Everything turned dark around Richard. You couldn't see Richard in this pitch blackness, only his hair that was glowing purple. Then Richard and his spider Moona lit up together in a surge of purple light. Richard's armour flashed bright purple, his boots and armour to his chest were ivory like a steel spear. His hands were holding two very long silver swords and a violet helmet covered his head. He became a Spider Rider.
The kind and usually quiet spider Moona was equipped with miniature shields over her legs that protected her feet when falling and defending against weapons. Her eyes were glowing and looked like two moons. The rest of her looked the same but more terrifying. Richard jumped on his spiders back.
" Spider Rider!"
Richard transformed just in time, the thing in the forest hurled a broken wood trunk at him. Moona fired two long string of webs from two holes next to her eyes and threw the log into a tree. Two long shots of spider web fired into Moona but she jumped back.
" The enemy is a Spider Rider. It's about time a challenger appeared."
Richard wanted to face another Spider Rider since he came to this human and humanoid insect coexisting planet...he didn't count Hunter because he was a disappointment. This Spider Rider, whoever he was, jumped out of the woods, blocking the light in Richard's eyes.
" Moona," Richard whispered calmly to his spider. " If they are airborne we must go airborne. Execute the Silk Throw Thrust."
Moona nodded in agreement. The spider breathed enough silk to cover a five dogs. She twirled the spider webs until a ball was made, and then she walked with her mouth full of webs into a tree. Moona picked up her front legs, also used as her arms, and pulled the tree out of it's roots. The next step Moona rubbed her web against both sides of the tree, sticking it to her mouth and Richard jumped on.
" You know this is very dangerous," Moona said backing away and stretching the web.
" I know," Richard said calmly. " We always crashed on this move, but forty-two times the charm. Launch!"
Richard was released like a slingshot, a simple contraction of two long pieces of wood and a long piece of rubber. It can fire items at an unbelievably quick speed. The same thing was happening to Richard flying towards the Spider Rider, swords held down as he made his ascent, and smiling the entire way to the battle.
Richard's swords made it to the Spider Rider's weapon. His weapon was a staff with large knives protruding out both ends and a golden guard in the middle. Richard could remember this weapon vividly but had no recollection of the person who used it. He raised his hand to the Spider Rider and grabbed his neck, one sword ready at the riders throat, he was surprised to say...
" Gawd! Are you insane?! I could have killed you!"
Of all the stupid, half-wit, dumb little boys who attacked Richard none were more stupid than the rider he was holding. He looked at him with those beautiful green eyes, made as a cat in a hollow tree, reminded him of a little boy, but cladded in pure white armour and blue pants.
" I told you attacking him was a bad idea, Hunter," the spider mumbled after his rider was defeated by Richard. " You couldn't let someone belittle you in front of Katydid. You had to fight him in his cave."
Richard reflected something of how he treated Hunter. Maybe he was rude and self-centered but Hunter was in his home; he couldn't have the whole house. On the way down Moona fired strings of webs around Shadow. The web slowed Shadow down but wouldn't stop him from crashing. Moona crawled back and removed a tree with her back legs. She created a ball of web around the tree and lifted it to where Shadow was falling. He was falling so slow...she raised the ball and captured Shadow.
" Are you alright, master?"
" I can't move my legs!" Shadow exclaims trying to move his legs but the spider webs were keeping him trapped.
" You are free to release us, Moona?" Richard asked.
" Oops. Sorry, master." Moona was a sweet spider, but sometimes she was so stupid it made everyone angry. Moona clipped them off with her fangs. " I did a good job?" Moona, mimicking Sparkle's spider Hotarla, she blinked those flashy big eyes and stood up to hug Richard.
" Moona, you weight enough to crush me." Moona stopped. Richard was right. There was barely a time Richard was ever wrong, if everyone listened to Richard they could have a happy life. " That was some weapon you used...what was your name again?"
" Hunter Steele!" Hunter gave Richard an evil look. Richard still didn't pay him any attention.
" Anyway, I like your weapon. It's different from a sword. You have two sharp ends and I only have one sharp one, if you use it correctly it can beat any other weapon. I have one problem with the way you use it. You keep the weapon too close to your face when you use it instead of holding it as low and far away from your body as possible. Let me show you."
Hunter tried to keep his weapon safe from Richard's hands. He squeezed it as tightly as he could, but Moona fired long webs that snatch Hunter's weapon and passed it to Richard. Richard examined both sides of the weapon, equally sharp and decorated in the middle line. The weapon, perfectly balanced and light. Richard held his weapon in a different way, raising one leg up he put the weapon on top, and then he did a cartwheel with the weapon. Hunter watched as Richard used a style that mixed dancing, moving Hunter's weapon around, or thrusting it.
" Are you giving me the 'ok'?" Moona asked after Richard moved his weapon around. Richard nodded holding Hunter's weapon with both hands. Moona spat two webs from her mouth and picked Richard's swords off the ground.
" She's not going to...?" Hunter started but stopped by Moona.
" Am I the only one taking this seriously?" Shadow asked as if his question sounded weird.
" Remember this, Hunter Steel," Richard said trying to be the teacher. " This is my first time holding this weapon. I'm going to use it better than you because I practice with two hands."
Hunter nodded sourly. He scrunched his face every time he looked at Richard. Richard seemed focused and only focused on Moona, particularly her eyes, she would always be a good girl. She moved his swords like a tornado spinning it around. Shadow glared at her skills. She whipped Richard's sword back for momentum and it travelled to Richard. A sharp weapon cut through the webs dropping the swords.
" Master!" Moona cried hiding her face with her legs. " I'm sorry."
" Hey, don't sound like a decrepit old woman," Richard laughed picking his swords up. " Arachana Out."
Richard was a glowing violet of engulfed light ready to change into a lower rank. Hunter still had a sour expression on his face when Richard changed, his clothes changing into his house clothes and his swords were gone. He was just an ordinary person until he picked up Hunter's weapon. He was now an ordinary person equipped like a Spider Rider. However, he gave the weapon to Hunter.
" That didn't count," Hunter said bashfully. " You only had two strings to cut. I can do that."
" Stick it to me," Richard simply said.
" W-what?" Hunter said in disbelief.
" I want you to stick that weapon in my belly like the man you are. You say my fight was easy, but that's only because I am good enough to win any fight. If you don't believe me—I will take your weapon and throw you on the ground like the worm you are—come at me, Hunter Steel."
" Do not make fun of me!" Hunter yelled. " I'm mad at you but I am not going to hurt you."
" You won't hurt me or you won't hurt someone who is unarmed? What are you going to do, girly boy? Your voice sounds like a girl. The first time I heard you speak I thought you were a girl. I was told you were having girl problems, and now I know it's just a girly feeling inside you."
" Stop it!" Hunter demanded.
" I don't like people who want people to feel sorry for themselves. You look pathetic. I heard you talking in your sleep...Corona. I thought it was your name, but it's a girl you are trying to control. A girl isn't someone you can just ask to have feelings for you. You wear silly clothes trying to get her attention. You speak with a girl voice because your pubescent period is too late. You think about harvesting corn all day because they remind you of her mouth. You will soon wake up, if you are sleeping or it 's just an illusion, is that you don't deserve—"
Hunter lost control and charged at Richard. Richard didn't seem like the man who had a lot of strength but he grabbed Hunter's weapon and lift him, throwing him to the ground. Shadow tried jumping in to help Hunter but Moona had the drop on him. Richard kicked his weapon away. Hunter was humiliated, defeated, and Richard was staring at him. Was he going to help him or not. One thing Hunter was sure about was Richard had a human side he didn't see. He had the courage to do the things Hunter could never do.
" We are done for today."