My little Pony:Spider And Magic

Chapter Fifty "Fallen Knight, Part I

Chapter Fifty "Fallen Knight, Part I"

Twenty-Six Days Remain until the portal closes...

An awkward silence filled the room. Robbie and Betty had walked in the moment Tara made her statement to Jonah, both slack-jawed at the sight. The new owner of the Daily Bugle eased into her seat before folding her arms and shooting the older man a bemused glare. Jameson stood with his eyes wide, as if the reality of the situation hadn't dawned on his psyche. Slowly but surely, his anger began to surface, evident by the veins pulsing along his neck and forehead. Jameson stomped forward and slammed his hands against the desk, but Tara held her ground, her glare just as venomous as her oppressor.

"Who do you think you are?! I've been working in this company before you were even born!" Jameson bellowed, his voice bouncing off the walls. "You can't just fire me!"

"Actually, I can! I own one-hundred percent of the company, and I am entitled to make any and all changes I see fit!" Exhaling, Tara's hand clenched into a fist. "Now, if you're smart, you wouldn't yell. I'm not firing you from the company. I'm only removing you from your position as editor-in-chief. Be grateful. If I had my way, I would have you thrown out."

A brief expression passed across Jonah's features. It looked like relief, but his anger remained intact. "On what grounds do you have the right to fire me?"

Tara scowled. "Several. You have a horrible reputation. If you don't believe me, I'll make a list. JARVIS. If you may?" The computer screen brightened before a checklist appeared in the window. Twilight turned the device around so that everyone in the room could read the words that appeared on the screen. While Jameson, Robbie, and Betty read through the list, Tara spun her chair until her back faced her audience. "Media victimization. Blatant falsehoods. Endangerment. Fraud. The fact that you drove the Daily Bugle into total bankruptcy. I can go on, but we don't have all day."

Betty tilted her head to the side. "If you don't mind my asking, most of everything on this list is centered around Spider-Man. Do you know him or something? I mean, it's because you were pretty direct during the press conference last night." Reaching underneath the desk, the woman retrieved a newspaper from under the desk. The main article read 'Velvet Faust: #1 Spidey Fan'. Betty tilted her head to the side before directing her gaze to her new boss. "You mentioned the name change after the press conference last night. Why is that, Miss Sparkle? Or is it Miss Faust?"

Tara blinked at the question, blushing after an awkward amount of time. "It's my mother's name, but people always got us both mixed up because of how similar we looked physically. When I moved out of our house, I decided to change my name, but I felt bad about it after all and changed it back."

Twilight sighed inwardly. It was a terrible lie, but after consulting with Peter for a short time, it was agreed that it'd be best if she changed her name entirely. Her mother's first name was a good alternative, and JARVIS pulled 'Faust' out of a list of possibilities. It was either 'Velvet Faust' or 'Tara Strong', and to Twilight, her new alias sounded ridiculous in any indication. However, it was only a temporary solution, at least until they returned to Equestria.

Waving her hand dismissively, Tara shook her head. "You're free to call me either, but humor me and use my real name from now on."

Jameson's brow lowered. "You're such an amateur. You should have thought about that before you went public! Give it a week. You'll put the Bugle right back into the ground at this rate."

"I like your real name. It's very nice," Betty grinned, earning a smile from Tara and a frown from Jameson. She arched a brow at Tara as the girl turned around, meeting her gaze. "Are you really just a fan of Spider-Man, or is there more to it?"