AN: Yay! The new character filters I requested were finally approved. I didn't want to just label the fic as Buguese and Aqune, as I felt that would be a bit deceptive. They're important to the story, but don't get the majority of the page time after the first chapter.

Ch 5- Captured Interest

Buguese placed the journal onto the ground.

"What's wrong?" Aqune asked.

"It's nothing," he replied. "It seems not a thing of significance has happened yet. And there is not even reason to be concerned. The person who overheard was more than likely the Hero Brade."

"What makes you say that?" Aqune asked.

"He always shows up when it is least expected. He is truly a meddlesome imp."

"I promise, I don't love the Hero Brade," Aqune replied. Was he really still worked up over that?

"I know that," Buguese said. "Which doesn't improve my opinion of him in the slightest. I still remember clearly that day when he stole you away before my eyes, and then did everything in his power to keep us apart. I had only heard stories of him before then. But already, I disliked the man."

"Umm… I don't think he really stole me," Aqune replied. "It was confusing at first, but… I wasn't hurt in any way. And I was with Hunter, Corona and Magma too."

"And that was enough for you, I suppose," Buguese answered bitterly. Even once did she think of him those days? He wondered, but didn't want to ask.

"Of course not!" Aqune replied, defensively. She looked at him with troubled eyes. "The truth is… I was afraid to go back. For the first time, I doubted whether I really should. Of course I needed to help you… and your people. But I didn't want to fight. Not against my friends. Being with them for that short time distracted me from what I feared. But I never feared you, Buguese. I wanted to be by your side, like I am now. However, I knew that meant having to fight." She leaned in closer to him. "When you put that mask on me, I lost my will to Mantid. But at the same time, the first thing I did was embrace you. The feelings buried deep in my heart couldn't be bent after all."

"Aqune…" It was a greater answer she gave than he'd ever expected to receive. It wasn't that Buguese didn't know he meant a lot to Aqune. Surely, if he didn't, she wouldn't have chosen to live at the castle when she now had a choice. But at times, he needed to hear it. He needed something to shine through the deep doubts he felt.

"I think the same applies now," said Aqune. "That is, the deep feelings in our heart will always remain. Even of those things in the life we can't remember. Maybe we don't need to know… but I really hope we do find out."

"Then let's continue," said Buguese. "I will start where we left off, so that we miss nothing that may be of importance."

Rumors could travel fast when they were huge enough, even in a place like the Inner World. And the rumor that Spirit Oracle was on land in the form of a human, and currently living with the Spider Riders in Arachna Castle was the most exciting news on the streets in a while. People hadn't stopped knocking on the castle doors. Some simply wanted to see her, and were content with that much. Others wanted help.

'Cure my sick daughter.' 'Make it rain more for better crops.' 'Make sure it doesn't rain tomorrow so we can have a picnic.' 'Help me to become a better cook.' 'Can you make me into a Spider Rider?' 'I want to be 10 feet tall!' Some of the requests were reasonable, and Aura didn't mind trying to grant them. But others were contradictory, and some outright nonsensical. She felt bad refusing any pleas for help, but sometimes, the best she could do is tell them, maybe. At least that wouldn't dash their hopes.

"At least there hasn't been any real trouble yet," Brade said, as he put a supporting hand on her shoulder. He seemed rather amused by the entire ordeal.

"Yes, that's a blessing," Aura replied. But it had only been two days since the incident where she'd publically revealed her powers. The more time went on, the more people would find out. By indulging requests now rather than denying it, she had done nothing but confirm the rumor to be true. Of course, she felt it would be cruel not to help when she could. Especially with real problems. But certainly, it was riskier that way.

"However, if Mantid were to find out…" Brade's voice had turned more serious in an instant.

"I know," Aura replied. "He wouldn't be happy about this." Her mind immediately shifted to the figure on the roof. Could it have been an Insector? They were too far away to tell. Yet, the figure moved away with such agility. It was inhuman. The possibility that Mantid knew already was very real. Even had it not been an Inesctor then, well… spies were everywhere. The more rumors spread, the sooner Mantid would hear of it.

"Don't worry," Brade replied. "I'll keep an eye out for him. Mantid and I go back a long way too, and he knows not to let his guard down when I'm around."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Aura.

"Aura!" Prince Arachna VIII ran into the room. He looked exhausted, with sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Prince, what is it?" Aura asked. She hadn't really minded that he interrupted her conversation with Brade. It was roughly over anyway.

"I've put an embargo on all visits with you," he announced. "I hope it will be as helpful to you as it is to me."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Aura wondered. "Is it really possible to stop people from coming?"

"I've ordered the guards not to let anyone in who has come just to see you," he explained. "And that way, I don't have to greet all of them too. I haven't had a moment's break." He sighed. "And there are already three more people waiting in the main hallway for your presence. They should be the last for now."

"Thank you, Prince," Aura replied. "That really should help." She considered asking for Arachna to change the terms of the embargo. To let the people tell their specific requests to the guards. She didn't mind those who just wanted to meet her, or needed help with something serious yet manageable. But it was probably easier for everyone this way to just ban all visitors. Maybe that would even calm the people a bit, and slow the spread of the news.

In any case, she had three more people to deal with now. Aura headed to the main hallway.

One of the three was an older man, embarrassed by his hair loss. Aura made his day by granting him a fresh head of hair. The others were a mother and son. The mother simply wanted to meet with the Oracle in person. The son wanted a toy spider to play Spider Riders with, which she gave to him. All three of them walked out satisfied.

'I guess that's all for now,' Aura thought to herself. She wasn't sure how long the embargo would actually last, but she really didn't mind a break.

As she was leaving the main hall, Trigger walked in. He looked a bit embarrassed, or perhaps on guard, as he held his hands behind his back and was carefully observing his surroundings.

"Trigger! Is there a problem?" Aura asked. She was glad to see him. She hadn't gotten much chance since they'd returned from Flowerl.

"Nope. No problems here," he answered. "Actually, I was just looking for you. Can we talk? Maybe not out here… or I guess it doesn't matter."

"Hm?" She tilted her head.

"Here is fine!" Trigger decided. "No one's here anyway."

"Alright," said Aura. Were there really no problems? It was times like this when she wished she could better understand the human heart. But then, there really didn't appear to be any reasons for concern.

"Aura, I just… wanted to thank you!" he blurted out. "I never got to thank you properly, but you saved my life somehow."

"Ah… You're welcome," Aura replied. "Of course I would do so."

"Yeah," Trigger said. His face was a bit flushed now. "But, when you saved me, you ended up exposing your powers to a lot of people. I know you really didn't want that. And look at all the trouble it's made for you. Everyone wants your attention. I live with you, and even I couldn't get it."

"I'm sorry, Trigger," she replied.

"Why are you apologizing?" he asked.

"Because I'd rather be spending time with you. I don't mind helping people at all, but I guess I have been really busy."

"Really?" he asked. "I mean, I'm glad, then. I guess I was feeling like it was my fault. I acted pretty stupidly."

"It's alright, really," Aura replied. "I was unable to tell you how I really felt. It isn't fair to assume you would know."

"Well, I'm really touched that you did save me," Trigger said. "I'll make sure to do better next time!" He squeezed her hands in his, then let go, his face turning red.

'Why does he get nervous?' Aura wondered. 'I can tell his feelings are true. Trigger has always been an honest person. Is that why I saved him?'

She had been wondering to herself since she'd healed Trigger, why? He was an experiment. That was all. An experiment could either end in failure or success. True, Trigger hadn't fallen into despair like Mantid did. But dying in battle… that was surely still a failure. Many Spider Riders had died in battle over the years. Prince Arachna's brother most recently. Each time one of her champions died in the line of duty, Aura was hurt deeply. But never once in history did she undo it. Even when she was out of reach of everyone. For this boy, she'd made an exception without a second thought. Why?

"Aura, are you okay?"

She had gone quiet, she realized. Of course that must have worried him.

"Yes," she said. "Don't worry. It's alright."

Therma rushed into the room then, putting a hold to their conversation.

"Trigger, there you are! There's been signs of suspicious activity. That's what Plasma reported."

"Where this time?" Trigger asked.

"A bit far from here, in a seaside village."

"I'll go!" he declared.

"No, it's fine," Therma replied. "I've already decided to head there, with Mantle and Diamond. I just wanted to let you know."

"Alright. Thanks," Trigger said.

"Please be careful, all of you," Aura spoke. Suspicious activity didn't necessarily mean an attack. But it could be. At least they were bringing three Riders along. That would probably be plenty.

Aura and Trigger left the main hall together. Aura assumed that Brade and Prince Arachna were also informed of the plans, so it wasn't necessary to pass the news along.

"These Insectors are really a pain," Trigger said. "I get that you want to help them, if they're all your people, but… is that going to stop them from attacking innocent people all the time?"

"It's a lot more complicated than that," Aura said. "I'm not sure if anything can ever put an end to the tension between humans and Insectors. Even before the time of Mantid, there were conflicts. And the Insectors were not always the ones to blame. But yes. I want to believe that things will get better one day."

"I hope you're right," Trigger said. "But I still don't like them very much."

They made their way into a common room, where both Brade and Prince Arachna happened to be. But in the room stood a guard as well. There was a tense atmosphere.

"Trigger, it's good that you're here," Arachna said. "We need to talk immediately."

Trigger and Aura exchanged worried glances.

"What's up?" Trigger asked.

"There has been yet another attack. This time in Araaja village," Brade spoke.

"At the same time?" Trigger questioned.

"Unfortunately, yes. Therefore, we must go. But not all of us. We cannot leave Arachna Kingdom unprotected now."

"Let me go this time!" Trigger replied. "I can't just sit around."

"That's fine by me," Arachna replied. "This time, I'll let you and Hero Brade handle it. As prince, I should be the one to stay back."

"Shall I come as well?" Aura asked. She was already worried that something terrible would happen again. Something like last time, if not worse.

"Sure," Trigger said.

"No. Wait here," Brade instructed.

"Huh? Why?" asked Trigger.

"Because the Insectors may very well be aware of Aura's true identity," Brade replied. "Mantid despises Spirit Oracle. If we bring her out right to them, her life could very well be in danger."

"But isn't she too powerful to be killed?" Darkness questioned from within the manacle.

"No," Aura answered for Brade. "I may have all these powers, but this body I made for myself is a true human body. I'm not invulnerable. Even if I were to re-assume my true form, I can still be hurt. There are limits."

"I didn't know," Trigger said.

"It never came up," Aura answered, cheerfully. Although she wasn't quite cheerful. Her expression then turned solemn. "Good luck, my champions. You should hurry."

"We will!" Trigger said.

Aura stepped back until she was beside Prince Arachna. She watched the two leave, trying to hold back her worry. But she knew Brade was right. It wasn't a good idea for her to follow.

"I certainly don't like this either," Arachna spoke, once the two of them were left alone in the room. The guard from earlier had also retreated.

Aura nodded her head, and mumbled in agreement.

"Hey…" Arachna said. "Would you like to go out for a walk? Sometimes a little fresh air can help to clear the mind."

"Umm… sure," Aura replied. She thought it particularly generous of him to ask. It wasn't as if she and the prince were especially close.

She followed him outside the castle gates, onto the streets of town. Of course Aura considered that she might be followed by people, now that there were no guards to shoo them away. But many seemed to not even know what she looked like, so that would help.

The Arachnan market place was lively as always. It was actually a pretty exciting place to her. She never spent much time out there. Trigger was intrigued by it at first (particularly the "exotic" foods that were sold), but he quickly became much more devoted to his Spider Rider training, and didn't want to spend much time out shopping. And she usually went where he went.

A stand selling fresh fruits caught Aura's eye. There were still many foods in this world she'd never tasted. That was natural, as before having a human body, she'd never needed to eat.

"I wonder what that tastes like." She pointed to a crate in front of her, with some kind of purple berries. She thought Arachna was right next to her and would answer. But when she heard only silence, she turned her head.

Flying Insectors swooped over the streets. As soon as people took notice, they started running. Arachna was attempting to calm them, but it was clear to Aura how frustrated he looked.

"Do you need any help?" Aura asked him.

"No," Arachna replied. "I can take them. Basalt, spider out!"

The white spider's emergence was already a calming factor to the people. Of course a Spider Rider could save them.

"Oracle's Justice!" He quickly transformed into armor. Arachna fired a blast into the air, which served to knock several flying insects from the sky. At the same time, Basalt was able to catch a few mid-flight with his web, and drag them down.

"Aura, they seem to be coming from this way!" he pointed away from the castle. "You should head back. Basalt and I are going to stop them. I hate to say, but I don't think they would just send the flying types alone. They're likely a distraction, because they can get over the city walls the easiest."

"All these attacks must have been a plan to lure the Spider Riders away from Arachna," Aura thought out loud. And now, could one Spider Rider alone take out whatever forces were sent here? It was going to be especially dangerous for the prince. "Wait!" she called, and ran up to him.

"Hm?"

Aura reached out and tapped him lightly on the forehead. A glow emitted from her fingertips.

"What did you do?" Arachna asked. Immediately, he started to stare up and down at his body.

"You feel stronger, right?" Aura asked. "I gave you some of my power."

The Oracle Keys all remained separated at the time. But without them, Aura still was able to give a power boost to her Riders.

"Yeah, I really do!" Arachna replied. "Thanks for your help."

Aura nodded in acknowledgement. Then, she turned to head back to the castle.

'The Insectors here were defeated,' she thought to herself. 'I suppose it's alright if I go back. The villagers here weren't hurt.' At least they seemed fine, though some were definitely a bit shaken up. Besides, what could she really do if Insectors did come back? Despite the powers she had as Spirit Oracle, they weren't made for fighting. They were for nurturing, for healing. Powers of light. It was the role of her chosen heroes, the Spider Riders, to do the real fighting.

As she rushed back to the castle, Aura felt an icy hand grab her arm. She was dragged into an ally between two buildings sooner than she could react.

'Insectors…' she realized, registering something green in the corner of her eye. Then she felt a sharp pain in her arm.

"What?" she mumbled. But suddenly, she felt very dizzy. Her body felt weak. She was out cold as soon as she shut her eyes.

Some time had passed.

When Aura's eyes were opened, the first thing she consciously took note of was a dark-colored ceiling above her. It seemed rather run down, with various dents and holes. She felt as if she'd been looking at it for a while. Perhaps, she had been half awake for some time now, but not really registering much.

"Where is this place?" She gazed around. There, Aura saw something which made her gasp. But at least it served to remind her how she had gotten to this strange, dark place in the first place.

By the doorway stood a man. Rather, he wasn't a man, but an Insector who appeared almost human. His skin was a grey color, and he had a pair of antennae on his head. But everything else about him seemed human-like.

There was something else striking about this Insector, though. Immediately, Aura got a sense of familiarity from seeing him. Somehow, she was certain. He was the figure on the rooftops the other day. He knew exactly who she was.