So I love your fic in these tangled webs and have read it like a bunch, so today when there was a giant spider in our gym class I was trying to help get it outside. I am terrified of spiders but it was scared to, but my teacher got mad that we were distracted and she killed it. And I full on sobbed for it
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With Your Tears
It was a tale spun often through the Webs of Spiderlings that Humans held magic within their tall, two-legged Beings. A magic so powerful that it could wrought mighty changes upon those caught up in its swirling wake should the Humans choose to freely give a part of themselves away.
The now Non-Spider hadn’t believed in this magic. It had only considered Humans as the Great Death Givers since it was well known that to be spotted by these large two-legged creatures meant Death. Death to their webs, painstakingly created and filled with the stories of previous generations. Death to their young, carefully nurtured in the shadows away from predators. Death to any spider foolish enough to venture within a Human’s Nest and get spotted or if not spotted, starve to death if no food could be found within.
No, If there were such a changing magic within these giant Beings, it was not one that an Arachnid would be given. Humans feared the Spiders. They would not give freely to them.
At least…that’s what the Now Non-Spider had thought.
But then…it had been noticed. As a Spider, the Non-Spider had been seen while It had sought shelter from the burning heat within the cooler Communal Nest of Many Humans where their Humanlings learned and grew.
The Non-Spider had sensed the Human’s terror and met it with terror of Its own. Unable to move, unable to flee, only able to think…that maybe, just maybe if it didn’t move…they would think It already dead and leave it be.
Yet one Humanling filled to the brim with their frightened scent had attempted to move It away. Soft vibrations moving from the young one’s mouth washing over the It as the Human attempted to urge It back towards the Great Heat Outside. “Please. M-move–MOVE! You–you can’t stay here. Move. Pl-please!”
The Non-Spider hadn’t known the words then, but now with Its new senses, with the ability to…to hear as the other Aranae called it, it understood those airy disturbances much better.
If only the Non-Spider had taken advantage of that moment of mercy. If only it had darted away then–then—
A Larger Dark Shadow.
CRU-SPLAT
The Non-Spider shuddered, the crushing force of Its Death still tingling along Its New Body…Its–Its new Volantem Aranae form.
A form that was extremely rare among those that the Humans called Fae.
After all, Humans needed to freely gift of themselves in a moment of Great Emotion to create a Being like but not like unto themselves.
It was common knowledge that those who were the CloseBonds of Humans like the Felines or Canines would often be born again in a Fae form when their first life ended.
But to have a Human Cry over a Spider? To shed their magic filled tears onto Its squashed body? It was nearly unheard of with their terror being so great for the Arachnids.
The Non-Spider–the new Aranae, it had to think of itself as Aranae now, had been told by others like It that this feeling, this memory of Its death would linger on Its new body for one full cycle of the building and destruction of the Great Cocoon that hung in the sky for the magic from the Human’s Tears that had splattered onto the Non-Spider as it died would still wrought more and more changes upon It to ensure that the Aranae would be able to survive in Its new life.
The New Aranae didn’t know what more could be changed though, for already It had awoken to a much different form as the last threadbare remains of the Great Cocoon rose in the sky. It had been like, but not like the previous Molts the Non-Spider had gone through as It had Grown. But this Molt had brought new sensations to Its new shape, one that did not have as many legs nor as many eyes. A shape, when It had seen itself in the still Waters, had appeared more Human than Spider.
It drew in an unsteady breath, feeling the new pounding in Its center increase as the New Aranae pulled itself up cautiously on the ledge that would allow It to look into the Human’s Nest, the two limbs on Its back that had Once Been Legs twitching as Its New Eyes, only four of them now, caught sight of the One who had Given Tears unto It.
Wings. The Aranae had been told were what the Old Legs were becoming. A rare gift indeed for those who were Gifted to be Fae. Rarer still for one who had once been Arachnid. But as a Volantem Aranae, the Now Non-Spider would be able to fly once it shed the last of Its Spider and fully embraced Its new form gifted by the Humanling who had cried over Its death.
The Aranae paused, the beat stuttering in Its ears as It watched the One Who Had Given Tears sleep restlessly within their Human Cocoon.
The Aranae knew that this Human had cried long over it. Though It knew not why, for Humans did not like Spiders. Yet It could still Scent the Sadness; Scent the salty waters on the Humanlings cheeks.
Cautiously, raising a leg–no a Hand. For It had Human Hands now thanks to the Gift Freely Given, the Aranae slipped inside the Clear Barrier for It Needed No Invitation to Enter this Place as one of the Fae. Not when the Human had Freely Given to It.
With Great Care, because the Non-Spider could feel Its ability to Cling to the Walls of the Human Nest fading as the Threadbare Cocoon was pulled higher into the Sky, It climbed up to where the ceiling met the walls of the Human Nest.
Quickly, with Its Thread Making Legs growing smaller with each new Breath It took, The Aranae pulled out the Last Silk to Make Its Final Web in the Corner of the Human’s Nest. High and out of reach, it would not House the Non-Spider nor Catch Food for It.
No, This Cobweb would be Its Gift of Gratitude for the Human Who Had Given Freely To It. For This Web would Mark this place as an Aranae’s Territory and provide Peace and Protection to This Human who had Feared yet still sought to Help It as a Spider.
It was a Small Gift for One who had Given the Now Non-Spider New Life, but it would have to do.
The New Aranae exhaled, running sensitive Fingers over the Threads as it finished the little Cobweb, leaving the faintest of Rainbows shimmering through it as It slipped back down to the Ledge with the Clear Barrier, barely making the final leap to the flat surface before the last of Its Sticking Ability vanished.
The Aranae turned, the wings forming on Its back twitching as it looked to the Humanling once more, relaxing as It saw that the Gift Giver had grown quiet, a small smile having formed on their lips as they Slept.
The Aranae relaxed. The Last Web the Non-Spider made was already working its own small Magic through the Human’s Nest.
Now It would need to leave before the Human woke and saw It–but the Non-Spider found It couldn’t. Not without saying—
“Thank you.” The Aranae said softly, Its New Voice shaking as It bowed to the One Who Had Given Freely. “For giving me New Life with Your Tears.”
