Author's Note

Yeah, I'm sorry this one took so long. I got caught up with playing the Resident Evil remake.

Chapter XIII

[Kingston Manor - Kitchen - Xavier's POV.]

"It's still hard to get over the prestige of this estate." Rarity complements as I chuckle.

"Your words flatter me, Rarity. But Kingston Manor is not meant to grandstand. Yes, I realize it's more expensive than most others. However, it is merely a home at our income level."

"Speaking of income, how is it you made yours? Or has your matriarch paid for everything?"

"Well, grandmother made her fortune as a world-class horseback rider. With clever and intelligent investment into the stock market, her wealth grew. That's why May lives with us. I, on the other hand, found my talent in fashion. At the risk of self-validation, I did make the cover of an aspiring designer in 2024. That was only after two years."

"Really? Undoubtedly, it shows in what little I have seen of your work."

"Is that why you wanted to get me along? So we can talk about my work?"

Rarity shoots me a pleased smile. "Very wise, darling. Ponyville is a lovely hummel, but sadly, I am the only fashionista. Nopony shares my tastes in the finer things. But, more importantly, I want to help you."

"Help me?" I arch a brow and spread some of our ice creams for her selection. "In what regard?"

"I wish to offer you a job at my boutique. Given your unexpected relocation, I imagine you are hard-pressed to continue your career as a designer. Then there is the fact that you lost all your connections as well. I shudder to think about how I would handle it in your situation."

"So, you are offering me employment?"

"A partnership, darling. I believe we both know your skills far exceed those of entry-level. Together, you can start anew and bring about a new perspective in the fashion industry, reestablish lost connections, and shine like a glorious star."

I chuckled at her enthusiasm as she looked over the ice cream. "You have a lot of passion for this field of work. However, the fashion industry is rarely as kind. Several mitigating factors can hinder your vision."

"What do you mean?"

"One: I am a human. And if the human stigma carries beyond this village, I doubt anyone would want to purchase my wears. Two: Said stigma can severely hamper, if not disrupt, your business. I cannot in good conscience allow that to happen. Three: Disregarding my first two concerns, why would I continue your business if my design becomes a hit? For all you know, I could use you to gain clout."

Rarity paused and looked thoughtful. "You do make several good points. Now, allow me to alleviate those concerns. One: I don't know how your world operates, but our industry is much less cutthroat, as the term goes. New designers are often encouraged. Two: I am the bearer of generosity. My word does carry weight, and I can easily vouch for your work. Finally, because of my status, should you be as nefarious in that hypothetical situation, one word from me can ruin you." I genuinely hadn't considered that. Rarity didn't strike me as the vindictive type. I couldn't help but smirk as she went into the dramatics. "Oh, woe is me. I allow this dastardly human to use me and abuse my generosity. Oh! How could I be so foolish!"

"I see. Perhaps you can be as cutthroat as my world."

"Oh, think nothing of it, darling. I know you are not the sort to trot over others. You wouldn't have made Button Mash and his friends' clothing if you were, especially after they invaded your home. That tells me you care, and I consider myself an excellent judge of character."

My smile grew stronger as I sensed an opening. "Hmm, you could've fooled me with our first encounter. The consciences of humans back then were clear."

Rarity blushes as she stutters. "W-Wha - You - Oh, hush you. Now, I believe we have delayed enough. Do you accept my offer?"

Rarity holds out her hoof, which I gladly shake. "I accept. I look forward to working with you."

"Oh, it is my pleasure, darling. Now, could you tell me about these ice cream brands?"

"Certainly. We have Haagen-Diaz. Dreyers, Tillamook, Ben and Jerry's, Baskin Robbins, Magnum, Breyers, Talenti, and finally Blie Bunny."

"My, so many brands. Which is the best one?" Rarity takes a closer look at the ice cream sandwiches and ice pops. "And what are these?"

"Everyone has a preference. Haagen Diaz is often considered a premium brand. And there are still more than I can recount. Take these popsicles, for example. They are not as famous but still sell well among children."

"This one is a cute little face of something." Rarity said, holding a Sonic the Hedgehog ice cream.

"That is a popular character among humans as well. Corporations often turn characters like Sonic here into something that appeals to consumers. You might even see him in the showing today."

"Don't spoil me, darling. I'll take the strawberry haagen diaz craton. This sonic head. And a couple of these ice cream sandwiches." Rarity hands me a bag of bits as she unwraps an ice cream sandwich and takes a bite. "Oh, marvelous. Simply divine. It's a wonder why ponies haven't thought of this before now. I'm surprised Pinkie hasn't cleaned you out by now."

"Not from lack of trying on her part."

"Hmm, we should return now."

I nodded and led her back to the backyard. So far, this movie day idea is bearing fruit. I never thought I would be able to practice my craft again. Miss Rarity truly lives up to her element. Hopefully, today will continue to bring good fortune. Our walk was peaceful until we got back to the backyard. The scene before told me that my wishful thinking was largely misplaced. A group of rowdy foals are attempting to storm the snack table. However, Leonardo is barring their path while Grandmother talks with a stallion. I presume he is their guardian. I saw Pipsqueak hiding toward the back of the foals and frowned. Pipsqueak was in abysmal clothing again while holding a box. Behind them, I can see Niffty Piggybottom. He doesn't seem to be the root of this issue, but I doubt his presence here is something good. Rarity grew concerned as well while I waved her off. She rejoined her sister while I stood by my grandmother.

"Sir, as I have said, you and your foals can have snacks once you pay for admission." Grandmother said.

"Well, shouldn't there be a discount regarding foals? Every official theater allows such a policy."

"You read the flyer, sir. And I doubt any other theater would charge for such a low price to enter. Please pay the fee so that we can begin." I said politely.

"22 bits for my foals plus all these snacks will strain the orphanage's budget." The stallion huffs. "Austere runs an efficient guardianship that puts foals first. A shame that other creatures don't share that belief." Murmurs from the crowd started going off as we frowned.

"Hahahaha!!!" Angie's laughter suddenly caught everyone's attention. "Oh, this is too much. I never thought I would see a penny pincher here. And what a great line. Mister, 'I put foals first.' Seriously, you're good at preying on sympathy. It is unfair that everyone else had no issues paying a two-bit fee. Please don't assume it's our fault you have so many extras to help push your scam. But I can crap all over that lie using one of your foals. Yo, Pip."

"Y-Yes, madam," Pipsqueak said softly, looking timid with the attention on him.

"Stow the madam nonsense. What were you wearing when you came to work off your punishment?"

"Um, a bulter attire."

"Right, those ratty street urchins fit."

"How dare you! Look at my foals. There isn't a speck of dust on them. You can't prove a thing!"

Angie grins at Austere flandering. "Well, yeah, you got rid of the crap while out in public. But I can prove we care more about foals. So, Pip, what's in the box?"

Pipsqueak hesitants momentarily before opening the box and revealing the clothes I made for him. "I-It's the clothes Mister Xavier made for my friends and myself."

The crowd gasps at my work. Now, the murmurs shift from disapproval to appraisal. "Pip, why would you return these? They are a reward for your good service."

Pip goes to speak, but Austere cuts him off. "I gave all my foals explicit instruction not to accept gifts from strangers. I have no idea where these clothes come from at all. It could've been a health hazard."

"Oh, a health hazard from a place with a quarantine lifted by the princess, who deemed everything safe." Angie reminded. The ponies had a tiny realization at the reminder while Mister Austere continued to lose face. "Now, you can either pay admission and go without snacks, or you can be the gracious guardian and pay for your foals to have a good time."

Austere stammers as the crowd starts to grow weary of his stalling. However, that is when Niffy Piggybottom makes his presence known. "Now, that there ain't right. Foals should enjoy the whole theater experience. Fret not, Mister caretaker. I will fit the bill. In fact, for this grand opening, I'll pay for all the refills."

The ponies all cheered as I saw Grandmother gain a contemplative look. Was this a ploy by Niffty to steal goodwill from us? "You shouldn't have to pay for anything in this dump!" An earth pony mare said. She has two others flanking her in support. "How do we know if this illegal setup is worth our hard-earned bits?"

I went to reply, but Niffty beat me to it. "Now, hold on, madam. We don't know if this picture will be good or bad. The best thing to do here is give our hoo-mane friends a fair shake." As the ponies seem to side with Piggubottom, his words cemented my suspicion of him garnering sympathy for himself. "It's no issue of mine to help those in need, especially with potential eviction looming over their heads."

"Eviction?" The dissenter from earlier asked.

I didn't need to look at Grandmother to know she was upset. Nifty is setting himself up as our benefactor, and any recourse from us will make it seem ungrateful. "I won't get too technical with it being a private affair. But, I will say that helping our strange friends in their monetary pursuits is appreciated."

Bugger certainly knows how to play a crowd. While the whisper began anew, the dissenter and her group laughed. "W-Wow, so all this is to pay your bills? What a joke. There's nothing here but fakes trying to feel bigger than they are. I bet the movie is cheap, too."

"Yeah, low-budget trash."

"Rip off artists!"

A slam sounded off behind me as we all turned to see Donatello. Although he had a polite smile, the vein atop his brow showed irritation. "Geez, there's so much doubt. I mean, I get it. How can we trust this setup to be legitimate? Answer: by blowing away all your expectations." Donatello marches up to Nifty with a broad smirk. "I already won one bet today, so let's double it. I promise the movie will silence all those doubts or full refunds."

"Quite the claim, sonny. And I do love a good wager. So, what you got for us?"

"A wonderous tale of friendship and bonds. A story from our childhoods-- A toy story. Please silence all talking and devices."

Donatello hits the button on the remote as the screen lights up. Toy Story is a strong start; you can't go wrong with a Pixar film. The film started as usual, with Andy playing with the toys in his room. At first, the ponies were amazed by the 3D animation. Pinkie Pie showed us some of their media when we first showed her the Sponge Bob series. Our media is a few decades further than Equestria. Suffice it to say that any further dissenting fell short at the art styling and music. Some of the foals started singing along. However, the real treat came when Woody and the other toys came to life.

"Whoa! The toys are moving on their own!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"It looks so weird, but I don't hate it." Sweetie Belle said.

"I already like that Woody fella," Applebloom said.

"Eeyup." Big Mac agreed.

"But, how are the toys moving? What is giving them sentience? Is it magic? Perhaps a golem spell to give the illusion of free will?" Twilight said as she wrote down notes.

"Geek out later, Twi. I'm trying to watch." Rainbow said.

The next scene shows the toys meeting about Andy's move and his coming birthday. The general concern was about toys being left behind and forgotten. As the party-goers arrived and the toys set up surveillance. I had to suppress a chuckle when the royal guard marveled at the efficiency of the toy soldiers. I saw that many ponies seemed to relate to the toy's dilemma.

"I'm a horrible friend." Pinkie cried.

"Why is that Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked.

"I threw away so many toys as a filly. I never stopped to consider how they feel."

"I'm certain your toys are different from Woody and Company." Rarity stated.

"But, how can we know?"

"Pinkie, remember, this film is a work of fiction. None of it is real." Twilight reminded before writing something down. "Note to self: interview Smartypants for possible consciousness."

The next scene introduces the second main character of the film. Buzz Lightyear. Unlike the other toys that are self-aware of their state of being, Buzz truly believes he is a real space ranger. Woody greets him and attempts to apply the rules of Andy's room, but Buzz ignores him in favor of exploring. Buzz's state-of-the-art features quickly impress the other toys compared to Woody's old-fashioned model and pull string—the gashing and admiration cause Woody to become more self-conscious about his standing with Andy. Woody becomes confrontational as he tries to remind the other toys that Buzz himself is also a toy. The slight on Buzz's claims leads Buzz to rise to Woody's challenge and fly around the room through admittedly sheer luck. It was more equivalent to parkour than anything else.

"Wait, so that Lightyear fella doesn't know it's a toy?" Applejack asks.

"He's more out of the loop than Aunt Orange at an apple farm raising." Granny Smith comments.

"Haha, look, Woody is getting jealous," Lyra said.

"It's crazy how often I've seen ponies go through what Woody is going through." Bon Bon said.

"Rainbow, can you do those moves?!" Scootaloo said.

"Easy peasy, squirt. However, Woody is right. That was all fancy falling. If Buzz tried that data on any academy site, he'd get kicked out." Rainbow said.

Slowly but surely, Andy's interest changed to align more with Buzz. Despite Woody's earlier assertion that nobody was getting replaced, fate ironically befell himself. To make matters worse, Buzz seemed to resonate better with the other toys, helping Rex be intimidating, coming to the troll hair, and having general favor go to him over Woody. After another argument, the ponies get introduced to Sid, the movie's antagonist. Predictably, Sid's unruly behavior and mistreatment of the toys added fuel to the anti-human rhetoric.

"Ha, even a movie made for foals has humans destroying everything!" The same mare from earlier stated.

"The humans in the movies don't know that toys are alive. Honeydew!" Lyra responded.

"Oh, so murder is okay as long as you don't think the target is a living creature. Good to know."

"I don't think that's the point," A mulberry mare said. "That Sid is meant to be the opposite of Andy. A foal that is ill-mannered and misbehavior that treats the toys - um - poorly. At the same time, Andy loves all his toys. It's two different sides to the same bit situation."

"Hey, I get it, Miis Cheerlee." Rumble stated.

"One bad apple always spoils the bunch." Granny Smith simplified.

Honey Dew huffs while going back to stay silent. The movie enters the next segment, where Woody enacts a plan to eliminate Buzz and succeeds. The ponies all gasp at the act as Woody's likability drops. However, the other toys see through his deception. Buzz survives his fall from the window. Woody is temporarily free from punishment when Andy takes him to the gas station. Buzz returns to confront Woody. As the two get into a fight, the car leaves, inadvertently stranding them. Another argument revolves around Woody's insecurities and Buzz's delusions until Woody tricks Buzz into going to Pizza Planet. While Buzz is wearing a seat belt, Woody is not secure, bumping and jostling around the back of the car. The car sparked another discussion, as ponies had never seen anything like it.

"What is that metal carriage, Austere?" A foal asked.

"How does it move without somepony pulling it?"

"Can we get one?"

Austere scoffs at their inquires. "It is another work of fiction. A metal carriage would be too heavy to move independently without magic. And looking at these carriages in motion, they are completely unsafe and dangerous."

Glancing over to Angela, I saw her giving me her trademark smirk. "Yep, pure fiction." She said coyly.

The next scene takes place at the Pizza Planet arcade, where Woody once again lies to Buzz to avoid his punishment. Sid then took them both to his home. The ponies thought the aliens in the rocket ship were odd but endearing. But they shuddered at the idea of going to Sid's house. And for good reason: Sid's room is hardly something I would never willingly visit. More ponies gasped at the machinations of Sid's creativity regarding his toys. Broke and reshaped to fit his twisted design. Looking back on it, if Woody and the others didn't scare Sid straight, he might've become a disturbed adult.

"There is something deeply wrong with this foal." bon Bn said in a hollow tone.

"Nutthing a good hide tanning won't fix," Applejack said while crossing her arms.

"Curious that the toys don't die. Are they immortal?" Mythic Entry asked.

"Even so, I doubt getting your head replaced is pleasant," Spike said as his face turned green.

Possibly, the only sad part of the movie came up next. The one where Buzz finds out everything he's ever known, everything Woody has doggedly tried to beat into his helmet, is true. He is not a space ranger but a toy. Watching a toy go through an existential crisis is a morbid thing indeed. Many of the ponies had sympathetic eyes as the commercial for the Lightyear toys played out, growing more concerned as Buzz's worldview shatters. The music adds to the metaphorical gut punch. But, the heartbreaking part came when Buzz attempted to fly out of the window to prove his beliefs true, only to fail. There was no falling with style in this instance. Many ponies - particularly the pegasi - started bawling as Buzz sported a lifeless gaze with his detached arm by his side.

"No, that's too cruel." Fluttershy wailed.

"Buzz didn't deserve that..." Scootaloo sniffled.

"I crashed and burned plenty of times, but this is not awesome," Rainbow stated angrily.

"Sheesh, drama queens," Angie muttered softly.

Buzz garnered more sympathy from ponies as he went through his mental breakdown and depression. Woody made contact with the other toys from Andy's room. But his betrayal against Buzz is still a fresh wound. One that the sheriff irritated when he tried to lie once again to the toys using Buzz's severed arm. I always did find this scene distasteful. I also learned that Woody is a pathological liar when the situation demands it. The sad look from Snickie was another gut punch that signaled the end of the toy's faith in Woody. It wasn't all bad, as Sid's toys turned out to be benevolent and repaired Buzz's arm. Sadly, they couldn't do anything for Buzz's mental state. To make matters worse, Sid returns with his package-- A firework rocket. He duck-tapes Buzz to the missile and fully intends to destroy him tomorrow.

"What is wrong with this foal?! How can he blatantly disregard the rules like that? Don't the postal service perform background checks?" Twilight exclaimed.

"Darling, please tell me that's not all you got from this scene?" Rarity deadpans.

"Oh, and he shouldn't try and hurt Buzz."

The next scene was far more uplifting. Woody and Buzz had a much-needed heart-to-heart, and the sheriff came clean about his insecurities about getting replaced. His words displayed remorse about his actions, but Woody managed to rekindle Buzz's spirit, and they worked to escape. Unfortunately, Sid woke up and took Buzz to the backyard. However, in Sid's room, Woody finally accepts Buzz as his friend and pleads his case to save him. Sid's toys agreed, and they all enacted their plan. Woody allows Sid to find him so that he can set their plan into motion. Sid's initial reaction to Woody's speaker going off presumed him to be busted. But, the speech became more direct until Woody began to address Sid by name. Then, the toys arise from various positions in an almost true horror fashion. Meanwhile, Woody continued his narration of toys being nearly omniscient toward all his activities. Finally, he ends the speech with a final warning as Woody moves naturally.

"So play nice."

"Ha! Serves you right!" Applebloom cheered along with the rest of the ponies as Sid ran away in terror.

"I still would've preferred a good hide tanning, but scaring some sense into 'em works just as well." Granny nodded in satisfaction.

"Eeyup." Big Mac said.

The movie's final segment occurs as Woody and Buzz say their goodbyes to Sid's toys and chase after the moving truck. Unfortunately, their escape caught the attention of Sid's dog. Buzz grabbed the tassel from the car. Woody, however, had poor luck as the dog bit his foot. The ponies were impressed that Woody and Buzz - antagonistic earlier - were now willing to save each other. Woody sees Buzz in distress, opens the truck door, and digs out the RC car. Sadly, the other toys misinterpreted Woody's actions and sought to toss him into the street as he was saving Buzz. Andy's toys realized their mistake when they saw that Buzz was with Woody and attempted to recuse. But the batteries depleted in the RC, effectively stranding Buzz and Woody.

Through ingenuity, Woody uses Buzz's helmet to concentrate the sun's rays to light the rocket. However, while the missile closed the distance, only RC returned to the moving truck, and Woody and Buzz launched skyward. A blunder, Woody realized as he lit the rocket. Thankfully, Buzz activated his wings. And, to everyone's shock, he can fly. Or, more precisely, glide to safety. But it cemented their newfound friendship as Buzz and Woody quote each other, with Buzz saying falling with style and Woody saying to infinity and beyond. The movie ends with Andy's family in their new home and the toys eavesdropping on the potential new toys' arrival. It is a stark difference from the first segment of the movie, as the toys no longer fear being replaced and welcome any changes. The film ends on a comedic note as the toy soldiers reveal Andy getting a new puppy and Buzz and Woody sharing an awkward chuckle.

"Alright, reviews are in, people. What's the verdict?" Donatello asked. The knowing smirk he had told him his answer.

The ponies are quiet momentarily before the foals jump up in excitement. This act prompted the adults to clap their hooves and whistle.

"That was awesome!"

"I know, right?"

"When Woody lit that rocket, they super fast!"

"How about Buzz flying into Andy's carriages? That was so cool!"

The chatter is almost overwhelming. Both the children and adults thoroughly enjoyed the viewing. It is everything we were hoping for. I looked at the dissenters, and they all looked conflicted. The three mares enjoyed the movie, but they didn't voice it. Nifty is in the same boat. I doubt he was expecting a good film.

"Tsk. Whatever. It's just a film for foals. Of course, it would appeal to them." Honey Dew said while crossing her arms.

"Ha. First, it was the movie would be bad. Then, it was violent. Now, it's only for foals. If you lower the bar further, you'll trip over it." Angela mocked as the mare gritted her teeth.

"Truth be told, this movie is targeted at kids. But it's also something adults can enjoy. Of course, the reverse is also true. We have adult themes that children can enjoy, provided they are mature enough." Donatello teased.

"Hey, we can handle it. We're not chicken!" Scootaloo exclaimed as the foals nodded in agreement.

Donatello clapped his hands in confirmation. "Perfect. But first, fair warning. The next film is going to be a bit more violent. Crude language. And death. If none of you can't handle that, feel free to leave. I'm also noticing you guys running low on snacks. Let's take a short break to restock. Remember, Nifty Piggybottom agreed to pay for all refreshments. So, go crazy."
I smirked as Mister Piggybottom smiled and waved while holding an undercurrent of frustration. Donatello effectively threw his ploy back in his face. Donatello clicked the remote again as the subsequent film loaded. "Now, we enter a world of excitement—a world of danger and peril where heroism and villainy collide. Ladies and gents, I present you: The Amazing Spider-Man!"

I will admit that I am worried about this selection. Spider-Man is a timeless movie that jump-started the superhero regime, but it is more modern despite being a classic. Hopefully, it will still get played off as fiction. The film starts with Peter's narration. But, many of the ponies are captivated by the opening orchestra. I remember the first time I heard this theme. It was a level all on its own.

"W-What is this orchestra?" A gray mare with a raven black mane asked. She turns to a white unicorn with a two-tone blue electric mane. "Can you hear those instruments, Viniyl? The violins, the trumpets, and cheo? It-it's glorious!"

Vinyl shrugs and lifts her headphones. She listens closely to the music and nods emphatically. "Wow, look at that title!" Button Mash said.

"Well, the theme is pretty consistent," Cheerilee said.

"Tsk. How is a spider supposed to make a superhero? The power ponies are better!" Spike exclaimed.

"Power ponies? Is that like the Power Rangers?" Cecelia asks.

Spike arches a brow at the name but continues. "Power Ponies is a group of the best superhero team in Maretroplis!"

"But, do they have a movie like the Avengers?"

"W-Well, no, not yet. But who are the Avengers?"

"Okay, what are the X-men?"

"X what?"

"Guardians of the Galaxy?"

"Um..."

"The power ponies don't sound all that great if they still don't have a movie yet."

Spike shot up from his seat in protest." What?! The Power Ponies are the best!!!"

"SHUSH!!!"

Spike sits back down sheepishly while Cecelia and Natyla giggle. Peter's narration made the mares swoon over the fact that his story revolves around Mary Jane. Sadly, she is with Flash at the moment. And our currently unsung protagonist is trying to get the bus to stop. Many of the students on the bus laughed at Peter's misfortune until Mary Jane urged the driver to stop. Peter enters and tries to reprimand the driver, only to get a pater in the face for his trouble. From there, it was the typical social hierarchy of school at play. Students hogged their seats and continued to throw trash and jeers in Peter's direction. The scene ends with another bully tripping Peter to the ground as his glasses fall off.

"Urgh! How positively rude!" Rarity said in disgust.

"I see many of them foals need a good hide tanning." Granny Smith said in disapproval.

"They're nothing but bullies!!!" Pipsqueak said.

I am honestly surprised by Pipsqueak's distasteful tone. I should talk later. Regardless, the movie progresses to the university. Soon after, new characters join the cast-- Norman and Harry Osborn. Norman takes a liking to Peter, much to Harry's grimace. Inside the building, the professor explains all of Spider-Man's abilities through the attributes of augmented spiders. Peter found himself the target of bullying once again, earning a variety of boos from the audience. Peter and Harry tried to coax one another to talk with Mary Jane. Harry eventually winds up going while using one of Peter's information to gain ground.

"I thought he didn't want to use any egghead stuff," Rainbow said.

"Why are the males initiating courtship?" Mayor Mare asked.

"A better question is, why is the hero trying to steal the mare away from her stallion?" Colgate asked.

"It's about hoo-manes. Everything is bound to be backward." Honey Suckle sneered. However, there were far few who agreed with her.

"The roles are reversed for humans. That guy is a jerk anyway and all fair in love and war. Now, quiet." Lyra answered.

After Harry got reprimanded, Peter finally had a chance to talk with Mary Jane. He used an excellent excuse to get a picture with her, only for the missing augmented spider to bite his hand. The scenes with a monitor showcasing that spiders attribute as a DNA helix gain several new strands. A visual metaphor for the changes Peter will undertake. The next segment features Norman and his research team applying to their military contractors. Sadly, the board offers the general something better than performance enhancers for exoskeleton hardware. Thus, the general threatens to shift funding off of Oscorp. The scene shifts between Peter and Norman, changing, with Peter collapsing in his room.

In contrast, Norman preps a gas chamber. Norman's metamorphosis is far more extreme than Peter's, as inhaling the gas causes Norman to flatline. His assistant attempts to save him with CPR, but Norman awakens with a sadistic glee in his eyes. He grabs his friend by the throat and hurls him across the room into some science equipment. The fate of the assistant was never explicitly stated, but it is easy to guess that Norman murdered him. He jumps out of the chamber with a mad shout as we cut to Peter waking up. The change in Peter is more peaceful and evident in more muscle tone and a less than subtle joke about endowment. Peter exits home and stumbles upon Mary Jane arguing with her father. Seeing her distress, Peter tries to work up the courage to talk to her, but her friends pick her up in a car. The bus once again leaves Petter behind, forcing him to give chase. Peter fails to stop it. However, the first signs of his power manifesting happen with the banner sticking to his hand. The scene ends with a look of bewilderment on Peter's face as he walks to school.

"Seriously, who gets superpowers from a spider bite?" Spike asked in a huff.

"A genetically altered spider bite. Did you see Peter's body after the change?" Lyra stated.

"Tsk. Monkey lover." Honeydew whispers to her sisters as they chuckle.

"I'm more interested in the scene with Osborn. I cannot understand why a scientist like himself would perform self-testing. That one failed test held more merit, and this test should've had more safety guidelines. He hurt his friend, for goodness sake." Twilight ranted.

"I would say the assistant was more than just hurt. Also, I can understand his desperation." Mythic said.

"So, you would risk insanity rather than getting cut off from funding?"

"This coming from a mare with a royal stipend?"

Twilight's features went flush at that. "That's different. I get a stipend due to my status as a royal student, not a researcher. However, I would love to see Osborn's notes on this performance enhancer. It did work to an extent. Then again, Peter's metamorphosis appears far safer with better results."

"I want to see more of that glider!" Rainbow said. "It's like riding a cloud. I wonder how fast it goes."

The film continues with Norman waking up on the floor as his son comes to help him. Norman is dazed and confused. He has flashes of his actions from last night but claims to have no memory. Another employee bursts inside to inform Norman that Dr. Stromm is dead, along with the flight suit and glider stolen. Back to Peter in school, another power manifests-- the spider sense. Peter can see the moment Mary Jane slips into a puddle and intervenes. He catches her and her lunch with adept precision. The adults swoon over Peter, making some progress with Mary Jane before groaning. Peter just stood amazed as the two awkwardly parted ways. In the next instant, a fork is inexplicably sticking to his hand. Upon removal, strands of webbing shot from Peter's wrist onto a tray. Somehow, no one noticed, and Peter tugged on the tray. Unfortunately, the tray of food goes flying directly onto Flash. Peter makes a hasty exit as the tray follows behind Peter on his web line.

"Bwahahaha. That's a good one. I have to remember that." Rainbow guffaws.

"Oh my, I don't think Flash liked that too much," Fluttershy said as Flash looked upset.

"Well, he certainly had it coming for his rude behavior." Rarity said with a smile.

"Okay, so he has webbing, sticky hands, and a danger sense--"

"Spider-sense." Cecelia corrected Spike.

"Spider-sense, but I don't see how these are cool powers."

"Keep your panties on, matchstick. The good part is coming up." Angie said.

Spike bristles at Angela's remark before turning to the screen again. Peter attempts to open his locker when his spider-sense goes off—a full omnidirectional display of everything happening around Peter's vicinity before finally settling on Flash's fist hurling to his head. Peter deftly dodges out of the way, causing the ponies to wince at the dent he left as Flash challenges him. However, Peter proved quick as none of Flash's punches connected. Peter even had time to look amazed as he dodges. One of Flash's friends tries to grab Peter from behind, but Peter dodges with a vertical summersault. Finally, at the peak of his rage, Flash attacks Peter with a flurry of punches that miss their mark until Peter catches a limb. Flash groans in pain before Peter promptly ends the fight with a swift punch to the sternum. Flash flies through the air five feet before sliding into a teacher and having their launch spill over him.

"Oooh!" The fillies exclaimed.

"That had to hurt." Bon Bon said.

"Let that be a lesson about fighting while on school grounds," Cheerilee said to the other foals.

"But, is it technically Peter's fault since he threw the lunch tray on Flash?" Pinkie asked.

"He would've probably picked on Peter later if his earlier behavior is any indicator." Rarity stated. "Besides, Mary Jane was right. It was an accident, and Flash handled things poorly."

"Conginative danger sense. Dexterity. Agility. Super strength. Peter's prowess is proving to be more and more superior to Osborn by the second." Twilight noted.

"Anything to add, matchstick? Or do you still think spider powers are lame?" Donatello asked.

"Well, he's still not better than Saddle Ranger...." Spike grumbles.

The next scene shows Peter running out of the school and into an alley. There, he examines his hand and wrist. We see the splotch for his organic webbing while Peter looks up to see a spider crawling around on its web. The sight gave Peter inspiration as the feelers grew from his fingertips. Peter tentatively touched the adjacent wall and slowly started to scale it. His face lit up in excitement as he began leaping from rooftop to rooftop before stopping on top of a corner store. Peter sees a crane in the distance and thrusts out his hand in various ways to shoot out his webbing.

"Go web. Fly. Up, up, and away web. Shazam. Go. Go. Go, web, go."

"Now, he's being silly." Applebloom giggles from all the hand gestures.

"I feel like half of those phrases come from somewhere else." Sweetie Belle noted.

"Maybe he needs to think about the webs?" Scootaloo suggests.

"Actually. Spiders produce webs from their spinnerets. And they use their back legs to mold it. Since Peter's is on his wrist, he might need to act with his hands." Twilight stated.

Twilight's theory proves true as Peter takes his middle and ring fingers and presses down on his palm, causing a web line to fire out. After two more shots, Peter's webbing attaches to the crane. Peter stands on the edge of the building. "Tallyho." Peter leaps off the building and swings across the street. However, Peter had too much forward momentum. He tries to slow down, but the gravel on the roof makes it impossible. The scene ends with Peter faceplanting against the billboard and sliding down comedically. It was weird that no one bothered to see who was screaming. Then again, it is New York.

"Bwahahaha." Rainbow laughed.

"O-Oh, my. That looked painful. I hope Peter is okay." Fluttershy said.

"Honesty, I understand his excitement. But, jumping off a building with only a strand of webbing of unknown strength to support him? That's madness." Rarity abolished.

"It reminds me of the time back in magic kindergarten when the teacher taught us the transformation spell, and I turned the chairs and desks into frogs," Lyra said sheepishly.

"Well, I can't say I approve of Peter's approach in field testing. But I gained a lot of insight from it." Twilight said.

"Alright, we got through the awkward power origin. When does Peter get his costume? It can't be better than my heroes." Spike stated.

The segment features Peter and Mary Jane finally having a dialogue. They talk of how they envision leaving the suburbs for the big city to pursue their careers. Peter manages to say something profound that garners Mary Jane's laugh. Unfortunately, Flash comes by in a brand-new car that gets Mary Jane excited. Peter sees Mary Jane's reaction and opts to acquire a vehicle himself. He finds an ad about a wrestling event in the paper and brainstorms costume ideas. We get a short montage of designs before Peter settles on the iconic red and blue Spider-man outfit.

"Oh, my. Who knew Peter would have a talent in design? It's nothing top tier but impressive for a novice." Rarity said.

I saw Cecelia smiling at Spike, who grumbled. "Alright, it's not a bad costume. But, anything looks good on paper."

The next scene features Peter training his powers by webbing and slingshotting several objects. This action gets a laugh from the audience as Peter shatters a lamp and leaves webbing all over his room. Moving on, we go back to Osborn, who is in the midst of a panic attack as he reads the paper about his company failing and losing to Quest. At that moment, an eerie, evil laughter echoes throughout his study. Normal appears distressed but moves out of frame. We shift back to Peter getting a ride to the library from Uncle Ben. In the car, Ben calls out Peter's odd behavior and recent altercation with Flash. Peter naturally deflects the talk, but Uncle Ben persists as he delivers his iconic quote and the cornerstone of Spider-Man's existence.

"Remember, Peter: With great power comes great responsibility."

"Now, that's a good lesson," Granny Smith said, and some older ponies agreed.

"So, that's his catchphrase?" Spike asked. "I don't see how that will work on criminals. I mean, does he say something like; halt evildoer. In the name of great power and responsibility!"

"That sounds dorky," Cecelia said as Nattie nodded.

"It's more of Spider-Man's moral compass than something he crimes at bad guys."

Sadly, Peter ignores his Uncle's advice and storms into underground wrestling. His dismissive and outright disrespectful response earns him more scathing looks from the parental figures. The next scene doesn't improve the audience's opinion as Peter goes to the wrestling ring instead of the library. I had to suppress a chuckle at the comments from the ponies, thinking the match was a real battle. I guess wrestling isn't a pastime in Equestria. Peter signs himself on the roster as Bone Saw quickly dispatches with another competitor. Our protagonist becomes nervous when he sees the aftermath of Bone Saw's latest victim.

"Bone Saw, huh? That's a cool name." Scootaloo said.

"I thought humans didn't have fur on their muzzles." Button Mash said.

"That's a beard and mustache, dear." Miss Cream Heart said. "...I think."

"Peter's going to fight that thing!?" Rarity stated. "I hardly think 3 thousand bits is worth it."

"But, how else is Peter going to impress Mary Jane?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"If she were an honest mare, she would fight Bone Saw." Granny Smith said in disapproval. "It's right shameful to have that many stallions courting you. She's leading those poor colts along."

"It's supposed to be unintentional, Granny Smith. You know, for comedic purpose." Donatello said.

The match had an unexpected twist as a cage descends and encloses the ring. Peter naturally panics as a cage match wasn't what he signed for, but that is a lesson in and of itself: always read the contract. Regardless, Bone Saws are elated due to the chance of inflicting more pain. But Peter proved quick, agile, and strong as he defeated Bone Saw in convincing fashion and record time. Sadly, Peter discovered he could not collect his prize money as the fight promoter claimed Peter had voided the match contract since he technically didn't survive the match for three minutes. Naturally, none of the ponies liked this outcome.

"Why that two-timing, rotten snake in the grass! He should go four rounds with that Bone Saw fellow!!!" Applejack exclaimed.

"yeah! What kind of crooked show is he running?!" Applebloom added.

"Well, technically, the promoter is right," Twilight said.

"Surely, you just Twilight. Peter won against that brute. he is entitled to the prize money." Rarity said.

"Yes, Peter won. But the objective wasn't to win. It was to last a full three minutes with Bone Saw. Given Peter's adhesive abilities, he could've just struck to the change the entire time."

"But, he should get double the prize money for winning since the point of the time limit was that nopony could beat Bone Saw!" Rainbow stated.

"It's all about logistics, Rainbow. If I give you a task, you can't deviate from what I asked because you thought differently. I'm not saying it is fair, but you must know what you are getting into when signing contracts.

As the scene continued, the ponies had to accept Miss Sparkle's reasoning begrudgingly. Moments later, a commotion went off in the promoter's office, and a man came rushing out with a bag and a police officer after him. To the shock of our uninformed audience, Peter casually allows the robber to pass right by him and escape with thanks. The promoter questioned how Peter could've dealt with the criminal without difficulty. Peter's response was to throw the promoter's words back at him.

"I missed the part where that's my problem."

"Ha, some hero! How can we root for some creature that lets crooks get away." Honey Bee stated.

"What can we expect from a hoo-mane? I bet he's not even a hero, and those two are working together." Honey Dew said.

"You can't say that after Peter got ripped off. I wouldn't be inclined to help that man either." Lyra defended.

"So, we should just get revenge when some creature wrongs us? Yeah, thanks for the great listen, Mister Hero." Honey Bee mocked.

"I wouldn't be so quick to mock, miss. An important lesson is about to come up." I said, earning a frown from the mare.

Lyra fumes as she loses this little debate. Despite her vehement stance, it has relatively poor optics. However, I could do it without the constant attempts to spin some anti-human narrative. That is why we chose Spider-Man: to show what heroism looks like when grounded in realism. Sadly, one of Spider-man's defining character moments came up next. A vast crowd blocked the sidewalk outside the wrestling ring. Peter pushed his way through to find his Uncle on the ground while clutching his bloody chest. Peter kneels to his side, tears streaming from his Uncle calling out his name until he finally passed. Peter's sadness gave way to rage as he quickly found the murderer before the authorities. Peter easily subdues his Uncle's killer, only to discover that it was the same robber Peter let escape. The robber met his end by tripping on a pipe and falling out the window. The scene ends with Peter mourning his Uncle's death.

"H-His uncle..." Scootaloo stuuters.

"H-How? Why would he do something like that?" Applebloom asked.

"Peter should've stopped that robber." Sweetie Belle said.

"I think that is the point, girls." Miss Cheerlee said.

"What's that?" Rumble said.

"Peter was cheated out of his money and acted out in revenge. But it is still wrong, and Peter's Uncle paid for it. The lesson here is never to let your personal feelings stop you from doing the right thing."

"With great power comes great responsibility. I think I get what that means now. The Power ponies never had an origin story like this..." Spike solemnly said.

"...So, are we going to pretend the hero didn't kill that thug and forgive it?" Honeydew said, trying to cause trouble again.

"If you were paying attention, Peter disarmed him after the mugger pulled his weapon on him. then, the crook backs up and trips, so it was his fault." Bon Bon said.

The following scenes quickly shift to Osborn attacking the Quest exoskeleton demonstration, killing the pilot and the general who was threatening to cut funding. None of the ponies liked this, as Osbron was delighting in the mayhem he wrought. But we go back to Peter, who is graduating from high school. He sits in his room crying about the loss of Uncle Ben while Aunt May consoles him and reminds Peter of his words. Peter shifts through the suitcase and takes out his hero design for the Spider-Man suit. The scene transitions to Spider-man's debut as a shot montage of Peter thwarting robberies and saving people. The ponies did get a chuckle at the antics of the Daily Bungle crew and J Jonah Jamerson. Peter meets Mary Jane again as she is working as a waitress. In this conversation, she reveals that she is dating Harry, much to Peter's disapproval.

"Sheesh, this human got a breezy in his pants." Lyra laughed.

"He's more ornery than Sheldon on nail trimming day," Applejack stated.

"It reminds me of when Pah found those granite mites in the attic. He had a sourpuss for days." Pinkie giggled.

"Now Mary Jane is with his best friend? Does she have no shame?" Rarity said.

"Peter encouraged Harry to talk to MJ earlier, so he shouldn't feel betrayed," Pinkie said.

"It's Peter's fault for not making a move," Rainbow said.

The scene shifts to Bugle daily after Peter's conversation with the Osborns. Jamerson antics earned him another chuckle from the audience. The scene changes again to Norman celebrating Oscorp securing their military funding, only to receive the bad news that the board members have voted him off as chairman to accept a deal from Quest Aerospace. Norman is rightly outraged before a sickly smile graces his features. The scene moves to a festival in Times Square. It did not take long for the Green Goblin to make his official on-screen appearance as he kills members of the Oscorp board.

"Out, am I?"

"H-He vaporized them!?" Button Mash exclaimed.

"I can say that Norman is a very petty human." Ms Cream Heart spat.

"You're saying that now? What about all the ones before this!?" Thunderlane exclaimed.

"Perhaps we're looking at Norman the wrong way." Mythic Entry said, earning many incredulous looks. "Think about it; he's only gone after those threatening his position. If he loses his company, he can't support his son."

"Even if we can excuse all the murder - which we don't - Norman is endangering many innocent people, including his son. That formula has made him crazy!" Twilight said.

"Ah, but then there is a chance to save him. He wasn't crazy before that serum, and you often advocate redemption.

Twilight huffs but continues watching. The fight between Spider-Man and Green Goblin is intense. Peter removes Norman from his glider with a swing kick. Goblin'se goblin's earlier assault caused a sign to fall and forced Peter to save him. Many ponies were annoyed that the kid wasted valuable time by not moving. BackGoblintheGoblinn quickly dispatches the police. Peter engages him again, but Norman kicks him away several meters. Thus, the Goblin returns to his glider and rains down more bullets. Peter narrowly evades them before Mary Jane's screams gain his attention. Pausing his battle with Goblin, Peter attempts to save her, only for Norman to slam him into the stained glass window and repeatedly slam his head against it. Peter falls to the balcony and counters with a web to the eyes. Peter takes advantage and turns off the glider's steering, forcing Norman to retreat, but promises a reunion. Peter saves Mary Jane mid-fall and gets her to safety.

"Awesome!!!" Spike exclaims in joy.

"So, our heroes are not bad, huh, matchstick?" Angela teases.

"U-uh, I mean, it wasn't bad for the first fight..."

"It wasn't bad?! Look at all the property damage, staggering injuries, and death toll. I am having a panic attack just thinking of the paperwork, and I'm not even the mayor of that city. And is the gallant hero going back to help those in need? No, he will swing off at sunset and leave the damages to us poor city officials. How inconsiderate. I am beginning to see why Mr Jamerson calls him a menace." Mayor Mare ranted, much to everyone's surprise. "What?"

"Speaking from personal experience, Mayor?" Donatello asked.

Mayor Mare blushes while Twilight and her compatriots seem nervous. Returning to the film, we see Norman enjoying a drink in his study until he hears a voice. Norman eventually finds the source of the voice in a mirror. Surprisingly, Norman's reflection was talking back in a more sinister tone. The goblin persona revealed to Norman how all the recent events were in service of protecting him and giving him the power he constantly desired. The only obstacle in the way was Spider-Man. Later, we return to Daily Bugle, where Peter tries to convince Jamerson of Spider-man's good intentions but fails before the Green Goblin shows up. He came looking for Peter for a way to find Spider-Man. Thankfully, spider-man shows up to conGoblintheGoblinn while the audience laughs at Souder-Man webbing Jamerson's mouth shut. UnforGoblinly, Goblinn knocks Peter out and takes him to a roof to convince him to his side, citing the error of being a hero before leaving.

"Wait, so that gas tank turned him into Nightmare Moon?" Rainbow asked.

"Nightmare Moon?" Julie asked.

"She was Princess Luna's dark ulterego." Twilight informs. "The similarities are there, but I don't like the idea of normal ponies turning into nightmares due to some serum."

"I don't like the sound of that miscreant's name. Green Goblin - Urgh! - Such an awful color." Rarity said in disgust.

"And that speech is dumb as well. How could ponies turn against someone that's helping them? There's no way Spider-Man would join him!" Spike said. He looks at Angie, who is smirking, before amending his statement. "He better not. I don't care."

"Oh my, I hope Peter doesn't accept." Fluttershy mumbles.

"Hmm, but he does have a point about the two of them fighting repeatedly. That would get tiring, and plenty of humans seem to be getting hurt." Pinkie said.

"I can see myself getting miffed at these two constantly breaking up ponies' property without care. Not to mention if the fighting hurt my kin," Applejack said.

"I don't see the point of offering this choice in the first pGoblinTheGoblinn had Spider-Man dead rights for hours! Why not just kill him? Or unmask him and use his identity as a barging chip. That way, he would have no choice but to join him." Mythic Entry said.

"Good points, but then, we wouldn't have much of a movie now, would we?" Donatello said.

In the next scene, Goblin's prediction comes. The Bugle printed multiple pages blaming Spider-Man for Green Goblin's attack. Peter and Mary Jane have another talk where MJ seems to elude to being aware of Peter's feelings, and she wants him to voice them. As the two part ways, Peter notices some unsavory individuals following Mary Jane. Peter quickly dispatches them without his mask before reappearing upside down. The two share an upside-down kiss as Peter retracts his webbing and leaves. Spider and Goblin have another encounter inside a burning building in the next scene. It is clear who started it as Peter calls out to a distressed woman only to receive a punch for his troubles. Norman offers an alliance to Peter again. But he refuses, resulting in another battle. However, Peter is the victor this time, leaving the Goblin frustrated.

"Is it okay that Peter kissed his best friend's mare?" Applebloom asked.

"Enope." Big Mac said.

"Well, she didn't have to go swabbing spit with him either. Sure, Peter saved her, but that doesn't mean you go jumping on the first stallion that does something nice for Ya." Granny Smith said.

"I must admit that it would be better for Mary Jane to decide. Does she want Peter, Harry, or Spide-Man?" Twilight said.

"But Peter is Spider-Man." Sweetie Belle pointed out,

"Yes, but she doesn't know that. I find this little love triangle fascinating. Which shall MJ choose? The handsome, rich colt. The humble colt next door? Or the mysterious and heroic spider knight? It's all so thrilling!" Rarity exclaims.

"Boring! That fight scene was awesome. I got to try some of those moves." Rainbow said.

"Yeah, like when Peter does a double back hoof on those creeps. Or, or when he was dodging all those blades. Why did they look like pumpkins, though?" Scootaloo asked.

"They are called pumpkin bombs because Goblins are associated with Halloween. Plus, it's his gimmick." Donatello asked.

"But Peter got hurt. Will he be okay?" Fluttershy asked.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy. It's just a scratch. Nothing that bad." Pinkie said.

The following scene features a dinner with the main cast. Unfortunately, Pinkie's earlier dismal treatment of Peter's wound proved disastrous, as Norman could deduce Spider-Man's secret from the blood and the location of the injury. He insults everyone and leaves in a hurry. His actions spur a fight between Harry and Mary Jane and end their relationship. The following features Aunt May praying before the Goblin bursts through her window on his glider. In the next scene, we see Peter rushing into the hospital as Aunt May wails about the Green Goblin's horrible yellow eyes, signaling to Peter that Norman knows his secret.

"...Oh, I guess a little blood is bad..." Pinkie dejectedly said.

"That's horrible! How could hurt Aunt May like that?!" Lyra exclaimed.

"You can't expect any decency from a monster like him." Bon Bon spat.

"No way. I call manure on that! How could he figure out Peter's secret from a scratch that could've come from anywhere?" Thunderlane asked.

"It's not that hard, bro. It was the same length the blade cut Peter. The fight just happened, and Peter made the mistake of entering his room without covering it." Rumble said.

"Yeah, He could've said he got sick and had to visit the doctor before returning. That would've worked out better than his lame excuse." Button Mash said.

"Nothing like that ever happens in the power ponies. Usually, something stops the villains from finding out who's behind the mask..." Spike solemnly said.

"That's what happens without plot conveniences," I said. "In the real world, there are dire consequences for superheroes."

We finally enter the final segment of the movie. Harry inadvertently informs Norman of Peter's love for Mary Jane, leaving Norman to promise to handle some inquiries. After another heart-to-heart with Aunt May, we find Mary Jane waking up on top of a trolley by the Brooklyn Bridge. Before catching the cable, the Goblin destroys several buildings and the trolley full of passengers. Spider-Man arrives at a harrowing scene as the Green Goblin taunts him.

"Spider-Man! This situation is why only fools are heroes. You never know when some lunatic will come up with a sadistic choice. Let die the woman you love? Or suffer the little children. Make your choice, Spider-Man, and reap the rewards of a hero."

"H-He wouldn't!" Applejack said in alarm.

"Don't do it, Goblin!"

"He is!!!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"We are who we choose to be! NOW CHOOSE!!!"

"NO!!!!!" Fluttershy screamed along with Peter.

"Save them, Spider-Man!!!" Pipsqueak yells.

Spider-Man's lens reflects MJ and the trolley falling before he jumps and catches MJ and the cable. However, he is left vulnerable to the Goblin's attacks. A vicious uppercut makes Spider-Man drop the trolley with Mary Jane. However, he catches it while MJ grabs it and lands on the cable. Thankfully, a shipping boat is making progress in getting underneath the trolley. The Goblin prepares to stab Spider-Man with his glider blades. However, a pipe struck Norman in the head. The camera pans to several New Yorkers berating the Goblinf for his actions. The distraction gave the boat enough time to get under the trolley and save the children and MJ. Unfortunately, Spider-Man is dragged off the Goblin into an abandoned building. Before Peter could recover, a pumpkin bomb bounced directly into his face and exploded. The blast destroys half of Peter's mask as the Goblin lands to taunt him.

"Misery. Misery. Misery, that's what you've chosen. I offer you friendship, and you spat in my face!"

"Your friendship is evil!!!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"And your costume is stupid!!!" Sweetie Belle stated.

"And you a horrible human!!!" Applebloom added.

"Come on, Spider-Man! You can beat him." Spike shouted.

Sadly, Goblin now had a sizable advantage over Spider-Man as he suffered a vicious beating. Any move Peter tried to do, Norman had a counter. Eventually, Norman knocks Peter to the ground. The crowd winces at Peter's sorry state. His exposed eye is bloodshot, bruises form on his cheek, and blood is dripping from his mouth. Sadly for our hero, the Goblin stomps on his wrist before Peter could shoot another web line. Seemingly defeated, The Goblin gloats one last time to Peter as he primes a triponged spear.

"You've spun your last web Spider-Man. Had you not been selfish, your little girlfriend's death would've been quick. But now that you pissed me off, I'm going to finish her nice and slow. Mary Jane and I are going to have a helluva time!"

"Come on, get up. You going to let this creep talk about your mare like that!?" Rainbow hollered.

"You've got to stop him, Peter!!!" Fluttershy added.

"Saddle up, partner!" Appeljack said.

"Peter's not going to lose, is he?" Rarity asked one of us.

"Who knows? I never saw this." Angie smirked.

"I can't recall," I said.

"My memory is foggy right now." Grandmother said.

"I'm drawing a blank." Donatello smiled.

"Me too," Juliet added.

"Hmm," Leonardo grunted.

"Y'all are evil, you know that." Granny Smith deadpans.

Spider-Man sends Goblin a vicious snarl as he catches the spear mere inches from his face. With a mighty shove and shout, Spider-Man sends the Goblin flying. Peter follows up by webbing Norman's feet and tripping him before webbing the wall behind him and slamming on Norman. As the Goblin pulls himself out of the rumble, Spider-Man webs swing him onto a damaged second floor, where he lands punch after punch to Goblin's face. Norman finally throws his hands up in surrender and unmasks himself. Shocked by the reveal, Peter recalls all the horrors Norman committed while Norman tries to claim it was all the Goblin persona's fault. However, Norman discretely summons his glider to hover just behind Peter's back.

"You tried to kill Aunt May. You tried to kill Mary Jane!"

"But not you. I tried to stop it. But I couldn't stop it. I would never hurt you."

"What?! Then what was all that on the bridge five minutes ago? What about the bomb to his face and the electric spear?!?!" Bon Bon exclaims.

"Yeah, that's got to be the Goblin talking!" Lyra said.

"I honestly can't tell anymore," Thunderlane said. "Besides, Norman has been on board since discovering the Goblin."

"I knew from the beginning. If anything ever happened to me, it was you that I could count on. You would save me, Peter Parker, and so you have."

"Don't believe a word that lying, two-tongued varmint is saying!!!" Applejack sneered.

"Shouldn't his Spider-sense be reacting to the glider by now?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, it has been pretty wonky for the last few minutes. Peter should upgrade to my Pinkie Sense." Pinkie sagely said.

"Thank god for you. Take my hand, Peter. Believe in me as I have believed in you. I've been like a father to you. Be a son to me now."

"I have a father. His name was Ben Parker!"

The ponies cheered at Peter's declarative statement and showed respect for his Uncle. However, Norman's following words and the finality of his tone made everyone pale. "Godspeed, Spider-Man." Instantly, Peter's eyes shot open as his spider-sense flared. He backflips over the glider as it extends its blades, sails straight into Norman's abdomen, and pieces out the back of the wall. Many of the ponies looked appalled at the admittedly brutal display. Thankfully, the fillies and colts in the audience had the sense to shield their eyes when the blades extended. Norman howls in agony from his glider as he looks toward Peter and utters his last words. "...Peter? Don't tell Harry..." With that said, Norman Osborn - aka, the Green Goblin, dies by his own hands. In comparison, Peter holds his head down in disappointment and mourning.

"So, he falls on his sword—death, not by the enemy, but his hubris. I can commend that." Mythic Entry stated.

"You're showing him respect?" Spike asked, almost sounding offended.

"Well, anypony else would've given up or turned over a new leaf. Norman stuck to his path to the bitter end."

"While I can understand conviction, I can't respect Norman's motive and ideal. All of this started because he ignored proper protocols, threw a homicidal tantrum when things didn't go his way, and hurt his loved ones for selfish gains!" Twilight said.

"Eh, he had that coming," Rainbow said nonchalantly.

"I could not agree more." Rarity said.

"Here, here." Applejack supported.

"Yeppers," Pinkie said.

"I do feel sorry for Harry, though." Fluttershy reminded.

The mood turns somber when Peter takes Norman's corpse back to the Osborn residence and lays the body on the bed. As fate would have it, Harry Osborn enters the scene of a masked vigilante and Harry's deceased father. Harry screams at Peter for answers as he goes for a gun, but Peter is already gone. The final scene involves Peter and the company attending Norman's funeral. Peter offers his condolences to Harry, understanding the feeling of losing a loved one. However, Harry states the opposite and replies about Spider-Man stealing his father away from him. And, much to Peter's dismay, Harry declares vengeance against the superhero. The hug Peter and Harry share is bittersweet before Harry leaves and Peter pays respect to Uncle Ben's grave. MJ walks up to Peter and confesses how the ordeal made her realize her true love-- Peter himself. The two share a kiss, which causes the audience to cheer, until Peter rebukes her love and states he will always be there as a friend. Peter leaves a crying Mary Jane, who seems to have an epiphany before Peter monologues his final thoughts.

"Whatever life has in store for me, I will never forget these words: With great power comes great responsibility. These powers are my gift. My curse. Who am I? I'm Spider-man."

Donatello shuts off the projector and addresses the audience. "So, what do--"

"OH, COME ON!!!" Sweetie Belle shouts out, cutting him off. "We go through the movie wondering if Peter will confess to Mary Jane. And she does it, and he says no?!"

"Well--"

"I think he did it to protect her." Applebloom correctly said. "Look what happened when the Goblin found out who Peter was. He went after his kin."

"Eeyup." Big Mac agreed.

"And if Peter and MJ did get together, how would it work if he keeps being Spider-Man?" Scootaloo asked.

"It is a pretty--" Donatello tries again but fails.

"Oh, it is so cruel. Mary Jane confesses her love to the gallant spider knight - sworn by duty - cannot accept. How could destiny be so cruel?" Rarity cries.

"It's for the best. Realistically, the relationship would fail, considering Peter's penchant for trouble. Plus, his constant lying about his secret won't help either. Every time Spider-Man has to save some human, he must drop everything to do it. Then, if his secret does get out, his friends and family would no doubt be hurt. Harry already hates Spider-Man. Imagine how hurt and betrayed he would feel if he knew Peter was Spider-Man." Twilight explained.

I had to suppress a laugh thinking of the sequel. "I think--"

"What the hay is wrong with all of you?!" Honeydew exclaimed. "All of you are talking like you enjoyed that! Are you all forgetting this 'movie' is about these bloodthirsty humans? All I saw was a bastardization of good values with human barbarism! They're trying to poison us!"

"I didn't think anything was that bad," Rumble said.

"Yeah, there was all that icky romance stuff, but the action was awesome." Button Mash said.

"And Mister Donatello was kind enough to warn about the violence. Even still, it's not that bad.

"Foals shouldn't be exposed to this!" Honey growls.

"Then, we should get rid of every action book or anything with a hint of violence," Cheerilee said.

"That means no mean Daring Doo books," Lyra said as she looked at Rainbow.

"What?! No way!" Rainbow said. "Besides, this movie day was fun. I wouldn't mind doing it again."

"Me too. I want to see what happens next. It's slightly better than the power ponies because they don't have a movie yet." Spike said as Angela chuckles.

"Admit it, matchstick. You're hooked." Angela tease.

Spike turns away in embarrassment as Granny Smith speaks. "Missy, if you keep up with all this fearmongering, you'll grow older than me. I'm sure our human friends know not to show anything inappropriate for foals. And I'm sure they got more pictures like that first film. So, you should try and enjoy it more. Your sisters seem to like it, seeing as they ain't hooting and hollering."

Honeydew immediately turns to her two sisters, who both look away sheepishly. "Seriously?!"

"...I did like the Toy Story movie a little..." Honeybee said.

"And the romance in Spider-Man wasn't too bad..." Honeysuckle said.

Honeydew stood there shaking with rage before she flung her arms out in a huff and left. Her two sisters hesitantly followed her. The backyard came alive with chatter and how much they liked the films. I would say this venture is a rousing success. "Thank you all for your kind praises and constructive criticism. We'll do these little premieres at the end of each week."

"I say, I am looking forward to that. I haven't been this entertained since the buffalo stampede a year ago in Applelosa. Of course, I should expect a more private viewing soon." Mister Piggybottom said with that swampy smile.

"I wouldn't expect too much, but your patronage is welcome." Grandmother counters with an equally knowing smile.

I took more pleasure in that slight twitch of his mustache than I should have. "Take care now." Mister Piggybottom left.

As the ponies funneled out, I took stock of our earnings. "There's a thousand bits for our total earnings."

"Tch. That's hardly chump change. Maybe we should've upped the admission." Angela grumbles.

"That will ruin our goodwill. This much money is a good turnout for the opening weekend," Julie said.

"Right, and word of mouth will boost us past the second week and give us legs," Donatello said.

"But, now that we know everything is good, we must watch out for those dissenters and anyone who might try to theater hop." Grandmother said.

"I remember doing that back home. Good times." Donatello chirps as I groan. "What?"

[Later that evening - The Library - Twilight's POV.]

I bid Mythic farewell and got to my desk; I called my assistant. "Spide, take a letter."

"Late-night friendship lessons again? Princess Celestia said you don't have to do that anymore." Spike asked.

"No, not that, Spike. I'm sending my report about the humans and our movie day." I said.

Spike gains a surprisingly happy look as he gets ready. "Ready."

"Dear Princess Celestia. Today, the humans held a movie day for the public. As you know, the humans have a financial situation with Nifty Piggybottom, where their home is obstructing his land. Rather than evict them, Mister Piggybottom settled on a deal. The humans have six months to repay the amount Mister Piggybottom paid for the land. I don't know the sum they owe, but I can say that the humans have had a good start since today. The admission is surprisingly fair, with two bits per pony. The costs - like most theaters - come from the price of snacks. However, said snacks are unlike anything in Equis, possibly even worldwide. I've experimented with some sodas to see what makes them so desirable. I tried some of these Lay's potato chips, and they were terrific."

"I love the Twinkies," Spike said as I shook my head.

"I will also send you some samples if my research is insufficient. But I want to talk about the movies we saw the most. I was expecting something akin to propaganda - Something to cast human nature in a sympathetic light. What we saw was the complete opposite. Each movie had a specific theme that resonated with my friends and me. Toy Story - the first film we watched - has many themes. Insecurity, delusions, and the lies we tell ourselves, and adversity. But I think the most prominent themes were friendship and acceptance. Getting to know new people can be scary, especially when threatened with replacement. But, when you put those worries aside, be honest with yourself, and try to understand, you will gain new friendships. All of that is told through amazing visuals and clever use of toys if you can believe that."

"I never did ask if Rex is a dragon or something else."

"Focus, Spike. The next film was about a superhero origin story called Spider-Man. The title is a bit misleading as it is not about an actual spider but a man who gains abilities like one. I never thought something about comic book heroes can bring out such emotions."

"Comic books are the same as any regular book, just with better visuals."

"I have to agree with that now. Like the first film, there were many themes—heroism, accepting loss, and responsibility. Life can throw hardships at you, but you can overcome them through the love of family and friends. I honestly don't believe putting it into words can accurately express how good the experience was. If you have time and I can't believe I am writing this, you should come and see this film for yourself. The viewing is at the end of each week. However, I can't say everything went smoothly. Some ponies still hold reservations about our new neighbors. I also can't deny that the violence is more than a little disturbing. But, I can't, in all fairness, claim that it was unsuitable for viewing. Yes, violence is wrong. But we have books and stories with violence in them, and our history isn't free from it either. I find myself very conflicted on the topic today. On a more positive note, I finally reconciled with Madam Kingston. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."