside from biology being my best friend”.

The statement from Celestia caught the attention of the other mares in the room. And they were just as surprised and confused. But not as confused as Peter once everyone began looking at his rear end.

“Ah, girls, I know I've got quite the nice rump, but can you all NOT stare at it?! At least buy me dinner first”.

Twilight noted Peter's confusion and filled him in on the concept of cutie marks. “Stop being over -dramatic. We're just wondering why you have no cutie mark, as it is an essential part of a pony's life. It's what symbolises a pony's calling or special talent, and you seem to lack one”.

With that, Twilight turned around and pointed to her own flank with a hoof. This allowed Peter to see what she meant. On her flank was a large Purple star, surrounded by several smaller stars.

Looking over to the other mares, Peter also noticed their cutie marks. A rainbow lightning bolt on Rainbow Dash, a set of Apples on Applejack (seemed quite generic), a set of gems on Rarity, a set of butterflies on Fluttershy and finally a set of balloons on Pinkie Pie.

This got Peter curious. Did the Princess have one to? Taking a quick glance (not wanting to be caught staring at royaltys butt), he saw what appeared to be the sun on her flank.

“So, a cutie mark is an essential thing here in Equestria? So why don't I have one?” Peter asked as he looked to Princess Celestia for an answer - but from the look on her face she didn't have one. But she tried to give some explanation.

“I'm not particularly sure. A pony receives their cutie mark after discovering their true potential. It is possible that your cutie mark will not appear until you discover your calling in life - whatever that may be”.

So in order to properly fit into Equestria, Peter would have to discover his ‘true calling’ as it were. He noticed however that Celestia didn't seem to be done.

“I'm also sorry to say, that without your cutie mark to keep your abilities tethered to you, at some point you may lose them entirely”. The blood in Peter's face drained - he was losing his powers? That would explain last night when his Kaio Ken failed.

The question was how long would it take? Days? Weeks? Before or after the dragon made his promised return? Could Peter make it home by then, or would he return completely powerless?

Now that this was out of the way, Peter brought back the question from earlier. “So, who is this supposed master that the dragon mentioned, and why do you guys not seem too hunky dory about who it may be?”

Twilight and Celestia looked at each other, both somehow understanding that their hunch could wait a day or two, as everyone, especially Peter, had been through enough as of late.

“That can wait. There is much to be done back in Ponyville before we can plan our next step. And you deserve some rest in my opinion after what happened last night”.

Peter just shrugged. As long as he was ready to face that dragon again, he was happy. And next time he would be at full strength.

Celestia felt that she had taken enough of Peter's time, and decided to address the girls regarding matters back home. “I have ordered several dozen builders to head to Ponyville to assist with reconstruction. They should have much of the work done within a week. Rarity, Pinkie. You should both be able to return home very soon”.

This news pleased the two mares. Pinkie hopped on the spot while Rarity gave Celestia a quick bow. “Thank you so much, Princess. I guess I'll have to make arrangements for accommodation for myself and Sweetie Belle. Applejack, can my sister perchance stay at yours a while longer”.

The farm pony gave a nod. “Of course she can! I know Applebloom would appreciate the company, and we never turn down a friend in need”.

The news caused Rarity to give Applejack a bone crunching hug.

This caused Peter to wonder what his staying arrangement would be… he didn't exactly own a house here. “ So… where am I staying?”

Hearing the concern from the stallion, Celestia approached him with a sly grin on her face. “Oh not to worry, Peter. Seeing as as it was Twilight who brought you into our world, it only seems right that she be the one to accommodate you. From now on until we can find you a way home, you shall be Twilight's roommate”.

Upon hearing this, both Twilight and Peter gave a resounding “WHAT!?”