AN: Hoped to make this interesting without it being too similar to the original "Ghost Ship" episode.

30- The Mystery of the Ghost Ship

"Ugh," Hunter groaned.

It was morning, but Hunter was not at all refreshed. He'd hardly gotten a wink of sleep the night before. He recounted in his head the insane misadventures he'd had.

It all started when Igneous knocked on his door. Well, at first he wasn't sure the person even was Igneous. His infamous hair spike was completely down. Anyway, Igneous needed help finding some things in his room. To Hunter's shock, the entire room looked like a train wreck, and this is considering they were only on board less than a day.

Next, Sparkle came to his door. Apparently, she had a nightmare, and came to Hunter looking for comfort. Hunter wondered why she didn't go to Lumen instead. Then again, Lumen was probably sleeping soundly like usual. Hunter stayed with Sparkle until she went to sleep, and put her back in her own room.

As he headed back to his room, he heard noises from the kitchen. Though it was pitch dark outside, Corona was inside, claiming she wanted to get a head start on breakfast. The kitchen was nearly as messy as Igneous' room, and didn't smell pleasant either. Hunter convinced her to get to sleep and wait 'til the morning.

As the final icing on the cake, it wasn't just the kitchen that smelled horrible. Magma was back on deck barfing up a storm, as he'd filled up the bucket in his room. Hunter really didn't want to clean that up, so he just left it alone.

All in all, maybe he got an hour of sleep.

Hunter sleepily wandered up to the deck to look outside. He was surprised at the sight he saw up ahead.

"Land!" he exclaimed. He wondered if anyone else was awake. He had to tell them.

Eventually, he did gather the others up on the deck.

"There is land up ahead," Lumen said. "But, I wonder if it's really Nuuma."

"What?" Hunter replied.

"There's something unusual about it."

"Why don't we dock the ship and see?" Magma suggested. He was anxious to just get off.

"Alright," Lumen agreed. "It looks like it's going to get stormy soon. We'll be safer on land."

Indeed, a fog was beginning to darken the skies.

On Buguese's flying transport, the fog was also becoming an issue.

"I can't see a thing out," Beerain commented, glancing out the window. She was really only standing there because Buguese was.

"It doesn't matter," Buguese said. "The auto-pilot should still take us where we want to go. If the storms becomes too bad, it may interfere with the ships' internal mechanisms, but I hope that will not be a concern."

Aqune was chanting, but overheard what the other two were saying.

"I can feel the location of the Oracle Key in Nuuma," she decided to mention. "No matter how much fog there is, I should still be able to pin-point the location."

"Excellent," said Buguese.

'That pretentious brat,' Beerain thought to herself. 'Why is Buguese so quick to praise her? She doesn't even have the right to be speaking with us.'

Aqune then realized something else, as she focused on the Oracle Key's energy. The Spider Riders' Keys were also nearby. Though she didn't want a combat situation to erupt, she reluctantly told Buguese.

"Why don't I go and attack them for you?" Beerain suggested.

"No," Buguese replied. "Though I don't want them getting in our way, we shouldn't stray off course, especially in a storm. We will attack, but let's wait until we reach land."

Beerain glared, frustrated.

As the Spider Riders started walking through the land, out of nowhere, a ship emerged from the fog.

"A ship on land?" Hunter wondered.

"Where did it come from?" asked Igneous. "It just… appeared. Like… like a ghost."

"Oh, you afraid?" asked Magma, amused.

"No, not at all!" Igneous insisted.

Magma walked up behind him. "Boo!"

"Ahh!" Igneous ran ahead, freaked.

"I knew you were afraid," said Magma.

"I'm not afraid," Igneous argued. "You just startled me."

An old man then emerged from the ship.

"Who are you?" Hunter asked. "And can you tell us if we're on Nuuma?"

"Nuuma?" the man replied. "No, this isn't Nuuma, but you're close. This is a floating island."

"Floating?!" Corona exclaimed. "Then, are we going to drift away from our ship?"

"Little by little, yes," the old man answered. "But I could help you get back to it. Why don't you come on board?"

"Maybe if you tell us who you are first," Igneous demanded.

"Me? I'm the Lost Mariner."

"The Lost Mariner?!" Magma exclaimed. "For real?!"

"Who's that?" asked Hunter.

"He was a friend of the Hero Brade!" Magma shouted.

"The Hero Brade… isn't he long dead?" Corona wondered.

"D-dead?" Igneous stuttered.

"Why don't you come on board?" the Mariner asked again. "There's a lot I think you Spider Riders should know."

"So, Lost Mariner! Can you tell us about Brade?!" Magma was clinging to the man, who looked rather disturbed. "Was he really awesome?! What did he like to do on a rainy day? His favorite color? Measurements?"

"Umm…" the Lost Mariner said. "Step back a few feet, and then I'll tell you what I can."

"Alright! I'd like to hear your stories too," said Hunter.

"Brade was my best friend," the Lost Mariner began. "Once, we went on a great adventure, when Nuuma was under attack. I helped him find the way, with my skills in navigation. And with his incredible bravery, he saved the kingdom."

"He's so wonderful!" Magma responded, tears of joy streaming down his face.

"Hey, do you know Digger Steele?" Hunter wondered.

"I never got the chance to meet him personally," Lost Mariner replied. "But Brade speaks highly of him, and I've heard amazing stories."

"He was my Grandpa," Hunter exclaimed.

"Really?" the Lost Mariner asked, in awe.

"Of course it's true," said Hunter.

"He may have been the greatest of Spider Riders," Lost Mariner said. "They called him, 'The Brave.' He fought boldly, and never, ever gave up. He and Brade together thwarted many powerful Insectors. Even Mantid himself. He had a very wonderful romance too, with Spirit Oracle."

"Wait… what?!" Hunter yelled. The others too had stunned expressions. "Isn't Spirit Oracle just… like a deity?"

"She is," the Lost Mariner said. "But once, she was different. She lived on this planet, like all of us. I'm not sure of all the details, but they say Spirit Oracle was lost from this world when the four Oracle Keys became separated. But it's possible to restore her to this world again when they're gathered. It's just a shame that she and Digger will never be reunited."

"That's sad," Corona said. "For lovers to be torn apart like that."

"It was foretold in legend that there would be a second coming of the Brave," the Lost Mariner replied. "If you're truly the grandson of Digger Steele, then that may be you, boy."

"Me?" Hunter questioned.

"Yes," Mariner replied. "You can gather the four Oracle Keys, and be united with Spirit Oracle."

Corona felt a pain in her heart, hearing this.

'Hunter is destined to be united with Spirit Oracle?' she wondered. 'That… that can't be true, can it?'

"Enough of this mushy love story," said Magma. "Can't we hear more about Hero Brade's incredible adventures?"

"It seems there's no time for that," Lost Mariner answered. "The fog is fading away. With it, I must go too. Don't worry though, your boat is still close to shore."

"Huh? Go where?" Sparkle asked.

All of a sudden, the Mariner, and the ship too were gone. The Spider Riders once again stood on the land.

"What was that?" Igneous wondered. "I… I must have been dreaming! That's it! People and ships don't just vanish into thin air."

"I refuse to believe it wasn't real!" said Magma. "I really met a ghost who really knew Hero Brade!"

"It was not a ghost!" Igneous argued. "He's just really old! And he vanished because of magic!"

"The second coming of the Brave," Hunter thought out loud, proud of his new title.

"Hunter," Corona sighed. After all, the bad omens she saw were becoming a reality. And not in the way she'd ever imagined it.