Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.

Jim pulled his cloak tighter around him as he walked down the crystal staircase with AAARRRGGHH! and Blinky. They were confident that their plan would work, and Jim had multiple layers covering his amulet, but his main concern was Draal and Vendel. It would be difficult to see the troll that had practically become his brother and his cantankerous mentor again.

Hopefully, Vendel wouldn't pick up on what he was. There were some trolls that were his relative size, and some even smaller. If all went well, Jim would simply be written off as another denizen of Trollmarket.

The problem was, nothing ever just 'went well,' not with his life. Darci and Mary discovering everything yesterday was proof of that.

Regardless of his misgivings, he was still here. The half-troll had faith in his surrogate father, and if this meant that he could spend more time with his friends and family, then that was great. He just hoped that he wouldn't react too badly when seeing Draal.

Like breaking down in tears and hugging him.

That would be bad.

Remembering that Draal was an incorrigible asshole at this time helped a little bit, but he still remembered the troll that became a part of his family more than the conflicts they had at the beginning of their lives. Vendel would be easier to deal with; Jim hadn't been as close with him.

Stepping off the final crystal, Jim stepped into the light of the Heartstone for the first time since becoming the troll.

And immediately stopped.

It was the most wonderful feeling that Jim had ever experienced. It was like being bathed in the warmth of the sun again; but even greater. There was no sunburn here, instead, he felt it replenishing his body. He hadn't slept since the girls had spoken with him; he was too busy concocting a plan to take care of something important on the surface. Something with the name of Strickler.

That was besides the point, though. The Heartstone replenished his fatigue, until he felt better than he ever had before, even when he was a human. He felt strong, stronger than anything that he had ever faced. Confidence filled his body, happiness bubbling up and the undercurrent of constant anger finally washing away.

And now, Jim understood all the trolls that he had met.

They felt this way all the time. They were so overconfident because of the Heartstone's influence, so abrasive because the Heartstone made them feel they were above everything and everyone else. After all, how could humans ever amount to anything without the power of a Heartstone?

"Master Jim?" Blinky, speaking in Trollish, put a hand on his shoulder. Jim shook himself off, physically forcing back the influence of the Heartstone. He sighed.

"Sorry, Blinky. First time I've ever actually felt the Heartstone."

"Yes, I would imagine that it would be rather overwhelming for a human. I also believe that it has explained a great many things for you." The six-eyed troll looked at him meaningfully, waiting to hear his thoughts.

"Trollmarket is addicted to the feeling of power they get off of it."

They started walking through the streets, following Blinky. "You are correct, Master Jim. In the Old World, there was no Heartstone even approaching the size of our magnificent one. Trolls gained far less sustenance than they do here, forcing them to consume minerals and stone constantly. Eventually, they were forced to find food on the surface when the population expanded too much for the meager mineral growths to sustain them. It was then that trolls and humans came into contact, and eventually conflict."

They passed through the market area, and Jim couldn't stop himself from staring. It seemed so much different than before, despite the fact that nothing had changed. Only his perspective. He understood all of the previously unusual things that they sold; static filled televisions entranced him with the electrons dancing across their screens, the smell wafting off certain meats made his mouth water and sounds that he couldn't hear before beckoned to him. "It's completely different as a troll. Everything. I understand why Trollmarket was so averse to the idea of a human Trollhunter; I couldn't have understood any of the small parts of the culture. What you sell, what you eat, your entertainment; it all appeals to me now."

"Yes, but your humanity was the change that Trollmarket needed to finally rid itself of all our past failures. As strange as it sounds, your disregard for Troll culture was what saved us, Master Jim." Jim nodded, knowing from Merlin's illusions what would have happened had he not become the Trollhunter. Still, the loss of over half of Trollmarket haunted him. He would do everything in his power to stop it this time around.

Blinky brought the two of them into his library. AAARRRGGHH! happily sat down on a cushion in the corner, while Blinky showed him a trapdoor. "This leads to my domicile. It has many rooms, more than AAARRRGGHH! and I require for our own living space. Any time that you are not above the surface, you are more than welcome to take refuge here."

Jim smiled at him. Blinky had never showed him it before, but that was sensible since a Troll's territory was very private and they had not confirmed their father-son bond until after Trollmarket had been lost. Now that he was partly a troll himself, he could truly appreciate the magnitude of Blinky's offer. He gently butted his forehead against Blinky's, bringing a smile to his surrogate father's face. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"Jim brother now." AAARRRGGHH! was grinning widely on his cushion. Not wanting to leave the Krubera out, Jim knocked his horns against the larger troll's while Blinky watched on fondly.

The three moved into the area beneath the trap door. Jim smiled at the amount of color everywhere, and the number of items scattered around on the floor or on various hollowed out sections in the walls. They weren't artifacts; or perhaps they were, but of a more personal nature. Dolls and crystals and images of Blinky's and AAARRRGGHH!'s adventures and such. And now, Jim would be joining them.

"This room will be yours, Master Jim. We have never had a use for it, resulting in its current vacant state. Indeed, we were rather hopeful that someone else would come along to fill it, but we were never too certain. I will procure furniture within the week, and I do hope that you will fill it with fond memories." Blinky gestured to the room, which had four walls with a dome-like ceiling. It was large enough for AAARRRGGHH! to fit in comfortable and was about the size of his entire bottom floor at home. Jim's eyes widened as he realized that this was to be his private room.

"This entire room is all mine?" Disbelief was laced through his voice. How would he ever use all this space?

"Of course, Master Jim. AAARRRGGHH! and I are prestigious members of Trollmarket's society. We have an abundance of territory, even if I do not command much respect."

"Changed," rumbled the Krubera. "Trolls nicer to Blinky now."

Jim blinked. "Nicer? It's great that people are starting to see who you really are, but how'd you get that to happen?"

"That change can be contributed to you. In your tale of the future, I was supposedly a hero and the successor to Vendel. I realized that if I wanted to prove you right, change was needed. Trolls find those who stand up for themselves much more respectable, and while I refuse to resort to such petty means as violence, a great deal of tongue-lashing has forced a new perspective on them. Many of them have even begun to visit my library in an attempt to understand my diction."

"Blinky changing Trollmarket," said AAARRRGGHH!, smiling down at the smaller troll. "Proud of Blinky."

"Ah, just something I should have done long ago, dear friend." Blinky laid a hand on his arm. "Would you like to visit the Hero's Forge, Master Jim? I believe that it would do both you and Lady Claire a great deal of good if you were to once again familiarize yourself with your training equipment."

The half-troll bared his pointy teeth in a savage grin. "Absolutely."

Turns out, picking a weapon when you've wielded a special version of a sword magically fitted to complement you in every way is hard. As of now, Jim had gone through at least fifteen different swords, had completely eschewed axes and maces, and was at his own wits end.

"Master Jim, you know the exact weight and balance of a sword that you need. That is why all of these other swords are inadequate – we can probably forge you a sword if we can get the measurements, weight, and balance of your own sword. It simply won't have the innate abilities of it." Blinky tried to console his young charge, who was getting far too worked up.

"They're all made for much larger trolls," Jim grumbled. He tossed another at the rack, annoyed at its balance. A sudden calming influence gently flowed through him. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out, the text confirmed what he thought.

'Cool your tits, Jim.' It was from Claire. 'I get being annoyed in the morning, but I'd rather not try to murder my parents.'

'Sorry,' he texted back. 'I'll tone it down.'

The half-troll let her calming influence ground him. It was much easier with the Heartstone soothing him. "Where would we go to get this sword forged?"

"Nuri's Smithy. Come, we'll get the measurements for Eclipse back home and then proceed ourselves to the smithy for the sword."

Doing so, the three went back to Blinky's house, disappearing under the trap door. They entered another large room, one that looked to be a sort of troll living room, with tables and chairs around them and a heating crystal situated in a groove in the middle of the room. Jim summoned Eclipse, laying the sword out on a paper that Blinky used to cover a table. AAARRRGGHH! grabbed measuring tools which Blinky made use of, stretching his arms out and making marks on the paper for the length of the hilt and sword. "Now, we will have to vary the shape of the sword. People would not be happy if you carried a facsimile of the symbol of their most beloved defender."

Jim nodded, agreeing with Blinky's logic. The six-eyed troll finished marking the paper with measurements. "Now, hold aloft Eclipse. Where would you say the center of balance is?"

Lifting the sword, Jim swung it a bit to get the feel. He had never actively taken notice of the specifics of his blade before but was able to gesture to a point along the blade. Blinky nodded, making a mark corresponding to the spot on the paper. He clapped together his top palms while rolling up the sheet with his bottom pair of arms. "Come, my compatriots. Nuri's smithy is our next objective."

"Blinkous Galadrigal!" Jim's heart stopped. Even though he already heard this voice over the phone, even if he knew that the cantankerous old goat was still alive, he was nowhere near prepared to face him.

Blinky seemed to pick up on his surrogate son's dilemma and gestured for him to stay put. He beckoned for AAARRRGGHH! to follow him before climbing up the stairs that led to the trap door. "What is it, Vendel? We're a bit busy."

"I care not for your schemes, Blinkous. I was told that you guided an immigrant throughout Trollmarket today. Normally, I would not care, but for you to personally bring in a new troll, and of an unknown kind at that, I have grown a bit worried."

"It's nothing that you need to concern yourself with. We do not care what people you are from at Trollmarket, yes?"

"Why have you gone to the trouble of directly bringing in an immigrant, Blinkous?"

Blinky's sigh was audible, even through a stone slab. "He is of a similar build to a human, and a veteran warrior. He is also a personal friend. I brought him to assist in the training of the Trollhunter."

Jim could practically see Vendel stroking his goatee. After a brief pause to consider his words, Vendel spoke. "We've never relied on outsiders before."

"We've never had a human Trollhunter before."

There was another silence. "Your tongue hardens by the day, Blinkous. I do not know its cause, but it is gaining you respect. Fine, bring your trainer. We will see the crystallization of their efforts in the Trollhunter's duel against Draal." The elder of Trollmarket ambled off, his staff clinking with him.

Jim walked up the stairs, joining his new family. "Sorry, I just… wasn't ready."

Blinky smiled at him, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. "I would say that it is a normal reaction, but this is not a normal situation. You are doing the best you can, and that is all that matters, my son."

Jim couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the form of address. AAARRRGGHH! grinned at them, before pulling both of them into his arms and lifting them into the air. "More family," he said, squeezing them. "I like more family." Jim and Blinky laughed, putting their arms around the massive troll as best as they could.

Nuri was an interesting troll. She was a couple feet shorter than AAARRRGGHH!, but had a much more gangly body. Her legs started at Jim's midriff, and her hands brushed against the ground. A slight hunch sloped her shoulders, and she wore goggles and a protective cloth as she pounded at a glowing piece of metal at an anvil.

The three Trollhunters patiently waited for her to become available, examining the other wares in the smithy. A particularly interesting weapon caught Jim's eye. Lifting it, he turned to Blinky. "What is this?"

Blinky walked over him, taking it out of his hands. "An interesting take on a traditional Eastern human weapon that I believe to be called a kusari-fundo. However, the human weapon has a much shorter chain, and does not have a short sword attached to the end. It's usually some form of a blunt pole." The banging behind them stopped.

Jim furrowed his brow. "Would a troll ever use this?"

"No, because they're all too old-fashioned. A bunch of stuck up idiots. With the weight in that thing, you could cut down an unarmored troll in seconds before they ever got close to you. But because they've never used anything like it before, it's obviously worthless." Nuri entered from the door behind them, a speaking with a surprisingly high-pitched and sour voice.

Jim nodded before he put it back in its position. Nuri turned an eye on Blinky, taking off her goggles and squinting at him. Jim noticed that her right eye had a deep groove in its pupil, fogging the rest of the eye over. "The great Blinkous Galadrigal finally returns to my shop. Why shouldn't I throw you out now?"

"Come now, our dispute was seven decades ago." Blinky spread his hands, trying to lighten her glare. She simply crossed her arms. He sighed. "I'm a paying customer."

Nuri nodded and held out her hand. Blinky handed her the rolled-up paper he was holding. Unfurling it, she examined the paper, peering at it closely. "Sword?"

"Indeed."

"Shape?"

"Straight, though no preference beyond that."

"Material?"

"Mountain steel."

"Color?"

Jim interjected. "Black, with any highlights in red."

Nuri regarded him curiously before turning back to Blinky.

"Payment?"

"Esoteric."

"More exotic weapon blueprints?" Nuri mulled over it for a bit. "Fine." She held out a hand. Blinky pulled a parcel out of one of his bags and put it in her waiting palm. "Come back in a few hours, I'll have it by then."

"My gratitude."

She grumbled. "Thank me when I've actually made it."

Blinky beckoned for Jim and AAARRRGGHH! to follow him out of the smithy. "While we are waiting for her to complete her work, would you like to return to the Forge? You can at least work on the dodging courses."

Jim grinned and nodded. He had some fond memories of being nearly roasted alive and cleaved in half. Which, in retrospect, probably said something about his state of mind that wasn't a glowing analysis. Mentally, he shrugged. It wasn't like he was human anymore, anyways.

The Hero's Forge was just as he remembered it. The past Trollhunters stared into the distance, forever gazing over their successor's training. Intimidating, creepy, and awe-inspiring, all at once. The axes, scythes, and other various instruments of death all hid safely in the walls and below the floor of the Forge. The only problem he had was the also-familiar whirring and smashing Soothscryer in the center of the arena.

"Oh, hell no." He was not going to deal with a bunch of old dead assholes telling him that he sucked.

"Master Jim, haven't you already done this?"

"I don't need their condescending asses in my life right now."

"Won't go away until you talk to them." The Krubera rumbled from his side.

"Then they're going to wait for a long time. We can find other places to train Claire."

"Master Jim."

"No."

"Son."

Jim sighed, dragging a hand down his face. His phone vibrated, and Jim immediately pulled it out, welcoming the distraction.

'Are you okay? What's happening?'

Claire had probably picked up on his strange concoction of annoyance, fear, and apprehension.

'A bunch of dead assholes think they can tell me what to do.'

'What?'

Yeah, that probably hadn't made that much sense.

'Try not to kill anyone, because I'm probably about to get pissed.'

Taking a deep breath, Jim put his phone back in his pocket. Walking up to the whirring machine, he glared at it before gesturing AAARRRGGHH! over for a lift. He was taller, but still wasn't quite the size of most trolls. When the lumbering giant held out his palm for Jim to stand on, the half-troll did so, hesitating briefly before jamming his hand between the spinning blades and crushing pillar.

Opening his eyes that he had unknowingly closed, Jim was greeted with a darkened version of the Hero's Forge, glowing ethereally blue in spots. Glowing blue lights floated and zoomed around above him.

"Abomination," some hissed.

"Unworthy," said others.

Jim rolled his eyes. "If that's all you brought me here for, you can fuck right off." He knelt down on the ground, trying to figure out how to send himself back to the real world. Before, Kanjigar had always sent him back. Speaking of the courageous former Trollhunter…

Jim quickly summoned the Eclipse armor and deflected a sword arcing down at him before lashing out with a straight kick that slammed into the ghostly troll's stomach. Kanjigar the Courageous grunted as he was forcefully reintroduced to the wall. Looking up, he saw the half-troll walking towards him with a growl building in the back of his throat. "Really? Kanjigar the Courageous attacking someone from the back?"

"That is not Daylight." The dead Trollhunter's voice echoed to him. Rolling his eyes again, Jim scoffed.

"Of course not. Daylight doesn't do shit to Gunmar. This is Eclipse."

"He has the shadow's bane!" The chorus of other dead trolls spoke above him. Briefly growling at them, he looked back to Kanjigar.

"We know you are of the future."

"I know you know. You're kind of nosy, watching everyone from the Void and all."

"You were an unknown. We couldn't afford to not watch you."

"This conversation is getting nowhere quickly. If you don't mind, then I'd like to go back to the real world."

"He mocks us," hissed one of the statues.

"If you think that's mocking, then I wonder how you feel when I'm actively trying." Jim began examining the ground again, trying to figure out how Kanjigar sent him back.

"You would be wise to accept the council of those who came before you."

"I'd rather accept the council of the people who are still breathing." Hissing and roaring sounds came from the spirits of the former Trollhunters, but Jim found that he couldn't care less. "I feel like there's a reason they're that way and you're not."

Before any of the spirits could respond, one of the statues lit up with a surprisingly pleasant laugh. Squinting at it, Jim tried to remember which one it was, but found he couldn't. "I like this one," rang the statue, its eyes briefly glowing blue with each word. "He shows no fear; unafraid to speak how he feels."

"But the code," hissed another voice.

"The first rule." Another agreed.

"Fear is something that one should control, my brethren. One must feel it, but it is better not to show it. Especially in speech. He is confident while still being wary of his surroundings." The voice paused, a small glowing ball leaving the statue. It took the form of a large troll woman, her lower half containing most of her mass. "I have the feeling that you were a fine Trollhunter before. Prove it."

With that, he was forcefully removed from the Void.

His surrogate father and brother/uncle/other father were waiting for him outside. When they saw him encased in his Eclipse armor, AAARRRGGHH! quickly surrounded him until it was drawn back into his amulet. Blinky was clacking his fingers together nervously when the Krubera lifted his arms from around him again. Jim cocked his head at his mentor, silently asking him what the problem was.

"Did you, by any chance, talk to Deya the Deliverer?"

"Which statue is hers again?"

Blinky pointed to the statue of the woman that had talked to him. It made a lot of sense, once he thought about it. She was supposedly the greatest Trollhunter of all time. "Yeah, she said that she thought I would do great as the Trollhunter because I essentially told the entire Council of Elder Trollhunters to piss off."

"Well, that at least explains why she lit up," Blinky mused, caressing his chin.

"She lit up in the real world?"

"Yes, a brief laughter emitted from her visage. None of them have ever performed a similar feat, though Deya was far more magically literate than any of the other Trollhunters. Perhaps the reason that she was able to perform many of her greatest triumphs."

"Wait. If trolls can use magic, then why do you rely on an amulet made by a human wizard? Why do you all fear a human sorceress?" Jim scratched the back of his neck with a furrowed brow.

"Because trolls cannot perform the same magic that humans are capable of. It is the very reason that we feared the humans of old; magic was much more abundant then. Even the most basic soldier knew enough magic to sharpen the edge of his sword enough to cut through the stone flesh of a troll. No, while we can perform magic, it is limited to enchantment, and the enchantment must come from a previously existing magic source, such as the stones in your amulet. Our geomancy is simply another form of enchantment, using an enchanted paste in certain sigils to produce a desired effect."

"Huh." A sudden thought occurred to Jim. "Could I learn magic?"

"Why would you… oh. Not from trolls. Although, that is something that you should take the time to study. Why have I never thought of that before? A Trollhunter with magic would be one of the greatest warriors in the world!" Blinky stroked his chin. "You are half-troll, though. I do not know if you would be able to wield any magic, much less the more extreme magics that Merlin was fabled to have performed. But it is worth a try, I would say."

"Something to keep an eye out for in the Old World, then?"

Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! looked down. The giant mumbled, "Forgot you were leaving."

Right. He hadn't even told Claire about that yet. He should probably do that soon. He could also probably ask Morgana about magic, but he wasn't too sure how responsive she would be. They were getting on better terms, but he would have to work on her a bit more before he could ask that.

"It's not like I'll be gone forever," he said. "Just long enough to establish some ties and get Rot his soul back. Not that I currently have any idea where it is…"

The three stood in silence for a few minutes, pondering over the coming days. Eventually, Jim shook himself off. "Can we get to the real reason that we came here in the first place? I want to use this bad boy again."

"Bad boy?" Blinky blinked.

Jim rubbed the back of his neck. "Figure of speech."

Blinky nodded. Then, with a mischievous look, pulled the lever without giving his surrogate son any warning.

The arena roared to life around them, jets of fire lancing out and blades scything towards Jim. Platforms raised and lowered, and axes swung in and out of the walls.

A feral grin crossed Jim's face, and he let off a primal roar before throwing himself right in the midst of it.