TW/CW: Drug Mention, Generally Upsetting Shit (but only for like, a few paragraphs)

After arriving home, the couple had to precariously hide David's wounds from Johanna. She would have surely freaked out about them doing this whole adventure thing (again) if she had known that David nearly died that day.

Hilda examined David's wounds; the outer bite marks would only leave bruises, but the inner ones near his rib cage needed bandaging. David was incredibly luckily to not even need stitches when his guts could have just as easily been spilled everywhere.

They were both utterly exhausted from the day's activities. After showering and eating leftovers, they crawled into bed together and quickly fell asleep. Sharing Hilda's twin mattress was quickly becoming annoying; it wasn't big enough to accommodate two adults.

Hilda didn't dream at all that night. In fact, she didn't sleep very well at all in general. She found herself restless, and waking up every 3 hours or so. Her body woke up naturally around 6 in the morning, as she was always used to doing for work, but then she fell asleep again and wouldn't wake until 10:15. She turned to see David next to her, stirring in the sheets. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips, waking him up and prompting him to return said kiss. Hilda nuzzled into his neck.

"Morning.." She said.

"Good morning" said David with an extended yawn. "How'd you sleep?" He asked.

"Not fantastic," started Hilda. "I kept waking up every few hours." She said, yawning as well.

"Oh no, poor thing… did you have another amulet dream? Do you know where the next piece is?" asked David.

"No, nothing. I didn't see a thing." said Hilda sitting up and cracking her back. "I have to pee, I'll be right back." she said as she got up and walked to the bathroom. When she got in, she took a brief moment to look at the bags under her eyes. She looked exhausted. Maybe she'd be able to take a nap later, get in some extra shut-eye.

David got up himself and threw on a shirt. He went to the kitchen and put a kettle on. He knew Hilda liked her morning peppermint tea. As the kettle was heating up, his cell phone rang; it was Alec!

"Hey Alec, what's up?" greeted David.

"Helllloooooo David!" he said, enthusiastically. "I have wonderful newwwwsss!" chimed Alec.

"Oh yeah? Well lay it on me!" said David with a smile.

"The seller and the bank loved your offer! Congratulations, that penthouse is yours!" announced Alec. David gasped with excitement.

"Oh my god! That's awesome! Thank you so much for all your help!" said David, excitedly.

"No problemo Daverino! I just need you to swing by the office at 1 to sign some paperwork, and I'll give you the keys!" He said.

"Oh, yes! Of course! I'll see you at one! Talk to you soon!" said David as he hung up. He was so excited, but so overwhelmed at the same time. He'd have to call his Dad and talk about having all of his stuff shipped to Trolberg; David had been anticipating this move for a while so he packed all of his things in boxes before leaving to play Troll Fest. He just needed his Dad to be home to load the stuff onto the moving van that David would have to call and send for. He'd also have to call his bandmates and tell them the news, not only about his new digs but also his newfound relationship with Hilda.

Speaking of which, Hilda exited the bathroom and walked into the kitchen.

"Who was that on the phone?" she asked as she went into the cupboard to grab a box of cereal.

"It was Alec!" said David.

"Who?" she asked.

"The gay real estate agent, the one who showed us all those properties?" said David, jogging her memory.

"Oh right! I liked that guy. What did he call about?" asked Hilda.

"He called to tell me the bank accepted my offer! The penthouse is mine!" exclaimed David, excitedly.

"Oh my gosh! David! That's great!" said Hilda as she went in for a hug.

"I know! I'm so excited!" said David, as he instinctively picked up Hilda and twirled her around as they hugged. He put her down and they both blushed as Johanna emerged from her bedroom.

"Having fun out here you two?" asked Johanna as she sat down with the newspaper.

"David got the penthouse in Nautisk Alley!" said Hilda.

"Oh, splendid! When do you move in?" asked Johanna.

"Well, I'll get the keys to the place today. I just have to drop by the real estate office at one and sign some paperwork." said David.

"Oh, it's always paperwork.." said Hilda with a playful sigh.

"And then I need to arrange to have all my crap shipped here from Norway. It's gonna be a pain." added David as the kettle started boiling and he took it off the stove.

"By the way, how did your adventure go last night? Did you find the amulet?" asked Johanna, the tone in her voice shifting slightly. David and Hilda looked at each other awkwardly, and David placed a hand on his wound which was hidden by his shirt.

"Well uh, we found the first piece of it! It was actually easy! Not sure how the other pieces will be though." said Hilda.

"Yeah! It was easy! Not dangerous or life threatening at all!" said David, chuckling nervously. Hilda shot him a look that got him to stop talking. Johanna raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, well that's splendid! Just be careful finding the other pieces, yeah? Do you know where the next one is?" asked Johanna.

"Not yet," begun Hilda, "I didn't sleep very well last night, so.. No dreams. And my dreams are essentially where all this information is coming from." said Hilda, scratching the back of her head.

"I see.." said Johanna. David interjected the conversation by handing Hilda a mug of tea.

"Here you go, it's peppermint. Your favorite." said David, with a smile.

"Aw, how sweet!" said Hilda, pinching one of his cheeks.

"Johanna, would you like a mug?" asked David.

"Absolutely! Thank you David, that's very nice of you indeed." beamed Johanna.

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David and Hilda both got dressed and ready to go down to the real estate office. It was rainy day in Trolberg, so they had to dress appropriately to stay dry. After taking Twig for a quick walk, they got into the car and began driving across town. Hilda was fatigued and sleepy from her restless night, so David offered to drive instead.

"Thanks for diverting the conversation away from the amulet earlier," stated Hilda, "I could tell my mum wasn't very keen on discussing it, I'm not sure why she even brought it up." said Hilda, sighing.

"Maybe she just wants to be supportive of you like she always has, but this whole amulet thing is just tough for her." said David.

"Probably.. I just feel bad for worrying her. She's my mum, y'know?" said Hilda.

"I know.." said David.

After a few minutes of driving through the city in silence, they were nearing Nautisk Alley.

"So, I was wondering if we could talk about something.." said David.

"Oh? What about?" asked Hilda.

"This whole thing with my new place. How is it going to work, with like, you know, us?" asked David.

"I'm.. not sure I follow?" said Hilda, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"I mean, are you going to move in with me? It is a rather spacious place.. " said David, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Oh…." said Hilda, sounding uneasy.

"It could be fun! Nautisk Alley is a neat place and it's not even much farther of a commute to the zoo..." rambled David.

"It's just… " trailed off Hilda.

"Just what…? You don't sound as thrilled as I thought you'd be.." said David with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, it's that we've only just begun dating, you know? It feels a little soon…" said Hilda, gently.

"You're right, I understand. I'm sorry for bringing it up, not sure what I was thinking. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." said David, feeling a little silly, and a tinge of sadness.

"Oh, don't be so rash on yourself. We're adults, we've got to think about these things. Also, there's another thing with that.." said Hilda.

"Oh…? What's that?" asked David.

"Well, it's my Mum. I'm not sure how it'll be for her, living alone and whatnot. I know she seems healthy, but a few weeks ago she went to the doctor and they said she could expect her vision to start declining. She got glasses last year and has had to change her prescription twice since then." explained Hilda.

"Oh my.." said David.

"Yeah, getting old is a drag. I'm nervous she's not going to be able to take care of herself after a certain point.." said Hilda.

"Well, if it's any consolation… maybe some time from now, when we're ready to move in together, your mother could come live with us." said David.

"Really? You'd consider that?" asked Hilda, a surprised look on her face. What 23 year old rock star would want to let their mother-in-law live with them?

"Of course I would! Your mum is a wonderful lady, she's always been great to me. Like a second mother, really. Honestly, I worry about her living on her own in the future as well." said David. Hilda placed her hand on David's leg as he drove, and kissed his cheek.

"You're a good man, David Stoff." she said with a smile as they arrived in front of the real estate office. David put the car in park and opened the door.

"Coming along? It could take a bit. You know how paperwork can be." said David.

"If it's alright with you, I think I'd rather stay in the car. Take a quick little cat nap. I'm exhausted." said Hilda, resting her head against the car window.

"Suit yourself. Hopefully I won't be too long." said David as he shut the car door and ran inside.

The sound of the rain pattering against the window put Hilda at ease. It had been raining on and off in Trolberg for the last few days, she pinned it as odd. Weather was unpredictable though, and that was simply a fact. Eventually Hilda drifted off to sleep in the car while David was inside, neck deep in paperwork. It wasn't long before she found herself in her own dream realm once again.

This time, she was cold. She couldn't see where she was. She wasn't sure she was anywhere, really. But it was cold, and awfully windy. She tried to observe her surroundings. Her vision was blurred, but she could just barely make out clouds. In fact, she was beginning to think she was inside a cloud as well; and she wasn't standing. She was floating in mid-air. A huge gust of wind bellowed around her, and the clouds blew away. When they cleared, she had a fantastic bird's eye view of Trolberg. She could see the whole city, with perfect vision! She could also see the harbour which connected to the massive Lake Trolberg, which flowed into a river that ran out to a nearby sea. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Suddenly, Hilda noticed three specific points on the ground began glowing bright gold. They slowly linked together, forming a perfect triangle. But what could it mean? Up until now, she could see the physical amulet in her dreams. It would seem the whole quest was increasing with difficulty.

Just then, Hilda heard an odd sound. It was a rumbling noise, like a machine starting up. Her head began to vibrate as well, and her vision blurred once again. She blinked, and suddenly she was awake. David had started the car, and the rumbling of the engine caused the car to vibrate suddenly, waking Hilda from her slumber.

"Hm..?" she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry. I was going to let you sleep on the way home, but I guess the car woke you." said David as he pulled from the parking space and started down the road.

"How long was I asleep?" asked Hilda, yawning.

"I was in there for a good hour and a half. There was a lot paperwork and terms to read regarding my mortgage and whatnot." said David, his eyes on the road.

"An hour and a half? It only seemed like a few minutes.." said Hilda.

"That means you slept pretty heavily then, that's good. Did you have a dream? About the amulet or anything?" asked David.

"I think..?" said Hilda.

"Why do you sound unsure?" asked David, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, in all my other amulet-related dreams, I could actually see the piece of the amulet I was trying to find. The first dream was where I met Heinrich, and where I first saw the amulet, but in that dream all three pieces were together, so it was like, the whole amulet yeah? And then in the second dream, I dreamt I was in the Troll's stomach, and the first piece of the amulet was in their with me… and then there's the one I had I just now. The next piece of the amulet wasn't in it, but it seemed like a big clue as to where it could be." explained Hilda.

"What was the clue?" asked David, intrigued.

"I'm not entirely sure what it meant, but I had this huge bird's eye view of Trolberg and the surrounding area. It was kind of like looking at a map. Three spots on the ground were glowing, and they formed a perfect triangle." explained Hilda.

"Maybe you could draw it on your map at home…?" suggested David.

"I can't. That map is of the wilderness, not Trolberg. But I bet the library would have a rather large map of the city we could look at!" said Hilda. David smiled.

"Then it looks like we're going to the library." said David as he turned down a side street towards their new destination.

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"Minerva! We need-"

"A huge map of Trolberg and the surrounding wilderness?" said the librarian, finishing Hilda's sentence. She had been used to people approaching her desk and excitedly barking out what they were looking for.

"Wait, how did you know that?" asked David.

"I've been a librarian for a long time. I know all. Say, aren't you the guy who sings in Sola Manor?" asked the librarian.

"Nope. Never heard of them. I only listen to Nickelback and Slayer." said David, keeping a straight face. Hilda shot him a strange look.

"Oof. Sorry I asked." said Minerva, cringing at the notoriously mediocre bands David mentioned. Minerva went under her desk and pulled out a large drawer with various maps rolled up side by side one another. She took one out and put it on the counter. "This should suffice!" She said happily.

"Thanks Minerva! I'm glad I can always count on your library-bound omnipotence!" said Hilda as she picked up the large rolled-up map and took it over to a table. She unfurled it, and it took up almost the entire table.

"Wow, it's enormous.." said David.

"By the way, what was that back there?" asked Hilda.

"What was what?" asked David.

"Well, if my memory serves me right, you are in fact the 'guy who sings in Sola Manor,' are you not?" asked Hilda.

"Look, Hilda, sweetie, let me explain something to you. As much as I love pleasing fans, getting recognized in public almost constantly is exhausting. So if someone recognizes me but isn't sure it's me, like the librarian back there, I deny it. Even I need break from all that sometimes." explained David.

"Fair enough, I suppose." shrugged Hilda. "Anywho, let's see if I remember where these points are!" She said as she took out a pen and took a good long look at the map. She closed her eyes and pictured the vivid image she saw in her dream. David sat down in the chair next to her and rested his head in his hand, waiting for Hilda to work her magic. "I've got it!" said Hilda as she opened her eyes and put pen to paper. She circled one point at the north end of Lake Trolberg, the total opposite side from Harbor. She then circled the Trolberg Lighthouse, and the town square where the giant statue was located. She then drew straight lines to connect all the points, forming a perfect triangle.

"So it's a triangle just like you said. What does it mean?" asked David.

"That's.. a fantastic question actually.." sighed Hilda as she sunk down in the chair next to David.

"Hmm.." thought David, trying to think. "Hey, what was that thing we learned how to do in Year 6 Maths? Like, we were learning about triangles and shapes and solving for X and whatnot?" asked David.

"You mean Geometry? Or maybe Algebra?" replied Hilda.

"Yeah but like, it was that one thing where you can use the three points on a triangle to find the center of it?" said David, racking his brain. Hilda facepalmed.

"Of course! Triangulation! David, you're a genius!" exclaimed Hilda, planting a kiss on his lips.

"Shh!" said Minerva as she walked by with a stack of books in her hands.

"Oops, Sorry.." said Hilda, shushing herself.

"I like to think I learned something in school back then," David whispered smugly.

"Let's not forget you only passed that class because I let you copy my answers here and there.." giggled Hilda as she started doing the math.

"You only let me do that because you thought I was cute~" said David, facetiously.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night~" quipped Hilda with coy smile, as she hopped David's nose. Eventually, she was able to solve for the point which served as the center of the triangle.

"That's weird, the center of the triangle is almost dead set in the middle of the lake. You don't think…?" said David, trailing off.

"That the second piece of ancient long-lost amulet is at the bottom of Lake Trolberg? I absolutely think that." said Hilda, finishing David's sentence.

"Well, how are we supposed to even get there? I don't think even a fat check from a rock star will get some guy with a submarine to take us to the bottom of a massive lake to look for something that may not even be there at all." said David.

"Oh trust me, it will. And I know exactly how to get there. But we gotta bring the map!" said Hilda.

"Why do I have a feeling this is going to be insane..?" groaned David.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Hilda decided to take over the driver's seat as they headed towards their next location. They soon arrived at the rocky marsh at the edge of the lake. David hadn't been here since the whole incident with the enchanted rats.

"What exactly is your plan here..?" asked David as he and Hilda got out of the car.

"You'll see!" said Hilda happily as she skipped around, looking for something. David smiled.

"You're cute when you're excited about something.." he said with a smirk.

"Yeah? I like my sick eyeliner game helps." said Hilda as she picked up a conch shell.

"Is that what we came here for? A shell?" asked David.

"Not just any shell. Watch this!" said Hilda as she gave a hard blow into the shell, and there was a low rumble coming from the water. A large water spirit ascended from the water and showed itself to Hilda and David.

"Whoaaa…" said David, amazed.

"David, get the map out of the car! Quickly!" exclaimed Hilda. David scurried over to the car and grabbed the map from the backseat. He unfurled it as he ran back over to present it to the water spirit. As he held it open, Hilda pointed to the dot on the map that marked the next piece's location. "Can you take us here, please? We need to go all the way to the bottom!" asked Hilda with a smile. The water spirit cooed in approval, and spun out a staircase that led to the top of its head. "Come on David!" said Hilda as she scurried up the water staircase.

"Is that safe?" He asked, nervously.

"Of course! Now let's go!" She chimed from atop the water spirit. David took a quick breath, dropped the map and followed Hilda. Once they were both atop the water spirit, he began moving away from the shore, and formed a large bubble around Hilda and David to allow them to travel underwater.

The sight was breathtaking. They lake was teaming with life. They watched as a variety of fish swam around them. It was a majestic sight to behold.

"This is magical.." said Hilda, bewildered by the beauty of it all.

"It's beautiful. Reminds me of you." said David, putting an arm around her.

"You're quite the charmer, aren't you~?" giggled Hilda as she leaned into David. She got on her tip-toes and planted a kiss on his lips, which David returned and deepened. When they separated, Hilda rested her head against David's chest.

"Y'know, most people wouldn't be down for adventures like these.." began Hilda, gently running her finger up and down David's chest. "I'm really glad I have you."

"I'll admit, we've been through some pretty hairy situations. But moments like this make it all worth it. This is breathtaking!" exclaimed David, gesturing to the gorgeous surroundings as they traveled towards their destination. "Y'know, I've been all over the world. Toured all 50 U.S. States, and at least 80 different countries by now. I've seen a lot. None of that compares even a little bit to this moment, right now, with you." said David, kissing Hilda's forehead. Hilda blushed and hugged him even tighter.

"Really? You mean that?" she asked.

"Without a doubt." David replied. Hilda kissed him once again.

"I love you, David." she said softly, as she nuzzled into his chest. David blushed and had a big smile plastered on his face. For the first time in a long time, his heart felt full.

"I love you too, Hilda." he said, stroking her hair. They stood their in silence for a while, enjoying the moment, and enjoying each other. It was one of those perfect moments that didn't require words, just the unity of two souls. Eventually, they ascended deeper and deeper within the depths of the lake. Soon, they were so deep that only half as much sunlight was reaching them, so the depths were growing darker and darker.

"It's rather dark down here, plus I'm not seeing as much aquatic life.." said Hilda.

"You're right. Starting to get creepy around here.." said David, growing anxious. Suddenly, the water spirit stopped moving and rested on the floor of the lake. "What's going on? Why did he stop?" David asked.

"We must be here..but where's the piece of the amulet..?" said Hilda.

"If it is the Amulet of Åpenbaring you seek, I am the keeper of the second fragment. If you are here, then you must be the chosen one. Well, one of you must be anyway." said a disembodied, feminine sounding voice echoed out from in front of them.

"W-Who said that!?" exclaimed David.

"Calm yourself, traveler. I mean you no harm." said the disembodied voice as it presented itself. Hilda and David spotted a glowing dot in front of them that grew brighter and brighter.

The dot turned out to be a lure growing from the creature's head. As it grew brighter, David and Hilda could make out the body of a large sea serpent. The second piece of the amulet was embedded on her forehead.

"Wow…" said David, laying his eyes on the fantastic beast.

"My name is Aura. If you want the next piece of the amulet, you must pass my trial." said Aura.

"It's nice to meet you Aura, my name is Hilda, and this my fr- excuse me, this is my boyfriend David." said Hilda, greeting the benevolent creature.

"Boyfriend, hmm? Such a petty human term, especially for you two." said Aura.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked David.

"I can peer inside the souls and minds of all living things. It is clear that you two have an unfathomably strong emotional connection; a special bond that is not so easily nor accurately depicted by the term 'boyfriend.' Such a simplistic thing to refer to someone to whom your soul is bonded." said Aura.

Hilda gripped David's hand, and looked at him as Aura spoke, and then looked back at her.

"So, what is your trial?" asked Hilda.

"The trial is a mere test of your emotional and mental strength. I will show you a snippet of your life in which you underwent massive psychological hardship or even trauma, and how you handle reliving it will determine whether or not you leave here with the next piece of the Amulet. Only the strongest of mind are prepared for the power that is the Amulet of Åpenbaring." explained Aura.

"If that is your test, then I accept! Reach into my mind, and do your worst!" said Hilda, displaying her fearlessness.

"Oh, I won't be reaching into your mind, dear Hilda." said Aura.

"Say what?" said David and Hilda in unison.

"Hilda, I can see into your mind. Your entire life, you have been nothing but brave even in the face of life-threatening danger. Your natural spirit for adventure is indicative of that. You've gone through your tough times, but you were able to resolve them with the help of your friends and family. David on the other hand.." said Aura.

"Yeah, I get it, I'm a coward. What, are you going to show me the time I was 7 and pissed myself watching Jumanji with my parents because I thought it was scary?" scoffed David.

"Oh, there will be none of that. You know exactly what I'm going to show you." said Aura, her eyes piercing into David's soul. In an instant, David knew what she was referring too.

"Oh god. Please, no! Not that!" said David, beginning to grow scared.

"Not what?" asked Hilda.

"Wait, David- Hilda doesn't know about this..? Hmm, perhaps this trial will be a challenge for the both of you.." asked Aura.

"David, what is she talking about?" asked Hilda, growing concerned.

"Please, isn't there something else?" pleaded David, ignoring Hilda's question.

"No. You must prove your mental strength, or you will leave here empty handed." said Aura. David looked at Hilda, and then back at Aura. He knew what piecing together this Amulet and finding Heinrich meant to her. It seemed he had no other choice.

"Very well. Just get it over with." said David, as he closed his eyes.

"Let us begin!" said Aura, as she wielded her magic and conjured a large projection of David's memories for them to view. All the memories were from David's point of view; they were viewing everything as David had experienced it with his own eyes.

It began with him sitting in a car, next to his mother. They were talking.

"All I'm saying is, Johnny Depp would have been a lot better as Anakin in that new Star Wars movie. I just couldn't get behind that Hayden fellow's acting!"

"Look. I don't know what your obsession with Johnny Depp is, but I think the guy who played Anakin did a fine job! The writing was just poor, that's not the actor's fault."

Hilda didn't know what she was seeing, but then she recalled David telling her how his mother died, and she began feeling nauseous with anxiety.

"Hey Mum, can you pass me my headphones? I think I dropped them on the floor, they're next to your foot."

"Oh, of course dear. Just gotta bend down real quick to get it!"

"Tha- MUM WAIT WATCH OUT THERE'S A CAR!"

"What!?"

Bam. Hilda and David watched the whole crash go down. His vision went dark. Hilda watched as David's eyes opened, and laying his eyes on his dead mother as the paramedics arrived on the scene. It was a gruesome sight to behold.

Hilda could feel herself tearing up. She looked at the adult David beside her. The color was draining from his face. Hilda had never seen such a broken expression on another person's face.

However, the trial was far from over. Hilda watched as the memory began flashing through various other scenes that took place after the crash. She saw David's grief stricken father, and heard them getting into emotional grief-driven arguments. Apparently for a time, David's dad blamed him for the crash. And Hilda was beginning to sense that David blamed himself as well. She watched as David recovered from his physical injuries, but his mental injuries worsened. At first there was one alcoholic drink here and there. Then two. Then four. Then ten. Eventually, Hilda stopped keeping count. There was a lot of David showing up drunk to shows. Then the substance abuse escalated, and it sure wasn't petty things like marijuana. It was a little heavier than that. Everyone knew about the drinking, but Hilda got to watch as he hid the drugs from everyone in his life. She watched as David popped pills in a bathroom stall, and then joined the other band members as they signed into their first record deal. The memories started racing through almost four years of David being on tour almost constantly, and being sober for almost none of it. Not to mention all the nights spent crying, and feeling all the pain and guilt of his mother's death. Hilda was feeling the gravity of his downward spiral.

The most haunting of it all, was a particular memory where David looks in the mirror amidst a massive substance-fueled depressive episode. The man Hilda saw in that mirror didn't look like the David she had kissed moments ago. This David was a ghost; a hollow shell of his normal self.

She watched as David's bandmates, friends and family slowly but surely discovered his drug and alcohol problem, and gave him an intervention which ultimately sent him kicking and screaming to rehab. Cut off from the substances he was dependent on, he begins having vivid nightmares in which he relives his mother's death. He starts hallucinating his mother's mangled and destroyed body staring at him from the corner of his bedroom at night. Hilda had heard about sleep paralysis, but she never grasped how truly fucked up it was until she saw it through the eyes of David's memories.

Fortunately, there was a happy-ish ending to it all. Rehab cleaned David up good, and soon he wasn't hallucinating his dead mother, he was no longer dependent on drugs, and he was drinking responsibly. She watched David perform his first show since exiting rehab, and it was complete magic! Despite the fortunate ending, Hilda couldn't understand how David could just keep all of this from her. She may have just seen it all unfold over the course of several minutes, but this was a serious issue that ate up almost four years of David's teenage life!

"Wow. Well done.." began Aura as the projection dissipated into nothingness. "The last time I administered this challenge, the man who took it went mad before the trial was even halfway done. But you, David, you haven't even flinched. I'm impressed." said Aura.

"Thanks." said David, lifelessly. Hilda could hear the numbness in his voice. It made her heart shatter.

"I sense that Hilda is the one who has been having the Amulet dreams, but perhaps since you two have such a deep bond, that makes you both chosen by the prophecy..? Hmm. Something to ponder. Anywho, here is the next piece of the Amulet. You've earned it." said Aura as she stuck her head inside the bubble that housed David and Hilda. David mindlessly took the fragment off of Aura's head. "Farewell you two!" she said as she disappeared into the dark depths, leaving the couple alone.

"..D-David..?" asked Hilda, meekly.

"I want to go home." He said flatly. The water spirit began swimming back towards the shore. Hilda had no idea what to possibly say, plus it was clear to see that David wasn't in a talkative mood anymore.

They rode the whole way back in complete silence. It felt as thought Hilda was riding an elevator with a stranger. Eventually, they arrived back on shore, and the sun had begun to set. They must have been in that trial longer than they perceived. The water spirit dropped them off and then went on its merry way.

David picked up the map he had dropped on the ground before they left and rolled it up. He got in the passenger seat of the car, and placed the map and the newfound piece of the amulet in the backseat. He waited for Hilda to get in the driver's seat.

Hilda climbed in and started the car.

"So…" She said, hoping she'd say something to get him to talk.

"Hilda, I really don't want to talk about it." he said before Hilda could get a word in.

"David, how can we not talk about it? How could you keep that entire part of your life from me?" asked Hilda.

"What the hell was I supposed to fucking say? Oh, hi Hilda! It's been a while! Want to hear about how I essentially killed my mom and then got addicted to fucking blow and pills for three and half years!? Yeah, that would have made a fantastic impression!" said David, getting frustrated.

"David, you know that isn't what I meant. And you can't keep blaming yourself for what happened! You're not gonna get anywhere thinking like that!" said Hilda.

"Well, it's fucking true. And I have to live with it every day. I've had to accept it- the only comforting thought is that I know my mum at least wouldn't blame me for what happened. My dad? Not so much! My mum's death drove a permanent rift between he and I! For a period of time he wouldn't even fucking speak to me. It's a miracle we were able to ever get on good terms again, and even still nothing's been quite the same! My life was a living hell for three and a half years, which I'll never get back, by the way! But hey! At least we're one step closer to piecing together this fucking amulet!" ranted David, slowly dissolving into tears. Hilda places a hand on his shoulder.

"David, please. I am so sorry. If I had known about all of that, or even about the trial in general, I wouldn't have made you come with me…" said Hilda, tearing up herself.

"Listen, I suffered through it, I recovered, I wrote a few songs about it, and I won a Grammy. I went to my therapist, I took the happy meds until my doctor said I could stop, I did everything I had to so I could move on and be a good, happy person. So I'm done talking about how fucked up I was after my mum died, okay? I'm done…" said David, his voice calming, though he still sounded upset.

"Well, you certainly don't seem happy if you're living with that in the back of your head.." said Hilda with a sigh.

"If you don't think I seem happy now, you should have seen me back then." scoffed David.

"Look, David. All I want is for you to be able to share messed up things like this with me. We're a couple, and couples need to be able to confide this kind of stuff in each other. Sure, maybe it was a bit early for me to hear all that, but my point is that it's a trust thing. We need to be able to trust each other with information like this. You do trust me, don't you..?" asked Hilda.

"Of course I trust you! It's just.. " trailed off David.

"It's just what?" asked Hilda.

"It's just that, I was scared you wouldn't want to be associated with me if you knew I was a former drug addict, alright? I know it's silly, but.. it's a lot of baggage to handle. And I couldn't just dump all that on you." explained David. Hilda took his hand in hers, and kissed him on the cheek.

"David, I love you, no matter what happened in the time we were apart. You've been through a great deal. It means the world that you went through that whole trial, just for me. You are a good person, and your mother would be proud of the successful, dashing man her adorable little boy grew into." said Hilda with a smile.

"You mean that..?" asked David.

"Of course I do! Sparrow Scout's honor!" said Hilda, proudly.

"..And you think I'm dashing?" He said, cracking a smile and earning a laugh from Hilda.

"Probably the most handsome man I've ever seen.." said Hilda, giving him a playful look.

"You know, I could have sworn I saw you checking me out at Troll Fest." said David, raising an eyebrow.

"Did it take you this whole time to deduce that, Sherlock? A hot, chiseled rock star gets all sweaty and takes off his shirt on stage. What am I supposed to do, not stand there and drool like a fool?" said Hilda in a flirty tone.

"Oh come now, I wouldn't say chiseled." said David with a chuckle.

"I would!" chimed Hilda as she through the car in reverse and began backing away from where they had been parked. She then pulled onto the main road and began heading home.

"Hey, do you still have that dress you wore to dinner the night I gave you that pass to Troll Fest? The white one with the flowers on it?" asked David.

"Of course I do. Why do you ask?" asked Hilda.

"Just wondering. I really liked it." stated David.

"Yeah? You thought I looked good in it?" she asked.

"Not just good. Ravishing." said David, rolling his 'r' as he spoke that last word, and placing a hand on Hilda's upper leg. Hilda felt her face grow hot as her cheeks turned beet red.

"Alright Romeo, let's get home. You can tell me more about how "ravishing" I look after dinner." chuckled Hilda.

"And maybe over a bottle of wine too, yeah?" said David with a smirk. Hilda giggled.

"Sounds like a fabulous idea, dear~" She said as she drove down the road. David chuckled.

"All flirting aside, I'm sorry for blowing up at you like that…" said David, scratching the back of his head.

"After revisiting all that trauma, I would have done the same thing. It's okay." said Hilda, grasping one of David's hands with hers.

"I just don't want you to think I've become some aggressive

guy that just, y'know, yells at everyone when he's upset." said David.

"Pssh, believe me, you've never come off like that." said Hilda, almost laughing.

"Oh good- wait, what's that supposed to mean?" said David, chuckling.

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" said Hilda.

"You don't think I'm a tough guy?" asked David, endearingly.

"...I think you're a sweet, talented, amazing-"

"Alright, I get it I get it!" said David in a fit of laughter.

"I mean, you're not a total wuss! You made it out of that trial with your sanity." giggled Hilda.

"Oh good, at least I'm not a total wuss!" laughed David.

"Oh hush! Yes, David, you're a strong tough guy! But being tough doesn't mean you yell at women when you're angry. Only cowards do such things. You're nicer than that." said Hilda, reaching over and tussling his hair. David exhaled and smiled.

"I love that we can always find something to laugh about after experiencing something traumatic. It's something I've only ever been able to do with you." said David.

"Trauma is a simple part of an adventurer's life. If you can't turn around and make light of it, then how can you enjoy the adventure?" said Hilda.

"Wise words from a beautiful woman. When did you learn that?" asked David. Hilda giggled and blush.

"Well, I got licked by a Troll one night when I was 9.."