All right, time for the next chapter in my Monster Rancher fanfic, Arachnophobia! This is where the gang tries to help Gray Wolf with his fear by making it so each one takes a turn using a different method to help him try and overcome it. The only problem? While this may help, it has just as great a chance of making his fear worse. Nevertheless, it's a chance everyone will have to take. Including Gray Wolf himself. All right, on with the next chapter.
I own none of the characters, since I am not the company behind Monster Rancher.
Chapter 2-Day Of A Dimensional Dread
Morning came surprisingly early for the goodies. When breakfast was served by Holly, she had hers quickly, gave Gray Wolf twice as much as the others for how he'd lost his appetite the other night thanks to his fear, and took off to apparently get something, though she'd told the others it would help Gray Wolf with his fear, or be a chance it could happen. While the others ate their own breakfast, it was being discussed how they might help Gray Wolf and what Holly was going to be bringing back.
"Okay, so here's the thing." Genki said. "Gray Wolf here needs to be helped with his newly discovered fear of spiders, and Holly obviously is going out so she can get something to try and deal with it to bring back here." "But what could possibly do anything?" asked Suezo. "I think I should have just invented something." Hare stated as everyone finished. "After all, it'd make things far less complicated. "Hare, don't kid yourself." Tiger told him. "You'd just make something to make things worse for Gray Wolf." "And you know it." Gray Wolf added.
"Guys, let's not make this harder than it has to be." Genki reminded. "Chi, no fighting, Chi!" Mocchi told them. "It's too early in the morning for this sort of thing." Pixie pointed out. Tiger, Gray Wolf and Hare rolled their eyes, and Big Blue said: "Anyway, I'm sure Holly will be able to find something which can either help get rid of Gray Wolf's fear, or at least make sure it stays numbed." "So let's all hold our horses." Golem put in.
Soon enough, Holly returned and said: "Hi, guys, I'm back ,and I've got great news!" "Hello, Holly!" said Genki. "It's good to see you again." Pixie added. "What's the great news, by the way?" Tiger in the next second asked her, hoping to hell it would be something to make it so Gray Wolf could be cured of his fear. "I went out to find what I hoped existed, and it turned out it did!" She reached into her pocket and took out a special amulet. "As you can see, I've got a hold of an amulet which is not just any amulet, but one that can create portals and alternate types of dimensions." "Really?" asked Pixie. "That's amazing, Holly!"
"But how will this help with my fear?" asked Gray Wolf. "I found it under the ground in a secret burial area, with the help of my magic stone." Holly explained. "I was able to find out it can do anything the wielder wants it to do at any time, at least when it comes to the portals and the dimensions it creates!" "No wonder it was buried and kept hidden as a secret." Suezo put in. "Chi." Mocchi spoke. "So you're thinking you can use it as a way to help me with my fear." said Gray Wolf, trying to understand what she was saying. "Exactly." Holly replied. "We can start any time you want, by the way." "Ingenious, Holly!" Hare exclaimed. "Almost as smart as I'd have done it!" "You and your bragging about being so smart…" Tiger said, rolling his eyes. "I bet you wouldn't be saying that if I punched out your teeth!" yelled Hare. "Wanna try it?" Tiger snarled. They pressed faces together and went: "EEEERRRRRRNNNGGGGHHHH!"
"None of this. Fighting is bad." Golem told them. "And especially when our main focus is the well being of Gray Wolf, Tiger…your brother!" Big Blue added. Tiger then realized what was being said and turned away from Hare, going: "All right, how do we do this?" "Surely you thought of it on the way back?" asked Gray Wolf to Holly. "I sure did." Holly told him. "You've all finished breakfast, I take it?" "Yes, we have. We're good and ready." Pixie replied. "All right, so here's how this will work." Holly told them. Everyone listened, especially Gray Wolf.
"I will make a different dimension every time with the amulet in question that we have here." Holly began. "They will vary in both design, look and which one of the lot of us helps to try and assist Gray Wolf during his time in that portal and dimension. But they will all serve the same purpose…to either flush Gray Wolf's fear from him, or at least to make it so he can control and/or ignore it. After all, the best way to deal with your fears is to face them. So, shall we get started?" "Yes, let's." Gray Wolf told her. "The sooner I can find a way to help this fear of mine, the better." "All right, first thing's first." Holly told them. "I think we should begin with the simple stuff and work our way up to the hardest."
"So which of us will be assisting Gray Wolf and which method to help with his fear will be used?" asked Suezo. "The first portal will lead to a dimension which will deal with trying to cope with spiders being in your presence, and you, Mocchi, will assist him." Holly told him. "Chi! Mocchi get to go first, Chi!" exclaimed Mocchi. Gray Wolf accepted this, though it was a bit embarrassing Mocchi would be picked to help one such as himself. He stifled it, though, for this was far too serious. "All right, let's get it started." Gray Wolf said. "Good luck, brother." Tiger said. "My thanks, brother." Gray Wolf replied. Holly got the portal going and then Gray Wolf and Mocchi entered it.
Soon enough, the two were in a dimension where there were dozens of spiders, and of all the species as well. It was a horrible swarm, and Gray Wolf nearly cringed, but he was trying to see to it he'd conquer his fear, so he didn't let it get to him at the first moment. "Okay, Chi, there are lots of spiders here!" Mocchi told Gray Wolf. "Let's see how well you deal with their being here." Gray Wolf said nothing, but just looked to all angles of him to make sure he didn't take his beautiful lilac eyes off a single one of the swarm. He was, to his surprise, dealing with it real well. "Of course, that's only because they're not moving." he thought.
Still, he thought he was going to eventually puke, for deep inside, he was quaking badly. He tried to suppress his fear, but it wasn't easy. Thankfully, after a while of being in there, he did not lose his lunch, so it was clear he'd passed this test. "All right, Chi, I think this part's over!" put in Mocchi. "Well done!" "Good to know." Gray Wolf sighed, relieved he'd not snapped or given in to his fear when this had only begun. They went into the portal to reenter where they'd been before. "So, how did it go?" asked Genki. "Pretty well, actually." Gray Wolf replied. "I was able to not snap with the first test, being in the presence of many spiders, so that is a step in the right direction." "Way to go!" Holly told him. "Are you up for the next one?"
"Now or never." Gray Wolf admitted. "Okay, then," Holly told him, "the next step is a bit harder than the previous one. Suezo will be assisting you with this one, and this dimension will have several spider webs around it, each with an individual owner. Both behind and in front of you. If you manage to pass this, you will be further in the right direction to conquering your fear." "Okay, let's begin." Gray Wolf told her. She nodded and made the next portal appear, with Suezo going: "Cool! I get to be the next one to help Gray Wolf out! How about that?" and then in the next moment hopping into the portal with Gray Wolf following him lithely.
Once they were in the dimension, Gray Wolf saw those spider webs, each with one owner apiece, in front of and behind him, then he went: "Oh, dear…" but did his best not to let it bring him down like had happened the night before. "Okay, so we have lots of spider webs here, and not a one is vacant. If you can last without falling apart, you'll have more hope and go even more distance on the path to conquering your fear!" Suezo told him. Gray Wolf dropped his head and closed his eyes a few times to make it easier, but every time he opened them, it seemed to get all the worse. Still, he tried hard not to allow his fear to consume him.
By the time the spiders started moving around in their webs, Gray Wolf opened his eyes wide, but he was able to keep stable. Also by this time, it had been some time, so Suezo said: "I think that should do! And I gotta congratulate you! You're doing real well so far!" "Thanks." a reply from Gray Wolf consisted of. "But we're nowhere near done." "Still, let's get back so we can continue this." Suezo told him. They went through the portal and came back, then Suezo let out: "Another success! He's doing great!" "Cool! Way to go, Gray Wolf!" Genki said to his ex-adversary. "So what's the next one we're doing?" asked Hare. "The one where you, Hare, will be assisting Gray Wolf as you go into the dimension where you'll be in a shack with many spiders. I should mention all will be moving, but we have to advance as we go along."
"Okay, then. My brains should help guide you well, Gray Wolf." Hare said. "Do even one thing to make it worse for him, Hare, and I'll dissect you." Tiger warned. "Oh, don't you worry! I'll only help him, but not for that reason!" Hare put in. "Come along, Gray Wolf!" Gray Wolf rolled his eyes at having Hare help him, but he endured it for how crucial this was. He went on into the portal, and soon they were in the shack. Gray Wolf tensed to be ready for the spiders crawling about, and sure enough, he saw them doing so immediately. But he coped with it, even while he was still made uncomfortable, and Hare just whistled about casually, as if nothing was happening. After some time, Gray Wolf realized he hadn't shat or puked with fear, so it was all too clear he'd overcome this one as well." "Well, time's up! Still feeling strong, Gray Wolf?" a question from Hare consisted of. "Yeah. Overall." Gray Wolf replied. "Let's move it."
They left the portal and Hare told everyone: "Hey, guys! He did it! Looks like you were able to teach him a thing or two after all, Tiger." Tiger told him, knowing this was a sugar coated insult: "Watch it, Hare." "You're doing great, Gray Wolf." Pixie complimented him. "But what will the next level be?" asked Gray Wolf. "It will be a dimension in which several spiders will be dropping on down, and Golem will be assisting you. They are doing so rapidly and repeatedly, so have yourself good and braced for this one." "Golem come." Golem said as he walked into the portal with Gray Wolf, his only fellow goody who was gray like him in any way, coming behind him. Once they were in there, Gray Wolf remembered Holly's words and braced himself. And it was a wise thing to do, for several spiders began dropping down on their web lines near him.
"Oh, God…" Gray Wolf thought, beginning to tremble. "I know I had to get to a part like this sooner or later, but still…" He was shaking with fright on the inside, but didn't let that break him, nor did he succumb to it. "Golem know this scares Gray Wolf, but Golem have complete and utter faith in him." Golem told Gray Wolf. Gray Wolf nodded and made sure not to lose any focus or courage for a second. Eventually, the spiders stopped and they didn't move anymore, all of them just hanging there. It was over. Golem knew it and so did Gray Wolf. "Time to exit." put in Golem, and he and Gray Wolf went back to their regular world, Gray Wolf breathing a heavy sigh of relief thereafter. "I managed…but barely…" Gray Wolf told them.
"Golem is impressed." Golem said to them. "You keep going uphill like this, and you'll be free of your fear in no time!" smiled Big Blue. Gray Wolf was glad to hear this, though he was well aware part of his ability to do this came from the fact he was READY for the spiders, as opposed to last night, when he was caught off guard. Still, he didn't lose hope. "Anyway, we now go to the next level." Holly informed him. "Genki will be your assisting goody this time, and it will be a dimension where there are all the small but deadly spiders. You know, brown recluse, black widow and the like." "All right, let's get this over with, then!" Genki told to Gray Wolf. "Please tell me they won't attack on instinct." Tiger said, fearing for his brother's life. "Do not worry. I control this. They won't." Holly assured him. He nodded.
Gray Wolf and Genki entered the portal and went right into that dimension of Holly's. They got there and noticed the venomous killer spiders at once. "There they are." Genki spoke. "And here we go again." Gray Wolf nodded, knowing he wanted to piss and shit with fear, but refusing to do so for how he'd gotten this far and wasn't about to fall apart now. So they took a look as they moved about and Gray Wolf was able to stand it just long enough for to be a full success. Although, one thing he'd never admit to was knowing Holly's words of not making any of them attack helped a lot at this point, as did the fact no spider had touched him yet.
"Cool, Gray Wolf! You've done it again!" Genki commended. "We'll wrench this from you yet! Let's get back with the others!" Gray Wolf came with him, and then Holly told them: "I see you've done well again! Way to go!" "Believe me, I was really pleased with his ability to not be broken!" Genki informed them. "Anyhow, I take it the next level is about to commence?" was the question from Gray Wolf. "That it is." Holly replied. "Keep it up for just a bit longer, by the way. We're down to the last three." "Phew!" sighed Gray Wolf in his head, though he refrained from saying it out loud. "So we now have it that Big Blue assists you and we go into a dimension where all of the spiders are big. Tarantulas, bird eaters and the like. Prepared? Need a break first? Or are you ready to go." "I am ready to go, for a break would make it so I wouldn't be as braced. So let's do it now." Gray Wolf responded.
"Okay, then. Big Blue?" Holly asked. Big Blue beckoned Gray Wolf with a wave of his massive, blue, icy, rocky hand, and the two went through the portal she created. When once the two were in there, they looked at all the tarantulas, bird eaters, Sydney funnel webs and the like crawling around. Gray Wolf made sure to resist the urge to jump, especially since there were almost as many up on the high rocks around them as there were on the ground and the sides of the aforementioned rocks. But the test was over soon, and Gray Wolf was still standing. So he had won once more. "You did it, Gray Wolf." Big Blue said. "Looks like it." Gray Wolf told him as, much to his relief, he and Big Blue walked back to the world with the other goodies. "Man, I am so delighted with how you are lasting!" Holly said. "As are the rest of us!" added Tiger. "Me, in particular, brother!" "I am happy to hear it, but this isn't over yet." Gray Wolf pointed out.
"No, not quite." Holly put in. "This is the second to last of them. I will make it so it's a dimension with a dark house that has all the kinds of spiders you've seen before at once, and is having them moving about. I know this may sound like too much, but we have to make sure we conquer all the levels if we are to cure you or at least help you." Gray Wolf told her: "I fully am aware of this, and I understand completely." "Keep it up, brother. You're doing fantastically and I commend your endless bravery and spirit." Tiger said to Gray Wolf. "Thank you, brother." said Gray Wolf to Tiger. "That helps me a lot." "Anyhow, Pixie will assist you this time around, and I will make sure you're as ready for everything as ever." Holly told him. Pixie then told to him: "Well, let's move it. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you never have to do it again!" "So they got moving and entered into the dimension.
To neither one's shock, they were seeing all those spiders everywhere, and Gray Wolf could feel himself starting to reach his limit. His heart was pounding faster and his body was becoming slightly more white than grey, plus feeling a bit cold despite his fur. "But that's just fine." he thought to himself. "I don't have to keep this up for much longer." He also saw a few of the spiders crawl over his feet as well as Pixie's, but he bit his tongue and closed his eyes to see to it he did not flip at all. Still, he felt as if he was going to puke, piss and shit at any moment. He soon enough noticed a lot of time had passed and the spiders were away from him and Pixie. "Is it time to go or what?" asked Pixie. "It sure is." Gray Wolf said, not wanting to admit how much having an assistant to help him in this had contributed to his courage keeping up on this matter.
So they walked out of the portal and went to the Monster Rancher world with their goody comrades again, Gray Wolf saying: "I did it again. One more to go." "I really admire his ability to keep himself from breaking." Pixie told them. "Ha, ha! Let's hear it for Gray Wolf!" Genki's shout consisted of. "Chi!" Mocchi smiled. "My congrats, Gray Wolf." Tiger told him. "I knew you'd be able to pull through, and there's only one more to go." "Which, by the way, you'll be assisting him on, Tiger." Holly told him. "You see, this last one is the hardest of them all, with every spider from all the other ones here at once and moving about at and on you, and since you are his brother, the one he loves most in this group and vice versa and the one who'd helped him survive like you did in the past, along with saved him from being a baddy, you're all too fit to be with him on this last, final and hardest one." Tiger nodded and told Gray Wolf: "Be sure to remember everything I taught you." "I will." Gray Wolf replied to Tiger.
"This is it. The final obstacle." Holly told Gray Wolf. "Pass this, and you'll have good as conquered your fear." So she opened the last portal and Tiger and Gray Wolf entered, the latter braced for all he had to be ready for now more than ever. Like Holly said there would be, all the spiders seen before were here now and they were going right for the two wolves. Tiger was fully unaffected by it, but Gray Wolf was another story. He made sure not to crack now of all times and his determination helped him deal with it, but he was on the verge of being scared and both passing out and going white thanks to that fear. He didn't know where he was able to get the sort of courage he did to go through with it all and pass the final test, but he managed. When it was all over, Tiger told Gray Wolf: "Brother, you've done it, and I could not be more proud of you. I laud you for this, and it is time to go." Gray Wolf felt so happy now, for the spiders left and he'd go through the portal one last time, this time with his brother.
Once they were back, Tiger said: "He's done it. I knew he could." "And I did." Gray Wolf put in. "Kudos to you, Gray Wolf!" smiled Pixie. "You've officially overcome your fear!" Holly told him as she closed all the portals and put the amulet in her pocket just in case it'd be needed later for a different use. "Yeah, I think I have!" Gray Wolf proclaimed as the horribly intimidated feelings he'd previously been enduring and refusing to break under began to wear the hell off of him. He felt so thankful he was finally no longer arachnophobic. He could feel it being done already. The fear was seeping out of him and he felt increasingly like he would never be at all scared of spiders again. "Can't thank you guys enough, especially you, Holly and Tiger." put forth Gray Wolf. "I'm certain that from here I'll feel more normal than I have in a while."
Indeed, as everyone high-fived everyone, it seemed like Gray Wolf's fear of spiders was a thing of the past. However, it would only be this way provided he had the proper time to adjust to it all and know what it was like to be unafraid of them, since he'd just been cured of his fear. I am sorry to say that a horrible irony happened just then. For just as Gray Wolf was getting a taste of his new feeling and how the rest of his life seemed to be, a spider which happened to be on the top of the cave at the time dropped down on its web directly in front of his face. By chance, but it was still in front of his face all the same. And what helped Gray Wolf through all of, and most especially the final one, was the way he forced back what was trying to become his fear. For very understandable reasons, he was at this point clean out of all of it, and easily so.
Needless to say, his fear would come back and pull him right back down into its clutches if he saw one more spider for the next twelve hours, at least. And it had only been a few minutes or so. So when it dropped down in front of his face, everything he'd endured and gone through with to try and overcome his fear by facing it piled on back all at once and caused him to snap in a classic "the straw that broke the camel's back" moment. Everyone saw the spider drop down as well as what it made Gray Wolf do. "E-!" Gray Wolf screamed in fright, a fright fifty times worse than the one he'd had last night, and all too ironically, he leapt up and this time landed on the shoulder of Big Blue, who he clung to even more tightly than he'd clung to Golem. And that's quite a statement.
"OH, NO! WHY?" shouted Gray Wolf. "NOT NOW OF ALL TIMES! WE WERE SO CLOSE!" "ASSHOLE!" shouted Suezo to the spider as he chomped down and ate it. Holly put her hand over her face and went: "Man, poor Gray Wolf…that one spider had to drop down and ruin everything…" "Like he said, we were so close." Genki sighed in exasperation. Tiger went on over and said: "When you can let go of Big Blue, and it's no rush, come to me." He normally was not soft like this, but his brother had been through WAY too much. Gray Wolf could only do a nod and shiver as he gripped Big Blue tight. "The spider's gone, by the way." Pixie told Gray Wolf. "But my fear isn't. And it almost was." Gray Wolf sighed. "I just can't believe it…just my luck…" "I know." Tiger agreed, shaking his head. "Chi…" sighed Mocchi.
When Gray Wolf finally got down from Big Blue, he said: "Sorry this had to be so badly abolished, and so suddenly, at that. But I thank you for your kind intentions." "Of course, but it wasn't your fault." Holly told him. "So don't act like it was." Tiger said to him. He gave Gray Wolf a hug, and Gray Wolf buried his face into his brother's fur until he finally felt back to his normal self as much as he could. "Could I have some time alone, please? No offense to any of you, but right now, I need it." "Of course you can." Genki responded. Gray Wolf turned to Tiger, said: "Oh, and thanks for helping me cool off from that shock, brother." "You're welcome." Said Tiger, and Gray Wolf took off to a part of the cave, made sure it was fully devoid of spiders, and lay down to rest and recover from his horrible misfortune once he saw it was.
"Well, another try at this is out of the question." Hare sighed. "Yep, no denying it." said Genki. "We've got a really long way to go." "And that's if we can even find another way to help the poor wolf…" Holly sighed. "We will. I promised him that, and so did the rest of you. We all will, one way or the other." Tiger reminded. "Still, Golem feel sad for Gray Wolf." Golem stated gloomily. "He came so close, and look what happened by chance…" He shook his head glumly.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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