Take Back the Light

Chapter 49

A small, perhaps pessimistic, voice in her head told her she knew the answer. Of course Will would be dragged away to the worst part of Slugterra, the one place where even the most talented slinger would have the slimmest chance of survival.

"No, you won't make it down there!" Alana cried out, trying to inch forward to reach them, but unable to battle the room's swirling winds. She finally dove forward just as the two Shanes slipped further downward, grabbing Eli's hands and just barely missing Will's.

Will slipped further downward, feet away from falling into the portal.

Alana wasn't going to be able to save him this time, either.

"Will, it's the Deep Caverns!" she cried out, pulling Eli up and away from the portal with her. She desperately tried to think of any warnings that would help him this time around. "You can't use slugs, there's dark water everywhere, and the Dark Bane!

"I'm sorry!"

But no apologies could stop him from finally being pulled into the portal, away from his home, into the Deep Caverns.

The portal sputtered to a stop. The wind in the room died down. Alana and Eli sat on the floor, staring at the singed ground, unmoving.

~~~~~~~~

Alana woke up around lunchtime. She didn't feel particularly well rested, but couldn't particularly remember any of her dreams. She instinctively went to grab her slinging gear, but remembered that, at least for the day, she and the gang had the freedom to not worry about keeping the peace. Not when the 99 Caverns seemed to be taking a collective sigh of relief after Blakk's fall.

Unfortunately, that freedom led to her pounding at Kord's door five minutes before the gang was supposed to leave for the conference.

"Kord come on, you have to go with us!" Alana called. She shrugged helplessly at Eli, who shrugged back while he clipped on his bandoleer. One good thing about press releases was the gang had decided on wearing their slinging gear. No dressing up required.

"I don't want to, it's embarrassing! Just go!" Kord replied. "I don't wanna go in crutches, I look ridiculous. Nobody else has anything. You only needed to wear your sling for a day. I'm not going'."

Alana threw her hands up in exasperation, something she was able to do because Kord was right. Her arm was relocated, but Sam had wanted to be cautious and put her in a sling for a day anyway.

"That's what this is about?! Oh my - Kord, nobody is gonna care about your crutches!" Alana exclaimed. "We fought Dark Bane, nobody expects us to look perfect."

Silence.

Alana sighed and kicked at the door.

"What if I wear my sling?" she suggested. "So you're not the only one. I'll have to go without my slinging arm, which I think looks more lame than crutches. Deal?"

A moment passed, then Kord's door slowly opened. The cave troll peered down at Alana.

"You'd do that?" he asked.

Alana laughed and nodded.

"Yes, because first of all, I really do think no one will care. But also, you deserve to be able to go up to the stage and get some recognition for helping save Slugterra," she explained. "I'll go grab my sling, okay? We have to head out, like, now."

Kord nodded and rustled around in his room before emerging, donned in his slinging gear accompanied by a pair of crutches. He smiled sheepishly at Alana.

"Thanks," he said.

"No problem," Alana laughed, walking downstairs and grabbing her sling, which she'd haphazardly tossed on the counter in celebration earlier when she'd hit the one-day mark. She slid it on, supporting her right arm. "Tada! We're buddies!"