there's a cameo in this that isn't plot relevant i just thought it was funny don't read too much into it

~~~~~~~~

6 Years Ago

The cavern's health clinic was nowhere near the level of a true hospital, but the staff was always kind. It was a good place to go with minor illnesses and small injuries, or, in Trixie's current case, if you just didn't know where else to go.

She was sitting in a private room, sitting on a cushioned chair, idly kicking her feet while she waited for an adult to come to her. The large window looking out into the hallway gave her a good view of what was going on, at least. A security slinger with gray hair and frankly geriatric slugs was leaning against a wall, his arms crossed while a doctor talked to a middle-aged woman.

She had dark red hair, tied up in a messy bun with a pen sticking out of it. She wore plain clothes- a dark purple long-sleeved shirt and white pants, no slinging gear to be seen. Her brows were furrowed with concern and she had her arms loosely crossed, her fingers tapping her biceps nervously. It was subtle, but Trixie caught her glancing through the window into the room a few times.

Finally, the doctor gave one final nod before stepping away. The woman continued talking, now to the security slinger, but the doctor approached Trixie's room. He knocked before coming in, as if Trixie could stop him or couldn't see his approach, but she appreciated his politeness. He quickly stepped in and silently shut the door behind him, a warm smile on his face.

"Thank you for being so patient," he said softly before sitting down on a rolling stool across from Trixie. He had warm brown skin and short, graying black hair, and a set of gold-rimmed glasses rested on his nose. "I'm Doctor Eberly. Sorry you had to wait so long. We're doing training with the doctors here, so most of them are out. I'm from the hospital in Bonnie Springs, but I should be able to help."

Trixie nodded, stilling her feet. Bonnie Springs was a long ways away. She yearned to ask about it, about the people and the slugs and the trip all the way out here, but there was a time and a place for those sorts of things, and this was neither.

"So," Dr. Eberly continued when Trixie didn't answer, "I heard there's been some sort of mixup. Don't worry, you're not in trouble. We just want to make sure you're safe, healthy, and have a roof over your head."

One shouldn't assume, but Trixie thought it was obvious that she wasn't homeless. Her orange hair was tied carefully back into pigtails, her pink and yellow shirt was freshly washed, and she even had her little camcorder attached to its holster on her belt.

"Maura told us she found you in her kitchen, going through the cabinets," Dr. Eberly said softly. "It's understandable if you were hungry, or lost. Nobody is upset. We just want to figure out where to go from here. Can you tell me a little bit about what happened?"

Trixie sighed, running her hands down her face. It had all spiraled so quickly. She was just getting a late-night snack, like she so often did, and before she knew it, there was a scream and she was being questioned. Who are you? How did you get here? Are you lost, or hurt? Where are your parents?

"I was just trying to get a snack. From my kitchen, in my house," she finally said, looking past Dr. Eberly and out into the hallway, her heart aching as she watched Maura Sting talk to the security slinger. "Maura is my mom."

~~~~~~~~

The gang hadn't had a slinging guest living in the hideout since Twist, and it showed. After so long living with each other, the five very different personalities lived in (relative) harmony. But Junjie wasn't something that any of them would have expected.

Alana and Pronto filled the silence when they could- Pronto out of a need to subject someone new to his tales and shenanigans, Alana out of a need to try to establish some sort of new norm.

After making it through their late lunch, the gang went separate ways for a quiet afternoon and evening. Junjie excused himself to what was now his room. Alana tried to ignore the way her heart twisted when she saw Will's old door swing shut.

Kord claimed the couch, collapsing and quickly falling asleep. Alana had a hunch he hadn't slept much last night. He'd likely opted to keep an eye on Junjie. Pronto nestled himself into the cushiony reading nook, seemingly unaware that everyone could tell that even though the cover of his book looked like an action novel, it didn't completely cover up the actual romance cover.

Although she stayed in the living room, Trixie returned to combing through footage from the fight with the Goon. Alana knew it was her way of processing what happened, and the annotations to the videos Trixie was making were probably going to be helpful in analyzing what could be done against the Goon in the future. But that didn't make Alana want to watch as Eli emerged from the smoke possessed by the Goon. She made sure to lean against the desk, her back to the screen, when she walked over to Trixie.

"So, what's this errand we're running tomorrow?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"You'll see," Trixie said absently, her eyes scanning a paused frame. She paused and glanced up at Alana, her gaze softening. "Nothing serious. Just something I have to do once in a while, and I just haven't ever had you come because your schedule didn't work."

"Can I at least know what cavern we're going to? Or is it just in Wild Spores?" Alana asked, trying and failing to think about what Trixie could need to go do periodically, or why she would want company.

"Jubila Cavern," Trixie replied, turning her gaze back to the holodesk. "That's all you're getting."

"I don't think I could name a single thing in Jubila," Alana admitted. She knew it was near Quiet Lawn, and that the gang had never been called there. Other than that, it was a pretty unremarkable cavern.

"You will after tomorrow," Trixie replied vacantly, signalling that she was already enamored with her videography. Alana sighed and slid off the desk, reaching over and teasingly minimizing all of Trixie's tabs (careful not to actually close any).

Not wanting to stay in a quiet hideout, Alana grabbed her blaster and bandoleer from where they hung by the front door, clipping them on and stepping outside, taking a deep breath and savoring the golden Lumino glow of Wild Spores.

Mage chirped from Alana's left shoulder, tilting her head curiously.

"Let's go for a walk," Alana suggested, petting Mage gently. "If we find an empty clearing, we can train a bit and get you used to your megamorph speed."

Mage nodded to express her excitement, while Ash, on Alana's shoulder, promptly burst into flames.

"Okay, okay, you too, Ash- watch the hair-!"

~~~~~~~~

Frostcrawlers must be migrating. The southeast end of Snowdance had been relatively tolerable in the last week, but it had been snowing for eight hours straight, creating a near whiteout. The cinema rooms in the cavern were built to withstand the cold, but there was only so much warmth an abandoned film room in a broken down building could provide.

And so, despite the snow, Dana Edwards was packing her few belongings and planning to relocate once again. At least the snow would cover her tracks, not that many people would be looking for her all the way in the abandoned fifth theater in Snowdance.

Her breath formed clouds around her face, but she didn't shiver as she rolled up her sleeping bag. Her body was built for the cold- whether dark energy was naturally cold, or if the body condensed its warmth in an attempt to defend itself from the dark water, she didn't know, nor did she particularly care. Either way, she was accustomed to feeling chilled, although the dampness of snow irritated her.

The ghouls in her bandoleer, at least, would appreciate the change of scenery. Dana wasn't entirely cruel. She kept them covered from the elements and tucked their cannisters into an insulated bag at night. They were useless to her if they were frozen.

Once she gathered her equipment, Dana shrugged on the Snowdance Theater Staff coat she'd dug out of a supply closet, pulling the hood tight over her head. She slung her pack over her shoulders and had to actually put effort into pushing the door open because of the snow that had already accumulated in front of it since the last time she'd opened it.

The snow was falling in thick, heavy flakes. Every once in a while, Dana could make out the faint blue blur of a wild Frostcrawler through the whiteness. She brushed snow off the seat of her stallion mecha, gritted her teeth as she hauled herself and her pack up. It took an extra few moments for the mecha to get started in the cold, but eventually its engine roared to life and she set out into the blizzard.

Blakk Industries hadn't spared expenses when it came to her mecha, at least. Its hooves plowed through the snow well enough to keep up a decent speed in the difficult terrain, and before Dana knew it, the cold shack had disappeared from view.

Her life in the months since Blakk's fall had been a weekly cycle. Dana would find somewhere to settle down for a few days, stealing and stockpiling what she could. For the first few weeks, she'd prioritized remote ghoul depots that the Shane Gang wouldn't get to right away. There hadn't been much left, since Blakk's forces had all been pulled leading to the launch of the terraportal, but there were enough medical supplies and dark water to patch herself up after her fight with Alana in the citadel.

A week was as long as Dana was willing to stay in one spot. The more time she spent staying still, the higher the chance she would be recognized or sought out by Alana. Luckily, the media loved the Shane Gang, and Dana was able to keep track of their whereabouts easily.

And their latest endeavors.

Gateway was too far to get to before the battle with that new ghoul was over. But Dana had seen the footage of Eli Shane, possessed and attacking civilians. Of the new slinger from the Eastern Realm. And of Alana admitting she was from the West.

What a mess.

An incredibly interesting mess.

Dana didn't know where the Goon Doc escaped to, but she very much wanted to meet him.

~~~~~~~~

Trixie and Alana headed out early the next morning, only an hour after first glow. Eli, Kord, and Pronto had yet to emerge from their rooms, but Junjie had been in the kitchen putting together breakfast. The bags under his eyes were fading, but he still looked like he needed a few more good meals before he'd be back in slinging shape.

Alana tried to say- well, anything, a good morning, a how are you, anything to indicate she was trying to be hospitable. But her words caught in her throat when she thought about the West, and the Goon, and she settled for a small wave as she and Trixie passed him on the way to the garage.

The terrain between the hideout and Jubila Cavern was relatively smooth, so the girls were able to transform their mechas, Alana on Midnight's bike form and Trixie on Boomer's kart. The rush of the wind and the rumble of Midnight's energy washed away Alana's worries about Junjie, and she focused on cherishing the rush of a ride without the life-or-death situations that usually accompanied it.

After a half hour, the forests of Wild Spores thinned out into rocky flats that stretched on for nearly two hours. The two chatted about their plans for the next few days, including traveling around and trying to hunt down the Eastern ghouls that had escaped into the 99, and what they could do to make Junjie feel more comfortable, and things that didn't really matter, like slugball and some local slinging tournaments that they could sweep.

But Alana, wanting to take advantage of the time away from the hideout, changed the subject.

"How bad is it on the slugnet?" she called over the mecha motors. "I've seen you scrolling like crazy."

Trixie pursed her lips, rapping her painted nails on her steeling wheel.

"It's a lot of up and down," the redhead admitted. "Nobody seems to think Eli's still a threat, but that footage of him tearing up Gateway has really made the rounds. It's mostly people realizing the potential mess we'd be facing if he switched sides. There doesn't seem to be a witch hunt, which is what I was worried about."

Alana nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly with relief, but raised an eyebrow when Trixie continued.

"It's kind of the same with Junjie. People are wary, but they're acknowledging that he's like the Shane of the East and that's worth noting. They seem pretty soothed by the idea of other caverns because of you. You've been here for years and haven't done anything but help. You didn't have to tell off that crowd and tell everyone about the West, but it definitely had the effect you wanted. It took the heat off Eli and it's encouraging people to not be worried about Junjie."

"Good!" Alana laughed, shaking her head. "Would've been embarrassing if it didn't actually do anything."

"Right," Trixie deadpanned. "So, are we gonna talk about that now? What the heck, Alana? Another realm to the west?"

"Not much to talk about. I know I should've told the rest of you guys sooner, and there wasn't really a reason I didn't," Alana admitted. "I guess things were going so well after we defeated Blakk, I didn't want to bring down the mood. Definitely didn't think it would actually be relevant anytime soon."

"Didn't want to bring down the mood," Trixie repeated, scoffing and rolling her eyes, but not looking genuinely annoyed or upset. "You wouldn't have brought anything down. But, I, uh, kinda get it for this. It's kinda related to today."

Trying to keep the concern from her face, Alana glanced away, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. Small buildings were starting to crop up, and the two transformed their mechas back into their beast modes as they approached what Alana could only assume was the only actual town in the very nondescript, plain Jubila Cavern. No buildings were over two stories, and they were spread out along a grassy plain with not a single mushroom tree in sight.

"Yeah? Do I get to know what we're doing now?"

"I don't want you to be totally blindsided when we get there," Trixie explained. "We're, um, going to visit someone. I try to go at least once a month, or just after something crazy happens. And I used to just go alone but then I met you guys. I told you, I've taken each of the guys once before, not to leave you out, just because schedules just happened to work out-"

"It's fine," Alana interrupted, holding up a hand. "I don't mind, even if you did purposefully not take me, it's your thing. You can have your reasons. You're making me feel nervous, though. Who exactly am I going to meet?"

Trixie slowed Boomer, and Alana followed suit, following her teammate through the small town. A few dozen people were out and about, and when they saw Trixie, their faces lit up with recognition, but nobody stopped to talk.

The two came to a halt at a compound near the center of town. It looked like a motel, with a front office at the head of a dozen smaller buildings. The office looked plain, but the other buildings had flower beds around them and decorations like wind chimes and wind socks. A fence circled the perimeter, donned with a security camera every few dozen feet. Alana and Trixie parked their mechas in front of the office building, and something in Alana's chest twisted when she read the sign hanging above the door.

Jubila Residential Care Center.

~~~~~~~~

6 Years Ago

A cup of hot chocolate had been set in Trixie's hands while she waited. Maura was in another room, now being examined instead of questioned, and Trixie was brought into a doctor's office with a comfy couch that she sunk into.

The cup seeped warmth into her fingers, the tips of which were messily painted. Her mom was so good at even coats of polish, but she hadn't painted Trixie's nails in a while.

They used to do it together every Tuesday. Then Maura started forgetting which day of the week it was, or where the nail polish was, or to pick up more from the store. She was a busy woman - a slugnet developer with plenty of projects on her plate. Trixie hadn't minded. She thought her mom was just busy.

Then she was forgetting passwords she'd used for years. Meeting schedules. Where she put the house keys. When tp get groceries. When to pick Trixie up from playdates.

She was just a little sick, she'd told Trixie. She was going to figure it out.

She'd get frustrated when she realized she forgot something, so when Trixie could avoid bringing it to attention, she would. She loved her mom - she didn't want to see her upset. So Trixie got the groceries, snuck onto her mom's holodesk and wrote down her passwords on a notepad, walked herself to and from activities. She did not get upset when Mom forgot her birthday.

But then Trixie had gone to bed without dinner, and waited until she thought Mom was asleep before sneaking down to the kitchen to make something. She'd been looking for her favorite Tormato bowl when her mom had flicked on the kitchen lights and screamed at the sight of an "intruder." Then she'd calmed down, concerned for this lost child, and agreed to take Trixie to the health clinic, because if her mom was getting sicker, they would be able to fix it, right?

The door to the office swung open, revealing a disheveled Brodie. She lived two hours away. Trixie must've been here longer than she thought.

The purple-haired young woman, ten years older than Trixie, sighed and rushed forward, setting Trixie's hot chocolate aside before encasing the redhead in a tight hug.

They would be able to fix Mom, right?

Brodie was crying, something she rarely did.

Well, there was Trixie's answer.

~~~~~~~

"We're gonna see my mom," Trixie said simply, sliding down off Boomer and detaching a small wicker basket from behind the mecha's saddle.

She could count the number of times Trixie had mentioned her mom on one hand. A few casual mentions of stories she used to tell, or recipes she used to make. That was it. Always fondly, but never in the kind of tone that invited more conversation about the woman.

"O-oh?" Alana finally choked out, stumbling down off Midnight, straightening her bandoleer. Trixie raised an eyebrow and laughed, elbowing Alana teasingly, even though there was a sadness in her green eyes.

"Relax. She'll love you," Trixie said breezily, waving for Alana to follow as she walked inside. "She's loved everyone else so far. Even Pronto."

"Then I'll definitely be fine," Alana laughed, some of her tension fading, but she certainly wasn't relaxed as she followed Trixie into the front office. The inside was homey, decorated in warm colors with plenty of art and potted plants. At the front desk sat a young woman with black hair tied back in a braid, leaning back in an office chair reading from a huge novel.

When she noticed Trixie and Alana approaching, she glanced up and smiled, quickly closing the door and scooting her seat toward the desk. Her name tag read Ally.

"Trixie!" Ally exclaimed, reaching forward and grabbing two badges from a pile on the desk. "And you finally brought Alana! Big fan, love your hair."

Alana blinked owlishly, following Trixie's lead and taking a badge from Ally.

"Uh, thanks!" she laughed, glancing over at Trixie questioningly.

"She's been wondering when you'd come in," Trixie explained, clipping the visitor badge to the hem of her green shirt. "She's a fan of slingers. Could've been one, I think."

"Nah," Ally said, waving her hand. "Slugterra wouldn't be able to handle me. This job is good enough, I get to write and scroll the net most of the day. Speaking of, Alana, loved how you told off that crowd at Gateway. I figured Trixie would be coming in so soon after that Goon Doc mess. I'm glad she brought you, Maura will love you!"

"So I've been told," Alana replied, clipping the visitor badge to her bandoleer. She caught sight of a small sign on the desk, reading No blasters please. "Do we need to hand over our blasters?"

"Absolutely not," Ally said quickly, shaking her head. "Disarming Shane Gang slingers is just asking for something to happen. Keep an eye on them. Some of our residents were slingers and try to relive the glory days."

Alana didn't love the sound of that, but she was also relieved that people were realizing it was a good idea to keep the Shane Gang armed and ready.

"We'll be careful," Trixie promised. "Where's Mom today, anyway?"

"In her room so far," Ally responded, her tone turning more serious. "She's not having a bad day, exactly, but she's been a little tired. I think the extra company will be good for her."

Trixie nodded thoughtfully, giving Ally a thumbs-up.

"I'll take care of it. Plus, I brought food," she added, holding up the wicker basket. "Thanks, Ally!"

"No prob," Ally said, stretching and falling back into her desk chair, propping her feet up on the desk and opening her novel again, quickly becoming engrossed.

Nobody passed Trixie and Alana as they walked through a set of sliding doors at the side of the building and out into a small courtyard. It was well-decorated with flowers and benches, and small buildings that Alana realized were makeshift apartments lined the perimeter. The two walked along a cracked sidewalk toward the back of the compound.

"My mom's been here for about six years," Trixie explained evenly, glancing up at Alana. "She, um, hasn't had a day where she's remembered me in a while. Over a year, probably. She mostly remembers how to take care of herself, but she needs to be somewhere like here where there's people checking in on her."

"I had no idea," Alana said quietly, guilt weighing down on her chest. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, seriously," Trixie replied. "You couldn't have. I never brought it up. It sucks, sure, but this is my normal. It's good to know there's people taking care of her while I'm out being a slinger. It's a pretty good setup. She has her own little apartment and everything- and speaking of, tada!"

In front of the two slingers was a small apartment- one floor, and about the size of the living area of the hideout. Vibrant chrysanthemums lined the sidewalk leading up to the front door, which had a metal plate that read "STING."

"If you don't know how to act, just follow me lead, but really, you don't need to do anything special," Trixie explained, reaching up and gently knocking on the door. "She's not made of glass. We just don't correct her unless it's important- it doesn't really help, and it's just distressing."

Alana nodded, tensing as the door swung open, and then instantly relaxing when she saw the woman on the other side.

Never had she seen pictures of Maura Sting, nor had she heard Trixie describe what she looked like, but Alana was confident that if she ran into Maura randomly in the street, she would instantly know it was Trixie's mom. She had the same vibrant red hair, albeit cut into a bob and with a few streaks of gray. Her eyes held the same intelligence as Trixie's, and Alana knew that in her prime, this woman would have been a force to be reckoned with. She wore a faded purple blouse with lilacs decorating it, gray pants, and house slippers.

"Oh, hello- I wasn't expecting visitors," Maura said, looking back and forth between Alana and Trixie. Her eyes fell on the Shane stars on their outfits. "That... hm, I know what that is."

"It's the Shane symbol," Trixie supplied patiently. Maura's eyes widened and she nodded, and even though Alana knew she shouldn't get her hopes up, she couldn't help but wish the recognition would go further than the star.

"Oh, yes, that must be it! Oh, you two are awfully young to be working with Will Shane, aren't you?"

Disappointment gnawed at Alana's stomach, but Trixie didn't falter for a second.

"You're right. We're kind of like junior slingers. This is my friend Alana, and I'm Beatrice," she said, pausing for a moment. When Maura didn't seem to react to the name, she continued, "I go by Trixie, though."

"It's nice to meet you!" Maura said cheerfully. She paused. "Beatrice- you know, my grandmother's name was Beatrice! It's a lovely name, isn't it?"

Trixie nodded, smiling softly.

"Yeah, it is," she agreed.

"Well, what can I do for you two? Is something wrong?" Maura asked, glancing around the two girls as if she was looking for an ongoing slugout.

"Not at all!" Trixie assured. She held up the basket she'd unloaded from Boomer. "We're traveling and weren't making great time. We're pretty hungry, and we were wondering if we could borrow your kitchen in exchange for a meal?"

For most people, it probably wouldn't have worked. Most people wouldn't let strangers in their home, regardless of the Shane symbol. But whether it was through lack of knowledge of potential threats, or perhaps an underlying trust of her daughter, Maura's eyes lit up and she stepped aside, gesturing further into the apartment.

"How sweet- I'd love to help out two young slingers," she said with a smile that melted Alana's heart. Trixie beamed and led the way in. Alana nodded in thanks as she passed Maura, looking around at the small studio apartment.

The door led into a small living and dining area. There was a couch, television, dining table, and kitchenette. A small hall led straight back to a small bathroom and bedroom. It was mostly tidy, with occasional magazines and random objects strewn about.

Trixie looked everything over carefully as she made her way to the kitchenette. Maura turned to Alana, smiling politely.

"You're both so brave to be slingers. I thought about it when I was a child, I think," Maura said, tapping her chin. "But it wasn't for me. I wonder, why do you do it?"

Alana's eyes widened, taken aback by the thoughtful question. Maura gestured for her to sit on the couch, and once Alana did, Maura sat next to her, looking attentive and genuinely curious.

"I- well, it's just... natural, for me, I guess. Like breathing," Alana said. "I can help people, so I have to. It's what I've always wanted."

Maura nodded, leaning forward and patting Alana's shoulder.

"What a mature answer from such a young lady. I'm sure your parents are terribly proud of you."

Alana saw Trixie pause from the corner of her eye, hesitating where she stood next to the oven, where she'd just slid in a muffin tray filled with the premade batter she'd brought along, but Alana just smiled.

"I hope so," she said. She glanced over at one of the piles of objects on the coffee table in front of the couch. It was a pile of about a dozen bottles of nail polish, some full and some nearly empty, several of the same color. One sat open, but didn't look dried out. "Oh, did we interrupt you?"

Maura followed Alana's gaze, her eyes flashing with recognition.

"Oh, I guess I was! I always forget to put the caps back on them," she laughed, leaning forward and grabbing the nearest bottle. Alana realized it was the same shade of purple Trixie wore most often.

Speaking of, Trixie made her way over from the kitchen, sitting next to Alana on the couch.

"I do that, too," she noted. Maura leaned forward, looking at Trixie's nails, which were heavily chipped from the fight a few days ago. "Oh, I have just your shade, ah- Beatrice! I'm sure they get all chipped up in your line of work. I'd love to touch them up for you!"

Trixie's eyes glistened, but she stayed relatively calm, nodding carefully.

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd love that."

~~~~~~~~

The two stayed for nearly four hours, both having their nails painted and telling Maura only slightly edited versions of their adventures. They each ate several warm blueberry muffins, and by the time Alana and Trixie left, Maura seemed ready to fall asleep.

Alana was able to hold it together until the instant they stepped out of the front office after handing Ally their visitor badges. She lunged forward and enveloped Trixie in a tight hug, blinking away stinging tears that she refused to let fall. Trixie hesitated for a moment before returning the hug.

"I'm sorry, was that too much-?" Trixie asked worriedly. Alana let out a choked laugh, shaking her head and pulling away, wiping away her tears with ungloved hands, careful not to mess with her nearly dry nail polish.

"No. I'm just... I don't know how you do that," she said. "I'm so happy you're able to do this and visit, it just has to be a lot, and you were able to just... be there so naturally."

Trixie laughed and knocked her head against Alana's shoulder, hugging her one more time.

"Well, I have this super great friend who always tries to find the best in any situation. And even though it doesn't always work out, she reminds me that I have a lot to be thankful for. She- she may not always remember me, but she's here, and I still get to be in her life. I wish I had more, but I'm really glad I have this. And I'm glad she likes to have you guys visit. She loved hanging out with the guys, too. Sometimes you just need some mom time, I guess."

Alana nodded, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. She didn't realize how little time she spent with people who weren't caught up in the fight, caught up in slinging and criminals and ghouls, and it was refreshing after the revelations caused by the Goon's failed invasion. Maura Sting didn't even realize it, but she'd let the two just be girls for a few hours.