Ch 11- Anything Can Go Wrong
"I am not at all surprised," Buguese said. He could see how worried Aqune looked after the turn of events. "Of course Mantid would find out."
"But… they were so close," Aqune replied. "Had they succeeded and used the Oracle Keys, then…"
"Then everything would have turned out completely different," Buguese said. "I can't even begin to imagine what our lives may have been like with a change of this magnitude. Perhaps we would not have even been born." Though pages still remained, it was clear to him already that the plan couldn't possibly succeed. After all, the sun was still gone during his entire lifetime. And Mantid was in the Inner World. On top of all of that was the matter of Hunter Steele coming from the surface. They had established already that his grandfather likely couldn't remain in this world.
"You're right," replied Aqune. "I think everything happens for a reason. However Spirit Oracle's story ends might have been the best possible ending, no matter how grim it seems." That was what she had to convince herself at least. For whatever good might have come from it, she could sense that the reality which did result from this incident hurt Spirit Oracle deeply.
"We must go and get the last Oracle Key!" Roanin demanded. He was seething. "It doesn't matter where it is now. As an Insector, even a traitor, I should have the easiest time getting to it out of all of us."
"The Key is important and all, but what about Hero Brade?" Trigger argued. "Saving him is even more important."
"Is he even alive?" asked Therma.
"Yes," Aura replied. "He's alive. I can sense it. I can see right now exactly where he is. But Mantid is restraining him."
"If Mantid has the power to keep him captive, it's definitely going to be dangerous," Mantle said. "But that's why all of us are going to have to go."
"I agree!" Trigger replied. "When we come together, it's sure to be alright!"
"Well…" Aura wanted to agree. Of course, they had to save Brade and retrieve the Key. And the only way they had a chance at success was if they all went together. But even then, they were putting themselves in real danger. She worried for all of them. "We have no other choice," she said. "But Mantid will be expecting us. And he won't give up without a fight. I just want to be sure all of you know the risk you're going to face."
"Of course we know!" replied Trigger. "But you said so yourself. We have no other choice."
"Everyone, we should transform now," Diamond said. "We can't waste a moment."
"Got it," Mantle agreed.
Aura watched as each of the Riders transformed to their battle armor. Maybe they were still young, but they looked like an impressive team of warriors.
"Alright," Aura said. "Let's go."
The next thing they knew, they were in the dark Insector lands, in the midst of the Mantid's castle itself.
"Well this is a creepy place," Arachna commented. "No offense, Roanin."
"The castle's architecture has nothing to do with me," he replied, irritated.
"Now how long until we run into trouble?" Mantle wondered. It was a little too quiet.
"Now!" Therma said, without missing a beat. Insectors stepped in behind them.
"What kind of Insectors are those?" Trigger wondered. It wasn't a type he'd seen before.
"Doesn't matter," Diamond answered. "We've just got to beat them." She charged ahead, swinging out her blade. One of the Insectors carrying a heavy-looking mace easily parried the blow. Diamond herself barely escaped his strike of retaliation.
"Diamond, let's hold them off!" Prince Arachna called. He rushed into the group of Insectors as well, launching an attack.
Diamond cringed, as she glanced over to the prince. His attack wasn't any more effective than hers was. "Fine," she said. "The rest of you, go on! We'll catch up when we can."
"Understood!" Trigger called. He ran forward, at the head of the group. They made it safely into another corridor.
"Which way is the key?" Roanin asked.
"It's in Mantid's chamber," Aura replied. She wondered if she should have sent them directly there from the start. She hoped to give them a bit of distance, so that they weren't caught right away. But as it stood, they has been found almost immediately anyway. Well, it was too late to doubt herself.
"That's what I was afraid of," Roanin answered, breaking her out of her worried train of thought.
"Are we close?" Mantle asked.
"Not close enough," Roanin replied. "And rushing in…" He shook his head. "I suppose there isn't really another option. First, we have to head upstairs."
Just as soon as they'd reached the staircase, more Insector soldiers came from around a corner. They were the same type as before.
"Oh man!" Mantle shouted. But despite complaining, he looked excited for a fight. "Therma, think we can take them?"
"Eh?" She appeared taken aback, having seen the power of these Insectors already. "I mean… yeah! I'll give this everything I've got!"
"I sure hope so," Mantle said. He also wielded a mace-like weapon, and thrust his out at the enemy. The two heavy weapons collided with a loud crash.
"Go!" Therma called. She hopped back to get some distance, and immediately began a long-range assault.
"Right!" Trigger replied, and took off.
"Come, Aura!" Roanin said, pushing her gently up to the staircase. It was obvious she was hesitating. She appreciated his concerned gesture, and knew he was right. Aura did her best to snap out of it, and rushed up along with Trigger and Roanin.
The three didn't encounter any more groups of Insectors. All that remained in front of them was the door to Mantid's chambers. A door which opened just as they'd made it.
"So we meet again, Spirit Oracle," Mantid said, sounding scarily polite. "And the traitorous Roanin too, I see. I never imagined you would side with Spirit Oracle, whom you hated so."
"You are right in thinking it unlikely," replied Roanin. He stared at Mantid intently, leaving the room in silence for a moment. "I have despised Spirit Oracle all of my life. I savored the chance of being able to meet her personally, and get rid of her. But upon actually meeting her, I realized." He turned his gaze to her for a moment. "She is far from the person I imagined. And she has also brought me closer to saving the Insector world than you ever have. Already, we've collected three Oracle Keys."
"I'm well aware of that fact," Mantid replied. "But only three will do you no good. Not as long as I have the fourth."
"Having three Keys still gives us an advantage," Aura spoke. She could give their power to Trigger. He could transform with them, and fight against Mantid. Right now, she held the Keys. She just had to give them to him.
"Only if you can manage to use them," replied Mantid. He swung out his pincer suddenly, her as its target.
"Aura!" Roanin shouted. He moved in front of her, taking the blow. Blood spilled from the inflicted area. But that was not enough to take him down.
"Roanin, no!" Aura called. But the Insector ignored her plea. He pulled out his sword and leapt at Mantid. One of the guards who waited behind Mantid took that opportunity to strike. He stabbed Roanin from the side with his spear. It pierced right through the skin. Roanin fell to the ground in pain, coughing up even more blood.
"How dare you?!" Trigger shouted. Though Aura was only watching with horror, he wasn't going to stay still. He charged at the guard. As his opponent wasn't expecting this, he was struck with the full force of the blow, and collapsed to the ground. Trigger, however, left himself defenseless in the process. Mantid slashed at him from behind, drawing blood from him as well. He was left cringing in pain.
Aura gasped. She had just barely made it over to where Roanin lay. She put her hands over him immediately, trying to heal him.
"Don't waste… your energy," Roanin spoke. His voice was strained.
"But… you…" she looked over to Trigger, who was trying to stand up, then back at Roanin.
"Get the last Oracle Key… and save the Insector lands. All that matters to me is knowing my world is safe… and you… as well." He shut his eyes.
"Can't you save him… like you did me?" Trigger asked, as he attempted another strike. That he was already weakened didn't help. He was only thrown back to the floor.
"I…" Aura was already so shaken. She wasn't even thinking straight. She wanted to, and she wanted to heal Trigger as well. "I-I'll try…"
She was about to do so when Mantid struck down at her. He thrust her hard against the wall. The impact of the blow was enough for her to black out.
"Aura! Aura!"
The sound of her name finally brought her back to her senses.
"Aura!"
"Trigger…" she mumbled. She knew it was him. Moments later she could see him and the rest of her surroundings. She was chained against a wall. Trigger was chained as well on the other side. He was still conscious, but looked to be in very bad shape. And the Hero Brade was also in the room, bound.
"I'm truly sorry…" Brade spoke. "Now Mantid has all the Oracle Keys."
"No…" Aura could barely speak in reply. They'd failed. Terribly. Roanin was likely dead by now. And the other Spider Riders… where were they?
Mantid, of course, was also in the room. "Now, Spirit Oracle, you can witness my victory," he spoke. "If you try anything at all, I will use your own power to kill your last remaining comrades."
"Wh-what about the others?" Aura asked. She certainly didn't want to see anything happen to Trigger or Brade. She knew she was helpless. But was there any chance Arachna and the rest could come to their rescue?
"They've likely fallen victim to the newest variety of Insector soldier," Mantid replied. "Even if by some chance they survived, I could kill them right here without lifting a finger."
Aura had to know for herself. She concentrated on the presence of Therma and Mantle first. She could see them lying on the floor, puddles of blood surrounding them. Mantle's mace shattered into pieces. Therma's bow tattered. Their spiders too, barely clinging to life. A battle they likely wouldn't win.
It hurt her, yet she continued searching. This time, towards Prince Arachna and Diamond. The scene there was also unsettling. Diamond was dead for sure. She lay on top of the prince, having shielded him desperately with her own body. The prince wasn't dead, not yet. But he wasn't conscious either, and his injuries were severe. Of course, neither of their spiders survived.
Could she turn back time? Could she save every one of them? Of course she'd only done that once in history… with Trigger. Her experiment. The boy she may have found feelings for which she never wanted to have. She knew even then, restoring the dead wasn't something that should be done. Each person had to die one day. That was the way life worked. Even if she really wanted to save Roanin and the four Riders and their spiders, she wasn't sure she could. She felt nauseous. Her head spun with pain. She couldn't block the images of their bloodied, lifeless bodies.
"Now…" Mantid said. "Who should be next? How about this boy?" He walked up to Trigger. "He means a lot to you, doesn't he?"
"Don't…" she mumbled weakly.
"I-I'm not going to die!" Trigger yelled. "It's alright!"
"Nothing is alright," Mantid responded. He fired a blast of lightning at Trigger. He screamed in pain. "With the power of the four Oracle Keys, I can do anything I want. And now, what I want is to break you, Spirit Oracle." The blast continued.
Aura didn't even want to look. Trigger's body was becoming burnt all over. He looked to be in tremendous pain. But she noticed something. Despite the pain, he was smiling.
"I won't lose to this…"
'I have to do something,' she thought to herself. 'I can't stop Mantid, not when he has the same power as I do. But I can save Trigger.' She focused on him. 'My experiment was a success. Trigger didn't turn out like Mantid. He became a wonderful warrior… a true hero, to both humans and Insectors. And he was happy in this world.'
She watched him smile, thinking, it would be the last time they ever met. And a tear ran down her cheek.
"Trigger…" she said. "I know you love this world, so please forgive me."
"Wh-" he was in so much pain he could barely answer.
"I'm sending you back home. Forever. Please live on, and find happiness there." Trigger didn't have the time or strength to do a thing to object. He disappeared into the light. And he was gone. His manacle was left behind on the floor.
"I'm sure he can fulfill your request," Brade said. "I'm glad that a boy like him gets the chance to live a normal life."
"You're cunning, Spirit Oracle," Mantid said, sounding angry despite complimenting her. "And you truly must have treasured him. To give that Earthen back the world where he belongs."
"Mantid," Aura replied. "I planned to send you there instead. That way, the Insectors could find peace, without the violence you instigate."
"What?!"
"When I collected the four Oracle Keys, after saving the Insector world, I was going to send you to the Outer World. But now, I can't do that. It would allow you to hurt Trigger."
"I see…" Brade said. "So that was your plan."
"Still…" Aura continued. "I will take the power of the four Keys away from you."
"How will you do that?" Mantid asked, a mocking tone to his voice.
"Because my will is not broken yet," Aura replied. "You almost succeeded. What you did to Roanin, to Therma, Mantle, Prince Arachna and Diamond nearly destroyed me from inside. When I thought Trigger would be next, I felt powerless. But then I noticed. Despite everything, he still had hope left. And that too gave me hope."
"Hope?" Mantid questioned, disgust in his voice. "That won't make any difference!" Outraged, he struck Aura with the same blast of lightning he'd used on Trigger before. She screamed, intense pain pulsing through her.
"Aura!" Brade shouted.
Then, just like Trigger, she smiled.
"This is exactly what I wanted to happen," she said. It was as she planned, but there wasn't an ounce of triumph in her voice. It was a bittersweet victory. "Your power will kill Aura, the human girl. However, I am also Spirit Oracle. The power you use was mine originally. So it fuels me."
As energy rushed through her, Aura felt euphoria mixed within the intense pain.
The Oracle Keys flew out from within Mantid's body. The power he had absorbed was lost to him as well.
"That's… impossible!" said Mantid. He grasped for the Keys, but they rushed away from him too quickly. "I don't care! I can still win!" Though his body was weakened, he hobbled towards where Brade was still chained. "Give back the power, or I will kill him next!"
"You can't," said Aura. There was a glow around her, which was beginning to consume her body, making it disappear from visibility.
Mantid threw his pincer down towards Brade. As it was about to make contact, Brade disappeared from that spot. Aura sent him out of the castle, back into Arachna.
'He'll be safe now,' she thought to herself. She knew that Brade was already "dead", his heroic willpower preserving himself in the form of a very life-like ghost. Mantid couldn't exactly kill him again. Yet she didn't want to see another Rider seemingly struck down. Not when she could do something about it.
'Prince Arachna too…' she realized. 'I don't know if he's too late to be saved. But I can take him from this castle as well. That will give him the best chance.' His body vanished too from the spot it lay.
'I can barely feel anything anymore…' Aura thought to herself. Physical senses, she meant. Her ability to sense the world around her was becoming stronger than it had been for a long time. But her sense of touch was nearly gone. Almost no sensation reached her human body. At least she wasn't in pain anymore. Her sight, her hearing, even smell and taste… they were all dissolving. Every bit of her that was human.
'I can't even hold the Oracle Keys…' she thought. The power rushing to her was overwhelming, nearly beyond her control. 'I'll scatter them once more, with the strength I have left. It seems… one can go back to Nuuma after all.' The rest, even she wasn't sure where they would land. But they would be somewhere in the Inner World.
One last idea reached her mind. There was Trigger's manacle, which remained. His spider Darkness was inside.
'I can't send a spider into the Outer World. But, the manacle… after all, it wouldn't be a bad thing if another Earthen found it one day… and became a Spider Rider.'
Darkness too was sent back to Arachna. And the manacle left the Inner World completely, for a second time.
'Forgive me, Roanin…' she thought to herself. 'I wasn't able to grant your last wish. Neither one of them.'
The next thing Spirit Oracle knew, she'd returned to the colorful plane where she once dwelt before. Yet the body of Aura remained, lifeless, on the castle floor.
In the final moments, when that enormous power rushed through me, Aura was killed at the same time. It was a paradox. For I was Aura. But now, we were split. I was Spirit Oracle alone. And Aura was a normal human girl. One with a tragic fate. After Aura's death, she would enter into the cycle of reincarnation.