Precious Headband

A rather tall blue Invectid named Grasshop was walking smoothly into the Arachna Kingdom. Not long before he would have terrorized the residents and demanded (a mostly unsuccessful endeavor) to fight the Spider Riders. Six months had passed since Mantid was defeated and the sun from the Inner World had shined where the Invectids lived. Grasshop enjoyed every moment of it. His children were proud of him, he didn't have to fight and be humiliated by the Spider Riders any longer, and Grasshop was known by everyone as "the Invectid that befriended the Spider Riders and helped them defeat Mantid." The human children adored him more than his own children did, and that was saying something. Grasshop enjoyed being the center of attention those long six months, but it had just occurred to him that he missed Princess Sparkle. She was the first human who had trusted and befriended him. And her eyes were so cute when he saw them. Grasshop was humming in his off-key tune as he watched the civilians of Arachna Kingdom live their daily life. The women were shopping and carrying babies on their backs; children were playing in the streets; and the youths and teenagers were helping the adults and smiling. No one was pointing or shouting at him as the Invectid walked by as they had a couple months before. In fact, a couple of them waved to the tall Invectid, which Grasshop returned enthusiastically.

Hmm…It seems that the humans are enjoying the peace as much as the Invectids. Grasshop scratched his head at the thought. The grass was slowly growing back on the former empty ground. The blades of grass were starting to turn green too. The Invectids were also happier, and smiled more and more often as the sun from the Inner World continued to shine down on them. I like peace, Grasshop thought with a silly smile. It feels so good. Almost as good as being one of the Big Four again! He steadily approached the castle where Princess Sparkle and the other Spider Riders were living. Grasshop didn't have to bother with the guards; they were nonexistent from the peace thing. Grasshop continued to hum to himself as he walked through the corridors to Princess Sparkle's room. He knocked on the door, and when there was no answer, Grasshop knocked again.

"Princess! Your Uncle Hop has come to visit you!" No answer. Grasshop frowned. Where was Princess Sparkle if she wasn't in her room? "I must find the princess and return her to her chambers," Grasshop said with his voice ringing loudly in the corridor. "As it is my duty for being her brave uncle!" Suddenly he quieted, remembering of how his wife and other people snarled at him to be quiet when he wasn't. There was silence. Just to be sure though, the Invectid tip toed quietly as he exited the corridor. Then at the beginning of the stairway that led to the dining room, Grasshop noticed that one of the Spider Rider's rooms was open. Curiosity overcame him as the blue Invectid stepped cautiously inside.

The sleeping form of Hunter Steele was tucked tightly inside the bedcovers. Grasshop could only see the slight tip of his red hair, as the human was cocooned inside the blankets. The eleven year old boy was still oblivious to the fact that Grasshop was standing above him. Suddenly Grasshop saw something shinny blinking in the light. His eyes widened when he saw that the cause of the shine was Hunter's headband. It's curious that he wears that even when he's sleeping. The green gems gleamed even brighter in the sunlight. The gems were sung against the headband that were holding them in. An idea instantly sprang into Grasshop's head. He almost giggled in delight. Slowly he reached an arm over Hunter's red hair peeping from the blankets and removed the headband around his head. The boy didn't even stir when Grasshop exited the door, hiding the headband in his jacket. Mother did always say I was too mischievous for my own good.

Hunter Steele woke with the sunlight in his eyes. He shied his hand above his eyes for a moment, yawning. "It's too early," he moaned. With a sigh he collapsed in his cocoon of sheets again and was about to go back to sleep when he heard a voice nearby.

"Hunter! It's already nine thirty! You should be eating breakfast right now!" Hunter would know that annoying voice from anywhere.

"It's not like you were guarding the castle late into the night!" He argued in his manacle with his usual comeback. "A Spider Rider needs a good night's rest."

"I was guarding last night too, and I'm perfectly fine," Shadow retorted. "Honesty, Hunter, you're the laziest human I've ever met."

"Fine," Hunter grumbled. He untangled himself from the blankets. He gave himself a luxurious stretch before running his hands through his hair. "I'll go have breakfast now –" Suddenly Hunter abruptly stopped speaking. His hands were motionless where his headband was supposed to be. It wasn't there.

"Hunter?" Shadow called. Silence was the spider's answer. That wasn't a good thing; he learned that from dealing with Hunter from day to day. "Hunter?" His partner didn't respond to his name.

Hunter meanwhile ran his hands through his hair again. Maybe he missed it. Unfortunately Hunter did not feel the headband's gems or the headband itself. Panic settled in within him. Suddenly the eleven year old boy heard Shadow calling him."What is it?" he said distractedly.

"Finally you answer," Shadow murmured under his breath. "I asked you if you were okay."

Hunter immediately shook off the blankets and searched frantically for a mirror. He heard Shadow continuously calling for him, concern slowing etching his voice. Hunter was breathing hard by the time he got his hands on a small hand-held mirror. His green eyes frantically searched for the headband that he desperately believed was there. It wasn't. Shadow's voice faded in and out of Hunter's hearing as panic steadily climbed. Something large and uncomfortable filled his chest. "It's gone."

"What's gone?" Shadow practically shouted.

"My headband!" Hunter shouted in equal frustration as his voice cracked. "It's not there!" He fought the urge to scream. "I have to find it!" Clumsily, he started for the stairs.

"I had no idea humans could be so sentimental," Shadow said in half concern and half annoyance. For once Hunter didn't reply. The Spider Rider's bare feet scratched against the stone of staircase, but his mind was on the headband that Hunter had somehow lost. I always have it on me even when I sleep, Hunter thought frantically. Suddenly his dilemma was interrupted by Shadow's voice from the manacle.

"Why do you care about that headband so much? It doesn't look good on you anyway."

"It doesn't matter if it looks good on me or not!" Hunter was almost yelling at Shadow now, and he didn't care if he destroyed the spider's hearing or not right now. "It's…" Suddenly Hunter could no longer fight the tears wanting to spill from his eyes.

"Hunter?" The boy did not hear his partner's voice trying to reach him. His only focus was trying to stop the tears from smearing all over his face. He failed miserably.

"I see my trick worked, I see." Hunter spun around to see Grasshop smirking before him, the Invectid lying lazily against the dining table. Suddenly the Invectid's face fell at the sight of Hunter's tears. "Why are you crying?"

"Give it back!" Hunter shouted desperately. Grasshop almost shied away from the human's nimble fingers, but then remembered that he had the headband beneath his coat. The headband flew into the air, and Hunter caught it, visibly relieved. Hunter could see confusion mar the Invectid's face as he calmed and brushed his finger through his hair and his headband.

"Uh…what just happened there?" Grasshop asked dully.

"What just happened, Grasshop, is that you caused Hunter unnecessary pain." Grasshop visibly flinched from the enmity coursing through Shadow's voice. He almost slinked away when Hunter rose up his hand in a gesture of peace.

"It's okay, Grasshop." Hunter tried to smile, but failed. His voice too was miserable in trying to fake the easiness he didn't feel. He felt a kind of grateful when Shadow reprehended him for seemingly forgetting what had happened.

"I didn't forget!" Hunter said with surprisingly fierceness. "I never forget," Hunter sad more quietly. Without even looking at Grasshop or Shadow, the boy could see the confusion on their faces. "It's not like it's the first time that this has happened anyway," he finished lamely. Hunter felt the harshness of the whole bubbling in his chest again as he remembered the panic when he had realized the headband was gone.

"What happened the first time?" Shadow's voice was oddly quiet and sincere. He didn't rush Hunter when he started to speak.

"It happened soon after my mom died," Hunter explained quietly. He wasn't aware of Grasshop's shocked gaze on him."Some kid managed to get the headband away from my hands; it was too big to be put on my head then. I managed to find him then, and broke his nose before the teacher found us." Hunter sighed from the memory. The kid's face echoed in his mind even though it had been years since the incident. He remembered the scowl he had on his plump face when he was taken to the principal's office. "I guess he just wanted to see how I would react if the headband was away from me since I had it with me everywhere since my mom died. It was the only attachment I had of her left." His throat constricted in pain as he remembered the very same panic that he settled within him as a child.

"How old were you when this happened?" Shadow asked.

"Five," Hunter answered. "I still remember her hand over mine when she lied in the bed when she was dying. I was just a child, but I knew something was wrong. She was so weak and couldn't smile at me anymore." His mother's dark red hair echoed in his mind. The hair that he loved to play with and that was starting to grow back remained in his head. "She wanted me to have the headband she was wearing in order to remember her." Hunter suddenly turned at the sound of sniffles emerging from Grasshop. The Invectid's eyes were flowing with thick tears and snot dribbled down his chin.

"I'm so sorry, Hunter Steele!" He bawled. "I had no idea that the headband meant so much to you! Otherwise I wouldn't have taken it!" Against his will, Hunter felt Grasshop's skinny arms embracing him and tears soak in sleepwear. "Your mother must have been beautiful!" Shock coursed through Hunter's form, and he hastily broke himself free.

"It's okay." He liked his lips and tried to stay calm from the lie that was about to come from his mouth. "It happened a long time ago."

"Then why do you still think about it?"

Hunter's and Grasshop's head turned toward the voice. Aqune stood on top of the stairway in her civilian clothes, and Hunter couldn't help but to admire how graceful the purple haired girl jumped from the staircase and was right in front of him. "Why do still hold onto your mother even though she's been gone from your world for six years?" Hunter didn't answer Aqune at first. She's so much like my mom, he thought wistfully. Amber Steele had been independent and kind as she raised her small son and father under one roof. Even after she was diagnosed with cancer, Hunter's mother had constantly worried about other people, especially her small son. "Keep this with this with you always, Hunter. It'll keep you warm and safe if you become sad thinking of me." Hunter cleared his throat and returned to the present.

"Gramps actually first gave this headband to my grandmother first when they were married. I still remember that Gramps told me that he got this headband as a souvenir from World War II. I know now that he got this headband from the Inner World." Hunter stopped speaking for a moment, and saw Aqune had empathy in her eyes.

"Our parents gave us our earrings before they died. I'm ashamed to say that Corona and I don't remember their faces, or how old we were when we got them." Aqune briefly glanced at her earrings before staring at Hunter's headband. "She and I were able to put the pieces together from our memories, and we know now that our only memory of them was the day they died." Hunter nodded, remembering the sad day when Corona and Aqune locked themselves in their chambers, not speaking to anyone. Hunter had heard from Aqune's lips of how her parents had died and of how she had been separated from Corona when their parents' killers, the Invectids, chased them. "I was seven years old."

"My mom started wearing the headband when she was eleven. I remember asking her when I was going to start wearing it too. She told me that I could start wearing it when it fit me." Gramps wanted me to take care of it even after both of them died. Hunter abruptly quieted, not yet prepared to say what he want to say.

"But your mother died before she could see the headband around your head," Aqune finished gently. Hunter nodded, feeling the tears from his eyes leak again. His green eyes blurred, and he shut them from embarrassment. He didn't count on feeling warm hands encircle his trembling body, and felt Aqune's sweet breath tickling his cheek. Despite himself, Hunter smiled. It wasn't almost as if his mother was hugging him again.

"Thank you, Aqune," Hunter said with a smile after they had let go of each other. Her soft smile echoed his own peacefulness spreading through his heart. Aqune didn't have to say a word. She only nodded.

Meanwhile, Grasshop was sobbing again over what he had witnessed. "Poor orphaned Spider Riders," he said between sniffles. "Wait," he said with a sudden thought as the dining room emptied. "I don't know what orphaned is!" For a moment his mind remained blank. Then another curious question plagued his mind. "I wonder, why did Hunter not like my hug, but like Aqune's?"