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anything-goes-my-friends · 3 years

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A New Beginning

The ending of ROTT broke me and I was left very disappointed in the ending of the show. I loved the movie, but the last 10 minutes didn’t sit well with me. I needed a fix-it fic with the ending I think the series deserves, so don’t be mad at me if you don’t like it. This is just what I think it needs, obviously not what everyone else thinks it needs.

In this fic Jim goes back to the day he got the amulet, but instead of giving it to Toby he takes it himself, and relives his journey with the knowledge and experience to save everyone he lost.

A New Beginning When he said goodbye to Blinky, Claire, and the others, Jim knew the journey ahead would be the most difficult thing he’d ever have to do. He needed to find a good time to jump back to, but whenever he settled on a date he thought of someone else he could save, and the date was pushed forward.

So he settled on the day it all began.

When his alarm buzzed, there were no words to explain the emotions swirling through him. With the deaths he witnessed still raw, and the destruction fresh in his mind, being in his old room seemed foreign. He remembered one of the last times he was there, recently half troll and struggling to adapt. But now, none of that had happened, but it had to him. He thought of everything ahead and smiled. But first, Toby.

He hastily prepared the meals for himself, his mom, and Toby, but nothing as fancy as the meatloaf he made the first time around. His head was buzzing and he struggled to focus on the simple task of making the sandwiches. But soon enough it was time.

The garage door opened and he gripped the handlebars of his bike until his knuckles turned white. This would prove that everything he did was worth it. Just to see Toby’s smile once more. The innocence in his eyes. He would never take it for granted again.

And there he was, his best friend. Jim let out a sound that was a mixture of a laugh and a sob and rammed into his friend to engulf him in a hug. It was worth it. All the pain he’ll endure again, and the burdens he has to bear were worth it for this moment.

“Come on Tobes, let’s take the canals today, I have a good feeling about it.” Jim took off on his bike, Toby hollering nonsense to pass the time and it was music to Jim’s ears.

And when they reached the bottom of the canal, and he heard the amulet speaking his name in Kanjigar’s voice, Jim smiled.

“Hello again, old friend.” He whispered as he ran his finger over the familiar metal of the amulet.

<><>Time Skip to the end of ROTT with the new ending Jim created<><>

Jim read the text on his phone from Claire, asking him when he was on his way to Trollmarket. He hastily typed out ‘be there in 10’ before shoving the phone back in his pocket. He could feel the amulet buzzing in his bag, and grinned to himself. He knew what today was, he had it marked on his calendar for years. Today was the day the Titans were defeated in the old timeline. The day Toby died, and Strickler, and Nomura, and countless others. He thought of how different things had become as he rummaged in his bag for his horngazel. The door opened easily under the bridge and he started to descend the stairs.

“There you are, Trollhunter, cutting it close aren’t we?” Claire teased as she met him at the bottom of the stairs. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and she threaded her fingers through his. They began to walk through Trollmarket, all the familiar buzz that had been lost the first time. Jim had learned from his mistakes, but also knew there were some events that had to happen. Losing Trollmarket was not one he could bring himself to do. His gaze shifted to Claire, who’s white streak in her hair, the ponytail, and purple armor was the same as the day the titans attacked. But she was smiling, and there was still a light in her eyes.

“Romeo and Juliet? I would love to try out...Your brother was taken by goblins into the Darklands, I’m sorry, but I’ll get him back I promise. For now, try to get to know NotEnrique, he might surprise you...Everything we’ve done, we’ve done together, I love you Claire, and I always will.”

He had dreaded letting Enrique get taken into the Darklands, but Claire had once remarked that she was glad NotEnrique came into her life, and thought of him as a brother. He didn’t want her to lose that relationship. And saving Enrique pushed Claire to become the sorceress and warrior she was destined to be, bringing the two of them closer together in the process.

The two of them waved to Barbara and Strickler, as Barbara showed off her new ring to a group of changelings. Strickler gave Jim a nod, and he returned it with a smile.

“Strickler, I would like you to meet my mom...The Janus Order has fallen, you’ll be safe in Trollmarket...Yes, I would be honored to be your best man.”

The fall of Gunmar had been a shock to troll kind. Jim had arrived in Trollmarket knowing where the Janus Order had hid the bridge, and used that knowledge to secure it early on. Toby, Claire, and Jim had trained for months as Trollhunters, answering calls and building strength to enter the Darklands. Jim had made the mistake of going alone once, and didn’t want to do that again. So when they were ready, they entered together. Blinky and Aaarrrgghh had rescued Gunmar’s prisoners, even though they got distracted by Blinky’s brother. Claire and Toby had gone off with NotEnrique to free all of the babies, while Draal and Jim faced Gunmar. And at the end of the day, and with a battle that lived in infamy, they emerged victorious.

Gunmar, eager to avenge his son that Jim had slain, and his ego clouding his judgement, had agreed to a fight to the death with Jim. A fight that Jim won. The Trollhunters exited the Darklands with refugees and freed Gum Gums, and babies that were taken care of by Barbara and Strickler until they could find loving homes for them all. And with the fall of Gunmar, the troll world was left without direction. The Janus Order struggled to adapt now that they couldn’t take form as human, but Jim made sure they were welcomed into Trollmarket with open arms. Gunmar’s spies and allies were hunted down by the Trollhunters if they made a mess of things, and after months of struggling, peace was nearing. When Strickler was brought into Trollmarket, he drifted closer to the Lakes, and when he got down on one knee, Barbara didn’t even hesitate to say yes. He had even given Jim the ring to Angor Rot’s soul, and Jim was able to return it to its rightful owner, and set the Trollhunter Hunter free. And Claire, reunited with the real Enrique, gained a brother in NotEnrique, and her family became a little bit bigger.

Jim never slept better after the Darklands. He was proud of his decision to go in together once they were ready, as was the original plan the first time around. Jim knew the importance of seeking help from friends, and he was able to live without that particular trauma twice.

Gunmar was defeated, Trollmarket wasn’t lost, Angor Rot became an ally, and his friends were alive and happy. Jim smiled as he and Claire walked past the forge, where Draal and Nomura were sparing, swapping insults that bordered on flirting, although both would deny it. Jim was most proud of saving Draal, although he would never tell anyone that. After defeating him in battle in the forge and gaining the respect of Trollmarket, Draal moved into his basement and the two of them renewed the bond that had been ripped away by Gunmar. Draal never lost his arm, was never under the control of Gunmar, and never died saving Jim’s life. He fought beside Jim as equals throughout his battles, and remained one of his closest allies and friends.

Vendel entered the forge to yell something at Nomura and Draal, but it wasn’t long before the three of them erupted in laughter. Vendel looked around and noticed Jim smiling at them, and gave a curt nod with his staff to signal a hello and his continued respect.

“Vendell, Queen Usurna is working for Gunmar, she wants to take over Trollmarket and steal the Hearthstone.”

When it had come the time of the Eternal Night, there was no Morgana to rage war, and no Gunmar to destroy Arcadia. Jim stayed human, and stayed in Arcadia where he belonged. Blinky shortly became Vendel’s right hand, and the two of them set out on a mission to organize trollkind in the wake of Gunmar’s defeat. Dictatious had wanted to go along with his brother, but knew he was needed in Trollmarket to help the Changelings and Gum Gums adjust to a life post-war. He was joined by Aaarrrgghh in his endevor, who was happy to help others the way Blinky helped him.

After the day the Eternal Night was supposed to be, Jim found himself wandering into the cafe Douxie worked at.

“Douxie, we need to find Merlin.”

Teaming up with Archie and Claire, the four of them set off to the tomb, where Merlin was resurrected and the next steps were taken. While they prepared for the war with the Arcane Order, Toby had stayed back in Arcadia as it’s one Trollhunter. He had formed bonds with Aja and Krel, and protected Arcadia from the threats better than Jim would’ve. He came into his own as WarHammer, and had accepted the role he chose himself.

“Claire, let’s free Morgana. She isn’t a bad woman, and she can help us in the days to come.”

With Douxie and Merlin at her side, Claire had freed Morgana and managed to settle her down enough to talk. And with her help the plan was made. The Wizards and Trollhunters traveled in time to determine the identity of the Green Knight, where Douxie was named a Master Wizard and the Trollhunter amulet was made. Deya was named the first Trollhunter, and the past was secured. And when they returned, it was Morgana that saved them from the Green Knight. She gave Arthur the rest he deserved, and when the battle was over, she left with Merlin to grieve and find themselves in the new world. Nari had stayed behind with Douxie, who had accepted his role as protector.

“There’s Douxie!” Claire briefly let go of Jim’s hand to wave, and Douxie beamed and returned it. Archie was sitting on his shoulder while Nari padded along after the two of them. Archie was mentioning something about going to visit his dad, and Douxie agreed to go along for moral support. Nari looked at Jim with a knowing look in her eyes, the way she always looked at him. He could never tell if she knew what he did, and all that he had changed, but he decided he didn’t care. She was alive, and Douxie had succeeded in protecting her, and that was all that mattered.

“We need to find the seals Nari...Do you know where the rest of the Arcane Order might have gone?...It’s over now, you’re safe.”

The Genesis Seals had been found and rehidden by Douxie, who didn’t tell anyone where he hid them. Not even Jim or Nari. They had all agreed it was for the best. When Douxie died the secret would die with him. Unable to find and open the seals, Skrael and Bellroc scrambled to find Nari and finish what they started. And with the help of Krel and Aja, the Trollhunters, and the Wizards, the two had their magic stripped away by Akiridian tech, and Jim was able to deliver the finishing blows.

Now today, the day the Titans were supposed to have risen, there was nothing but blue skies. School happened like normal, and the world was at peace. Claire and Jim finished their stroll through Trollmarket as they arrived at Blinky’s study. He was ready for them, and complained that they were the last to arrive.

Inside sat Toby and Aaarrrgghh, who were shoving their faces with the feast that Blinky had prepared. Jim and Claire sat down at the large table and Blinky looked at him expecting him to speak. Jim chuckled and rose to make a toast.

“We have overcome a lot. The defeat of Bular, Gunmar, and the Arcane Order. Merlin and Morgana are off on their own. Douxie and Archie are protecting Arcadia from mystical threats. Aja, Krel, Steve, and Eli are off on Akiridion-5 to rule together. The Darklands liberated, our families reunited, and our loved ones close. This was all I ever wanted for all of you, and I couldn’t be happier.” Jim looked around at the smiling faces surrounding him. This was his family, the ones that had been with him since the start. Blinky, his mentor and father figure, Aaarrrgghh his loyal friend, Claire the love of his life and powerful sorceress, and Toby, the friend who had been with him since the beginning. From a time before trolls and aliens and wizards. When he had wanted more excitement in life.

There were days the burden of the what-could’ve-beens plagued Jim’s mind and he struggled to carry on with the weight of his mistakes. But then days like this happened, where he knew he had changed things for the better, and the world was better off because of his sacrifice. He wouldn’t change a thing, and given the choice to have the time stone again, he would toss it aside. This was the happy ending they all deserved, the ending he worked hard to give them all. There had been changes that brought new threats to face, new calls to answer. But he faced them all with the friends and family he chose and surrounded himself with, and he used his experience to do what he could. He was a hero, the Trollhunter, the champion of Trollmarket. He was Jim the Bular Slayer, the Gunmar Slayer, but most importantly he was Jim Lake. The first Human Trollhunter. And he didn’t think, he became.

#rott spoilers #trollhunters #trollhunters claire nunez #trollhunters jim lake #trollhunters toby #jim lake #rise of the titans #trollhunters spoilers #trollhunters fix-it fic #I like my ending better #rise of the titans spoilers

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p-artsypants · 5 years

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Arcadia or Bust (13)- Heartstone

FF.net | Ao3

It’s…been a minute huh?

I finally saw 3 Below! Hence, this new chapter! I’m not going to do too much with Aja and Krel, because I don’t know if they’re canonically in Arcadia at the same time. So if you haven’t seen it yet, no worries.

And I’ve been watching Trollhunters from the beginning, and I realize that with the children out of the Darklands, it is very true that the changelings shouldn’t be able to shift into human forms. But for the purpose of this fic, I’m saying that it’s just a lot riskier for them to co-exist, since they’d be identical. Please forgive my grievous error.

And…I don’t know how I feel about this chapter, but I came up with an actual plot for this story, and I have to set it up. And, I’m trying to get back in the groove of writing Jim and Claire. (Toby is so easy to write, lol)

—

“So technically,” Steve stated, “I’m still the strongest human in school.”

“Yeah, sure dude. Whatever.”

Jim stood on unsteady legs. Steve was still a few feet away, flexing in a show of dominance.

The sun was low, at golden hour, and as the wind blew, his hood jostled.

Jim let out a sharp yelp of pain, covering his skin and shuffling into the shade.

Everyone who had been watching him noticed the reaction.

“You okay?” Claire asked.

“The mask had been protecting my face from the sun. I just...wasn’t prepared.”

“Whoa,” Steve stated, coming closer. “You’re just like them, huh? Can’t be in sunlight?”

Now that he was in the shade, he removed his hood completely. His pointy ears felt warm as students continued to stare and whisper.

Jim self-consciously patted down his hair and scruff as he backed further into the shade.

“Hey,” Claire tried to pacify. “It’s okay…it’s okay…”

Toby noticed Jim’s chest rising and falling rapidly, and stepped in. “Hey come on, Jimbo! Who wants to spend more time at school than they have to, huh?”

“…yeah…”

Darci walked quickly to join them. “Is it still okay for me to tag along?”

“And me!” Cried Eli. “I wanna know more about Troll Jim!”

“If anyone gets to know more about this, it’s me!” Steve demanded, strutting up to them. “I deserve it.”

Claire chuckled, and then pulled out a little umbrella from her backpack. “How about it?”

Jim swallowed shakily, and nodded.

—

And that’s how six teens crammed into Jim’s truck and scooted off on their way to Trollmarket. The girls and Jim were in the front, while the other boys were in the back.

“Do you really think it’s okay for them to see Trollmarket?” Claire asked, in a whisper.

“I guess? Look, the sooner we give them a tour, the better. It’s in ruins now, and there’s no one there. Best to indulge the curiosity now, right?”

“Uh, Jim?” Eli piped up in the back. “We’ve already been to Trollmarket.”

The wheels screeched to a halt as Jim swiveled around to glare at Toby. “You took them to Trollmarket?!”

“Technically...Arrrgh and I both did.”

“You took them to Trollmarket!”

“Toby!” Claire joined in the accusations.

“What! The place was empty! Everyone wanted to know what happened! I didn’t know it was going to inhabited again!”

A car honked from behind them, and Jim begrudgingly continued the drive.

Down under the bridge, he parked, and urged everyone out. But he stood right in front of Toby, arms crossed. “Explain.”

“Dude, chill, it’s not that big of a deal. You were about to take us all in right now anyways, right?”

“That’s different!” He snarled, baring his fangs.

“Jim!” Claire reprimanded. “Let him explain. You know he had a good reason.”

Jim took a massive sigh, collecting himself. “Okay Tobes, I’m listening.”

“Okay, so...not too long after you guys left, people were asking me all sorts of questions about the invasion. Especially Claire’s mom. You guys gave her a good synopsis, but she just had some final details she wanted to nail down, before giving a press conference.”

“And that was...about a Tornado, right?”

“That’s what they published in the papers and on the news, anyway.” Darci added, helpfully. “She urged anyone that had questions to talk to the police or...resident supernatural and mysterious phenomena expert, Toby Domzalski.” She gestured at him with jazz hands.

“Really?” Jim said flatly.

“I mean, you and Blinky are the experts, but I’m something of a wiz. And you were all gone. So neh.”

“Okay. I’m following so far,” Jim said, his composure still intact. “Go on.”

“So, first, I only thought it was fair that Darcy be let in on the secret, so I talked to Arrrgh, and he said it would be okay if I took her in.”

Darci continued, “and when I asked my dad if I could go, he asked if he could come too, being a ranking police officer.”

Jim nodded along, his brows furrowing.

“So, along with Arrrgh, we all went down to Trollmarket...to find the Gruesome.”

“There was another gruesome?” Asked Claire, eyes wide.

“Yep, and he was a BIG BOY.” Toby emphasized with his hands. “Lot of...debris to clean up, if you know what I mean.”

“And I do.” Agreed Jim.

“So, Darci and I were talking about what we were going to do about it, and Steve and Eli happened to overhear us.”

“You were talking about this in public?!”

“What! It’s not like Trolls are a secret anymore. Besides, we were on an ice cream date.”

Jim groaned. “No, Trolls aren’t a secret anymore, but the phrase ‘Gruesome on the lose’ would scare a lot of people. Especially if they didn’t know what a gruesome was.”

“...I see your point now.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “Okay, so they overheard you talking.”

Steve stepped in. “And I totally remembered that slug-slime thing from the museum, and how we totally busted it’s ass—“

“Wait wait wait—you saw the gruesome at the museum?”

“And totally busted its ass.”

“My mom didn’t actually throw our baby away. Flip gave his life for mankind.” Eli croaked.

“So, we all armed ourselves with flour sacks, and went back to Trollmarket. But by then, he was gone.”

“Did you check everywhere?”

“In Trollmarket.”

“And then?”

“When we didn’t find him, we asked Dictatious. He suggested we check the sewers and the dump, where any other Troll remains would be.”

Jim’s eyes widened. “What about the forge? He didn’t eat any other the Trollhunter’s remains, did he?” He couldn’t recall seeing any missing, but he hadn’t really looked.

“Nope. I think the forge was either sealed, or he couldn’t reach them. Either way, Draal made sure they were all accounted for.”

Jim was quiet a moment, lost in thought. He didn’t know what the proper protocol was for Troll burials. Should they have stayed after the final battle to bury them properly? Or was this the best for them?

“So...we checked the sewers,” Toby continued, bringing Jim out of his thoughts. “And sure enough, we found it, bloated and napping. But before we threw flour on it, Arrrgh stopped us and just talked to it.”

This was puzzling. “He just talked to it?”

“Yeah, in Troll speak. After, he had us all push it.”

“Push it? Where?”

“Well, remember when you were punished for going in the dark lands? And dropped in that pit?”

“Uh...yeah? The one that was supposed to be impossible to get out of?”

“Yep. The Gruesome wanted a dark, quiet place to hibernate, so we pushed him down there.”

“That’s...interesting.”

“We took care of him, just as Trollhunters do.”

Jim smiled, “alright, I’m sorry for yelling. You did good Tobes, just like I asked. I knew you could handle it.”

Eli spoke up. “Are you going to tell him about the paid tours too?”

“Eli!”

“THE WHAT?!”

It took another fifteen minutes to get Jim to calm down again, and when he finally did, he headed toward the truck.

“Wait, where are you going, Jimbo?” Asked Toby.

“Well, if everyone has gone through Trollmarket before, no reason to go back, hmm?”

The teens all started talking over each other.

“I didn’t really get to see it—!”

“It’s so cool—!”

“Just one more time—!”

Claire laughed, seeing exactly how he had played them all.

Jim feigned innocent though. “Alright, I suppose I can show you around again.”

—

Jim didn’t know why he even bothered. It seemed like Steve, Eli, and Darcy had been to Trollmarket a few more times than he had been led to believe. In fact, every time he began to point out a place, one of them would finish it.

“And this is Bagdwella’s store—“

“And that’s the tunnel where Jimmy fought Gnome Chompski!” Eli finished.

Jim rolled his eyes and continued on the tour. Though ‘tour’ was a loose term. It was more like herding cats.

It wasn’t long before they came across another living being. The best one, in fact.

“Arrrgh!” The teens cried with joy.

“Steve! Eli! Darci!” He grabbed the three of them up in a hug. “Back again!”

“Where’s Blinky?” Asked Jim, once the reunion came to a close.

“In Heartstone. Reading books. Boring.”

“Blinky?” Asked Steve, snickering.

“My mentor, and the leader of our tribe. I should probably let him know you guys are here. Who know’s how he’ll take it…”

“Humans! In Trollmarket!” Blinky’s voice echoed over the cavern.

“Probably like that…”

“Master Jim,” Blinky reprimanded, storming over. “Just because no other Trolls are here yet, does not give you the right to invite ragamuffins in off the street!”

Toby threw himself at his feet. “It was me! It was all my fault! I did it! Blame me!”

The act startled Blinky for a moment, before he glanced up to Jim again. “Care to explain?”

“Sure, this is Darci, Toby’s girlfriend.” He gestured.

“Hi…” She waved shyly. “And this is Steve and Eli. They have been working very hard to protect Arcadia, even without my knowledge. And they helped everyone evacuate from the market when Gunmar took control. And according to Toby, they helped take care of the Gruesome that popped up here while we were gone.”

Blinky was thoughtful for a moment, but didn’t respond.

“I felt like I owed it to them to let them in on the secret. I just figured it would be best to do it now, when there would be less panic.”

Toby sent him a grateful look, not wanting to be reprimanded again.

“I suppose you are correct, Master Jim. It would be unfair to try to cover this all up again. Can I count on you three to continue to protect man and troll kind in Arcadia?”

“Are you kidding? Do you know who you’re talking to?” Steve asked.

“We’re the Creep Slayerz, with a ‘Z’.” Eli announced, throwing up their little hand-sign.

“I don’t follow.”

“They’re fine, Blink.” Jim laughed.

Eli’s eyes brightened. “Did you say you were at the Heartstone?”

“Um, why yes, I was.” Blinky answered. “Just looking through Vendel’s, the elder before me, his works that survived. Why?”

“Can we please see it?” Eli begged, his hands folding in front of his face.

“The written works of Vendel? Why, they’re all in Trollish! Ancient Trollish at that—“

“Not the ding dang dumb papers!” Steve interrupted, only to be promptly elbowed by Jim.

“I think they want to see the Heartstone.”

“Ah, well, Jim that really is your area, so…go on, I suppose. But don’t touch anything in Heartstone Hall!” And off he went, mumbling about something all the while.

“What did he mean that this is your area?” Darci asked.

“Well…” he paused, not really wanting to give away their plans for the future. “Claire and I have some magic in us that will help the Heartstone grow to what it once was.” He beckoned them along, passing through the deserted town that was slowly coming back to life. “I’m turning the old heartstone into a home.”

Darci gasped. “Like! A little love nest!?”

The boys sang, “Oooh!!”

Jim blushed, “Well…sorta…don’t make it weird.”

“I think it’s cute, Jim.” Darci stated proudly. “A man building a home with his two hands, that’s romance.”

Toby narrowed his eyes in thought, but said nothing.

“I don’t see why you’re putting so much work into building a house. You have a truck, just put an air mattress in the bed.”

Jim blushed harder. “I think you have the wrong idea, Steve…”

Eli whisper-shouted, “Jim’s making a home for them to live in when they get married!”

“Oh, you should have just said that. You made it sound like you were fancying up the place for some private tango lessons, y’knowwhaddamean?”

Claire spoke between snickers. “Steve, shut up.”

Still purple, Jim led his friends down the ramp to the Heartstone. At the base, Jim pressed the release for the door. Inside was Heartstone Hall, where Vendel had spend most of his time, and where Trolls came to heal. The room was a mess, which made sense given that Gunmar and Morgana had both ransacked it. The debris of fallen trolls and crumbled Heartstone had been cleared, and now the mess just consisted of tools and books. The stone table in the middle of the room was stacked high with books and sheets of paper.

“So this is Heartstone Hall, where Blinky’s been working since we came back.” He beckoned them on, through a curtain in the corner. “You used to not be able to go inside the Crystal, but…Morgana blasted the whole thing open.”

Within the first room, the wall, ceiling and floor were gray crystal. The ceiling and walls were organically shaped, and tilted in odd directions, but the floor was flat and level. The walls were lined with dark wood cabinets and granite countertops. There was even a sink, and a place for a fridge and a stove. On the left was a little nook in the crystal, where a table and chairs sat.

“So this is the kitchen. Draal and I refinished the cabinets and I cut the granite myself.” He patted the counter fondly.

“Dang son,” said Steve, “you’ve been back for, what, a week? And you have this all done? Do you ever sleep?”

Jim shrugged. “Not really, no. I don’t need to.”

“Must be convenient…”

He led them down a set of crystal steps that went around a curve. The inner side of the steps was open, and showed a well that went all the way up to the top of the cavern, and several floors down.

“Whoa…” commented Claire, looking over the edge.

“This is going to be a chimney, I think.” Jim explained, following her gaze. “It leads down to the chamber where Morgana was held, and burst through. There’s a perfect cylinder all the way up.”

The next floor wasn’t as finished as the kitchen had been, but the room was clean, and the floor itself almost looked polished, though most of it was obscured by an antique ornate rug. Some of the Crystals that stuck out had been converted to shelves and tables. “So this is the living room. I talked to the guys at Thrifty Furnishings, and they’re going to let me work off a sectional and a really nice recliner by doing some 3rd shift stocking. Plus some other stuff as I go.”

Toby noticed a standing lamp in the corner. “Wait, do you have electricity down here?”

“Oh yeah!” Jim flicked it on, the light shimmering over the crystal walls and sending sparkles everywhere. “I mean, all of Trollmarket has electricity, though they don’t really use enough to be noticeable by the electric company. There’s an underground power line that someone connected us into.” He stepped over to a curtain, pulling it back to reveal a small closet, but also a fusebox. “I got electrocuted a few times, but since I’m a troll, it only hurt a lot instead of killing me.”

Claire warily looked at the box. “Um…shouldn’t we have a professional look at that before we try to use it?”

Jim considered it with a nod, “yeah…probably…” Then he clapped his hands with excitement. “Oh!” He walked across the room, over to a door, and opened it to reveal a small room with a hole in the floor. “This is going to be the bathroom, though I’ll need a lot of work to get the running water up. I have to set up all faucets and pipes before I try to run any water, since it all comes from the same source. But we have a clean well down here, so I won’t be stealing city water.” He grinned.

“And you can do that all by yourself?”

“Yep! It’s amazing how much stuff you can learn on Youtube.” He grinned. “Except I haven’t bought the hot water heater yet, so even if I wanted to hook the water up, it’d only be cold.”

“You’ve really got this figured out, don’t you?” Toby stated, impressed.

“Kinda.” He shrugged, “I just kinda got in the habit of being a homemaker. And since my dad…” he trailed off. “It’s a distraction, I guess?” There was a lot of uncertainty in his voice, but only Toby and Claire picked up on it. They looked at each other, sharing a look of concern. “I basically lived on my own, since mom was always at work. So I learned how to be resourceful and fix things…” He shrugged again, feeling self-conscious. A sixteen year old shouldn’t know how to build a house on his own. He certainly shouldn’t know how to hook up one to plumbing and electricity.

Though, they shouldn’t have horns either.

Claire rescued him. “So, where did you put the new Heartstone?”

He sighed slightly in relief and beckoned them all down one more floor. Like the living room, the floor was polished, and another rug went down. However, the floor was made of dark hexagonal rock, and not crystal.

A big cardboard box laid in the middle of the floor. “Oh hey, my new mattress is here!” He noted, pushing the box into the corner. “Draal must have brought it from my mom’s house.”

The new heartstone sat in the opposite corner, next to the stairs. The Crystals touching it were beginning to glow a warm orange.

As Claire glanced around the cavern, she noticed a spattering of little glowing spots on the walls and ceiling.

“So this is technically the master bedroom.” Jim said with a flourish.

Darci noticed a blanket and pillow against the wall by the stone. “Are you sleeping here now?”

“Uh, yeah. I have since I got back.”

“On the stone floor?”

“It’s really not as bad as it sounds. I…I got hurt in the final battle, and sleeping by the stone helps me heal.” He absently touched his side, where it still hurt. “Vendel once told me that humans cut gems to unlock their beauty, while trolls unlock gems to unlock their power. And then, he trained me to do so. These heartstones are like trees. The old one, diseased and devoid of its fruit. And this little one is a branch grafted onto it. Finding the right matching facets, the energy in this gem will slowly melt into the old one.

It appeared the Steve had zoned out a while ago, as he just stared blankly at the ceiling, but the others looked interested enough.

“I didn’t realize crystals could be grafted onto each other.” Claire noted.

“You…can’t. Not exactly. Not naturally. But the energy within has to follow the atomic structure of the crystal to move over, so…imagine creating a channel for water to travel. You have to make sure they connect properly, or the water won’t go on.”

“So, it’s working?” Asked Toby, lost in Jim’s explanation.

“Slowly, but surely.” Jim pointed out a vein of orange within the stone. “It’s only been a week though, so who knows how long it’ll take.”

“And we’ll have to give up the energy we took, too.” Claire said.

“Yeah…I’m not sure about that part yet. This is all just based on what Blinky told me.”

Steve spoke up. “This is cool and all, but can we go to the Forge now? I want to see some action!”

Jim rolled his eyes. He didn’t blame Steve for getting bored. This was the kind of stuff that bored him when he first started as a Trollhunter. But, responsibilities change a person.

—

Later that night, after he had taken everyone home, he went back home. Despite all the work he was putting into the Heartstone, his home was still with his mother.

And there was a war on.

Jim stood in front of the door, about to walk in, when he heard James’ voice yelling. It seemed like Merlin’s spell had worn off.

“How the hell do you expect me to make any money if you won’t let me sell?!”

“Oh I don’t know, get a job! Like a normal human being!”

“I can’t Babs! I have to lay low!”

“And I’m sure selling that shit is exactly how you’re going to do that! Honestly, James! I can’t believe you have that with you!”

“What were you expecting!? You want me to throw it in the river?!”

“I would love for you to do that! And you can jump in after it, if you’d be so kind!!”

Jim didn’t want to get involved, but he heard the sound of a slap, and the door banged open on its own.

Barbara gasped. “Oh! Jim…you’re home.” She offered a smile to him, but held her cheek.

Jim’s eyes were wide with rage as he tensed like a spring.

A little dribble of blood came from Barbara’s nose, and the spring was released.

Jim ran at full speed at James, head butting him with his horns and sending him into the wall. Barbara shrieked. Grabbing him by the collar, Jim yanked him up to look in his eyes. “If you ever, ever lay a hand on my mother again, those goons who are out for your blood will be the least of your concerns!”

Barbara touched his shoulder, “Jim, put him down.”

He did so, but with force.

Trembling, James hobbled into the kitchen without a word.

“Honey, you can’t do that to him.”

“He hit you!”

“Yes, he did. But you don’t need to do anything about it. You don’t need to protect me.”

“Obviously I do!”

“Babs…?” James called from the kitchen. “I’m really sorry…but I think I need to go to the hospital.”

Jim scoffed and stormed out of the house. He had only been back for five minutes, but that was long enough. “Fine, I guess I’ve done enough damage.” He stormed out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him.

Back to Trollmarket it was, then. Though, when he got down to the canal, he parked his truck, and scaled the bridge to sit on the railing. He groaned, grabbing his horns in agitation.

The day had been exhausting, and he couldn’t help but feel on edge.

He was just so angry.

He must have sat there for at least an hour, just trying to catch his breath. But the sound of a bike approaching brought him back into the moment.

“There you are!” Claire breathed. “Your mom said you had a fight, and asked me to find you.”

“I’m fine.” He said, harshly.

“Barbara doesn’t think so.”

“Well she thinks it’s okay for him to hit her, so what does she know!?” He shouted at her, an animalistic growl in the back of his throat.

Claire stared at him with wide eyes.

He withdrew into himself, crossing his arms. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.”

“It’s okay.”

“No it’s not!” He shouted again. Then in frustration, he banged his fists on the railing, denting it. “Goddamnit!”

“Jim…?”

He didn’t respond, gripping his horns again.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“…do you want me to leave?”

“…no…”

Gently, ever so gently, Claire rested a hand on his back, right between his shoulder blades. Her voice was soft, and soothing. “You’ve been so angry…”

“Not at you…never at you…” he insisted, almost pleading.

“I know Strickler taught you to use your anger…but you don’t have to anymore.”

He moaned. “I know…I just…”

“Is the part of the transformation?”

Still, he didn’t respond, but his brows creased deeply as a painful frown pulled at his lips, making his teeth poke his cheeks. He looked about to cry. “I’m so overwhelmed…”

“With what? You know you don’t have to put that much work into the house, we have time…”

“No, I like working on the house…I mean…” He shook his head, angry again. “This isn’t my body!”

“Jim…”

“I feel like I’m wearing a suit! I…I can see so much more, smell things, my sense of taste is shot, and…my natural instinct is to just…roar at everything I don’t like! And more often than not, I’m roaring at myself! Even my voice is different!”

Claire smiled in understanding, “Mi amor…no one expecting you to be completely adjusted to this. And I understand that you’re angry...anything I can do to help?”

He glanced at her. “You sure you still love me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I haven’t been myself in a while. It must be awful to have to deal with me…”

“I don’t know if I’ve really been myself for a while either.” She stated, her hand running over his arm. “That final battle changed both of us...but that’s why I can’t see myself with anyone else but you. My Romeo.”

He chuckled once. “Then...how about we revisit those old days? Just for tonight?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Come with me.”

He led her down to his truck, and put her bike in the back. Then they drove off.

As he drove, he kept glancing at her, a little grin on his face.

“What are you up to, Jim Lake Jr.?”

He never answered, but in due time, they arrived at their destination. The peak that looked over the town.

The sky was clear of clouds, and sparkled with stars, just as the city lights spread over the valley.

Claire smiled as a familiar guitar strum filled the air, shortly accompanied by soft Spanish vocals.

Today I woke up wanting to kiss you

I have a thirst to caress you

Entangle myself with you and not let you go

You're so intoxicating

It's you

Jim approached her, a stroll in his step to the beat of the music. A look in his eyes of true adoration. She matched his steps, just as slowly. He circled her, resting a hand on her back, and then…took her hand.

I want to gaze at you without counting the minutes

Draw you with just my memories

In my mind accentuate your lips, your kisses

You're here once again

It's you

He sang along with the chorus, being that his Spanish was still a little weak. But his arms encircled her, just for a moment, before taking her hand to twirl her. While her back was to him, he slipped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her gently as they danced. He twirled her again, talking her into his arms to waltz with her properly. Though, it wasn’t really a waltz, more like…a dance with no rules, only right. Only them.

I love seeing you, having you, embracing you

When I'm at your side

All the goodness in me

Blossoms, it's you

“What’s this then?” She laughed.

He pouted. “You don’t remember our dance after Spring Fling?”

Her smile reflected in her voice. “Of course I remember. I was just teasing you.”

“Rude,” he giggled back, spinning her around.

That magnet of beautiful energy

It's your soul that sends

Signals to my body

Because it keeps on asking for that smell of you

That invites me lying in wait

It's you

“I’m still a bad dancer,” he admitted.

“I think you’re a wonderful dancer.” She looked into his eyes, falling in love with him over and over again. He was so tall now. This time was different, but the look was the same. The comfort, and wonder. He bent to meet her sultry gaze.

We have different plans

But you're always on my mind

Since my veins so subtly

Enjoy loving you so much

It's you, it's you

The kiss was powerful. Under the scent of her shampoo and detergent, he inhaled her real fragrance, her pheromones, the very emotion she had at that very moment.

Bliss.

It's you

—

The song is 'Eres Tú' by Carla Morrison, the same song used in the Episode 'A Night to Remember' I wrote the English Lyrics because I thought it was more powerful to know what was being said.

#trollhunters #troll jim #clairenuñez #jlaire #fanfiction #jimlakejr #jim lake jr #claire nuñez #toby domzalski

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