Slugterra: The New Shane

Chapter 27: Learning My Own Backstory

Look at little Alana up there lol I was bored.

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Alana's POV

The ride was pretty terrible. I kept worrying about what I was doing, and what I was about to find out. As I felt my heartbeat rising once against as we got closer and closer to Shadow Clan territory, Ash and Isis each jumped on one of my shoulders. They gave me reassuring chirps, and it was a little embarrassing to know that my slugs had more confidence than I did.

When I reached the Dark Periphery, my amulet began to give a steady green pulse. It gave me a fairly decent warning as Shadow Clan began appearing in front of me. Unfazed, I casually slid off Midnight, ignoring the whispers of the Shadow Clan around me. Despite the late hour, I felt myself buzzing. I felt nervous, excited, and terrified, all at the same time.

The Shadow Clan leader appeared in front of me, materializing out of the shadows. He looked down at me with curious green eyes.

"What brings you here?" he asked.
I bit my lip. No going back now. Then I cleared my throat and began.

"I-I want to know more about my past," I said quickly. This was met with a confused look from the Shadow Clan. I sighed and explained, slowly gaining some confidence. "You all knew about my powers, and even a little bit about me, and I thought that out of all of Slugterra, you all would be the ones who would know about me. As in, my past. Like who were my parents? And where did I come from? I don't know anything. And I need answers," I said desperately.

For a moment, he was silent. Then the leader began to speak carefully. "We do know the answers to these questions." For a moment, I felt a flicker of hope. But it died out as he continued. "But it is not time for you to know just yet. There is more you must learn before-"
Understand that he just admitted that he knew about my past, about me. Then that he wasn't going to tell me. Understand how hard that was for me to hear. That's why I narrowed my eyes and did the most moronic thing a Slugterran could do. I straightened myself up and yelled at the leader of the Shadow Clan.

"What do you mean, more for me to learn? That's what I'm saying! That I need to learn! About myself! I have worked for years to protect Slugterra, I've made sacrifices, I didn't get to live like a normal teenager would. All I have is this far-off memory, an echo, of when I first was on the streets. And that memory doesn't even feel... real. There's something you're not telling me, and that's not fair for me. I want to know about my past and you will tell me!" As soon as I was finished, my eyes widened and I slapped a gloved hand over my mouth. I cannot believe I just did that, I thought. I am so, so, so unbelievably screwed now.

However, instead of blasting me into a million pieces like I thought he would, the Shadow Clan leader just looked at me skeptically. Then he sighed, and nodded slowly. Beneath his usual lack of expression, he seemed the slightest bit defeated. Certainly not the reaction I had been expecting.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Very well."
For a moment, I sort of just stood there, my hand still over my mouth. Then I seemed to unfreeze. I lowered my hand, tugging nervously at my gloves as he continued.

"Perhaps you are right. You will be shown your past. But beware- it is unlike anything you could have imagined," he warned. Then, he reached for something on his back. He pulled out a small slug. For a split second, I was worried I'd get slugged. Instead he simply held out the slug. I carefully held out my hand and it jumped into my palm.

It was a Hypnogriff, I realized. It was lime green, with a blue stomach and startling pink and white eyes.

"Um... A slug?" I asked curiously. Then the little Hypnogriff began to glow pink. I frowned as the Shadow Clan all took steps back. I looked back down into the slugs mesmerizing eyes and my vision went black.