Good Gone Dark

A/N: Inspired during a SR roleplay. Main pairing is still being decided, will decide depending on were the story goes, I guess.

Pairing: Hunter/Corona?, Hunter/Aqune?

Summary: What if when Hunter lands in the Inner World, the Invectids find him first, and train him to fight on their side just as Buguese had done with Aqune?

Warning: AUness.

Disclaimer: I don't own Spider Riders.

Prologue: Mask

Hunter groaned as his green eyes opened. The last thing he remembered he was on a hiking trip with his friends, exploring those weird ruins, where he fell....

The young boy immediately sat straight up and looked around, now wide awake. He definitely was not in Japan anymore, that much was for sure.

But as for where he was, well, the young earthen had no idea.

He stood up and brushed himself off, walking around. He appeared to be in a forest, and it looked pretty normal. Trees as tall as the sky, grass surrounding him...normal, check.

But when an overly large spider landed down in front of him on the ground, he immediately crossed Normal from the list. So much for liking this place.

"Spiiiider!" cried Hunter as he went to hide behind the nearest tree. Only a little brave, all the young earthen did was peek out at it. It was blue, and looked kinda robotic. He blinked.

A robotic spider? Okay....where was he now? He doubted he'd get any answers from the spider, and turned to run away again, that is . . . until he heard a voice.

"Going to run away again?"

Hunter jumped and turned around. There was no human in sight, so that had him puzzled. He then looked back over at the spider, who hadn't left despite his running away from it.

So, that got him thinking.

"....d-did you just speak?" he asked, pointing a finger at the spider.

"So you are smart," the spider said, rather unhappy about having to talk to a young child that ran from spiders. Nobody ran from Spiders on arachna, everyone knew they were here to help, so why did this boy....?

The spider slowly crept over to him, and Hunter ducked behind the tree again.

"You're not from here," it stated simply.

Hunter peered out once again. "...wha...?"

"You're not from here," the spider said again. "Everyone here knows that spiders are here to help when they are around, they don't run away. Which makes me believe you aren't from here. Are you an Earthen?"

"Earthen...?" Hunter asked, not believing he just talked to a spider, and the spider was talking back.

"An Earth human," the spider replied with a sigh. Hunter blinked.

"Yes! I am Hunter Steele. I guess....if you're asking me that, then where am I?" Hunter asked, forgetting that the spider just said 'Arachna'.

"You somehow must have fallen into the inner world," it said.

"How nice, a rider talking to his spider," a male voice suddenly interrupted. Hunter jumped and looked around, until he saw a man step out from behind the trees. He had long white hair, and green eyes. He wore a dark cloak that kind of made Hunter nervous, and by the way the spider was suddenly in front him made him all the more nervous.

"I am not his spider, I need no rider," the spider said, making the man chuckle.

"Ah, Shadow. I've heard of you, the spider who rides alone, one of the toughest warriors in Arachna," he said as if he was reciting an old story he heard from someone.

"And your an invectid," Shadow simply stated. "An enemy."

'Enemy?' Hunter thought as he looked over towards the other, stepping out from behind Shadow.

"Earthen, get behind me!" Shadow demanded. Instead of bickering, protecting him.

The word 'earthen' seemed to spike the other's interests, and he watched Hunter curiously. 'This boy would do well for Lord Mantid's plan. To have an earthen spider rider on our side...'

He was very excited, and planned to succeed for Lord Mantid. He took out a mask, that was blue, the same blue color as Shadow that had an eyehole so Hunter could see through.

"I am Buguese, I work for Lord Mantid as one of the Big Four," Buguese said upon introducing himself. "And you, are the newest member of our crew, Hunter," he said, having heard the boy speak his name to Shadow. He threw the mask in Hunter's direction, who's eyes widened.

"Hunter!" Shadow exclaimed, for once using his name.

A scream came from Hunter as the mask attached to his face, one that would make Shadow's skin shiver, if he had any skin that is. But before he could say anything, a mask appeared on his own face, the same color as Hunter's.

Buguese laughed. To wonder how this was so successful, he'd never know. The Spider Riders had lost another one of their own to the Invectids, and it wouldn't be long now before they were all gone.

"Come, Hunter Steele. Shadow. We have much to do," Buguese said and started walking away.

Hunter and Shadow followed.

**~**

A young girl stood just outside the edge of the forest, peering inside. She had long blonde hair that went past her back, and blue eyes. She wore all pink, and looked on with a worried expression.

She had heard the scream, and didn't like the sound of it.

"....I have a bad feeling about this..."

*~~~*

TBC

A/N: I will be continuing The Story Never Told, I just had to get this story idea out before it left me. _ Review please! Aqune is in next chapter. ^__^