DA: Well, heh heh... Sorry it's been this long. I really meant to continue much faster than this, but I got lazy, jumped into different fandoms, and lost inspiration in general. But now, I discovered that the online game still works, but only until late February and that dragged me into the show once again. I'm actually watching it now as I write this author's note.
Disclaimer: I do not own Spider Riders.
DA: Well then, enjoy the much awaited chapter 21 of Spider Riders: A New Evil!
Chapter 21
Blaze's eyes snapped open, a loud noise startling her awake. She looked around, completely confused. Last thing she remembered was her falling asleep on Crystal; now she lay in a room, blankets swathing her body and her spider nowhere in sight. The room shone slightly green, the color of the stone defining the coloring. A window, carved into one wall, revealed the still dark sky and a garden lit by torches. She stumbled out of bed, trying to gather her thoughts as another crash echoed through the building. The hollowness still remained in her heart, making her flinch as she examined it. Only, the strange scattered presence seemed far closer than it had been earlier.
Eyes wide, she threw the door open, a goal in mind. She had to find Igneous. He'd know what this meant. She saw the look in his hazel eyes, though she didn't truly understand it. Igneous knew more than he let on, a lot more. She found herself in a hallway that ended both ways in another room. She followed the noises to a kitchen where a young woman clutched a child to her chest, cowering beneath a window. The woman's terrified eyes stared at the redhead, frantically assessing her. They hesitated on the pale yellow device that encircled her wrist, widening slightly. She set the child down, allowing it to crouch where it was set, and crawled to Blaze's feet, clutching at her hand. "Please Lady Spider Rider," she cried, staring earnestly up at her. "Help protect our village from the robots attacking our town."
Blaze trained her gaze on the young woman, frozen in place by her actions. She must have mistaken her for someone else. The title struck a cord in her; Igneous called her the same thing: Spider Rider. Apparently, that blessed her with some inborn ability to battle. The redhead panicked, realizing that her hands had never curled around a weapon. Not firearm, not a sword, not even a switchblade that some people carried at her school. But she couldn't say that, not with this stranger depending on her. She nodded slightly, squeezing the woman's hands. "I will protect this place with everything I have," she whispered, smiling slightly.
The woman smiled as well, picking the child back up and assuming her hiding place. Blaze flinched as the sharp screeching of metal on metal scratched against her ears. Frowning, she thrust the door open, silently wondering where this new found courage appeared from. Strange machines, like the ones that had attacked her and Igneous, were scattered about the town, wrecking havoc wherever they walked. One of them spotted her has she quietly closed the door, trying not to bring attention to herself.
The redhead soon discovered that it had not worked as she dodged the Rod's spear, nearly tripping over her own two feet. Staring the metal being down, her feet thought for her, sprinting off in the opposite direction. Ironically, where they took her was where the fighting was focused. Now where was her confounded spider? The teen spotted a mound of blue hair and she headed towards it, remembering what she had to tell him. Her mouth opened to yell his name, or a variation of it, but only a breathy whisper wheezed past her lips. She was terrified, she just hadn't realized it until now.
She shook as three machines boxed her into a corner, trying to find a way out. A scream tore from her lips as a spear found its way to her throat. "Blaze!" Igneous cried, his eyes flicking to the direction of her voice. He blocked another weapon, tearing it from the fiend's grasp. He swore harshly, discovering he couldn't move much without carving himself a path. "Hold on! I'll be there as soon as I can."
Blaze swallowed, hearing his words. She felt the sting of the spear slicing her skin, blood leaking down her neck. Her back was pressed against a building and yet, the machine's still advanced towards her. She couldn't find a way out of this and she knew that she was good as dead. The power that had once protected her from Crystal remained dormant as if responding to her helplessness. The Rod brought the spear up, the metal reflecting the light of the fires. Her hands clenched into fists and she turned away, eyes closed. She could feel the touch of death as it wrapped around her.
But he strike never came. The redhead opened her eyes, glancing towards her attacker. The spear trembled in the Rod's grasp, thing strands of webbing wrapped around it. "Crystal!" Blaze cried, the spider colliding with the enemy. It collapsed under her weight, the metal bending outward. The teen jumped onto her spider, rubbing the cut on her neck. "Thanks Crystal."
"Don't mention it. You're my rider, what kind of partner would I be if I let you get killed," Crystal responded. Blaze noted the change of attitude in the multicolored battle spider, feeling slightly relieved. With her so-called mount no longer at her throat, perhaps she stood a chance in this crazy place. The spider rode on, trying to regroup with the scarily small fighting force. Blaze scanned the impromptu battlefield, her stomach swirling with nausea. Houses burned, white hot flames tearing the structures apart, and though most of the families had escaped, terrified shouts mingled with agonized screams, the cacophony grating harshly against her ears. A strong surge of anger surged through her; hands curling into fists.
No more running like a coward; she had to do something. Her hands loosened, once again falling limply at her sides. But what? Her eyes gazed hopelessly up at the moon, trying to think of something. She didn't have magic armor like Igneous had that only activated when she needed it. Her thoughts halted here, lifting her bracelet to eye level. Maybe she did. But how did he activate his earlier? She could barely remember, fear blurring her memories. "Sorry to interrupt," Crystal said, shaking her back to break Blaze from her thoughts. "But we're surrounded." The redhead blinked dumbly down at the spider.
"What?" she mumbled distractedly. Her mount sighed irritated.
"If you could pay attention for a moment... We're under attack!" Blaze glanced around, finding several spears pointing towards them, preventing movement. She stared blankly at them for several moments, still lost in her mind. She expected her mighty spider to do something.
"Why don't you just crush them or something?" The phrase Igneous had used bugged her; she knew that it was familiar to her, she just couldn't remember it. What was it?!
"Excuse me! They're pointing sharp weapons at us and you just expect me to rush at them? My armor may be tough but it's not impenetrable. I could use your help. Why don't you transform like Igneous does?" The redhead glared at the spider, frustration burning in her gaze.
"I'm still trying to figure out how! I'm an outsider remember? An Earthen. What I know about this place, I only know because of my grandfather's stories. That's all he did really. Tell stories and run around yelling Arachna Power for -" A bright, but gentle, light cut her off, covering both their bodies with its glow. It formed a thick spider web, cocooning both the pair. A strong burst of energy rose from within her, fueling the light.
She felt her arms lift up and a milky substance encased them, soon falling away. Her clothes shifted against her skin, transforming. Into what, she didn't know. Two objects secured her hair back and away from her face. Her legs felt free, which meant her shorts had changed into something looser. One of her arms remained bare and the other was completely covered in sturdy cloth. Heavy weights settled on her shoulders, a slab of some sort of material attaching itself to her manacle, a shield of some sort. As the last of the substance dropped from her, a glowing object appeared before her to take. She reached out and grabbed it, watching as the light faded.
Her eyes glanced at what she held in her hand, a gasp escaping from her mouth. A gleaming silver sword rested in her palm, the pink crystal at its hilt shining sharply as if winking. It's hilt was pastel yellow, though a white grip surrounded it. A long yellow ribbon floated gently in the breeze, twitching at the changes in air movement.
"I know you're shocked and all," Crystal said, sounding tense. "But gawk later. We have to fight now." Blaze glanced around, her eyes sweeping across the machines, all rearing back to strike. She gripped her weapon tightly, feeling her muscles strain. She had to fight, she just wished she knew how. A roar snapped her fear as Crystal began carving her way through monsters effortlessly. A spear had glanced of her toughened hide, leaving a deep slash.
The redhead snarled at the sight of the injury, angry as if it was her own. She flung her arm out at the next machine who dared attack Crystal. Miraculously, she caught a spear on her blade. Adrenaline raced immediately through her veins as the teen flung the opposing weapon from hers and stopped another. An amazed, but hysterical giggle escaped her lips. Blaze couldn't believe herself. She actually blocked a weapon!
Smiling crazily, she jerked her sword upwards, enjoying the sight of the robot's weapon sailing towards the heavens. Her eyes zeroed in on the thick red wire tracing the Rod's neck. Arm moving on its own, she sliced through the cord. It crumpled spectacularly, a heap of metal limbs. Blaze could still hear Igneous swearing as he struggled to get to her, giddy in the head of battle.
The whir of another machine caused her to turn, dispatching it in the same fashion. Suddenly, a shot of ice swept down her spine, snapping her from her battle induced daze. Sea green eyes went wide at the hollowness that wormed its way back into her heart. A chilling laugh echoed through and around the army. "Well, well," a woman said, her voice projecting above the sounds of battle. "What do we have here? I don't believe I'm familiar with you sweetheart." Blaze turned slowly, her face a mask of fear and shock. A set of dark eyes searched her face, a slow grin creeping across the new woman's features. "Or perhaps I am. You have one familiar face, Spider Rider. What are you called?"
The redhead was finding it hard to breathe, the menacing atmosphere blocking her ability to function like a normal human being. Her eyes kept swinging back to the black sword attached the the dark-haired woman's hip. Somehow though, her frozen lips made words. "B-blaze S-steele," she stuttered, the woman's grin widening.
"I didn't know I only had half of a matching set. It'd be wonderful to complete it." Blaze took a step back as the woman's hand curled around her sword's hilt.
"W-who are you?" Pure terror was ebbing slightly as she relaxed more into the situation. She still didn't like the vibes flowing from her adversary. The hand left the hilt and pressed against her chest, a gesture of false sheepishness.
"Please forgive my manners, Blaze." The sarcasm nearly dripped from her voice. "I am Melinda, servant of the Dark Oracle. And soon, you shall call me Master." The sword cleared its sheath and Blaze only had time to lift her sword before an enormous force crashed into her, metal on metal, leaving her arms numb.
Dark eyes bore into the teen's, glimmering with pleasure. That sick smile never left Melinda's face, even as Crystal tried to buck the newcomer from her back. Blaze's arms were shaking with effort, sweat beading her forehead. "You will not escape," Melinda whispered before vanishing again. Blaze twirled around, expecting the woman to be behind her. A line of fire burned from shoulder to shoulder, hot blood dribbling down her back from the injury, and she turned again, but no one was there. She never saw the rock that lifted from the ground and slammed into the side of her head. The redhead collapsed onto her spider, eyes rolling up into her head with a soft cry.
Melinda appeared again on Crystal, holding her back with her powers. Her black blade, dripping with scarlet, was pointed at the young, unconscious Spider Rider. "All too easy. Tell me, Igneous. Is this how all you filthy Spider Riders start out?" The dark-haired woman turned, smirking at the commander as he sprinted up. His lance came up and pointed straight at her, the crystal flashing a threatening red.
"Let her go, Melinda. Your battle is with me, not her." The sword was lowered, her attention now solely on Igneous.
"Maybe so, but maybe I have other reasons for challenging this girl." His hazel eyes narrowed in anger, a harsh frown slashing across his face. His grip tightened around his lance.
"You will not take her. Come and fight me you coward!" Melinda seemed to consider it for a moment before shrugging and jumping down from Crystal, advancing on the blue-haired man. Relief flashed in his eyes before they hardened again, preparing for battle. This was the chance he'd been waiting for.
"How about we make a deal? You beat me, and I let her go, but if I win, I take you both you and her." Igneous took a breath, suddenly nervous, and opened his mouth to agree despite the fact that he knew that the chance of this ending in his favor was very slim.
"No deal," a new voice interjected. Slate ran up, blood dribbling from a cut on his forehead. His tanned face was smudged with dirt and grime, but there was a determined glint to his blue eyes. "I want in on this." The blond man smiled briefly at Igneous, his swords already at ready. The psychic merely looked amused.
"Fine then. The more the merrier." Returning the smile, the commander positioned himself next to his friend. His weapon was held at ready by his side. Their opponent only displayed her shock with a slight widening of her dark eyes. To say that she was surprised by Igneous' change in attitude was an understatement.
"Ready Fang?" Slate questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Always Claw," Igneous responded just as smoothly, smirking. The blond reversed his grip on his blades, a much more comfortable style of fighting for him. They exchanged a look and they separated, running in opposite directions. Melinda lifted her sword, carefully monitoring her opponents' positions. However, she was still surprised when Slate appeared before her, attacking viciously. She barely flinched at his attack, blocking with ease. Blades clashed with surprising force, neither attacker nor defender showing any signs of struggle. The blond was an experienced warrior, any opponent could tell by the casual ease in which he held his twin weapons.
There was a gleam in his eyes that the psychic couldn't wait to crush. But toying with him was proving more entertaining than she could have thought. Sweat glued locks of his thick hair to his dirty skin, but his attacks never slowed, pressing her even harder. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly at the quickened pace, sword a black blur as it caught each sword individually. The smirk on his lips widened at her barely noticeable struggle.
He slashed forward with the right blade, feeling it jar to a stop. With the other sword, he swept it under her defense and flicked the sharp tip against her cheek, watching the blood spill over the split skin. Slate flew back, heels dragging uselessly against he the dirt. Hands grasping at his swords' hilts, he stared, wide eyed, at Melinda, the woman approaching with a sinister grin. He couldn't move and she knew it. "And here I thought you Arachnians would learn. You can never win against me," she said, hair whipping back in the sudden surge of wind. "You're too pathetically normal to do anything to h-" Her own cry of pain stopped her speech, arching her back as something tore through it.
"You forgot about one thing Melinda," Slate chuckled from his trapped position. Her sword driven deep into the ground to hold her upright, she managed to glare at the blue-eyed man.
"There's two halves to Arachna's Fang and Claw," Igneous called, moving back into position beside his partner, who now moved freely. "While Claw is formidable alone, he's nothing without Fang." Frowning, she mustered enough strength to stand upright on her own, yanking the black blade from the dirt.
"And even that strength will pale in comparison to mine." As the snarled words left her throat, her hair began lifting gently as if brushed by the wind. She vanished, Slate catching her sword in the intersection of his weapons. Dark eyes glinting maliciously, she froze Igneous in place as he raced towards her and launched him into Crystal. But this distraction allowed the blond man to shift his swords slightly and free one of them for an attack. The psychic stopped the blade in its tracks, her eyes now fully on him.
The grass under them soon ignited, Claw jumping away from the heat with a practiced ease. Melinda flicked her gaze between Igneous and Slate, both of whom were circling the contained fire with a predator's stride. The inferno died quickly, her powers suppressing it. Her face was fixed in a scowl, but she knew what needed to be done. "Fine. You can keep the girl. For now. But I'll be back for her soon." With that she ran, leaving her army behind as it marched out of the town.
Slate watched Igneous' face carefully, his blue eyes hard with worry. That Firebolt blast has been far stronger than it should have been if they were only trying to subdue their opponent rather than kill them. "Igneous, I'm sorry. I wasn't nearly quick enough. She got away," he whispered. The commander's hazel eyes just stared at the spot where the psychic had once stood. Finally, he sighed and smiled reassuringly at his friend.
"It's alright. I didn't expect to win anyway. Though one good thing came out of this..." he observed, his expression thoughtful. Slate raised an eyebrow, silently hoping that Igneous hadn't lost it.
"And that is?"
"We discovered a weakness. She can only focus on one person at a time when using her abilities in battle. I always wondered why she preferred one-on-one battles." To that, the blond man smiled as well. Perhaps there was hope.
SRSRSRSR
Blaze moaned upon arising to consciousness, her head pounding fiercely. Her back burned when she shifted. "Blaze...Blaze..." an unfamiliar voice called, a gentle hand pressing against the bump on the side of her head. Her eyes flew open, squinting against the bright candle light. A blurry form hovered above her and as her eyes adjusted, a tan man with blond hair came into view.
"Who're you?" she murmured, tongue thick in her mouth. The man smiled at her, removing his hand.
"I'm Slate, Igneous' friend," he said pleasantly. "That's a really nasty bump you have on your head, but you should be ok."
"Where's Igneous and how do you know my name?" Her thoughts and words came clearer as she woke up more, struggling to sit up. Slate helped her, leaning her against a pillow.
"Igneous is out checking the town for damage. He'll have to report to the prince later. As for your name... It was pretty obvious who you were when Igneous was calling your name from across town. I'm willing to bet that's why Melinda targeted you."
"That woman targeted me?" He nodded, settling himself back onto the chair.
"Igneous hates her with every fiber of his being. Melinda has discovered this and she really enjoys toying with him. It's what she does best really." The redhead crossed her arms, scowling.
"I really don't like her. She just gives me a bad feeling." The blue eyes staring at her softened a bit.
"You're not alone there. I'm sure all of Arachna sides with you." He paused, his expression thoughtful. "Now who are you really? Igneous refuses to say anything about you." Blaze raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"That doesn't sound like Iggy. He's usually too busy talking." The blond chuckled and sat back a bit. "But I'm Blaze Steele, though you may know me as Hunter's sister. I'm kinda new to this whole Spider Rider thing." If Slate was shocked, he hid it well, his expression unchanging.
"Huh... He never mentioned that he had a sister..."
"His twin to be exact." Slate smiled again, though it was a bit strained this time. Blaze noticed, but said nothing, expecting no answers anyway.
"Blaze, I could tell you so many crazy stories about your brother if you'd care to hear." She nodded enthusiastically, eyes twinkling with excitement. Igneous had told her the basics, but she had trouble believing him without an actual story. "Well, when I first met Hunger, he was short, young, and he had these green eyes that were just gleaming with youth's enthusiasm. I was in a bit of trouble back then..."
SRSRSRSR
When Igneous returned to the room, Slate had Blaze completely entranced with the story. "You see, I was completely surprised when Hunter sprinted into the middle of our battle, my amulet in hand. And you should have seen his face when we finished the battle anyway. But my heart had been warmed by the strength and size of his own." Blaze leaned forward slightly, smiling as brightly as a child in a candy store. Her sea green eyes shined with joy.
"And then what happened? Who won the fight?" she questioned, submerged in the story. Slate smiled as if to answer, but Igneous interjected first.
"It was a tie. Our swords broke before a true victor could be called," he said, walking up to the bed. Blaze laughed, not at all startled by his sudden entrance. The blond just sighed, crossing his arms. "So what'd I miss?"
"I was educating Blaze here on the crazy antics of her brother," he said, glancing up at his friend. "What's the damage?"
"Several houses will need replacing and quite a few need repairs. I'll get Prince Lumen to send builders down here to help out." Gratitude shone in the young man's blue eyes.
"You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you Igneous." The blue-haired Spider Rider placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, responding with a smile.
"Blaze. We're going to start moving again in the morning. You should be ok enough for spiderback at that point." The redhead nodded her understanding.
"And what if I'm not?" The commander appeared troubled at the thought, paling slightly.
"Then we still leave. The healers at Arachna are better than the ones here at Grove Village."
"Igneous, let her see the city before you start selling it to her," Slate reminded him. The man in question scowled, ignoring the laughter around him.
DA: Well that was far more exciting than the last few chapters. I love Slate wayyy too much. I typed this up while actually watching that episode if you can believe that. I hope the Fang and Claw battle was good enough for you guys. XD I tried really hard.
Anyways, announcements. College is still kicking my ass, so I can't promise any updates. I'm also finishing up a novel length Fullmetal Alchemist fic that has demanded full use of my time. It will be called Darkness to Dawn if any of you are FMA fans. I have one more chapter that focuses on Blaze and then we get to switch back to Hunter which I'm sure relieves all of you, including me. Oh, and if any of you have a tumblr, I'm on! Feel free to follow me and nag me on there if you want. My url is darkangebk201.
Well thanks for reading! Leave a review cause they help with inspiration. :)
May your hearts stay strong,
DarkAngel555