TS&F: S1, Ep4: The Mark of a Spider

The Mark of a Spider

"Ah don't think Ah can say how excited we really are tah have yah over, Cuz!"

"Yeah, no kidding! I mean, sure you live all the way in Manehatten, but that just makes us want to see you even more!"

"I guess the farther away your friends are," said Sweetie Belle, after Applebloom and Scootaloo spoke, "The closer you want them to be, and the more time you want to spend with them."

"Thanks a lot, Crusaduhs," Babs Seed nodded with a short, and simple grin. She offered her time and energy to assist her friends in carrying posters and chairs, along with a few odds and ends to be arranged in the fillies' new clubhouse. "I kinda know the feelin'. An' after gettin' your letter 'bout your Cutie Mahks, I'd been dyin' to see you three even more, an' see them for myself." After catching another momentary glimpse of the three shields of red, lavender and purple, with icons befitting each filly at the center, she added, "Glad tah see the 'riginal founders still in business, too."

"That doesn't mean you can't be, too, you know," stated the orange Pegasus, "I mean, sure, I thought it was the case after you got yours. But then Applebloom reminded me how you're still helping foals out at the Manehatten branch."

"And when we finally realized what the true purpose of a Crusader is," the white Unicorn continued, "We realized you kind of been doing that already, too." The three little foals were nearly complete with their decorations, when the yellow Earth Pony said, "So, it don't really matter if yur Mark matches ours, or not. Whenever yur off helpin' somepony findin' their purpose in life, that's you bein' a Crusader."

"Yeah," the tan Earth Pony filly smirked. She puffed her magenta, crimson banes from her field of vision, after putting down the table with the three. Her green eyes then shifted towards the pair of scissors on her own flank. "After gettin' mine, I thought it felt really weird tuh be in chahge of somethin' meant for others who don't have their own yet. So, I sort of gave that job to anothuh, while still hangin' around at the meetins. Yuh know, give ponies some advice if they wanted it."

"Which is why we decided to give you something," Scoots grinned, failing to conceal the gleam in her deep violet eyes, "Something for you, and the Manehatten branch."

"Somethin' to help y'all remember what we're all about," added Applebloom, whose own orange, yellow irises glittered with excitement. Sweetie's own teal eyes were no different, when she levitated a case that had been kept behind the podium she and the others brought in. She stated, "Something we came up with, after we decided to expand our membership to others, even those that aren't ponies who can't get a Cutie Mark."

Before she could inquire the meaning of that final point, the little filly witnessed the brown case being opened to reveal the contents inside. Her muzzle was slightly agape in moderate surprise, as she views two objects shaped as shields, colors matching the Marks of the Crusaders. One was the clip for a cloak, with a scissors icon within a purple field shaped like a seed. The second was considerably larger, having a purple circle with the silhouette of skyscrapers within.

"That one's fur yur cape," beamed her cousin, pointing at the first, "You can pin it when yah got it wrapped 'round yah!"

"And the next one," continued the young Pegasus, "is for the Manehatten branch!"

"To hang on the wall at your own clubhouse," the Unicorn filly exclaimed, as all three smiled widely, awaiting the response from the little Earth Pony. Babs blankly looked on, not anticipating such an outstanding gift in any way, shape or form. They all watch her, somewhat concerned and perplexed when all the Crusaders seemed to find in her reaction nothing close to what they were expecting themselves. She then offered a grin and wide eyes with eager enthusiasm, as she ran up to hug each, and every one of her Crusader friends. "Thanks Crusaduhs! It's the best present I eveh got!"

Once she had completed her grateful embrace with them, Babs Seed then added, "Maybe we can give these sort of things out to othehs when they get their Cutie Mahks too."

"Ugh," huffed Scoots, slapping a hoof to her head, "Why didn't we think of that?"

"Ah guess so much stuff's been goin' on," lowered Applebloom's head, "we just ran plumb dry of ideas."

"That," added Sweetie, "And we haven't had our thinking spot for nearly a moon." "Oh, yeah."

"Thanks for bringin' that up, Cuz." The two Earth Pony cousins share a warm smile as Babs responded, "Don't mention it."

"Before we forget, let's go do that real qui-" Before Scootaloo could even complete her statement and begin her task, each and every one of the fillies felt an even greater force pressed against them. Spontaneously, they heard the squeal from a voice directly above them, as its source began to squeeze the four foals even more tightly. "Oh, my gosh! This is amazing! This is incredible! I am so excited! The Cutie Mark Crusaders are all back together! Woo-hoo!"

"Whoa," gasped the tan filly, as she felt the air forcefully rushed out of her, alongside her friends. She looked up to see the face of a massive bird, with teal, blue eyes, feather patterns and golden beak resembling that of an owl. Upon looking down to find the limbs wrapped around the four young ones, Babs realized they were talons, as those from a great eagle.

"Uh, Crusaduhs," she grunted under her breath, "Are we bein' pulverized…by a Griffon?"

"Hey, Gabby," wheezed Applebloom.

"It's great to…see you too," grunted Sweetie.

"Can't…breathe," Scoots gasped. Suddenly, the towering creature released them from her embracing clutches, as she placed her clawed ligaments up to her beak, as though to contain whatever further outburst of jubilation that still remained inside. "Sorry, everypony. I just can't help myself, right now. This is the very first, ever, Cutie Mark Crusader Meeting from all places, in history! I just couldn't wait to see my friends again, and meet new faces at the same time. Everything is just, so amazing, right now! Woo-hoo!"

The glee and exuberance so happily expressed hardly seemed sufficient for the Griffon hen, for she then darted out of the doorway of the rebuilt hut, and soared, dove, twisted and flipped throughout a vast vicinity of the air above, cheering and hollering most ecstatically.

"Babs," huffed Applebloom to her cousin, as they all stepped outside to view the spectacle, "Ah'd like yah to meet our new friend, and newest member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders." As soon she completed her statement, she spotted the blurring motion from above stop so sharply before the fillies, and more specifically Babs. "Gabriella! But you can call me Gabby, for short! You must be Babs Seed! Applebloom told me so, so, sooo much about her cousin when she wrote to me about having this meeting! Oh, this is so exciting, I don't think I can take it much longer! I'm so glad to actually meet you!"

Dumbstruck is the only word appropriate to describe the blank, stammering expression that emanated from the little Earth Pony's countenance, as Gabby the Griffon erratically shook both her forelegs with great speed and constancy. Such a greeting from anypony, with the exception of Pinkie Pie, could never possibly be so gleefully done as by Gabby. "It's, um, nice tuh meetch'uh too, eh, Gabby."

Such a warm, exceedingly kind-hearted greeting from usually an intimidating creature would be enough to startle anypony. But seeing the reciprocated smiles and chuckles among the Crusaders, when they viewed her reaction, told Babs this was another part of the surprise that they were referring to in their letter. "You've made friends with a Griffon, and got'er tuh join the Crusaduhs!? How'dyuh even do that?"

"Oh," gasped the hovering lion bird, "That is such an amazing, super, exciting story! I can't wait to share it with you!"

"We can't wait to tell you all about it either, Babs," Sweetie said, stepping between the Griffon and Earth Pony filly, "But first, we have to wait for somepony else to get here also."

"Oh," shakily wavered the excited Griffon, "Another new face to meet. How awesome is this day going to be?!"

"Is there anothuh new member comin' here," Babs Seed asked, with a tilted brow, "Who is it? What's the foal like?"

"He ain't a foal," her cousin replied, "And he ain't no Crusader, neither. He's not even from these parts."

"He's a visitor from another world," Scoots exclaimed, "At least, that's what Princess Celestia told everypony."

"And he's also one of the ponies who saved us from the wildfire," added the filly Unicorn, "The one that burned down our old clubhouse, while we were trapped inside."

"Wait a sec," sharply stated Applebloom's cousin, "You tellin' me that…the Spiduh guy, the one that the whole city, and the whole world talked about help savin' Equestria from the Changelins a moon ago, is right here in Ponyville?"

"And not just in Ponyville, Cuz." The yellow Earth Pony wrapped her hoof around Babs, "He's been livin' here, workin' different jobs, helpin' other ponies whenever he can."

"Which is, pretty much, like," Scootaloo remarked, "all the time."

"Oh, wow! He sounds so much like me," spoke Gabby in kind, "I can't wait!"

"An' he's comin' here, too? Tuh see us?"

"Yes," beamed Sweetie Belle, "We're finally getting him to come over and hang out with us, so we can thank him ourselves. We also knew how much you two should be a part of it."

"We're planning on thanking him, and have a little party for him together," the orange Pegasus said, "Like a nice, big, Crusader family!"

"Oh, all this talk about heroes, and parties, and families is just making me even more excited than ever! I just can't take this any longer!" Gabby's pure delight of the upcoming festivities was impossible to brush aside. "Where is he? Is he on his way? Oh, when will he get here?"

"I'm guessing this is where I come in, right?" Hanging onto a thin, white line from the rooftop, beside the four foals and Griffon was the arachnid Unicorn, in his signature, upside down position. They noted the blue sunglasses that he wore, along with the red snow cap that was covering his mane, and blue cloth wrapped around his tail. The beige stallion idly held on to the adhesive, as the fillies gasped and gawked upon viewing him up close, once again.

"Hey, everypony," smiled Spider Bite in a chipper, upbeat manner, "Sorry I'm late. Guess I kind of got lost-oof!" At first Babs, Sweetie, Scoots and Applebloom were startled by the swift, blurry disappearance of both Spidey and Gabby. They quickly rushed to the rail, from where he previously hung over, and observed the hovering, ecstatic Griffon tightly hugging him. They could all see his struggle to break free. In fact, it seemed he was about to, but then decided against it, lowering his back legs from kicking off from her in response.

"Woo-hoo," squealed Gabby, spinning herself and her embraced captive with great velocity, "This is so amazing! I can't believe it! I get to make two new friends while meeting with my Crusader friends, all on the same day! Isn't this so exciting?!"

"Look, lady…I don't know how you do things where you're from…but around here-nguh…I think it's the guy who asks for a dance…when the music starts. But I-guh…I'm no expert." After being released in midair, the web-slinger landed soundly on all fours, watching the Griffon take off, soar, then hover downward in exclamation and merriment. She then took his front legs by both talons, saying, "Hi! My name's Gabby! Short for Gabriella! I'm so happy to meet you! What's your name?"

"Hey, Gabby," he panted in reply, "Nice to meet you, too. Spider Bite, I think. Just give me a second to let the blood flow back to my head."

"Oh-ho-ho, you're so funny," she beams after waving a talon in cheery dismissal, "You must be one of those ponies who can crack a joke from anything that's been said to them."

"You mean improvisational comedians," he asked, then shrugged, "I guess so. But I think that's mostly Pinkie's department around here. Though she did say I've got a way of making ponies smile whenever I deliver stuff for the Cakes. Can't imagine why. Must be my infectious charisma."

"Ha-ha! Good one. And wowzers," she then examined his entire frame thoroughly, and stated in acknowledgement, "You must've taken a really big bruiser from the Changelings to get all of those!"

"Oh," he looked down unto his scarred hide himself, replying, "Actually, it wasn't all that bad. These just have been accumulating overtime. Finally decided to take off my hoody a couple days ago. Ironic, considering that it's almost Fall."

The four fillies joined the Unicorn stallion and Griffon on the ground, hearing this conversation unfold, while the three founding Crusaders themselves got to view his scarred figure up close as well. Even the more sparsely few found on his legs became more defined and readily visible without his hooded sweater. However, that did not deter them from listening to the two grown-ups carrying on with their friendly chit-chat. "But I guess this coat is good enough for insulation. And oh, so breathable during the hot, summer days."

"So tell me, Spider Bite," Gabby passionately spoke further, "What do you do, besides saving the day with Princess Twilight and the others?"

"Not much, really," shrugged the Unicorn, "Just finding loose-end jobs to do for somepony, here and there."

"Wow! That is so, so much like me!"

"Yeah, well, I just took up some part-time work at Sweet Apple Acres, Cakes' Bakery, strictly deliveries there, mind you. And I even spend some time helping Rarity with loading and hauling packed materials, along with giving Fluttershy and her animals a hoof."

"You're good with animals, too," gasped the Griffon.

"Not exactly, but way better at helping out than I originally thought. I mean, I fought baddies ranging from vultures, to rhinos, to lions, and lizards and jackals. Oh, my. You'd think I wouldn't give off such a calming presence for Fluttershy's cohabitants. But I guess keeping myself relaxed until my senses warn me of any danger was a good habit I gradually perfected over the years."

"Don't you have other things to do, like hobbies, or something?"

"Well, sort of. I kind of took an interest in photography lately, and I've been taking these odds and ends jobs to save up on bits for a good-quality camera. Plus I'm pretty good with a beaker and…Brisket burner, I think they're called here?"

"Don't y'all recon we should ask 'em to come into the clubhouse with us?" Applebloom lightly whispered to her fellow Crusaders, as Gabby and Spidey continued with this line of small talk.

"Later," responded Scootaloo in kind, "First, I want to see how long he can keep this up."

"I haven't seen anypony get more than two short sentences with her, until now," added Sweetie.

"He's a Manehattenuh," smirked Babs Seed, "It's in his blood. Like my Mothuh's always sayin'."

"What about sports, gymnastics, swimming, kite flying? Those kind of things! Don't you do anything like those? Huh? Huh?"

"Web-swinging. But that's been limited lately, due to a total lack of skyscrapers. I mainly use the high branches in the Everfree, when I'm out for a trot...or swing. Guess it wouldn't hurt to pick up something else to pass the time, once in a while."

"Actually," her yellow cousin decided to join in the conversation, "Since we're all here, maybe we can help yah find a nice hobby for yah tah do."

"Oh," perked up Gabby, "I think I also want to know where you get webs to swing around!"

"Well, how about this," Spidey said, "You little rascals get me a list of what you've got to do here in Ponyville, while I teach you all how to make your own spider web. We can use the lab in the castle, and everything. How does that sound for a plan?"

"Alright!" "Sounds awesome!" "Sure." "Woo-hoo!"

"But first," Sweetie Belle exclaimed over the cheers and hoots from Gabby, and the other fillies, then slightly murmured, "How about some cake that I made with Rarity for the party here? You know, for our official thanks to you, for saving us? I mean, I know you kind of been thanked by our sisters, and friends, and everypony else, and in a lot of different ways. Rarity's even working on something for you, still. But…how about one, last little bit of thanks from us?" The Unicorn filly's teal orbs enlarged with a wavering plea for an affirmative reply from the wall-crawling hero, and a chance to let him try her desert she worked so diligently to bake, with her sister's help. It was evident that the three other youths were sharing a similar sentiment themselves. Seeing the small grin from Spider Bite's muzzle, along with Gabby's continually excited glee and soar into the air, the little fillies felt more enthused about what will happen next.

"I can definitely do with a good slice right about now," the beige stallion said, "And I'm sure Gabby gave us her own answer." They all gleamed with delight at his response, glad to begin eating some well-deserved festive treats, after their industrious efforts in setting up their restored clubhouse. With such great enthusiasm, the four foals gallop back up the ramp and inside, with the hen Griffon diving directly into the hut, and the stallion Unicorn leaping behind them.

The sheer joy and merriment was not strictly expressed by Gabby, for the Cutie Mark Crusaders rushed wildly towards the table, each wanting to serve a piece of cake to their guests, competing for the ultimate service to their visitors. Fortunately, as the three fillies shoved and bumped against one another to bring a slice over, they turned around to realize Babs Seed, Gabriella and Spider Bite standing by, each quietly waiting in their respective demeanors, be they coolly steady, hyper-intense and sweetly patient. The foals whicker slightly among themselves at how ridiculous they were acting, then moved forward. Applebloom took a piece to her cousin, while Scoots brought one to Gabby, and Sweetie gave a slice to Spidey.

As the Crusaders offered refreshments also, they began to speak about many things, nearly all at once. Applebloom and Babs shared their stories with the Griffon, the two showing their recently received Crusader pins to one another. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo took the beige Unicorn to inspect their chart, once used to consider what skills and talents they could all attempt in discovering their Marks. He examined each one carefully, noting a few he recognized from his own world. "Wow. I can't believe you ponies actually have baseball here."

"You like baseball," the orange Pegasus asked, with an even brighter glint of enthusiasm.

"Well, where I'm from, baseball's the definitive pastime. In fact, that frame-up shield's logo you got reminds me of a team I root for sometimes."

"Oh, yeah," the tan Earth Pony remarked to her cousin, as they overheard, "Manehattenuh, at heart."

"But I only played for a summer, in little league. Guess I was way too scrawny for even that."

"Yeah," puffed Scoots, as she looked back towards her inadequate means of flight, "Kind of know what that's like."

"But, hey," he shrugged, catching her slightly dampened spirit, "At least you know you still got a ways to go. And grow."

"Heh," she chuckled in response, "You sounded just like Zecora, there."

"I keep saying," Spidey playfully shook his head in mock annoyance, "how that's contagious around here."