Small World (Slugterra Fanfiction)

Chapter 19: Another Year Older

Dexas-Taryn closed her eyes while sitting upon Prisma's back, seeming to stall by taking more and more deep breaths. She'd never performed a stunt like the one planned. Eli noticed whenever Dexas would peak open her eye to check if Trixie was still prepared to film her,
"Hey, Trix? Maybe we should hold off on the videotaping." His eyes gestured to Dexas, hoping Trixie would notice what he did.
"No way, Eli! She's let me film her progress for months, and I am not stopping now."
"But this is different, can't you see that? I think it might be affecting her."
"It's ok, Eli. Let her film me, I just need to ignore it and focus. Besides, it's my eighteenth birthday, I'm going to make it count." Dexas spoke up with head pointed down. Trixie eagerly put the camera up to her eye, knowing any second now something would happen.
"The suspense is killing me!" Pronto whined before whispering, "I'm beginning to think she can not do it..."
"I heard that." She snapped in a whisper. Junjie then added,
"Remember what I've told you, Dexas-Taryn."
"And what I've told you." Eli chimed in.
"What?"
"That I love you." He chuckled with a playful wink. The female slinger simply scoffed with a smile, then regained her focus.
"Bend, but never break." She whispered Junjie's words to herself, "Bend but never break. Bend but never break." Her face cringed with determination, "Bend but never break!" Her eye bursted open. Prisma reared with wings flared before charging forward into a motorcycle and up a slanted platform. The further they drove, the more the platform turned them upside down. Pronto nervously bit at his fingernails with anticipation and Kord kept his fingers crossed. Before anyone could blink, Prisma and her rider were flipped upside down in midair. Dexas let go of the handle bars, her body's shape changing in sync with Prisma's. A grand thud soon rocked the ground, stirring up a cloud of dirt. Eli and the others coughed while trying to shoo it away.
"No...way..." Kord stood there in awe with mouth open. What he saw when the dirt cleared was none other than two wolf mecha beasts standing side by side.
"Yes!!" Trixie cheered and jumped once into the air. Eli ran over to Dexas with a big smile,
"You did it! That was awesome!"
"Your first midair transformation complete. Nicely done, Dexas-Taryn." Junjie congratulated with a bow.
"I'm so proud of you." Eli's eyes gleamed into her eye, and he could see the happiness inside it. She smiled and nuzzled her head into his chest, pressing into him gently. Eli softly wrapped his arms around her neck to hug her close.
"I never doubted her, of course." Pronto boasted. Dexas snapped her head towards him with a low growl.
"You'd better stop lying, Pronto." Eli smirked.
"Ok I admit I had at least a smidge of doubt! But that's nothing compared to your outstanding achievement!" Satisfied with his answer, Dexas turned to look at Eli.
"Now that that's said and done, there's something I want to show you." He gestured with a grin, standing up all the way to lead Dexas. Everyone else began to follow too. Eli lead them to that special meadow, and when he peeled back the leafy canopy, Dexas couldn't believe her mecha beast eye. Villagers of Peach Blossom Spring stand in the meadow with decorations galore. Fairies and dragons hang from tree branches while unicorns made of sticks stand in the grass. Her friends had all walked ahead of her, looking behind them through the canopy to see Dexas shyly peaking.
"They will not fear you. They trust you." Junjie gestured to everyone's smiling faces. Slowly, the female mecha beast crept through the leafy canopy. Some villagers talked amongst themselves, bewildered and stunned. No one had ever seen such a creature before.
"Dexas? Is that really you?" The same young boy from Slug Day spoke up. The furry robotic beast walked up to him, stopping and nuzzling her muzzle against his check with a smile. This caused a wide smile to spread across his face,
"Happy Birthday!" He shouted with hands in the air, then gesturing to the decorations. The girl with the sunflower hair and blind left eye soon returned. She looked around with wonder, running her hands lightly over one of the unicorns.
"How...how did you do all this?" She asked with a smile, her usual techno-sounding voice escaping her throat.
"With a whole lot of teamwork." Eli smiled.
"And Pronto received many splinters!" He declared with annoyance.
"But it was all worth it. I remembered how much you liked fantasy when we were little kids. You'd always-"
"Be the unicorn and you were the dragon," Dexas laughed lightly, "It's amazing, Eli. I love it, almost as much as I love you." She quickly kissed his cheek. The sight of a cake soon caught her eye, making her gasp with a big smile.
"I love chocolate!"
"Then what are we waiting for?! Blow out the candles already!" Pronto eagerly rubbed his hands together. Following a playful eye roll, Dexas leaned over enough to do just that. The others around clapped and smiled. Soon Eli handed her the cake cutter, letting her make and have the first slice.

As the party went on, everyone had eaten their own piece of cake before Dexas began opening presents. Her face cringed as she lifted an unusual gift out of a box,
"Thanks, Pronto. I've always wanted a necklace made of bugs..."
"It was no trouble!" He smiled. Quickly she put the odd jewelry back down in the box, setting it aside and then grabbing another.
"Oh the last one, let's see what's in here..." she thought aloud, prying open the box carefully. She became confused when all that was in it was a piece of paper. Her hand grabbed it while setting the box down, and began unfolding it.
'Look behind you.'  ~Eli
Raising an eyebrow, Dexas-Taryn turned around to see the Eli Shane down on one knee with a smile. Instantly her heart began to pound, body becoming frozen stiff. Her hands let the note drop to the ground at her feet. Her wide eye watched a small box be opened to show a ring inside. Before Eli could say a single word,
"You had me at Texas." She smiled sweetly, then leaned down to meet him in a kiss. Kord huffed to himself with a smile,
"That was easy." He commented as everyone was clapping once again. Eli rose to his feet slowly while they kissed, holding the box in one hand and her cheek in the other. Pronto abruptly released a shower of confetti over their heads, but to them in that moment nothing else was around. Eventually they both pulled away,
"You've come so far as a person, and I couldn't imagine anymore epic adventures without you. I love you so much." Eli smiled to her, somewhat blushing with a light kiss to her lips.
"I love you too, Eli. I don't even want to think what this all would've been like without you."
"What are we, chopped liver?!" Exclaimed Pronto.
"Of course not. You've all been a big help, too." Dexas turned to Pronto and gave him a light kiss on the forehead. Pronto blushed with a giddy laugh,
"Ok, you're forgiven." He grinned and caused Dexas to giggle.
"You know I have to make it official and actually say the words, right?" Eli mused with a grin. She playfully rolled her eyes,
"Then what are you waiting for?" She smirked.
"Dexas-Taryn, will you-" Dexas cut him off with a quick kiss on his lips.
"Yes?" She began to tease, not being able to withhold her own quiet laughter. Eli Shane smirked, opening his mouth to try again when she pulled the same trick.
"Try again." She giggled.
"Willyoumarry-" Dexas swiftly kissed him again. "You're good." He admitted, pointing to her with a chuckle. She laughed with him,
"Ok, you can say it now. I'd love to hear your voice say it." She smiled innocently. Eli grinned, amused by her playful behavior.
"Will you marry me?" He asked while slipping the beautiful ring on her finger. Dexas began shaking her head from side to side,
"Now what kind of a question is that?" She pulled him in close, "I'd be a fool to say no to you." They lean in for a gentle kiss, Dexas softly cradling his face as Eli held her waist.
"Ok, does anyone else think they kiss a little too much?" Kord asked casually. Trixie simply shrugged,
"I've actually gotten used to it."
"Their relationship has grown ever stronger, Kord. Plus, we all did encourage them from the very beginning to not be shy about their feelings." Junjie added.
"No matter how many times they do share such affections, Pronto always want to cry!" He balled into his hands quite loudly.