AN: Basically, I wrote something about Lumen and his background. It was a fun challenge, since I don't write about him too much. Also required inventing a lot of backstory and headcanon, because canon is so frustratingly vague on everyone's histories. This is set three years after the series end, going by the Japanese ages. So Lumen is 12 in the Japanese rather than 10, making him 15 now and not 13. Also, I might do a sequel to this at some point, because I did have some more ideas that didn't quite fit.
Lumen's 15th birthday celebration was an incident best left forgotten. To sum it up, there was a bit too much alcohol, too many guests, and things got out of hand. Even among the guests, memories were fuzzy on the actual details. Simply, the Spider Riders… Igneous most especially… wanted to put that embarrassment behind them. And there was possibly one way to do it.
The prince was slouched in his throne. His eyes were wandering around the room. He didn't do a thing to hide his boredom. Sparkle was standing by his side, Hotarla behind her as usual.
Lumen sighed loudly.
"What is Igneous doing? He asked me to meet him down here, but he's sure taking his time."
"Be patient," Sparkle replied. The girl wore an excited smile. Sparkle was 11 years old now, but she'd never really lost that childish innocence of hers. It made sense to Lumen, though. Arachna had been in a mostly peaceful state since the war's end. And Sparkle was a princess who probably had everything she could ever want or need. She got along with everyone and always had friends. She had no reason to become jaded. But as for why she seemed particularly happy now? Well, that was what concerned Lumen. What did she know that he didn't?
Before Lumen had a chance to ask, Igneous finally came into the room. But he wasn't alone. Behind him stood Hunter, Corona and Magma.
"My apologies for taking so long," Igneous said, bowing his head. "I had to round everyone up first."
"Okay," Lumen said, although he sounded rather skeptical. Now, he was positive something major was going on. But the fact that he didn't know what it might be annoyed him a bit.
"Hey, so why are we all meeting in the throne room anyway?" asked Hunter right away. He wasn't sure if the others knew, but he certainly didn't, so he didn't mind asking in their stead.
It appeased Lumen somewhat to hear him ask. He was glad he wasn't the only one out of the loop.
"That's what I'd like to know, Hunter," he replied.
"So you really don't know." Igneous sighed in disappointment. Yet, from his tone of voice, he didn't sound too surprised.
"Hey, it is kind of sudden…" Corona spoke up. She didn't really want a fight to start. Although she guessed the matter didn't really concern her. She was reluctant to say any more.
"Yes, perhaps it is," Igneous replied. "However, pushing off this matter for too long won't do us any good."
"Hey! Can you tell me already?" Hunter interrupted.
"Shh…" Magma grabbed Hunter lightly by the arm. "I'm not sure what's going on either, but let's wait and listen."
"Alright," Hunter said. He realized that was probably the smart thing to do.
"Prince Lumen…" Igneous cleared his throat. "I do want you to know that I respect you. Your actions as prince and as a Spider Rider have been valuable to the entire kingdom."
"But…" Lumen answered. He knew there had to be a but.
"You are no longer a child. Perhaps all of us are to blame for the way your celebration turned out. But you are the face of Arachna. You must present yourself as a dignified ruler that all the people will respect. Someone they could turn to without doubts in a time of crisis, if one ever should arise again. The other day, with so many subjects in your audience, you certainly were not."
Lumen nodded.
"I see your point. But is there any reason you had to invite everyone here to lecture me on that?"
"Let me continue," Igneous replied. "What I wanted to bring to your attention is the fact that you are now 15 years old. Thus, by Arachnan law, you can officially be crowned king. Accepting that responsibility would be a step in the right direction."
"Woah! I can't believe I never thought of that," said Hunter. "It's weird that Arachna has a prince, but not a king or queen."
"That is the way it had to be," Igneous replied. "Until now."
"This is so great, isn't it?!" Sparkle exclaimed.
"Uh… yeah," replied Lumen. He cracked a smile, but was thoroughly unconvinced. "On the other hand, just because I could be king doesn't mean I should. Like you said, Igneous, I have to be a dignified ruler. Isn't it better to be a shameful prince than a shameful king?"
"What are you saying?" Igneous replied, looking genuinely confused. "I believe if you have a grand coronation ceremony, perhaps inviting all of Arachna's noble families as guests of honor, everyone will see a different side of you. You will not be a shameful king, but an honored one."
"That's easy for you to say," Lumen replied. "You're not the one who's going to be affected by this. You can go on doing the same things as always. In fact, you're lucky. You don't have to do anything at all. You're just a commander, and the knights haven't exactly been busy lately."
Hunter, Corona and Magma looked to each other. This was becoming an awkward situation to watch. But they weren't sure if they should do anything.
"Umm…" Hunter decided to jump in. Maybe change the subject a little. "Was the last king your father, Lumen? What ever happened to him? What about your mother?"
"Hunter, that's besides the point," Igneous answered for him. Paying no mind to Hunter, he looked to Lumen intently. "Whether or not there are battles to fight, I take my position seriously. As should you, Prince. Being king isn't a choice you can make. It has been set in stone since the day you were born. If your parents were still alive, you would not have to take their place just yet. But as it stands, the question now is not if you will be king, but when. And I feel strongly that it should be sooner than later."
"I agree," Sparkle said. "I think it would be cool! What about you, Hotarla?"
"Kyu!"
"Do you require an answer from me right now?" Lumen spoke. He looked irritated.
"No," Igneous decided. He wanted one, a 'yes' more specifically, but supposed it didn't have to happen immediately.
"Good," said Lumen. "Then I'll be in my room if you need me. But I hope nobody does."
At that, he slid off his seat, turned around, and slowly made his way out of the room.
"Hey, Lumen!" Hunter called.
The prince barely turned his head around.
"What is it, Hunter?"
"Don't run off! I want to talk."
"Do I look like I'm running?" Lumen asked. "Why waste the effort? Besides, running indoors is dangerous. I'm walking off."
Hunter was too dumbfounded to say anything else. He and the others simply watched as Lumen turned around a corner and out of sight.
Corona shook her head.
"Well that could have gone better."
"I don't understand," Sparkle said. She made her way closer to Igneous and the others. "Why doesn't brother want to be king?"
"It's a lot of work, you know," replied Magma. "And he's the laziest prince I've ever seen… the only one I've ever seen, but hey."
"How much more is he going to have to do than what he does now?" Hunter asked. "He's basically the king."
"Yeah, I agree," said Corona. "And we have it much easier here than in the other Kingdoms. Last I heard, Nuuma is still rebuilding from the Insector invasion. And the Insector world itself has gotten much better, but they still have a lot of problems to overcome."
"It isn't about the amount of work, I'm afraid," Igneous said. "But being prince and being king is a difference. To be a true figurehead to the people, Lumen will have to present himself in a very different way. He can't appear to be slacking. He can't chase after girls. I feel, even if he never was royalty, he would still have to accept the differences that come with childhood and adulthood. But for him especially, it's vital. He will always be in the public's eye."
"But Igneous…" Sparkle looked at him sternly. "Don't you always say my brother acts when the time is right? Don't you trust him?"
"Princess…" It was true, what she said. He did feel that way about the prince. When had Lumen ever let them down? The time he fell in love with Beerain and tried to give her the Oracle Key non-withstanding. But even that worked out in the end. "Perhaps you're right. I do trust him. Now should not be any different. I think Prince Lumen will come around and make the right decision."
"Great!" Hunter exclaimed. He was genuinely glad to see Igneous wasn't upset with Lumen. Discord between Spider Riders was never really a good thing. But he also wanted to resolve this issue so he could satisfy his own curiosity. "While we wait for him to change his mind, would anyone mind filling me in? What happened to the old king and queen anyway?"
"You want to know that badly, huh?" said Magma. "You already asked, what, three times?"
"Yeah," Hunter said. He didn't think it was that big a problem to ask. "Do you know?"
"Nope," Magma replied. "You've lived in this castle for longer than me."
"I can tell you!" Sparkle exclaimed. "Our parents were Spider Riders too! They-" She paused and turned her head to the empty throne. "Oh, right." Disappointment now shown in her voice. "Brother left. He told me the story about our parents many times. He can tell it a lot better than me."
"Really?" Hunter said, disappointed as well. "But I don't mind if you're the one to tell it. Your mom and dad sound cool already."
"I think they were," Sparkle said. "But I don't really remember them. Brother does. That's why he can tell you better."
Hunter sighed.
"Alright, Sparkle. If you insist."
"Mhm," she said. "Hey, I know. I'll go talk to Lumen. I can get him to tell you."
"Awesome!" Hunter exclaimed.
"Come on, Hotarla!" Sparkle ran out, with her spider trailing behind. Hotarla was bigger than she was three years ago, but still not nearly as energetic as her Rider.
Lumen groaned, at the repetitive tapping sound at his door. His first instinct was that it would go away if he just ignored it. But it didn't. Then, a voice followed.
"Brother! It's me!"
"Kyu! Kyu! Kyu!"
"Sparkle?" That it was her at the door (seemingly just her and her spider) was enough to make the prince far less bothered. "You can come in. The door isn't locked."
"Thanks," said Sparkle. She turned the knob and indeed could get in with no problem. Inside, she saw Lumen in bed, bundled up under multiple blankets.
"Did Igneous send you here?" Lumen wondered. He hoped not, but wanted to get that out of the way first.
"No," Sparkle said. "I wanted to come."
Lumen's whole face lit up.
"Just to see me?"
"Well… kind of," Sparkle said.
"Kind of?" He was already a bit disheartened.
"I wanted to tell Hunter about our parents," Sparkle replied. "I already slipped and told him they were Spider Riders, but I want you to tell him the rest."
"Oh," Lumen said.
"You don't want to?" Sparkle asked, curiously.
"It isn't that," Lumen replied. "It's not like it's a well-kept secret. Hunter has the right to know if he's interested. It's just one thing after another now."
"Hmm…" Sparkle could tell how down her brother was feeling. Certainly, she didn't like seeing him this way. She wanted to do something about it. Maybe, if she understood a little better…
"I was surprised that you don't want to be king," she spoke. "Igneous said it's because you don't want to change and act like an adult all the time. Is that true?"
Lumen groaned in reply. He pulled the blankets over his head.
"I don't want to talk about this now."
"But… I want to know," Sparkle replied. "If that's not the reason, how come?"
"I didn't say it's not the reason," Lumen mumbled. "Well, the truth is, it's more complicated than that."
"Then what is it?" Sparkle asked.
"I said I don't want to talk about it. And I don't feel like telling Hunter either. Why don't you do it? Or Igneous can."
"No! It has to be you!" Sparkle shouted.
Lumen flinched, hearing Sparkle raise her voice. He didn't want to upset her.
"I'll think about it. Just let me sleep,"
"Alright," Sparkle said. "But I'll wait for you to tell him." She sounded determined. It was easy for Lumen to tell how much it meant for Sparkle for him to be the one. Just… he really didn't feel like it.
'I wonder what he meant…' Sparkle tried contemplating Lumen's words, as she headed to find Hunter. Lumen was her brother. If anyone could understand him, wouldn't she be the one? But she didn't. And that frustrated her. 'Mom and Dad would know what to do for sure, if they were here.' At least she thought so, from the way Lumen always described them. They were wise, strong, loved all their people… the perfect queen and king. Supposedly, but she couldn't even remember their faces, much less their actions. They only felt real from Lumen's stories.
Parents were a thing that most kids had. Sparkle may have once had them, may have felt like she knew them, but she still wasn't entirely sure what it was like. She thought of Buguese and Aqune's newborn daughter. What was it like for her? Did she recognize her parents yet? Would this princess get to grow up knowing what it's like to have them? Sparkle hoped so. Because she wished the same for herself. Every time she thought of Lumen's stories, she wished it stronger.
When Sparkle wandered into the living area, she became distracted from her thoughts. There, she found Hunter and Corona resting together on the couch.
Hunter perked up, noticing Sparkle's arrival.
"Did you talk to Lumen?" he asked.
"Yeah," Sparkle said. "I'm sorry. He said he didn't feel like talking."
"Really?" Hunter looked concerned, as did Corona.
"I think he might need some time alone," Corona suggested.
"I know," Sparkle said. "Brother did say he would think about it."
"That's a start, then," Hunter replied. "But are you sure he has to be the one to tell me, Sparkle?"
"I'm positive," she replied. "Don't worry."
"You seem pretty worried yourself," Hunter said. The girl just wasn't as lively as usual.
"Well…" Sparkle didn't see any reason to deny it. She nodded.
"What happened?" Corona asked.
"I asked my brother why he didn't want to be king," explained Sparkle. "He said that Igneous was right, but there was another reason. I can't figure out what."
"Another reason?" Corona wondered. She looked to Hunter. "Do you have any idea?"
"Umm…" It was hard to think on the spot. "Not really," he admitted. "But… hmmm…" Hunter was scratching his head and flailing all over, as if an answer would come to him that way.
"You don't need to figure it out now," Shadow commented from within the manacle.
"Yeah, but I want to!" Hunter exclaimed.
"It's okay, really" Sparkle said. She was giggling at Hunter's behavior.
"You can sit down with us, if you'd like," Corona said. "Maybe we can think of something together."
"Sure," Sparkle replied. It sounded nice to her.
And thus, the three sat down to contemplate. And quickly got nowhere. Their conversations began diverging to off-topic matters.
"Umm… hey guys." A bored sounding voice came from the doorway.
"Brother!" Sparkle was delighted to see him re-emerge. She ran up to Lumen, giving him a big hug.
Lumen laughed nervously. He certainly didn't mind, but he didn't expect it either.
Sparkle let go of him in a moment.
"If you're here, does that mean you want to tell Hunter the story?"
"Yeah, I guess," Lumen said.
"Cool!" Hunter replied.
"Yeah, it is pretty cool," answered Lumen. "Now, Hunter, there's one thing you need to do before I can tell you."
"What's that?" Hunter asked.
"Make room for me on the couch," Lumen answered.
Hunter scooched over. That was easy enough.
"Perhaps you should stand," Lumen suggested. "It's a bit of a long story. What if I need to lay down?"
"Prince!" Corona yelled. "There's plenty of room for both of you."
"Oh, alright. I suppose," said Lumen. He took a seat, regardless of the fact that Hunter and Corona were still there as well. "So… where should I start?"
"From the beginning," Sparkle replied.
"Hmm… alright then," answered Lumen. "Well, our mother was a descendent of King Arachna III, who was the first Spider Rider, if you remember."
"Yeah, I remember that," said Hunter.
"Arachna is traditionally a boy's name. But my grandfather had no sons, so he couldn't keep up the family naming line. Not exactly. Her name was Ara. Now, Ara was a princess, but she was much more like Sparkle than the traditional princesses you read about in the storybooks. She liked adventure, and was set on becoming a Spider Rider when she was older, like her father. She had no desire to be queen."
"So she's kind of like you too, who doesn't want to be king," Corona pointed out.
Lumen sighed.
"Yes, you could say so. Anyway, one day, she ran off from the castle to avoid her studies. Of which I sincerely don't blame her. And that day, she ran into a little trouble."
"What happened?" Hunter wondered.
"I was going to tell you," Lumen answered. "She was out playing by the river. She told me she was trying to catch fish. But she accidentally fell into the water. It wasn't deep at that part, but the currents were strong. And one thing she was never taught was how to swim. Fortunately, she was rescued that day by a giant spider. She was a black spider named Coal. Coal and my mother bonded quickly, and they would be future battle partners."
"But she doesn't even have a manacle, does she? How could she partner with a spider?" Hunter asked.
"Well," Lumen said. "When she came home that day, and relayed what happened to her parents, they were grateful to Coal. They reluctantly decided that she was destined to be a Spider Rider. After that, my grandfather began to train her, and she would inherit his manacle. However, this was under the condition that she took her duties as princess seriously, and would also one day marry and continue on the family line. This always has been significant for royal families, even before King Arachna III became the first Spider Rider, making my family an even more significant one. Of course, I intend to get married too, hopefully to someone beautiful."
"Yeah, yeah," Hunter replied. "Get to the point."
Lumen cleared his throat.
"Oh, alright. But it hurts that I haven't managed to find a steady girlfriend yet."
"We know," Corona replied. She rolled her eyes.
"Okay. Next, I'll explain a bit about my father," Lumen continued. "His name was Shine. Now, my father didn't come from any royal family, but he was a Spider Rider as well, quite the young strategist. And his spider… well, his name was Ebony."
"Wait!" Hunter exclaimed. "You don't mean… that Ebony?"
"That's exactly what I mean," Lumen answered. "This spider right here. Ebony, spider out!"
Once summoned, the white spider materialized in the room.
"So how old is Ebony?" Hunter wondered.
"I haven't asked," Lumen replied. "As you've probably noticed, Ebony is not very talkative."
"I suppose," Hunter replied. He guessed that spiders had much longer life spans than humans did. The slow rate that Hotarla seemed to age was proof of that.
"Now, I'd like to say my mom and dad had some grand fated meeting, but that really isn't the case. When mom got a little older, and started to train with the other Spider Riders in the kingdom, the two of them met. As it happens, my dad was a charming ladies man like I am. Girls fell for him left and right. At least that's what he told me, although mom isn't so certain. In any case, it was natural that my mom would fall for him too. Her parents had wanted to marry her to one of more noble blood, but they decided another Spider Rider would be the next best thing. Better than a simple peasant. In my case, a peasant would do just fine if she's cute."
Lumen noticed that Hunter and Corona were both groaning. Sparkle looked amused, though. Nonetheless, he knew he had to get back on track.
"So as you can guess, they were later married, took the throne, and I was born."
"And me too." Sparkle added. "Eventually."
"Mhm," said Lumen."But I was the first born. And I guess, that means, the heir."
"Hey, how come they named you Lumen, and not Arachna?" Hunter wondered.
"Well, the line was already broken," said Lumen. "And my dad once told me he wanted to give us names derived from light. Because after all, light is hope. We were to be the future, and both my parents wished for that future to be one of peace. Plus, his name also came from light. Maybe he just liked that better."
"I see," Hunter said.
"And they were right," Corona added. "You and Sparkle will get to live most of your lives in peace."
"Most of it, yes," answered Lumen. "Unless the castle collapses in tonight and we all die. But hopefully that won't happen."
"Why would it?" Corona looked stunned.
"I don't think it will," Lumen replied. "But the truth is, you never know how long a person will live." He appeared surprisingly solemn for a moment. "I should continue, right?"
"Right," answered Hunter.
"Okay. So, my parents not only had their duties as king and queen, and as parents, but they remained active members of the castle's Spider Rider team. Some people advised against it, but our numbers were scarce, and both of them simply wanted to continue fighting. That was how much they believed in their cause. They were determined to beat the Insectors, and make the Inner World a land of peace for everyone. Sometimes they would return to the castle late at night, tired and injured, but I wasn't worried. I suppose I didn't understand much at the time about what they did. I simply knew they were heroes, and the Insectors were the bad guys. They saved a lot of people, and I admired them for what they did. Actually, Mom stayed home more when she was pregnant with Sparkle. But after she gave birth, she went right back to fighting."
"They were pretty dedicated," Hunter commented.
"I know," agreed Sparkle.
Lumen nodded.
"Heroes are people who are willing to stop evil and protect everyone at any cost. That's what they told me. And they meant it. The end."
"The end?!" Hunter didn't mean to scream. But to him, that was very blunt.
"Yes, that's the end," Lumen replied. "You asked to hear about my parents, and I told you all about them. I guess I could add some more details, but no sense jumping back. Besides, you know what happens next. They die. That's why they're not here today. It's not a very good story."
"Well… I guess…" Hunter wasn't quite sure how to reply.
"Brother…" Sparkle said. "You told me the ending. It's true that it wasn't very happy. But our parents died as heroes! Hunter should hear that too!"
"As heroes?" Lumen looked down at the floor. "That might be true. But they didn't have to die!"
Tears started to well up in Lumen's eyes. It frustrated him. He never planned to cry, not in front of an audience. He rubbed at his eyes with his arm.
"Brother." Sparkle ran up to him. But Lumen held out his arm to stop her from coming too close.
"We all learned in the end that fighting wasn't the right way to achieve peace. It was too late for mom and dad. All they did was keep fighting!"
His tears were flowing faster than he could brush them away. Neither Hunter nor Corona were sure what they could do or say. So they stayed right where they were.
Just the sight of seeing her beloved older brother cry brought Sparkle to tears as well.
"I… I wanted to get to know them…" she said. As Lumen was no longer trying to stop her, Sparkle ran to him. She wrapped her arms around him. And brother and sister cried together.
Still wondering if there was something she could do, Corona glanced around. And she saw something which surprised her. Before Hunter saw as well, and said anything, she leaned over and softly whispered something into his ear.
Hunter nodded in silent acknowledgement. The pair got up from the couch, and snuck out of the room.
Standing out by the doorway was Igneous.
"You were listening in?" Hunter whispered.
"Yes," Igneous replied quietly. "Will the two of you come with me?"
Both Hunter and Corona immediately agreed. They followed Igneous down a corridor, into an empty meeting room.
"Listen, Hunter, Corona…" Igneous began. "I've been thinking, and I'm pretty sure I understand why Lumen is so reluctant to become king."
"You do?!" Hunter exclaimed.
"Yes," said Igneous. "There's another story I think you should hear. It occurred not long after King Shine and Queen Ara lost their lives. Before you even came to the castle, Corona."
"Please, let us hear it," Corona replied.
"Alright," said Igneous. "Lumen was only five years old when the incident occurred. Back then, I was still a child myself. You see, my own father also died when I was young. But because he was an elite knight of Arachna whom the kingdom owed much to, and because I was chosen to be a Spider Rider, I was raised in the castle ever since. Even though Lumen and I hadn't become close friends at the time, I saw things simply through living here. Anyway, because Lumen was not of age to become king, a regent was placed in power to rule Arachna until his 15th birthday."
"Huh?! But I've never seen a regent here," Hunter interrupted. He looked at Corona, wondering if she knew something.
"Me neither," she replied.
"Neither of you would have met him," Igneous answered. "The regent lasted for no more than a year."
"Was he an enemy spy?!" Hunter wondered.
"That couldn't be!" replied Corona. "Or, did the Insectors target him?"
"The regent was not an enemy. He was a friend of the king and queen, and a good man. And to my knowledge, he is still alive today," Igneous replied. "The issue was simple. Prince Lumen hated the regent. Day after day, he terrorized the poor man, who simply tried his best to be a friend to the prince, and properly rule the kingdom. Lumen's behavior pushed him to the breaking point, and finally, he turned in his resignation and left the castle. The council of advisors were distraught. They hadn't foreseen this at all, and didn't know what to do. Anyone could see that simply replacing the regent, at least immediately, would lead to similar results. Prince Lumen protested that the regent couldn't be king. Only his father could, and no one else. The only option was for the council to rule themselves, without having one central ruler. Prince Lumen would gradually be taught about politics. It was thought that when he got a bit older, a new regent would be placed in power. But things simply never turned out that way. And that is how we reached the strange state the kingdom is in today."
"Wow!" Hunter exclaimed. "I knew Lumen could be persistent when he wants to be, but I never imagined he could go far enough to drive a person away."
"I only believe it because I saw it," Igneous replied. "But that's the truth."
"So Lumen doesn't want to be king because he doesn't want anyone to be king?" That was the conclusion Corona reached. But she wanted to be sure she and Igneous were on the same page.
"Yes," igneous replied. "At least, that's the way it seems to me. I wondered, perhaps, if Prince Lumen had changed his mind. Many years have passed since then. Arachna has changed a lot, and for the better. I felt guilty, listening in, but I had to find out for myself. I suppose Prince Lumen still is deeply affected by his parents' deaths. No, now that I think about it, it's been obvious all along. The prince always tried to oppose violence. He never wanted to fight with Ebony at first, to avoid unleashing the raw power his father's battle spider held. Much as he admired his parents, he wanted to take a different path from them, to prevent any further tragedy."
"Well… then what can we do?" Hunter asked. "I mean, if Arachna hasn't had a king for this long, and everything worked out alright, can't it stay like that?"
"I don't think that's an option, Hunter," Igneous replied. "The fact remains that Lumen is an adult now. Tradition stands from even before his parents' time. I won't force him to do anything, nor should I have to. But somehow… he must be convinced to take the crown and title of king." Igneous was extremely frustrated. That was obvious to Hunter and Corona. In truth, they all were a bit frustrated. It was a complicated situation, more than any of them initially believed.
"Hunter."
Hearing his name, he turned around. There stood Lumen, with Sparkle behind him.
"Prince!" Igneous immediately felt guilty. He had been hoping Lumen didn't find out that he had told Hunter and Corona as much as he did. Not that he had been sworn to any kind of secrecy. But still, it was rather personal. "I can explain."
"That isn't necessary," Lumen replied. "I'm not at all surprised that you were listening in. When Hunter and Corona left all of a sudden, that only confirmed it. However, I'm not here to talk to you. I want to talk to Hunter. The rest of you can remain if you choose."
"Uh… sure," said Hunter. "About what?"
"Sparkle was right," Lumen replied. "I think you should get to hear the end of the story."
"Umm…" Hunter was taken aback by this. It was true he wanted to hear it. But at this point, he wasn't expecting to.
"You don't want to?" Lumen wondered.
"No, I do," replied Hunter. "Please tell me."
"Alright," said Lumen. "This is the story of the last battle my parents fought. You should know, first, that a certain village in Arachna had taken major damage in an Insector attack not too long before. The Spider Riders had succeeded in chasing the Insectors out, but there was still much to do in helping the villagers get back on their feet. Of course, the Insectors also realized the people of that village would be particularly vulnerable. And it happened that it was near a field which grew a good amount of food resources. The Insectors wanted this, and planned a second surprise attack on this same village. On that night, the Insectors damaged everything in sight, took everything they could get their hands on. Of course, the Spider Riders heard their distress call, and my parents rushed to the scene. When they got there, a wild fire was already raging. Mom and dad did all they could to evacuate everyone. They succeeded. Some people were injured, but not one person in the village died that night. But by that point… according to Ebony, my parents were already worn out. After a desperate battle with the Insectors, only the two spiders returned alive."
Hunter and Corona could only gape in horror. Even knowing beforehand how it ended, the whole thing felt very cruel.
"I'm sorry, Lumen…" Hunter said.
"Me too," Corona agreed.
"I shouldn't have pushed you to tell me that," added Hunter.
"It's fine," Lumen said. "I chose to tell you. I didn't really want to but… I must say, it was refreshing to get that out. I realized I felt the same the first time I told Sparkle the whole story."
Sparkle smiled at him.
"I'm glad."
"Now, Igneous… I thank you for your ever persistent concern for the kingdom."
The commander flinched.
"I don't mean it sarcastically," replied Lumen. "That is something that makes you admirable. However, I find it somewhat insulting that you would value saving the kingdom's face over the feelings of your own friend."
"Prince," Igneous replied. He lowered his head. "I am sorry for putting pressure on you. You're right that I did not give enough consideration to your feelings on the matter, and hope that you can forgive me. Still…" He paused.
"I understand your point," Lumen continued before Igneous could say any more. "Rules are rules, and I am an adult in the eyes of the kingdom. To not even consider that when I should have been well aware was a mistake on my part. I believe it is about time I take up the crown."
"Do you mean it?!" Igneous was so startled, he actually screamed.
"Yes," Lumen replied. "For me to become king…or anyone else for that matter, it would mean acknowledging that my parents really are gone. Today, the two of them should still have been ruling over Arachna Kingdom. Sparkle should have been able to get to know them. All of you should have. But in my heart, I know, that simply isn't the reality. Whenever I look at the manacle on my wrist, at Ebony, who is my partner rather than dad's, I know. And it's painful." Lumen clenched his fists. He told himself not to cry. "I want to honor their memory. Sure, I can tell their story, so people know them for the heroes they were. But the best thing I can do is be the ruler they couldn't. To rule over the peaceful Arachna Kingdom they never got to see. It's true that I may have to present myself a little differently, and that's going to be hard. But I suppose that's what comes with growing up. Even if it's a drag."
"I'm really glad!" Sparkle exclaimed. "I think you'll make a great king."
"You don't have to change too much," Igneous said. He was so glad by this turn of events, he had to give that much.
"Really?" Hunter was surprised to hear that from Igneous of all people.
"Of course," Igneous said. "I've known you for a long time. Honestly, it would be a little jarring to see you stop chasing girls and sleeping at your desk every day. Besides, I haven't been the best adult myself."
"No kidding," Lumen replied. "When you got up and started singing about Queen Illuma in front of everyone at my party, everyone there was laughing. Even Stags."
"I did what?" Igneous face turned bright red. In all honesty, he couldn't even remember such an event. "Please tell me you're making that up."
"No, it was true," Corona said. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to admit it, although she wasn't aware it was any kind of secret.
"Please, tell me I'm dreaming!" Igneous ran out of the room as fast as he possibly could.
"Yep. You'll have no problem fitting in as king," Hunter said. "But you may have to look for a new commander."