Chapter 2—Four Years Later…
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In Jake's POV…
"Elina! Where are you?" I yelled as I walked around the cavern. I was about ready to give up when I saw Blaze peek down from a tree branch. "I've got you now," I said. I tried to climb the tree, but my arms and legs were too short.
"Dude, you're five years old," an Arachnet told me as he approached. "The branches are too high for you to reach. Want some help?"
I nodded and he hopped up the tree to a branch, where he launched down some webbing for me to climb up with. I should explain how I understand them. As Elina taught me to speak English, the slugs taught me their language, so I understand both easily. I grabbed onto it and used it to pull myself up to the branches, where I could easily get from branch to branch until I found Elina perched on a branch.
"I've got you!" I screamed, grabbing her wrist.
"Yes, you do," she said, picking me up and setting me on her lap. I laughed and leaned against her. "Happy fifth birthday," she told me.
"Thanks," I replied. I didn't remember when my actual birthday is, so we just go with the day I arrived at SlugTerra. We always spend the day doing whatever I like, and this year I wanted to play hide and seek.
"Okay, now it's your turn to hide, and I'll seek," she told me, carrying me as we went down to the ground.
"Okay. Count to sixty, and no powers!" I reminded her as she laughed and walked to the cave to begin counting. Once she was out of sight I grinned and took off in a different direction, not stopping until I reached a large tree. I knew that the tree had a cavity beneath it, and I had a few Vinedrill slugs help me out by creating a barrier over it after I climbed in. I had my escape artist with me to get me out if I won.
"I can't believe you are seriously hiding here," Alpha told me, giggling as I sat down beside her. "The barrier is too obvious."
"That's why I've got Illusion," I replied, pointing to the Thugglet slug on my other side. "I'm gonna last longer than last time," I told her. The last time we played this she'd always find me within five minutes. I'm aiming for at least ten minutes today.
"You know Elina's psychic powers will see right past it," Alpha told me.
"Yes, but she won't expect me to use Illusion to hide myself," I explained. "Now, we need to stay quiet so that she won't hear us."
She nodded and we got comfortable as Elina searched the cavern for us.
Ten minutes and fifteen seconds later, though, the illusion disappeared and the vines covering the entrance shrank back into the ground, showing Elina's face.
"Nice hiding spot, much better than the past times," she complimented me. I grinned as she helped pull me out. I grabbed and grabbed Illusion and Alpha as well before we walked back to the cave. Alpha hopped onto my right shoulder as Illusion jumped on my left.
"How'd you find me?" I asked her as I jumped over a large root. It caught the tip of my foot, though, but Elina caught me before I could hit the ground. "Thank you," I added.
"Sure. As for how I found you, I have my sources," she told me.
"So the slugs ratted me out," I corrected her. She laughed but said nothing as we continued walking. When we reached the cave I jumped on the bed as she crouched in front of me.
"So, what do you want us to do next?" she asked me as I grinned. "We can go swimming, climb trees, or tickle each other!" she suggested. At the last suggestion, though, she started tickling me, causing me to wriggle and squirm.
"Ellie! Stop it!" I squealed between laughs. She continued for a few more seconds before I felt something cold unravel within me, shooting out in a snap of ice.
"Jake!" she shouted, jumping back. I looked up and saw that her hands were encased in a thin layer of ice.
"What happened?" I gasped, scrambling backwards.
"I knew that there was something different about you," she said to herself.
"What happened?" I repeated.
"It appears you also have powers," she whispered.
"Like you?" I asked her.
She shook her head but smiled. "No, not quite like mine," she told me. "When I first found you I had a feeling you were different. You've always be several degrees colder than usual, and know I know why. It appears you can control ice."
"Ice? Cool," I stated. She laughed and thawed out her hands.
"You need to make sure to keep this gift under control," she told me. "Only use it in emergencies or when I help you control it."
I nodded so she sat down beside me. "So, what do you want to do next?"
"Let's go swimming," I suggested. "Rip Tide promised me a rematch for last week's race," I added, referring to the gray and blue Aquabeek that lives in the lake nearby.
"You might want to wait until you're older for that," she suggested. "You're only five, and water slugs are dominant in the water."
"Don't worry, I've got a secret weapon," I told her, grinning.
"I have a feeling that secret weapons includes other Aquabeeks," she said.
"What? Would I ever do such a thing?" I said with an innocent tone.
"Yes, you would," she told me.
I just laughed and took off for the lake, Elina following once she grabbed some towels for us to dry off with afterwards. After a minute I got tired and walked the rest of the way to the lake, and when Elina caught up she stayed at the same pace I was at.
"Hey, Rip Tide!" I yelled when we got to the lake. There was a rush as every water element slug popped out of the lake to wave to me before Rip Tide jumped out and hopped up to me. He's mainly gray with a blue belly and blue eyes. He has a scar over his right eye, and I never thought to ask him how he got it.
"So, you ready for another round, kid?" he asked me.
I grinned and took off my shirt and shoes. "Definitely," I replied. I glanced at some of the Aquabeeks nearby and they all nodded, so I jumped in the water after him.
"First one to get to the lake shore from right here wins," Rip Tide told me when we were about a hundred feet from the shore. I nodded a several Aquabeeks gathered behind me, out of his line of sight. Alpha had actually given me the idea to have the Aquabeeks help me win.
Elina counted down from the shore. "Three! Two! One! …GO!"
When she finished speaking we swam as fast as we could. Rip Tide took off like a rocket, and the Aquabeeks helping me increased my fairly slow pace to one that rivals Rip Tide's. We quickly caught up with him, but he continued gaining speed, beating us by a second or two.
"I'll give you props for the idea," he told me when I got out of the water and sat next to him. "Tell Alpha I think it was a good idea."
"Hey! How do you know I didn't think of it?" I asked him.
He chirped in laughter. "You may be older than her, but that little slug is very clever," he chirped to me. I laughed and we jumped back in the water, Elina in hot pursuit.
"Happy Birthday, Jake!" countless slugs told me as we swam by them. I thanked them and took a deep breath before diving under, where countless slugs swam by, waving as they passed. I waved back and broke the surface.
We swam until our fingers were all pruney, and even then Elina almost had to carry me out because I wanted to stay in. We went back to the cave, where I was surprised by a cake waiting for me.
"Happy Birthday!" Blaze and Alpha told me as they lit the candles. I grinned and sat at the table.
"Thanks, you two!" I told them.
"Don't forget me," Elina said, messing up my hair before sitting down.
"Hey!" I said, fixing my hair. She laughed and Alpha and Blaze moved away from the cake as I blew out the candles, thinking of a wish. It was the same as every year and hadn't come true yet, but I was still hopeful.
"Let's eat!" Alpha cheered. I giggled as Elina sliced the cake into human-sized slices for us and small pieces for Alpha and Blaze.
"This cake is good!" I cheered as I ate it. They agreed and we ate the entire cake before I sat back against the back of my chair, not able to eat another bite.
"Now, it's time for presents!" Alpha chirped. I grinned as Elina pulled out a soft package and presented it to me. I tore it open and pulled out a new set of clothes.
"Thank you!" I said, hugging her tightly.
She laughed and hugged me back. "No problem, Shorty," she said, using one of her nicknames for me. I giggled and sat down again as she pulled out another present, hard and box-shaped. I tore off the wrapping paper and opened it and pulled out a small blaster.
"It's a training blaster, meant for children," she told me. "I figured it was time for you to have your first blaster."
I tackled her in a tight hug, almost choking her but I was too happy to care. "Thank you so much Ellie!" I said. She giggled and hugged me back. I checked out the blaster fully. It was just a basic blaster, nothing fancy. It was very small, but I didn't care. I had a blaster!
"No problem," she said. "There's one more thing I have for you," she added, holding out a cylindrical item wrapped up. I squealed in delight and unwrapped it, revealing an empty slug tube. I was confused for a second before Elina looked at Alpha, who was perched on my shoulder. Alpha jumped off and landed in the tube. "She's officially yours," Elina told me. I jumped up and down in happiness before Elina managed to calm me down. "So, you wanna try out that blaster?" she asked me.
I grinned and nodded, running out to a target range she set up for me. She showed me how to hold the blaster and aim it properly before I loaded Alpha through the loading slot.
"Are you ready to be launched for the first time?" I asked her. She nodded and chirped a "yes," so I took aim at the nearest target and pulled the trigger. Alpha was launched out and velocimorphed into an albino version of Blaze when Elina would fire her. Her flames were white as well, but she was a bit smaller than Blaze is. Alpha spun around in the air and blasted flames at the target.
"Whoa, good job, Alpha!" I told her. She giggled and hopped back to me.
"She may be small, but Alpha is a strong slug," Blaze told me. "Keep her safe."
"I will," I told her as Alpha blushed slightly at the compliment. We went back to the cave, where Elina told me more about the blaster.
"That blaster isn't made to handle powerful slugs," Elina told me. "That means you can't launch Alpha repetitively. It's made to teach children how to sling slugs."
I nodded and we played the rest of the day until we were too tired to play anymore and it was getting late. We ventured back to the cave and got ready for bed. I climbed in my small bed and Elina climbed into hers.
Over the next two years I learned more and more about slinging and how to use my powers until I had almost complete mastery over it by the time I was seven years old, when we had an encounter with Dr. Blakk.