Ch 3- "It's Alright"
"Trigger really reminds me of Hunter," Aqune commented. She had paused from reading the book out loud to Buguese, just as soon as they'd finished learning about how Spirit Oracle began her own journal. "He's so excitable and honest, and he really inspires the people around him. I can see why Hunter turned out the way he did."
Buguese sighed to himself. He thought the same. But even if his opinion on Hunter Steele was higher than it once was, it still bothered him to hear Aqune speak so well of the boy. He shouldn't have been so petty, he knew. Aqune was by his side now, not Hunter's. But he couldn't help it.
"It's interesting," Aqune continued. "But, I'm still confused. I think Hunter should definitely see this, but Spirit Oracle didn't send it here for him. She sent it for the two of us. I suppose Spirit Oracle works in mysterious ways."
To Aura, finding a spider partner for her new champion was priority. She wasn't sure that was his priority, but that was the way it had to be. That was also strictly why she sent him to the forest to begin with. Most Spider Riders were chosen when they were children. Very often, they were the sons or daughters of past Riders. They would bond with a young spider and grow up with them. And when they were old enough, they would receive their manacles, and go into battle for the first time. There were of course special cases, like King Arachna III. When he became the first Spider Rider, it was something of a coincidence. He was simply a brave man who fought Insectors. A man who met with a like-minded spider at the right time. Aura was so moved by the instant bond they formed that she chose to grant power to the two of them. Then, the tradition continued on.
Mantid himself came from the days before the Spider Riders. Aura still wondered in the back of her mind if perhaps things would have turned out different if Mantid were not a lone warrior. If he had a spider by his side. But this further motivated her to make sure Trigger did become a Spider Rider.
"So, this Spider Rider thing…" Trigger began, breaking Aura out of her stream of thought. "It still sounds pretty funny to me. But, how does it work?"
She smiled, glad that he seemed honestly willing. It might be difficult to force someone to become a champion.
"Well, to begin with, you have to find a partner. I know that spiders live in this area, so let's look around."
"Do I need a magnifying glass?" Trigger wondered.
"I don't see why you would," Aura replied. "Spiders-"
"Umm…" Trigger backed up, accidentally walking into Aura. He seemed very shaken all of a sudden. "Sorry about that, but…" He pointed up ahead. In a dense growth of ferns, two glowing red eyes could be seen. "Aura, it's some kind of monster!" Trigger clenched his fists. Scared as he looked, he seemed ready to try and fight.
"Trigger, wait," Aura said. She put a hand on his shoulder. She was certain of what lied beyond the green. A spider. But one thing bothered her. It seemed set on attack. The spider itself likely wouldn't be a threat to Trigger or herself. But if it were on the attack, perhaps another enemy was nearby. An Insector, that is.
In an instant, an enormous black spider leapt out, flying over the heads of the two. It fired out a web in the direction of a tree up ahead. From the tree, a startled Insector soldier, who had camouflaged himself well up until then, leapt down, and ran off deeper into the forest. The black spider pursued immediately.
"Okay, can you please tell me what just happened?" Trigger asked.
"That was a spider," replied Aura. "It seems he protected us from an Insector." Already, she felt a bit uneasy. How long had that Insector been there? What had he heard? If there was going to be a new Spider Rider, of course the Insectors would learn this sooner than later. But the problem was, Trigger wasn't yet a Rider. Now, he was still quite vulnerable. Attacking him in this condition, before he could even become a threat to them, was something the Insectors might very well attempt. And she absolutely couldn't allow it. "Let's go after that spider," she decided on impulse. "He'll make a fine partner for you."
"Huh?" Trigger replied. "Wait, what's an Insector, and why was it attacking us? I thought bugs… er… giant bugs were supposed to be our partners."
"Only spiders," Aura replied. There was a hint of sadness to her voice. "Well… let's talk about this later."
As they headed in the direction of the spider, Aura quickly realized her clothes weren't quite suited for running, certainly not through forests. She quickly tripped, falling face first into the ground.
Trigger stopped, hearing a crash. He gaped, seeing her cringing on the floor.
"Uh… Aura? Are you alright?"
"Yes," she replied. She wasn't actually hurt, but it was sort of embarrassing, not to mention probably cost them time. "Keep going, I'll catch up."
Aura had to make a quick correction. Light came around her, and when it cleared, she now wore a significantly shorter dress, as well as a pair of shoes suitable for running.
"How did you do that?" Trigger asked, naturally more interested in watching her than running. "Oh, right, you're a goddess? Wait, can't you just poof us to the spider, then?"
"Perhaps I could," she replied. "But I'd rather not make my identity known yet. Certainly not to the Insectors."
"Well, if you say so," Trigger replied. He quickly took off again. "I'm sure it'll be alright!"
"Yes, I think it will," she replied, going after him. This time, without such difficulty.
Fortune was in fact on their side. The two did catch up with the spider before long, who had stopped to do battle with Insectors. Yes, Insectors plural. The catch was, that soldier from before was not alone.
"Can that spider take them all?" Trigger asked. The two were watching from behind a bush.
"Yes," Aura replied. "Spiders are very talented creatures. But he may not have to. Look."
From a tree above, a pale, pink-colored spider flew down. Moments later, a red spider also appeared. Atop each of these spiders was a Rider. One a blonde young woman, hair tied in a ponytail, who seemed close in age to Trigger. The second, a green-haired man.
"Whatever you're up to, you're not getting away with it today!" the girl shouted. She fired a stream of arrows, knocking several of the Insectors to the ground.
At the same time, the other man fired off an enormous blast of light from his sword, taking down the rest of them.
"I didn't get to do anything…" the black spider spoke, seeming rather disappointed.
"Sorry about that," the girl replied. "But I'm glad to see someone else is working to protect this forest."
"That was incredible!" To Aura's shock, Trigger ran out to the scene of the battle.
"Thanks," replied the girl. "But, who might you be?"
"Me? I'm Trigger Steele," he replied. "I'm new here, but I'm supposed to be a Spider Rider. Aura… er… this girl I met, she asked me to try and make him my partner." He pointed at the black spider.
"You're that boy from before," the spider said. "You're a Spider Rider?"
"Well, he is wearing a manacle," the other man finally spoke.
"Yeah, basically," replied Trigger. "I'm not really sure how it works, but it looks pretty fun. Dangerous, but fun. Plus, Aura said I had to do it if I wanted to stay here. So…"
"Aura?" the man questioned curiously. "Who is this girl you keep mentioning?"
"That's me." She stepped out from her hiding spot, somewhat flustered.
"And who are you to just decide I should partner with this boy?" asked the black spider.
"She's the one…" Trigger covered his mouth with his hands, stopping himself mid-sentence. "Err… she's the one who's been showing me around, so, if she thinks it's a good idea, I figure it will be alright!"
"That is rather mysterious," said the man. He looked at Aura with a piercing stare.
The truth was, Aura knew exactly who he was. She knew the girl as well. Of course she would know her own Spider Riders, even if she'd never met them personally. But the man was something of an unusual case. He'd been a Spider Rider for a very long time. Actually, he was one of the first. Despite his physical appearance, he was truthfully quite a bit older than he seemed. It wouldn't have been too much of a shock if he'd deduced exactly who she was already.
"She's not really that mysterious," Trigger defended. "I mean, not any more than, well… everything in this world."
"In this world?" asked the girl.
"Yeah," he replied. "I'm actually from the surface. And, I don't know much about this world, other than that it's a pretty cool place."
"How could an Earthen possibly be a Spider Rider?!" The black spider exclaimed. The girl was simply staring in confusion, and the man looked to be lost in thought.
"Well, I am one!" Trigger shouted back. "I just don't have a spider yet. You're a spider, so… can you help me?"
"A spider in the wrong place at the wrong time," he grumbled. "I have been looking for a partner, you know. But an Earthen partner is out of the question. They're trouble!"
"Trouble?" Trigger asked, seeming mildly insulted.
"That's right," replied the spider. "Now get out of here, boy!"
"Hey, at least call me by my name!" shouted Trigger. "It's Trigger Steele, got it?"
The blonde girl shook her head.
"Hey, let's not start a fight," she said. "Everyone, we're in this together, right? So let's try to get along. My name is Therma, by the way, and this is my spider, Plasma. And you are?"
"Darkness," the spider answered. "But that changes nothing."
"Okay," she said, but still she smiled, unfazed. "Also, my ally here is Brade, and his spider is Dagger."
"Well, it's nice to meet all of you," Trigger said. "I guess we're going to be allies, after I become a Spider Rider."
"You will," replied Therma. "It's true. They say that an Earthen will cause calamity to the Inner World. But you're not just any Earthen. You're a chosen hero. I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt."
"Thanks… I think," Trigger said.
"If you have the express favor of this young woman, I have to believe in you as well," Brade added.
Aura wasn't sure what to say, so she remained quiet, and nodded her head.
"Of course you'd trust a cute girl." Therma's eyes narrowed.
"Well, that wasn't quite what I meant this time," Brade replied.
"Well, Darkness, what do you have to say about that?" Trigger asked. There was already an air of pride to his voice.
"Perhaps… I'll give you a test," he answered.
"Huh?" Trigger tilted his head.
"At least let me see what sort of powers you have," Darkness replied. "For starters, transform for me."
"Transform?" Trigger turned to Aura.
"All Spider Riders transform to do battle," Aura replied. "The transformation works differently for each. Now, for you…" she paused. "I want you to call 'Oracle's Power'."
"Umm… okay," he said. "Hang on a minute." He reached for his journal.
"Wh-why don't you write that down later?" Aura asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Trigger said. "Alright, then. Here goes nothing. Oracle's Power!"
Just as soon as he spoke the words, light streamed from his manacle. Trigger gasped. All of a sudden, his clothes began to change. He emerged from the blinding lights in mostly blue colored armor, and he held in his hand a pike-like weapon.
"Woah!" Trigger exclaimed. He stared down at his arms and legs, moving around to get a better look at all the details. "I really can transform."
"Magnificent!" Aura too couldn't help being in awe. He looked so gallant. "A new Spider Rider is born."
"So, now I've got to ride the spider, right?" Trigger hopped into the air, landing on the back of Darkness. To Aura, he seemed taken aback by how high he'd managed to jump in a single bound.
"This is your newfound power as a Rider," she said. "But not everything comes with the transformation. You still must train yourself."
"Well, I guess I can say he has some potential," Darkness said. "I wasn't even sure he'd be able to transform."
"Hey!" Trigger shouted. "I knew it would work!"
"Still, an untrained Rider isn't my ideal partner," Darkness replied.
Just then, they heard rustling in the grass nearby. It was followed by the emergence of a group of Insector soldiers.
"The messenger that spy sent told of a spiderless Rider wandering the forest with only a girl," one of them spoke.
"Looks like we're a little too late," another Insector replied. It was plain to everyone that there were three armed Spider Riders in the vicinity, and the unconscious bodies of several Insectors who had attacked earlier.
"That doesn't matter!" the Insector who appeared to be the group's leader said. "He can't be too experienced. We'll still take him down, and his spider!"
"Uh, what now?" Trigger asked.
"Don't be ridiculous! We take them out," Darkness answered. The spider already started a dash towards the Insectors, leaving his beginner Rider struggling just to keep his balance.
"Yes, you have to fight," Aura said. "The how will come to you." In truth, she wanted to say more. To say, don't hurt the Insectors. They are not truly an enemy. But she kept silent. She knew what rested on this. Her own champion's life could be in danger. Especially when he was so new to this.
Darkness achieved some success in his strike, as he landed on and outright crushed two Insectors. But most of the rest had leapt out of the way. They retaliated by throwing knives down from the sky, some of which connected with the spider's body. He made for a large target, unfortunately.
"Leave this to me!" Darkness wanted to make it clear to the other Riders not to interfere with the fight. It seemed he wasn't badly hurt anyway.
Therma looked to Brade apprehensively. But he signaled for her to stay put.
"Trigger… concentrate!" Aura called. She was worried that he hadn't made a move yet. But she was sure that he could. He already wore a manacle. He already transformed. He already had a spider as a partner… sort of. And she thought of the words he kept saying with confidence. "It's alright, remember?"
"Yeah!" There was a sudden glimmer in his eyes. "It's alright!" He pulled back his pike, aiming to make a strike. "Full Air!"
A blast came forth, with the intensity to send the unsuspecting Insectors flying.
"Yes!" Trigger exclaimed. It was as if he couldn't believe it himself.
Aura too was impressed. She watched on in amazement, hands clasped. The Earthen she'd chosen had already become a genuine Spider Rider. Not only that, he'd won his first battle.
There were a few Insectors still standing after the attack. Regardless of their fortune, they were clearly stricken with terror. They fled as fast as they could.
"That was great!" Therma cheered.
"It really was impressive," Brade agreed. "But what matters is Darkness' feelings."
"He'll do," Darkness said. "But don't make me change my mind. You will train. Hard. Got it, boy?"
"That's Trigger!" he shouted in frustration. "But yeah, yeah, I got it. I want to get better at this anyway."
"In that case, why don't we head back to the castle?" Brade suggested. "That includes our new spider and Rider too, of course. But what about the young lady?"
"Me?" Aura asked. The truth was, she was somewhat intimidated. Brade clearly knew who she was. She felt it. But yet he'd said nothing.
"Yes, of course I mean you," he replied.
"I… I have to come," she answered. It was true. She wanted to observe Trigger. But if she was nothing but an outsider… or wanted to come off that way at least, how could she justify that. "I… he needs my help!" she declared, louder than she'd intended. Aura's face turned red.
"Yeah, I really do need her help," Trigger agreed, much to her relief. "I mean, if she doesn't really mind. She must be busy. Especially since… well, you know, right Aura?"
"Does she have you whipped?" Darkness interrupted. It was rather relieving to Aura, as it saved her from answering. "She sounds like your mother… or maybe more of an overprotective girlfriend. I'm really starting to second guess this partnership."
"Uh… wait… it's nothing like that!" Trigger shouted. "Just… she was really helping me out since I got here."
Aura was glad she'd been blushing before any of this was said. The last thing she expected was to be called out as being in any sort of special relationship with Trigger. Whether mother, girlfriend… in any case, she'd never had those sort of personal relationships to anyone. Of course, she loved all her people, but simply as her people.
"Then I'll take that as good news when we get back to the castle," Brade said. "Whoever you are, Aura, Therma makes a point. You are cute."
Aura looked to Trigger in confusion. But he wasn't paying her any mind, already jotting down more notes in his journal.
AN: Darkness is not the same character from the books. But I did intentionally use the same name.