AN: Admittedly, my number one issue with the Spider Riders canon is that we don't learn much of anything about Aqune's past, and she never gets her memory back. I still can't imagine why they cut this. So, I couldn't wait to get to this chapter.

32- Aqune's Secret

Hunter's eyes shot open, and he saw above him a clear sky.

"Huh?" Sitting up, he took in the surrounding area, and found that he was on a beach.

"Did we make it to Nuuma this time?" he wondered. "Or is this another island?" Then, he gasped, as it all came back to him. Grasshop tricked them, and they fell from the ship. Somehow, he survived, but where was everyone else?

"Corona!" he called. "Magma! Igneous! Lumen! Sparkle!" Suddenly, and much to his relief, he spotted Corona.

"Hunter!" Corona exclaimed. "What's happening? Where is this?"

"We washed ashore," Hunter said. "Grasshop attacked us, remember?"

"Yeah," said Corona.

"Hey!" It was Magma's voice. Once he'd spotted his comrades, he ran to them.

"Good, you're safe too," said Hunter. "But… where are Igneous and the others?"

"They couldn't have-" Corona began.

"No, let's not expect the worst," Hunter said. "They must be somewhere on land. We've just got to look for them."

"Okay, Hunter," said Corona, feeling a bit more optimistic.

"Unfortunately, you won't make it any further!" came Buguese's voice. He leapt down from the sky, with Aqune by his side, wearing her mask and fully transformed.

"Aqune!" Hunter shouted.

"Now's our chance to get back Portia, Brutus!" said Magma.

"Destroy them, Aqune!" Buguese ordered.

Aqune leapt into battle with no delay, intent on murder.

"Let's transform," Hunter said, barely dodging Aqune's first attack.

"Right!" said Magma and Corona.

"Oracle's Power!"

"Oracle's Soul!"

"Oracle's Devotion!"

The three were in Rider form, and ready for action. That action came instantly, as Aqune's swift attacks began. She easily had the upper hand.

Buguese laughed mockingly, seeing this.

"All three of you can't even handle one opponent?" he said.

"It's time to try the Oracle Key," Hunter decided. But as he released the Key, and was about to call for its power, something strange happened. A bright light emitted from the Key, and surrounded him, as well as Corona, Aqune and Magma. When the light faded, all of them were gone from that spot.

"Aqune!" Buguese exclaimed. "Where are you?!" But there wasn't a trace of her.

Aqune saw a temple. Within it were many young women, kneeling down and chanting prayers to the Oracle.

"That girl, Aqune is amazing," she heard a voice say. "At such a young age, she already has a deeper connection to Spirit Oracle than the rest of the students."

"And a kind and gentle heart," another woman replied. "I wonder, could she be the one?"

"Now, let's not jump to conclusions," the first woman responded.

Aqune too was chanting with them. And as this was going on, she heard a loud and frightening noise.

"The Insectors! They're here!" a voice yelled. "We must protect the Oracle Key."

Aqune wasn't really certain what was happening, but she heard screaming in the streets, loud blasts. She knew something was very wrong.

"You must get to safety, Aqune," said one of the women from earlier, a teacher at the school. She took the girl by the hand and ran outside, to an alley near the school. There was an open storage shed there that was mainly used for junk. Nothing the Insectors would probably have any need for.

"Stay here," the teacher instructed.

Obedient, Aqune stayed, but she peaked out the open door, wanting to know just what was going on in the city. She couldn't see much, but it sounded violent.

"Don't think we're not going to fight back, you scum!" someone yelled. "It's your fault for underestimating the power of us mere humans when we come together!" And then, the bloodied body of an Insector was thrown into the alleyway.

Aqune gasped at the sight, but immediately was struck with concern. Wandering out from the shed, she kneeled down by his side and began to chant.

Light came around her, and some of his wounds began to close up. Aqune breathed deeply, feeling rather weak from exerting the energy, but also pleased with herself. She didn't want to let this man die.

It was then when he woke up, and was certainly surprised to see a young human watching over him.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" said Aqune. "I'm a handmaiden, but I'm still in training, so I might not be very strong yet."

"You healed me?" The Insector asked, looking stunned.

"Of course," said Aqune. "I hate to see anyone hurt or suffering."

"Don't you know who I am?"

Aqune shook her head.

"If you did, you would know the grave mistake you made," he said, while trying to get up from the ground. "I am Buguese of the Big Four."

"I'm Aqune," she replied. "And I don't think you should move yet. I didn't heal you completely."

"You talk to me as if I'm not an enemy," he said.

"You're not my enemy," Aqune replied. "Maybe we can be friends. Actually, I don't have any friends. I don't have time to play, because I'm always busy training. You'll be my first friend!"

"You don't understand a thing," Buguese said, standing up despite Aqune's warnings.

"You're leaving?" Aqune asked.

"Yes," said Buguese. "I have more pressing matters, which you have given me the chance to fulfill."

"Alright," Aqune said sadly. "But come back any time. I want to see you again, Buguese."

As Buguese slipped away, it was then when a group of people came to the alleyway.

"Buguese is alive?!" one exclaimed. "Girl, what happened?"

"I saved him," Aqune said. "It was sad, seeing him hurt."

"Then you're just as bad as him!" a man exclaimed.

"He's a terrible enemy!" someone else said.

"Isn't that girl a handmaiden?" a woman asked.

"Yes. For the Oracle to grant powers to dirt like her, what a terrible waste."

Aqune felt someone slap her across the face, and she fell to the ground.

"You should just die now!"

"Get out of this city!" people started to yell. "For your act of treason, you're not welcome here anymore."

Aqune, confused and crushed, started to cry. She ran away from the crowds as fast as she could.

Then, the teacher from earlier approached her.

"Aqune," she said. "Your actions may have been a disaster. But yet, it shows that you truly understand the mercy of Spirit Oracle better than anyone. I'm almost certain now, that you're really the chosen one. Come with me. There's something I want you to have."

Aqune followed her to a room in the temple.

"Take these," the teacher said. "I think Spirit Oracle would want you to have them." She handed Aqune two items. The Oracle Key, and a manacle.

Aqune looked at them, confused.

"Now," said the teacher. "You have to leave this city, or bad things might happen to you. You are in danger not just from the Insectors, but the humans as well. There are some ships leaving with evacuees. Get on board, and never return."

"But…" Aqune tried to protest.

"You must!" the teacher insisted. She took Aqune to one of the transports, and made sure she was inside. It took off shortly.

However, that transport came under attack by buzzrays, and was shot down somewhere over Arachna.

The next thing Aqune realized, she was in a dark forest. It looked that way anyway, but her head hurt so much. How did she even get there? She wasn't even sure. In her hands, she had a manacle. Why?

All of a sudden, Buguese appeared in front of her. He was limping somewhat, still not at full strength.

"It's you," he said. "How strange fate is for us to meet again here."

"Wh-who are you?" asked Aqune.

Buguese was surprised.

"You don't remember?"

"I'm sorry," Aqune said. "Everything… is fuzzy…"

"Then come with me," said Buguese. "You don't have a place among the humans anymore. I saw the way they treated you. Your new life will be devoted to using the Oracle's light for the Insectors' sake alone."

Aqune, still dazed, passed out then. And that part of her life was forgotten completely. Until now.

Hunter, Corona and Magma saw her up ahead. Aqune was lying on the floor, asleep. Fragments of her shattered mask were beside her.

"Aqune!" Hunter called.

The three Riders could hear her mumbling Buguese's name.