Eli's POV

"So, now that Blakk's gone, what are you gonna do?" Kord asked me with curiousity and slight dread in his eyes, and I paused. I knew what I needed to do, and what was the right thing to do, for a long time. Ever since I got here, I knew that I couldn't stay, I had a family to get back to, my little brother and my mother, and tensity in the air as my silence continued. But wasn't it right to stay here, too? Slugterra wasn't going to be safe forever, and Slugterra will again need a Shane. But Trixie and the rest will be here to defend it, I hope. And they still didn't know about my little brother.

It was better for me to leave, they could defend Slugterra. No one's going to defend my family. I responded,

"Guys....I've been meaning to talk to you all about this for a while now..." Trixie's leaf green eyes teared up as she realized what he meant. She didn't want me to leave, and by leaving, I was breaking her heart. Tears filled my eyes as I bit my lip, desperately holding back my tears. Now that I knew how to go out, I had to. A long silence filled the air, as my words sunk into the minds of 3 of my best friends.

"Bro, you don't mean it, do you?" The blue, kind cave troll who helped me through so much questioned with dread, and I nodded, biting my lip so hard it could have bled, and the tears in my dark blue eyes threatened to spill from my eyes.

"I have a family up there, Kord. I'll never forget all of you, but they need me more than Slugterra does...." I trailed off, and wiped my eyes as I forced a painful smile. I couldn't leave them. But it was the right thing to do.

But if it was, why did it hurt so much?

"Y-you guys won't forget me, will you?" I stammered, my voice close to breaking as I looked at all of them hopefully. Trixie sobbed in reply,

"O-of course we won't." I stared at the beautiful redhead, and my heart screamed with agony as it hit me: I was leaving Beatrice Sting behind in Slugterra forever, and I was never going to see her again. I was never going to see the love of my life again. And I loved her so much. From the first time I saw her, when I shamelessly flirted with her and thanked the gods she didn't notice. When we had our first major mission together, until the time when we met Twist, and she sassed him off when he tried to flirt with her. Oh, the satisfaction that gave me. We been through so much, from the time we first met, to the time we first hugged, to the time she was drained of all her energy, when she couldn't even move or open those beautiful, leaf green eyes, and I sobbed my heart out with worry as Kord comforted me.

To that kiss.

It was filled with sparks and deep, passionate love, and it was no question that I wanted without hesitation, he pulled her in for a tight hug, knowing I'll never fall in love with anyone else as much as he fell for her. Knowing that I'll always love her, even if we were literally worlds apart. From the first time I ever saw her, to the first time we hugged, to the time where she was so weak she couldn't even move, and I was so terrified that she would fade away and disappear, like my father did, to the time we shared that kiss, my first kiss, the only kiss I will ever share with another woman. I felt small arms wrap around their legs, and the slight but noticeable and familiar stench already told me it was Pronto the "Magnificent" who had joined the hug, and huge, strong arms lifted all of us off their feet just slightly told me that Kord had joined in our little group hug. Trixie sobbed on my shoulder, a sob I could tell that was followed by months of dread, months of worrying about what will happen if Blakk was ever defeated.

We saved Slugterra together.

But we couldn't save ourselves.

After a while, everyone broke free from the hug, and nothing but silence followed as the Shane Gang and I made their way to the Drop, where it all began, where it ends. Forever. When we arrived, Kord asked me, one more time,

"You sure about this, bro?" I smiled sadly, close to breaking down in tears, and answered,

"Yeah." I glanced at Trixie once again. Her fiery orange hair always tied up at the sides of her head, which cascaded into sunset orange princess curls that reached just above her small waist, her calming, leaf green eyes which were the definition of serenity and peace, that lit up with fascination as she told me the legends and the ways of Slugterra, and when I told her about the Surface. The voice that gave me comfort when no one else could, the voice that warned me against my stupid actions that led them into the most dangerous of situations, the voice which never betrayed me, no matter how much she had to suffer. She left her mark on my heart, and I knew I would never fall in love with anyone else, and that mark would never fade.

Then I glanced at Kord. His vibrant blue skin and muscles standing out in the scene, his rhino horned helmet slightly slanted on the top of his head, his usually joyful brown eyes filled with despair. I'll always remember his cheerful attitude and the thousands of pranks we played on Pronto together, from slime to slugs, all the times he had my back, and the times when I had his, from when we first dueled to the time when I first beat him in a duel. Damn, he was pissed off. I'll always remember the time when he comforted me as I tearfully confessed how much I loved Trixie to him. Kord Zane was a cave troll I will certainly remember.

Finally, I glanced at Pronto Geranimole, the molenoid himself. A yellow cap covered his bald head, his light purple skin slightly covered with dark purple dots and I remembered the time I found Pronto in the Shane Hideout, hunting for food, and he became my tracker, and a ghost of a smile played at my lips at the memory. From the time they scaled a cliff together while lava bubbled from below, until the time when we all found out he was actually a king, to the time when he brought the Shadow Clan to that fight just a few hours ago and saved all of us.

I couldn't leave them. Not after what we've been through, not after the only secure friendship I've ever had.

I whispered a few words to Burpy, and he nodded and chirped with delight as I loaded him in his blaster and shot Burpy up into the Drop.

I've made my decision.

Sorry, Mother. But your oldest son isn't coming back.

I'll visit.

"But I've changed my mind. Slugterra still needs a Shane. New enemies may pop up in my absense, maybe someone bigger than Blakk. So, I'm not going anywhere." I announced happily, a grin on his face. The despair in Kord's eyes faded away in seconds, and Pronto whooped with joy as Trixie enveloped me in a tight hug, tears of joy filling her eyes as she wrapped her arms around my slim and slightly muscular figure. Before I could hug back, Pronto and Kord joined the hug, Kord squeezing the breath out of me as he hugged us with his muscular, huge, arms. I hugged them all the best he could, and when they parted, I told them with a huge grin,

"Everyone, before you ask why I shot Burpy up into the Drop, I have a reason. You see-" Before I could continue, a cheer of delight could be faintly heard in the distance, and all of them turned to the hole on the Lumino Crystals above us, and out came Burpy and on top of him, a familiar boy just 2 years younger than me, with chocolate brown hair slightly covering his right eye, the same skin tone, the same adventurous, reckless look in his dark blue eyes. My heart leaped with joy at the sight of him, and relief soothed my body, now that I knew he was alive. He wore a midnight black and neon blue hoodie and matching sweatpants, his hood thrown down from the ride with vibrant blue sport shoes and a worn, blue duffel bag slung around his shoulder and a raven black backpack slung over his broad shoulders. A pitch black blaster with neon blue markings and patterns hung on the upper right leg, and raven black and neon blue wrist blasters covered the lower parts of both of his arms. I guessed he liked the colors black and blue, like Mom. He was screaming in delight and amazement as Burpy flew towards us and turned back to protoform. The boy landed on his feet, and my eyes lit up with happiness and joy as I ran towards the young guy.

"You made it, Leo!" I exclaimed, and hugged the guy while telling him truthfully,

"I missed you so much, Leo, and I have so much to teach you, you're gonna have the time of your life, trust me!" Leo, who was just half a head shorter than me, stared at me with his forever recognizable dark blue eyes and messy brown hair, and hugged me back. He casually stated,

"Why wouldn't I? Home is boring, and I missed you. Plus, Slugterra looks cool!" The rest of the Shane Gang watched with confused looks in their eyes, as we chatted, and Leo asked with curiosity,

"Do you know who they are?" He gestured to the Shane Gang, and a smile came to my face. A few months later, he'll learn to love these people in front of him, no matter how goofy they could be. Kord spoke up,

"Well, we were about to ask the same to Eli." My smile grew as I explained,

"Before I was interrupted, I wanted to tell you. Leo, meet the Shane Gang. The girl's name is Trixie, the blue, strong guy is Kord, and the short one is Pronto." Trixie opened her mouth to ask something, but Pronto cut her off by yelling,

"It is Pronto the Magnificent, Eli Shane!" I rolled my eyes, and Leo gave me a look that told me he knew how I felt, and I gave him another look to reply that said 'I get this all the time'. Trixie reminded me,

"We still don't know who's your friend here, Eli." I smiled sheepishly before I cleared my throat and announced,

"Gang, meet my younger brother and the newest addition to the Shane Gang, Leo Shane." I watched as the expressions of my best friends turned from surprise to relief, to excitement, and I sighed in relief that things turned out okay.

"Well, you could have said something about a little brother! Now we got another Shane to mess around with!" Kord told me with delight, and approached Leo, who gasped in excitement as his dark blue eyes widened.

"Are you a cavetroll?! Wow, you're way bigger than I thought, but gods, everything's just..." He exclaimed in excitement and trailed off as Kord chuckled as he ruffled Leo's hazel brown hair.

"Hey, kid, calm down, you're almost as excited as Eli when he saw me." I felt my cheeks tinge a slight red as Trixie and Pronto's smiles widened into wicked, amused grins.

"Come on guys, he doesn't need to know..." I complained, and Leo asked curiously as a smirk grew on his face,

"What do I not need to know?" Trixie smirked and stated,

"How Eli's eyes grew as wide as plates and became a total fanboy-" I whined in protest,

"I wasn't a fanboy!" Trixie laughed and turned to me, and her happy, leaf green eyes stared at me woth joy as she stated with heavy sarcasm,

"Sure you weren't, Eli." She turned to my brother, Leo, who was grinning uncontrollably as Trixie told him,

"His eyes went all wide and he squealed like a little baby-" I sent a glare in her direction, and she stuck her tongue out at me, but fortunately, she shut up. Pronto joined in on the little game, and continued,

"Your brother couldn't hold back his pure excitement and eagerness! But that isn't the best part." I laughed nervously as I told them,

"Okay, guys, can we save stories for the hideout?" Just then, a voice exclaimed with hate,

"No, Shane. In fact, you'll never go back!!" The familiar voice of Blight exclaimed as a dinosaur roared in agreement and charged, and we were about to retaliate when he jumped down from the dinosaur and shot a few Neotox slugs. 

And one of them hit Leo.

Leo S: You're on a roll today omg

Leo S: 3 chapters in one night 

Ally: They all had like 2000+ words already I just had to add a little more and publish so