This one's a tiny big longer, so buckle up!
~~~~~~~~
"Now you and the Shane will be on his watchlist."
"H-he was in a slugslinging tournament, got beat yesterday by John Bull."
The worker's words were on repeat in Alana's head.
Eli.
She felt bad, but she had almost forgotten about him. After years of thinking about "when Eli comes," it had slipped her mind that one day, he would actually be here in Slugterra. Will had always made it sound like Eli had a choice, but Alana knew that no Shane would be able to resist this underground world. And judging from letters passed between her and Eli throughout their childhood, he had the same fascination with Slugterra as any Shane did.
Eli.
The letters had stopped coming nearly five years ago.
She hadn't thought about Will or his son in a while. She tried to keep her mind occupied with the idea of taking down Doctor Blakk and, recently, figuring out what he needed so many slugs for. She tried to keep herself busy.
She had to. Otherwise the thoughts would clog her mind and she would get stuck in another bad mental state.
Alana shivered as she remembered the strange slug she had been hit with. The movement caused more pain to shoot up from her side, so she tried to stay still as she thought of the icy feeling that had come when the slug had touched her.
She didn't know why she'd gotten such a horrible sensation, or why it had only happened when she had been in contact with the slug. Because it hadn't been the first time she had seen one of those monstrous slugs.
Alana frowned and bit her lip as memories resurfaced.
~~~~~~~~
Alana was five years old, sitting under a mushroom-tree in the Jungle Cavern. It was her earliest memory, but she could still see almost every detail. Her hair was in two messy pigtails. Her clothes- a long shirt with detachable sleeves, shorts, and boots- were torn and singed. She was detaching one of her sleeves and wrapping it around a burn on her right arm.
Ash sat on the ground next to her. He looked a little younger than he did now, but he was frowning and looked exhausted. More slugs were around her, too. They sat in the leaves of the bushes around her, all peering at her like she was something brand new. She just assumed that this was an area of the jungle that few people ever ventured to.
Eyeing the slugs warily, Alana pulled the detached sleeve into a knot and stood shakily.
"We should get going, Ash," she said, bending down and picking up her Infurnus.
Her mind was fuzzy- she felt like she was just going through the motions. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she should be running, trying to get away from something.
It was the something that was giving her trouble. She couldn't remember why she was in danger, just that she was. Or had been.
It was too confusing for a five-year-old to think about, so she chose not to. Instead, Alana had decided to keep following her instincts and not question them.
"Bye," Alana said to the mass of slugs peering at her as she began another day of trekking through the jungle in attempt to find a town.
Ash hopped up to her shoulder, carefully avoiding Alana's burn. Once he was settled, his red eyes drifted down to the wrapped area on her arm and stayed there.
Alana frowned as she watched him, but didn't say anything. Ash had been acting weird the past couple days. She felt like he should be happier, but she had no idea know why. Other than the last two days of wandering the jungle, Alana couldn't come up with any solid memories of her slug.
Staying silent and taking in the beautiful jungle scenery as she walked along the forest's path, Alana's wide blue eyes darted all around her. Every minute or so, she would glance over her shoulder to ensure that she was not being followed. Again, she had no idea who would be following her, but the idea was planted in her mind.
The walk was uneventful. Alana would go from quietly humming to twirling around, mimicking leaves that would fall in her path, to skipping down the dirt road.
After what seemed like days to Alana (but, in reality, was an hour and a half) of trekking, she froze in her tracks.
She'd heard a twig snap. While it wasn't an uncommon occurrence in the jungle, she'd gotten used to the quiet movements of the native slugs. This had been quick and loud- definitely not made by a slug only a couple inches high.
"What was that, Ash?" she whispered, backing up and walking off the path. If something was following her, she didn't want to be out in the open.
But before she could hide herself in the bushes lining the path, a figure burst out of the greenery and into the path a few yards down. Alana gasped just as the small figure shrieked at the sight of Alana. Ash squeaked quietly and moved to hide behind Alana's hair so the girl couldn't see him.
Alana took a few steps back, keeping her eyes on the little girl that just jumped out in front of her. She had dark tan skin and brown hair that hung loose around her face, and was wearing a red tee-shirt and black shorts.
She took a few steps toward Alana, peering at her with green eyes.
"Who are you? Why are you just out walking through the jungle?" the mystery girl asked. As she approached, Alana saw that while she was a little taller than her, they seemed to both be the same age.
"I don't know, why are you walking through the jungle?" Alana asked quietly. The girl paused for a second, and then laughed.
"Good point. I'm Dana," she said.
Something about her demeanor made Alana relax. She waved to Dana.
"I'm..." Alana paused and for a moment, she couldn't think of what she was going to say. "Alana. I'm Alana."
"Are you sure?" Dana asked skeptically.
"Yes."
"'Cause you didn't seem sure."
"I'm sure."
"Okay," Dana said with a shrug. "So what are you doing out here? You look exhausted. And hungry. I have sandwiches if you want. Just peanut butter, but they're good."
Alana's eyes widened and she nodded.
"Yes please!" she exclaimed. Dana laughed and sat down on the ground, pulling off her backpack. Alana copied her, sitting carefully on the ground and gratefully taking one of the sandwiches that Dana took out of the bag.
"Thank you!" Alana exclaimed. By the time Dana was halfway through her own sandwich by the time Alana finished her own. After finishing her own food, Dana peered at Alana.
"So what are you doing out here?" she asked. Alana frowned and shrugged.
"What are you doing out here?" Alana countered. Dana shrugged and leaned back.
"I'm running away," she said matter-of-factly. "I've had enough of my family. I'm on my own now."
Something about that didn't sit right with Alana. A surge of confusion and annoyance rose up. How could someone be tired of their family? At least she had one. Alana only had memories of hiking through the jungle and a burnt arm.
"That's..." Alana trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Shouldn't you at least try to-"
She stopped as Dana held up a hand and sprung to her feet.
"Wait. Do you hear that?" she asked, beginning to edge her way over to the side of the trail. Alana stood up too and listened intently.
Hoofbeats. A Mecha was approaching fast.
"Alana?" a man's voice called out.
Dana crept back into the bushes lining the trail.
"Who's that?" she hissed. Alana stood on the trail, silent. Her feet felt like they were glued down. She turned to Dana, who was disappearing between the leaves.
"I'm not letting anyone find me. What if they make me go back home? You should get moving too. You never know who's out here." Dana paused and gave Alana a small smile. "See you around."
"I- um. Okay. See you," Alana stammered, surprised at her eagerness to leave. Just as her new friend disappeared into the jungle, a wolf Mecha rounded a corner a few yards behind Alana. The white machine screeched to a halt. Alana gasped and took a couple steps back.
The rider of the Mecha jumped off, grinning. He was tall with tan skin and black hair, and gave off a vibe that was both powerful and protecting.
"Hello, Alana. I've been trying to find you for a while. My name is Will Shane."
~~~~~~~~
It was Alana's eighth birthday. She had been living with Will Shane for nearly three years, and had gotten used to many things other than the hideout and Will's slug arsenal.
Will disappeared. Often. The first few times, Alana had been plagued with thoughts of him never returning. She would have to be alone again, and Slugterra would be without its protector.
But he always came back.
It took around a year of Alana living with him for Will to finally spill his secret. He explained that he was going to visit his son, Eli, up on "the surface."
Alana had laughed when he first described the world to her, but once she realized that Will was serious, she became infatuated with the world. There was no cavern ceiling- just a sky that was illuminated every day with a yellow glow and every night with a silver one. Eli was around Alana's age, and was living topside until he was old enough to come down to Slugterra to be the Shane (if he chose to).
Will was due to return from one of his trips today. Alana hopped down the stairs, Ash perched on her right shoulder. Mage, one of her newest slugs, sat on her left. The small white Boon Doc was the result of a trip to Bonnie Springs.
While Will had visited some of the slingers put in the hospital after a fight that involved nearly an entire town, Alana had walked off into the forest part of the cavern. After much waiting, she had lured Mage out of her hiding spot and the slug seemed to like Alana.
As Alana reached the bottom of the stairs, the door unlocked and swung open.
"Hi, Wi-" Alana stopped and gasped.
Instead of Will, a tall, skinny, blond man stood in the doorway. A lock-picking set sat in his hands. He gasped and nearly dropped the set when he saw Alana.
"Who are you?" Alana asked quietly, taking steps back. There was a blaster in the cupboard behind her. It was one of Will's extras, so it was big and had a recoil she probably couldn't handle, but she had to do something.
"What the heck is a kid doin' in the Shane's place?" the man asked as he walked towards Alana. He sighed and reached for his blaster. "I was hoping to just steal some of his plans, but-"
"A horrible decision, really," a voice said coolly.
Alana sighed with relief just as the man gasped in horror at the sound of Will's voice. She relaxed and crossed her arms as the man tossed his blaster on the floor and backed away from Alana.
Will stood just inside the doorway, his blaster raised and Burpy glaring at the man from inside.
"How about you follow me out here?" Will asked, backing back out of the doorway. The man groaned and walked out of the hideout. Will shut the door behind him.
There was the sound of a slug transforming and a shout from the man. A few moments later, Will swung open the door and sighed.
"He fried my security system with a Tazerling. I'll talk to some cave troll friends of mime about that. And remind me to call the police and let them know that they should come cut that guy down from the mushroom-tree out front at some point," he added, taking off his backpack. "Are you okay?"
Alana nodded, walking up to Will and hugging him.
"I'm okay. I was gonna get the extra blaster, but I froze up." She pulled away from Will and frowned. "Has someone ever broken into the hideout before?"
Will frowned and shook his head.
"Not while you were here, no. Why?"
"I feel like I remember someone getting into a house I was inside," Alana said, trying and failing to remember more. "It was scary."
Will quickly glanced down at the Hypnogrif that sat in his bandoleer. The yellow and blue slug shook his head.
"Well, I'm not sure what you're thinking of. Might have been a dream. Maybe it'll come back to you later," Will said with a shrug as he picked up his backpack and set it on the top of the couch. "But in the meantime, Eli sent down a birthday present."
Alana's eyes widened with excitement, worries of the past danger disappearing. She smiled as Will pulled out a blue envelope and handed it to her.
Inside, a note read:
Happy birthday, Alana! Dad said you like blue so I found some of the coolest blue stuff we have up here.
From Eli
The rest of the contents in the envelope were different pictures. Some were on normal paper, printed out of a computer, and some were the thicker material that came from printing off a camera.
As she looked through the pictures, Alana's blue eyes got wider and wider.
A blue ocean, but not like the cavern seas in Slugterra. This one seemed truly limitless, stretching out and fading away into a light blue sky.
An underwater photo of brilliantly colored fish in an aquamarine reef.
An endless light blue sky with fluffy clouds dotting the picture.
Bioluminescent sparks in the dark waters of a beach.
"These are so pretty," Alana breathed. "The surface is so beautiful. Thanks for bringing these!" she exclaimed, jumping up to give Will one more hug before taking off for the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Will asked, laughing at her excitement.
"Getting my camera! I'm gonna take a bunch of pretty pictures of Slugterra for Eli!"
Will laughed and watched her sprint up the stairs, his smile never fading, even as he went to go call the police.
~~~~~~~~
"Can I go with you this time?" ten-year-old Alana asked as Will clipped on his bandoleer.
"Sorry, but no. Not this time," Will replied, grabbing his blaster and running for the launch bay.
A disappointed Alana trailed behind him.
"Floppers," she mumbled, crossing her arms.
"I know you just want to help. But this mission is..." Will's voice trailed off as he started his Mecha and opened the garage door. "Unpredictable. I don't know how dangerous it'll be. But it shouldn't be too long. I'll see you soon," he called as his white wolf Mecha took off into the forest.
"Bye," Alana said quietly. "I'll be here... or not," she said, her eyes trailing to the other Mecha in the launch bay.
The large black wolf had light blue trim- perfect colors for her. It was full-sized, so it was pretty big for her. But she had seen Will drive before and, while it definitely wouldn't be a smooth ride, Alana could see no better way to test out her most recent birthday present.
A few moments later, she was tearing through the forest to catch up to Will.
"I'm kinda getting the hang of this," she told Ash as she vaulted a stream. "I wonder where Will is-"
She was cut off by the sound of slugfire. Slamming on the brakes, her Mecha (recently named Midnight) came to a halt. Alana almost toppled over the front of the machine.
Silence.
Then, more slugfire.
Midnight crept forward for a minute until a clearing came into view. Alana hit the brakes again and ducked down, hoping she hadn't been seen.
Will Shane was standing in the middle of the clearing, looking around for his opponent. Alana held her breath as she hopped off Midnight and began creeping towards the clearing.
The sound of a slug transforming caught Will's attention. Just in time, he went down in a backbend to avoid the razor-sharp blades of a Thresher, and fired a Hop Rock in the director the Thresher had come from.
Alana heard the Hop Rock explode, and Will's opponent jumped from his cover into her view.
He was tale with deathly pale skin, and wore a gray and red uniform. Just looking at him sent chills down Alana's spine.
In midair, the pale man shot a Rammstone. Will shot his own, and Alana laughed quietly when she saw the size comparison between the two. Will's would beat it easily.
Sure enough, Will's Rammstone knocked the other one out of the air. They both returned to protoform, and Will's triumphantly hopped back to his slinger.
"You worthless slug!" Will's opponent yelled as he steadied himself from his fall. The small Rammstone whimpered and hopped away into the bushes surrounding the clearing, close to Alana.
"Not that I don't enjoy bring you to justice time and again, Doctor Blakk, but aren't you tired of getting beat?" Will asked with a smile as he picked up his Rammstone.
Doctor Blakk. The name Blakk rang a bell- Will had dealt with him before.
"Extremely," Blakk sneered. "Which is why I lured you here."
Will's eyes widened.
"Think you're finally gonna beat me at a duel?"
"I know I am," Blakk laughed.
Burpy growled from Will's shoulder, glaring angrily at Blakk. Will laughed and shook his head.
"Settle down, Burpy. You'll get your chance," he assured. Then he turned back to Blakk. "So, are you gonna tell me what this is about, or do I have to guess?"
"I'll do one better, Will Shane. I'll show you," Blakk replied, unclipping a red slug canister from his belt and holding it up.
Alana's eyes widened, and she instinctively took a few steps back. The canister was closed at the top to keep what Alana presumed to have once been a slug inside. But now it was something else.
It had dark skin, pointed teeth, and furious red eyes. It was barking and growling like no slug Alana had ever seen.
"Is that... a slug?" Will asked, eyes narrowing with fury. "Blakk, what have you done to it?" he exclaimed.
"I've fixed it! Made it better. Good enough to finally beat you," Blakk growled. He loaded and fired the corrupted slug, and a chill rushed through Alana as it transformed.
It looked like a Tormato slug, but no Tormato could change the atmosphere like this slug did. As it flew, dark red and black clouds grew over the clearing. Wind swirled around, tearing leaves from bushes. Alana jumped as lightning began to strike around the edges of the clearing, trying her best not to cry out.
In the noise and chaos, one clear thought ran through her mind.
Coming here was a mistake.
She watched as Will struggled to keep him balance in the storm. A black swirl was beginning to form in the center of the clearing, and the wind changed directions so that it was dragging everything into it.
"The power... I could never have imagined!" Blakk exclaimed, watching the chaos in front of him with wonder. He stumbled as the wind picked up, but was able to steady himself and grab onto vines that wound around a boulder.
"You have no idea what you're doing!" Will yelled. "Corrupting slugs? You could destroy all of Slugterra!"
Blakk didn't stay to listen. He pulled himself across the boulder to escape the high winds.
Will fell to the ground, grabbing at the dirt and grass. Alarm bells went up in Alana's head- he was losing his grip- but when she tried to edge forward, the strong gusts of wind almost knocked her down.
"Blakk! Stop this! You have to stop it!" Will bellowed. "Blakk! BLAKK!"
But there was no chance Blakk heard him now. Alana watched as his figured faded in the distance, fleeing from the mess he caused.
Will slipped a few more feet closer to the portal. Alana gasped and lunged forward, grabbing onto a vine to keep from falling, but she wouldn't be able to reach him.
She knew this as Will grabbed Burpy and loaded him into his blaster, saying words that were lost in the wind.
She knew this as Will sighed and tensed his muscles, looking devastated and defeated.
And she knew this as he pushed off from the ground to use two hands to fire Burpy.
"Will!" Alana cried out, stretching out her hand as if she would magically be able to stop him. "WILL!"
She wasn't sure if he heard her over the wind and lightning. Alana could only watch as he flew into the portal, spinning away into blackness.
And then, it was over.
The jungle returned to normal. As if nothing had happened.
The storm faded. There was no more lightning. All was still.
Panting, Alana sprinted forward, dropping to her knees and tearing at the grass and dirt where the portal had been only seconds ago. Tears flowed down her face and sobs shook her shoulders.
"Will! Will! Please, Will!" she cried, continuing to dig at the dirt even though she knew it was pointless. It wouldn't be that simple. He wasn't just under the ground. "No no no no no!"
She collapsed on the ground, her face in her hands and sobs shaking her whole body. She felt icily cold- she couldn't tell if this is what grief felt like, or if it had been something else.
She didn't care.
Will Shane was gone.
~~~~~~~~
there is it, one of the obligatory ~flashback chapters~
Had fun revisiting this part of Alana's life- and this is only a bit of all the stuff she's experienced...
Please vote/comment if you liked it! Huge thanks to everyone who's read the story so far 💙<3
Cyan out!