HOLY SHIT THIS HAS FORTHY CHAPTERS HOLY SHIT FUCK WHAT?!

HOW DID WE GET HERE?! HOLY TITS It feels like yesterday I started this story what in the hell. Also, I just checked the numbers today (which I normally don't because I get very insecure about my writing views very easily) and this has nearly 12000 views on Fanfiction. Like the FUCK?! With 53 favorites at well. I'm on cloud nine homies. On cloud fucking NINE.

Thank you, every single one of you, for liking, commenting, and following this story. This has been probably one of my longest projects I have ever written and the fact that people are still reading and enjoying this blows my mind. So thank you. Sincerely. I love you all.

ANYWAY! On with the story! You guys aren't here for my gushing anyway lol. I hope you all enjoy!

I swallowed hard as the sound of a makeshift gabble could be heard within the Forge's stone walls.

I failed him.

I fucking failed him.

I presented everything I could and it brought two of the tribunal members on our side, but somehow, by the fate seemingly, Jim was condemned to spend at least thirty minutes in the deep.

That is, if he survives that long.

I wiped away my tears that were silently rolling down my face as both Claire and I waited silently in Blinky's library for Jim to be brought out from his cell to serve his sentence. She wasn't crying, but I could tell by the hollowed look in the Shadowdancer's eyes that she was just as devastated as I was to the sentencing. Her anger was clear as day as her hands gripped the island counter till the tanned skin of her knuckles were nearly pure white as she leaned her back against it.

"I'm-."

"You did your best, Toby." She cut me off cleanly as her eyes never moved from where they were glaring down toward the stone floor before her. "We all did. It's not your fault."

"But I-." I tried to speak but she cut me off once more.

"It's okay, TP." She closed her eyes for a moment as she tried her best to keep herself from emotionally snapping within that moment. "Fate is both with and against us, remember? We're destined to end this bullshit together. We're going to end this bullshit together. With or without this puta trying to change it." She opened her eyes slowly as a new sense of determination seemed to flow from the staff wielder. "Jim's going to make it. He's got to."

"You said it yourself though, fate is against and for us. What if something did change, Claire? What if the prophecy didn't count a troll Tribunal member fucking around from the inside to change the future."

"I don't give a shit about the prophecy, honestly." Claire let out a desperate, airy laugh as she leaned back heavily now against the counter behind her. "Now and then I start to think it's a crock of shit due to how much trouble it's given us." She dropped her hands from the counter as she turned her attention toward me completely. "But I do have faith in Jim. Prophet or not, he's determined. Hell, I think if he ended up not being called upon he would do something about everything that's going on. Crystal mood necklace bullshit or not." I smiled a little as I could tell just how much fate she had in him as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You believe in him too, right? I'm not just the only one, hopefully."

"I have faith in Jim." I found myself hesitating a little bit as I leaned against the bookshelf that was behind me. "It's just that-." I let out a sigh as I wiped away the dried tear marks that were on my cheeks. "I'm scared for him. Scared for us. The prophecy made me feel original that we were destined to make it out of all of this alive. That each of us was going to be alright after all of this. That we'll save the world and be on our merry way." I let out another sigh as I dropped my hand to my side once more. "Now though, it feels rather evident that nothing is going to go back to normal for any of us. If anyone is going to be scarred from all of this, it's going to be Jim and at this point, I'm worried that he's been put through so much already that he might break on us if he keeps getting the shit end of the stick." I brought my gaze up toward Claire once more as I continued. "He's going to be fighting his worst fear down there, Claire. His worst. Who says he's going to be the same after that? I know I sure as hell wouldn't be."

I watched as Claire took her gaze from me as she leaned back and started to look up toward the high rock ceiling of Blinky's library. She seemed to be soaking in everything I said as well as rummaging within all of her own thoughts at that moment.

"Here I thought you were just comic relief." I nearly jumped out of my skin as laughed a little at her own comment. "I'm scared for him too though." Her voice was a lot softer this time. "But we can't let those thoughts get in our heads, alright?" She turned her attention toward me once more as a determined gleam took over her eyes. "We need to be strong for him just as he is for us. If he can carry the weight to the world, then we can too." I smiled as a single thought rang within my head.

You two are perfect for one another. Prophecy or not.

I nodded my head as I pushed myself away from the bookshelf while the horn of the Tribunal rang to tell us Jim's sentence was about to commence.

"You're right." I started my way toward the Forge before stopping and looking over toward Claire once more. "Now let's go. We've got an Eclipse to save and a Tribunal to fuck with." The punk gave me a satisfied smile and a small nod before pushing herself away from the counter and joining my side.

"Let's."


"You have a few minutes to state your peace before we plunge you down into the Deep." I nodded my head toward the Tribunal before making my way toward the end of my long cage where Claire and Toby were standing with Blinky and AAARRRGGHH right behind them.

"You four doing alright?" Blinky gave me a curious look as he tilted his head at me.

"You're about to be dropped into a place where many trolls before you have been dropped and never seen again and you're asking us if we're okay?" The troll let out a soft laugh before shaking his head a little. "The amulet really chose well when it came to you, didn't it?" I gave him a small smile in reply accompanied by a shrug.

"I may not have killed Vendel, but I did break a second rule despite it being prophesied." I glanced over toward Claire who reached out and took my left hand between the bars of the cage. "I did what I did." I intertwined our fingers before bringing my gaze back toward Blinky. "And I'll do it a million times over, honestly."

"Spoken like a true Trollhunter."

"Only because you taught me what it took to become one." Blinky gave me a wide smile as he shook his head in disagreement.

"No, my boy, you had it within you all along. You wouldn't have been the Eclipse otherwise. It just took a little bit of destiny for you to find it within you." I smiled toward him as I felt Claire squeeze my hand gently.

"You're going to alright." She spoke the words with pride even though it still sounded as if she was asking a question despite it being a statement.

"I'll be fine, Claire." I squeezed her head back as I brought my gaze to meet hers. "I'll always find my way back to you, remember?" I smiled as she seemed to remember when I had forced her through the bridge's portal when were being chased by Gunmar. The same memory ragging within my head as well.

"I'm not leaving without you, Jim." I glanced over my shoulder as I saw Gunmar and a few other Gum-Gums making their way closer to us with every second. I brought my gaze back to her to see her holding her baby brother close to her chest but her eyes pleading with me silently. I stepped forward and cupped her face with both of my hands as I glanced toward the portal behind her.

"We don't have a choice right now, Claire. I need to do this and we don't have much time."

"But we can jump through this portal right now, both of us, what's stopping you?"

"The fact that I saw people trapped here that need someone to help them." Her eyebrows knitted together with worry as she glanced down to baby brother.

"And what if I need you, huh? What if this changes your destiny in some way?" I smiled as I brought my face closer to hers, being mindful of the child between us.

"I'll always find my way back to you, alright? Always. This won't change anything. This won't rewrite my future or anything because I will come back to you. Alright? I need to do this, Claire. I just need you to believe in me that I'll be back, okay?"

"But we can go together. You don't need to make me a promise or anything, we can leave now, Jim." I tried to reassure her with a smile as I kept my eyes on hers.

"But a Trollhunter answers every call, Claire. This is just another I need to answer." I glanced back behind us to see that the Gum-Gums were nearing us. I brought my gaze back to Claire as I launched myself forward to capture her lips.

I didn't know then if I truly was going to escape from the Darklands. That me giving up this one opportunity I had to escape was going to sentence me to death or not. So the moment was filled with desperation. As if to let her know I loved her without having the strength within that moment to say the words themself. As if to let her know that if I didn't make it out alive, that she would be one of the many things on my mind till the end.

As if to let her know that in another life, I would be hers no questions asked. That she would be my priority. My everything.

But in this life, she may be my everything, but I have a job in this world. A job to save and aid people that need me and as much as I want to be taken away with her to whatever lands where we could just be, I would be forever haunted by the voices of the dead I could have saved.

I pulled back from her slowly as I walked us slowly toward the portal behind her.

"I'll come back to you." I held her out at arm's length at this point as the thunder sound of footsteps could be heard behind me. "I promise." I swallowed hard as I saw the hurt look in her eyes. "Please don't hate me for this."

"I never hated you for what you did, by the way." I smiled as her voice brought me back to reality. "I was angry that you pushed me through a portal backward as I was holding an infant, but I never hated you for what you did."

"That gives me a sense of relief though."

"What? You thought I did?" I shrugged as I gave her a lopsided smile.

"Just a little." She shook her head at me before rewarding me with a soft smile.

"You're an idiot."

"I'm your idiot though, right?"

"Absolutely." My smile widened as I brought my attention toward Toby now. I could see just by looking at him that he was beating himself up for this.

"Don't be looking like that, Tobes. You did your best. That's all that matters."

"Yeah, but I-." He looked down toward the floor as I cut him off before he could belittle himself.

"But nothing, Tobes." I stepped forward toward the bars as I kept Claire's hand in mine. "That's all I can from you. You're my best friend and the fact that you're still dealing with my ass through all of this is amazing to me." I chuckled a little as I continued. "You've been my rock, dude. I couldn't ask anything more from you." He gave me a saddened smile as his gaze met mine.

"You're my best friend, Jimbo. I'll be here even if you told me to fuck off or if you said you hated my movie taste or some shit.." I laughed a little as I knew we argued about at least video game choices from time to time. "You're my favorite pain in the ass, dude."

"Love you too, Tobes." I laughed a little as the cage suddenly moved a little. The chains holding me in place now moving back toward the Deep as each of my friends started chasing after me. My hand still clinging to Claires as I knelt down and tried to keep our hands together as much as I could. "All of you is acting as if I'm going to die in a few minutes." I smiled as Claire just shook her head at me.

"Don't make fun of this at the moment, Lake. Make fun of it when you come back. Okay?" I gave her a sincere smile as I brought my right hand to cup the back of hers.

"I'll come back to you, remember?"

"I know. Still doesn't mean I don't worry."

"I know." I felt a ping of pain spread through my chest as I wanted desperately to say the three words that have been echoing in my head since we met against after our adventures in the Darklands. Her hand slipped out of mine as the cage now was hanging over the edge of the Forge and slowly diving into the darkness that was the Deep. My eyes never leaving Claire's as she stood on the edge watching me drop slowly into the darkness.

I love you.


I swallowed dryly as I exited the now open cage slowly. My armor now calling upon itself as it set itself in place. I grabbed my sword out of its scaffold as I stepped out of my cage slowly but surely. A dark brown now illuminating from the cracks of my armor as I glanced around my surroundings.

Well, they don't call this place the Deep for nothing.

I took a deep breath as my only guidance was the color illuminating from my armor.

"You failed us."

I snapped my head to my right as I heard a whisper gently calling out to me in the eeriest of ways.

"You failed us."

I tightened my grip on my sword as something dashed in the shadows toward the darkness before me. I followed it anxiously as something seemed to emerge slowly from the shadows.

"You failed us. You failed me."

The voice of the being slowly taking shape before me sounded as if it had a chorus of voices. Like each one was a different person with a different tone mixing together to both raise my trembling sanity as well as be a beautiful symphony. I watched in horror as it slowly took the shape of a familiar figure. The faintest details of my mother's scrubs coming to fruition before me as her hair started to take shape. Her face though was nonexistent as it spoke out to me once more.

"You failed me, Jim. You failed your friends. You failed to keep us safe."

I swallowed hard as the figure started to shift once more. Now it grew taller as wider as it took the obvious shape of AAARRRGGHH.

"Failed."

It started shifting rapidly now as it now shifted into Blinky's silhouette.

"Failed!"

It became much smaller now in height as it rounded out into Toby's figure.

"Failed!"

I shook my head as it now was starting to sound a lot more familiar. Like it was actually mimicking Toby's voice. But that was before it shifted quickly into the silhouette of a specific punk.

"FAILED!"

I shook my head violently as I tried my best to not look at the shadow form that I knew now was Claire yelling back to me.

"Shut up." I glared up toward the shadowy figure as it started levitating slightly above the ground.

"YOU FAILED US, JIM!"

"SHUT UP!" I felt a sudden surge of anger fill my chest as I stepped back slowly. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screwed my eyes shut as I felt my feet meet the even ground of the cage once more.

"What's wrong, Trollhunter?" I turned my head away from the voice as it neared me. "Afraid of seeing what you've done to those you love? Afraid to see the hell you placed them through?"

"I did what I needed to." I growled out the words as I opened my eyes slowly to see the figure etching closely to me.

"Did you really?" I stepped back as I started to retreat into the cage. The shadow's voice was now a lot less symphonic as it carried itself in a singular unfamiliar sense and tone. "Did you did what you needed to or did what you desired? Did you truly save others or did you lead them to their demise?" Suddenly two golden eyes looked at me in the now nearly shapeless figure before me.

"Are you really making a difference, Prophet of Merlin, or are you just a slave to destiny no matter what you do? Are you going to watch all those you love die no matter what you try? Seems rather evident, child."

"I don't know who the fuck you are," I narrowed my eyes at the figure as its gold eyes seemed to shimmer with entertainment. "But I won't let you get in my head. I won't let you win."

"I'm sorry to say, child." It came closer as the cage door closed right before it could reach me. "But I already have."

Suddenly, the cage surged into motion. Slowly pulling me out of the depths I just clutched my sword before me as if it would help my fleeting sanity within that moment.

What in the hell did I just witness?

I glanced down into the darkness as a shiver ran down my spine.

And why do I feel as if I'll meet that voice again?


The time it took to see Jim again felt like a long nightmare that I couldn't wait to end.

I felt my feet carry me quickly toward the cage that was now presenting itself from the Deep.

But I knew that it wasn't going to simply end when I saw him emerge from the darkness. Especially when I saw that haunted look on his face.

"JIM!"

But it didn't change the happiness I felt when I saw him again.

I dashed toward the now open cage that Jim was residing within as fast as I could. My arms flung around him as I crashed against him. Somehow, Jim stood true as he just wrapped his arms tightly around me as his head instantly buried itself into my shoulder.

"Jim?" I spoke softly to him as he just shook his head slightly against my shoulder. I frowned as I just pulled him closer against me as I gently rubbed circles on his back.

"No speaking." He spoke gently despite the crack that was evident in his voice. "Just-." I shushed him gently as I already knew exactly what he wanted.

"It's okay." I reached up to comb my fingers through his hair as we stood silently together.

"You don't hate me still, right?" I hummed in reply as he just tightened his arms around me. "We're still okay, right?" I nodded against his head as he let out a soft sigh against my shoulder. "Okay." I felt him take in a deep breath as his arms eased up a little from around my waist. "Okay." I frowned a little as I just kept combing through his hair subconsciously.

What did you see down there, Jim? What kind of hell did you witness?

I dropped my arm so it was wrapped around his neck as I buried my face into his opposite shoulder.

How can I help you, mi amor?

I felt him let out a content sigh as he pulled back from me slightly. I loosened my grip on him as he gave me a saddened smile.

"Sorry." He muttered out the word as he looked down into the small distance between us.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Jim." I wrapped my fingers around the nape of his neck as I rubbed my thumb gently on his right side of his neck. "Nothing at all."

"It's just-." I watched him visibly swallow hard before giving me a soft look. "I-."

"You don't need to tell me anything if you don't want to, Jim."

"I do I just-." I shushed him gently as I pressed my forehead against his.

"It's okay, Jim. You're okay. You're back now." He nodded a little against me as he closed his eyes gently.

"Yeah." He let out a soft sigh as he rubbed the tip of his nose against mine. "Yeah." I smiled as I saw the content smile that now surfaced on his lips. I rubbed gently on the back of his neck as we just stayed there for a moment within the open cage. "Are you sure you don't want to leave this place?" I laughed a little as I kept my forehead pressed against his.

"We can stay here a little longer. Other things can wait for a moment."

"Hey, guys?!" We pulled apart suddenly as Toby's worried voice filled the Forge. "We have an issue."

"Tobes, what's wrong?" We watched as the redhead took a deep breath before letting out a long wave of information to us.

"Usurna seemed to try to take over Troll Market while Jim was gone for those fucking long ass thirty minutes and found out the hard way that having a broken decision on if Jim actually did or not was enough to take over everything so she decided to try to get it by force but this time she's got back up."

"What kind of back up?" He took a breath as he gave us a fearful look.

"Let's just say an old friend and our foe of the future." I swallowed dryly as Jim and I glanced between each other.

Only one person seemed to come to mind as both of us muttered the same name at the same time.

"Gunmar."