This'll be my first Spider Riders fan fiction, hope you enjoy! I made up a deep past for Hunter and the new character since the T.V series didn't really mention any thing on it besides the fact that his Grandfather knew about the inner world.
Prologue
Long ago, the inner and outer worlds were in grave danger. I couldn't sit back and allow fears to rule all. My friend and I took a stand, for not only humans but humans, spiders and invecteds alike. Our hope gave birth to courage; our courage gave birth to light. That light sealed the nightmares away. While my friend sealed her power away, I used it to watch over the inner world and breathe life into it. But recently the balance was undone. Although a total collapse of the barrier was avoided thanks to a warrior from the outer world damage was done; enough so to once again release the nightmares. And now the nations of the outer world aren't as isolated as they used to be.
You worthless piece of trash! Just go and die already!
"Hunter, hey Hunter, HUNTER!" it was a peaceful day in the inner world, after the defeat of Mantid things returned to normal. Hunter Steel, the boy from the outer world was now 14 and remembering some aspects of his past. "What Corona?"
"Were you day dreaming?"
"Uuuuh, I guess you could say that." Hunter walked off. "Something's wrong…"
"Hello Corona" thanks to Hunter Corona was able to find her long lost sister Aqune; the two had become quite close. "Is something wrong?"
"It's Hunter"
"Maybe he's simply bored because there isn't as much to do, what now that we're at peace."
"That's what I'm worried about."
"Come again?"
"What if now that the inner world doesn't need him… he'll try and find a way back home?"
"I see, you're afraid he'll be just like his grand father." But that was just the beginning of what is about to happen.
Hunter was in his room staring at the ceiling (don't think I spelled that right and spell check isn't helping) when his battle spider Shadow spoke from his manacle. "Hunter, are you OK? I know you're lazy but this isn't like you. Is it because it's coming close to the anniversary of when you came to the inner world?"
"No its nothing."
"Hunter."
"If you really want to know, it's a family issue."
"You home sick"
"Not exactly."
"Then what is it."
"Let's just say I wasn't always living with my actual family."
"Huh?"
"When I was really young there was a fire where I lived and I had gotten separated from my family in the blaze, I lost most of my memory so they never could find my family. I ended up getting dropped in not the best of orphanages if you know what I mean."
"Abusive owners."
"Bulls eye, one day I couldn't take it any more and I tried to run away. I bet you can guess what happened after that."
"Owner caught up to you."
"Yup, I thought I was a goner. But what really shocked me is that no matter how much I screamed no one came running. He said that it was because I was worthless, and that no one cared about me. But he was wrong."
"Well of coarse he was wrong!"
"About both things, after a little a girl with a metal bat came running, with help. We were just five years old. I remember her praising me for being brave and lecturing me for not going to the police. But to top it all off her, her family, and her friends all raised the money to hire a private investigator squad to find my family, and they did. If it weren't for her… I probably wouldn't be here right now." Shadow was silent. "You miss her don't you?"
"Uh huh. We were best friends, even when I went to the town my family had moved to. We'd write each other letters and talk on the phone."
"Phone?"
"Uh, long story don't ask." knock knock "come in" it was Igneous "somthin happen?" he nodded "head to the throne room.
"So I guess you're wondering why I had you all come here." All of the spider riders had gathered in prince Lumen's throne room. "The thing is people have witnessed strange activity in the forest of the east Arachna kingdom. You're job is to investigate."
"But what do you mean by suspicious activity?"
"I mean people going in and not coming out, screams and chanting during the night. Go at once."
"But the sun is already setting."
"Exactly, the night is when the activity is at its highest. Chances are you'll get a look at what's going on." And like that they left the castle, called out their spiders and were off.
"Sir, the riders are on their way"
"Is the earthen with them?"
"Of coarse."
"Wonderful, in time the inner and outer worlds will be ours!"
"Hunter, still doing all right?"
"Geez Shadow, I'm fine. It's over, that guy's in Gail."
"There's something else."
"What do you mean?"
"Allot lately at night I see you staring out at the sky."
"Its stars." The others had overheard the conversation. "Stars?"
"Well you see, in the outer world at night there were these lights in the sky called stars. They were really beautiful and some of them even moved, but those you could only see for a second. It's even an old story that you could make wishes on them."
"Wow, that's amazing." All of the spider riders came up with their own interpretations of stars. They were pretty outrageous by earthen standards (what since no one knows of their existence in the inner world, since if you look at it the right way it's a huge cavern inside of the earth). "Here it is." Hunter was silent this is where I came through to the inner world. I wonder…maybe there's a way back.
"Keep close." The riders were in the forest trying to find the cause of the suspicious activity. "I'm really getting a bad vibe, can't you feel it?" all the riders nodded their heads. The forest ahead was very thick "our spiders can't go any further; we'll have to call them back." And from that point on they were on foot. It was pretty slow paced until "Wait a sec, there's no way…" Hunter ran to an over grown vine that went across the path, he took something off of it. "Corona do you recognize this?"
"Yeah it's one of the boomerangs invecteds use a weapons, why?"
"Don't you remember, when I first saw you an invected threw this and it barely missed me? This is the spot where I landed in the inner world!" The riders were astonished "wow, it's kind of funny thinking of how much of a spider rider noob I wa-AAAAA!" Hunter had fallen through a hole in the ground! "HUNTER!" the other riders immediately jumped in after him.
"Welcome rider, or should I say earthen boy."
"Who are… you?"
"You're worst nightmare."
"HUNTER, HUNTER! SAY SOMETHING!"
"Where'd that idiot run off to?"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
"What was that?"
"I think it was Hunter!" There was a blood curdling scream in the distance, followed by "I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!!" The underground tunnels were obviously unnatural; they were perfectly carved. Strange inscriptions were all over the walls; they were almost occult. The panic ensuing amongst the riders was astonishing is he OK?
I hope he isn't hurt!
What did he get himself into now? But they had no idea of what was to come.
They had come into a large room with a doorway at the end; Hunter was crouched onto the floor clutching his head, his eyes were heavy. "Welcome riders" an almost demonic voice said. "Who are you? Show you're self!"
"What have you done to Hunter??" A man with extremely pail skin in a black coat came in; he was wearing one of those masks where the eyes were two red curved line things and the mouth was a horrid smile. "I simply jogged his memories. Sorry if I hurt you're feelings but I'm afraid we need his help." He began to chuckle "FOR WHAT??" his chuckle turned into a laugh "what you say? To open the doorway to the outer world of course! A weakened oracle, the blood of the innocent, and the screams of an earthen are the keys to open the doorway."
"A weakened oracle?" Aqune asked "You're group prevented that Mantid from making it last for long, but just long enough for us to be freed."
"The blood of the innocent?" Magma cried "Remember the people who came into the forest and never came back?" the riders were shocked. "Us?" Corona asked "I'm simply the one that chose to introduce ourselves. We are the nightmare hoard; a group of beings that feed off of the fear of the youthful. But the earthens of today seem to have a much more open imagination than those from a thousand years ago, wonder why?" The riders were furious "ENOUGH TALK! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HUNTER??"
"See for you're self." Darkness surrounded all of them. "Is that…"
"How awful." They were seeing Hunter being beaten as a child. Shadow began to speak from within the manacle "Hunter told me that when he was a kid he got separated from his family and lost his memory. He ended up in an orphanage with abusive owners. One time he tried to escape and one of the owners caught up to him. "STOP IT!"
"Maybe after the gate's been open long enough for our ranks to get through." More and more shadows flew through a silver door with a star on it.
(About 5 minutes earlier) "We found some blood, and the dogs keep on barking at that pit covered in stone. I guess we can assume he fell in during the collapse… you want a few minutes alone."
"That'd be great." A girl with long dark hair and tan skin stood before the spot where Hunter had come through to the inner world. "Hunter, don't worry. I don't care what they say. I know you're in the inner world."
"There's nothing we can do, we have to go back and get help!" Igneous and Magma were struggling to get Aqune and Corona to calm down and bring Hunter. "But we can't just leave Hunter like this!"
"We'll get him help at the castle!"
"But what about the outer world?"
"That doesn't concern us!"
"The inner world never concerned Hunter! He saved a world that had nothing to do with him! I say we return the favor!"
"I agree, but it'd be better to do so with all seven of us!" Hunter's nightmare became more horrific, the man grabbed a bat. And Hunter was accumulating injuries the same as those he gains in the illusion "NO!"
"I see it! The outer world!" the nightmare hoard was about to break through when
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGH!! THAT SOUND, THAT AWFUL SOUND!!"
"JUST GO AND DIE ALLREADY!"
"NO!"
I see a light that reminds me of you
Shining bright, guiding me too.
Times passes by, and lights fade
But never did you
And the stars in the sky
That I wish upon
Can't make one two
Shine bright! For I will be there!
Bringing my starlight!
"Leave him alone!"
"What do you think you're doing?? Picking on a defenseless kid like that!" a group of people led by a little girl with a metal bat came running. They saved hunter. "Hey kid are you OK?" Hunter's younger self nodded and his body seemed to quiver less. "Why didn't you go to the police? Don't you have a friend that wanted you to be safe?"
"No"
"What? Do you even understand what a friend is?"
"Some one who cares about you?"
"Dummy! A friend is some one who watches out for you and defends you. And you do the same! Is there any one like that to you?" Hunter's younger self shook his head "well not any more!"
"What do you mean? I don't have a friend."
"Dummy! She's standing right in front of you!" the girl reached her hand out and Hunter took it. And immediately the riders were surrounded by a warm light similar to that of the oracle. When they opened their eyes they were surrounded by trees, but you could see through the tops of them. There was a school on a hill behind them. And it didn't look like any Arachna building.