HELLO MY CHILDREN! A little bit of an angsty entry today, but one I did a slight twist to from cannon and I love it honestly.

I hope you guys enjoy this and have a wonderful night, my friend! Enjoy your reading!

"Gunmar."

I swallowed hard as I reached out and placed a hand on Claire's shoulder.

"I have an idea but you might want to slaughter me."

"If this has anything to do with you just running out and facing the bastard, you can forget it."

"You don't think I'm that stupid, do you?" Claire gave me a look that just screamed "Are you serious?" and I just felt my face fall a little bit. "You really do, don't you?"

"Jim, I care for you more than anything, but you're a blundering dumbass and I mean that in the sweetest way."

"Even though I agree with all of this at the moment," I looked over toward Toby and gave him a defeated look as he glanced over his shoulder rather panicked. "Can we just hear what you got before Gunmar and his fuckers start taking over the place?!"

"Okay," I took a deep breath as a more mature demeanor took over me. "Claire and I are going to gather as many people as we can that we can help lead to safety." Toby looked back toward me as he gave me a curious look. "Tobes, you're gonna grab Blinks and get that gyre running. If we can get anyone out of here, it will be on that thing and Claire and I have ways of escaping harm if Gunmar finds us. Claire with the staff, me with the full set of armor. It will be best if you stick with AAARRRGGHH and help us with rescues." He seemed to fight against the idea for a moment before he decided that it was best at this moment just to go along with it all.

"Right. Yeah. Would be best." I gave him a small smile as I knew my best friend felt as if he wasn't being very helpful with his job at the moment. So with a sudden idea sparked within my mind. I turned my attention toward Claire instantly as I extended my hand toward her.

"You still have the horngazel, right? Cause I got an idea." She handed it toward me without question before I handed it over to Toby. "Give this to Bagwella and have her lead a small group of survivors toward the surface. Call up Eli and have them meet him there."

"Eli?! Are you insane?"

"Trust me, Tobes. Who else wouldn't freak out if they saw a troll? I bet you he already knows about everything going on in this place. He's the only one outside of us three that will be able to take care of this and not have people be suspicious of him just disappearing." Toby seemed to stew on it for a second before nodding along.

"Alright. Yeah. Let's do this." I smiled as I held out my hand palm between the three of us.

"It's a plan then?" Instantly Claire and Toby put their hands on mine without hesitation one after the other.

"Let's do this. We've got trolls to save." I smiled as I saw the determined gleam in Claire's eyes and Toby just nodded along.

"LET'S GO!" All together we raised our hands up with determined smiles.

"TROLLHUNTERS!" With that, we ran off in our separate directions. Each with the same ideal goal in mind. To save the trolls of Troll Market.

No matter the cost.


"This way, come on! Come on!" I tapped the collar of my armor so my helmet hid away as I led the trolls I was able to find hiding around Bagwella's store. I looked over toward Toby who was directing the large crowd I was able to gather as I realized that someone specific wasn't there with him. "Tobes!" He glanced over toward me as he kept guiding the trolls. "Where's Claire?"

"I last saw her further in by the gyre. She's got Eli on the phone and giving him directions." I felt relieved as I gave him a single nod.

"Keep up the good work then. I'm gonna help Blinky get people on board."

"I'll keep being the traffic guy then." I started dashing toward where Claire, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH must be as I yelled out over my shoulder my reply to him.

"I'll yell out when to stop, alright?"

"You got it, Crystal Captain!" I chuckled a little bit as I fixed my attention to before me to see Claire aiding Blinky with putting people onto the gyre.

"One at a time, everybody! Just be patient! We can't over-run the gyre!"

"IF WE WAIT ANY LONGER WE'LL DIE HERE, BLINKOUS!" I came to a stop as I came up beside the frantic troll.

"Blinky's right everyone, we need to stay calm and follow procedures as much as we can." I jumped up to join Blinky on the gyre as I helped a small whelp up onto the nearly full contraption. "Just be patient with us and I promise as your Eclipse we'll get through this." I jumped down from the gyre before resting my hand on my sword's handle on my side before giving Blinky my attention. "Everything set for the first go?" He jumped down from where he was he smacked the rear end of the gyre.

"As ready as it can be!" He looked over toward AAARRRGGHH who was behind the contraption. "LET HER GO, MY FRIEND!"

"Huh, guys," I looked over toward Claire who was now looking down the path toward where the gyre would be heading down toward. "We might have a problem." I made my way quickly toward where she was standing to see that she was staring down toward inevitable blockage down the line.

The gyre's tracks are blocked.

I swallowed hard as I heard Toby call out this time.

"JIM! WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM!" I trapped the collar of my armor as I rushed over toward where Toby was. "DRAAL'S ON OUR TAILS!" I came to a sudden stop as I saw a ragging bright blue-eyed Draal coming toward us.

"CLOSE THE PATH! Pull that lever, Tobes!"

"You got it!" I ran toward the doors that were now closing slowly as I tried my best to hurry them.

"AAARRRGGH! I need a hand!" Instantly, I heard the large troll dash toward me without a second thought as he helped me close the door a bit faster. With a loud shutter of the doors, I looked over toward AAARRRGGHH as I leaned back from the door. "Keep this secure until I say otherwise, alright, buddy?" The troll simply gave me a soft nod before a small black and green glow started coming from the former Gum-Gum.

"Protect. Got it." I smiled at his reply before dashing back toward Blinky and Claire as Toby joined my side.

"The path for the gyre is blocked and Draal is at the door." Just as I finished that statement, a loud bang could be heard from where AAARRRGGHH was, but I could tell that the troll was holding his own still. "I don't doubt we left trolls behind either, but that's not the worry for the moment." I glanced between Blinky and Claire worryingly as I tried my best to stay calm. "But we have no way out now, so that's beautiful." I swallowed hard as I tapped the collar of my armor to make my helmet disappear once more. "What can we do? Is there anywhere else we can go, Blinks?"

"The only way in and out is the tunnel or the doorway in. It was made that was as a security measure for escaping trolls." Blinky gave a defeated look as he looked over the mass of now stranded trolls. "Never thought it would backfire on us, honestly." I let out a soft sigh as I looked down toward the stone floor below my feet.

What do we do? How do we fix this?

We're stranded. In a cave. With more than likely thousands of trolls now stuck between death and a hard place.

My mouth ran dry as I felt a hand place itself on my armored shoulder. I brought my gaze up to meet a determined Claire who now had her staff out and ready for whatever it was that she was planning at that moment.

"I have an idea, but I need you to trust me." I gave her a confused look as she glanced down at her staff. "I think I can make a portal. One large enough for all of us to go through at once. If I put enough feeling into it, I think I can pull it off." My eyes widened as I remembered what Vendel told me about the prophecy along with the staff that Claire is wielding.

"You said there were side-effects to her being the Shadowmancer, right? What side-effects were you talking about, Vendel?" The elder troll gave me a neutral look before grabbing a book off one of the shelves within his Heartstone chambers.

"I meant what I said, Eclipse. That is all I can say."

"But you said it yourself. That staff might cause an issue. You told me once to keep an eye on her because of it. What do you mean by that? I need to know, Vendel." I watched the troll sigh as it was evident to him now that I wasn't going to leave the chambers until he told me what I desired.

"What I meant, young Trollhunter is the fact that she is not made to wield magic." I gave him a curious look as he turned his complete attention toward me. "She's a mortal wielding a staff that is not hers to carry. She is not a witch by heart. Using too much magic when said magic isn't her own can cause a major effect on her both physically and mentally. She may be able to wield magic, but it's not something her body is creating on its own. This will cause major issues for her in the future."

"What do you mean by effects?"

I looked into Claire's eyes as she already started to pour her energy into the now black staff.

"It could lead to the end of her if you're not weary."

"Claire, you can't-."

"I've got to at least try, Jim."

"Claire, I mean it, you can't just-." She gave me a panicked look before glancing over toward those around us.

"What else are we supposed to do, Jim?! What else is there?" She took a step closer to me as she squeezed the armor plate on my left shoulder. "Let me do this." A determined gleam took over her eyes as she grew just a little bit closer. "I need to do this."

"There's gotta be another way. There's gotta be some kind of-." Before I could continue, Claire leaned in and placed a quick kiss on my lips before whispering out a reply.

"You always do the saving." I was speechless as her hand dropped down so it could wrap around the handle of the staff along with her left. "Let me take over for once." I stared at her with wide eyes before she started getting up on top of the gyre with relative ease. At that moment, I knew I had to stop her. I had to do something.

Vendel said it himself. If she uses too much, there's side effects. What ones? I have no clue.

I swallowed hard before jumping in action after her. Making my way up on top of the gyre as she started reaching up and aiming her staff to the sky.

But I know I can't stop her. If I help her though, will that change anything? If I lend her my strength, will that make it easier? Or will it make it worse?

I pulled myself on top of the gyre as I noticed her normally live filled hazel eyes started to turn ink black and her veins in her arms looking as if they were pumping purely black magic within her instead of the normal blood that ran through them.

But what am I if I don't at least try to save her from it?

I ran up to her just as she started levitating. My arms instinctively wrapping around her to rest my hands on top of hers that were trying frantically to steady the staff. It instantly reminded me of when she was being first taught how to use it. How it felt to help her create her first real portal. It was so innocent then.

But now it feels so desperate.

I shook my head a little as I started to feel the pure emotion Claire was using to make this portal possible. The pure desperation and pain she was pulling from that were trying to make the portal above her work. I even felt her pain. The pain her body was fighting as she grew more desperate with every second that passed.

But the one that hurt me the most was the amount of love that seemed to sway between each emotion with ease. Like she was frantically doing all of this for that single emotion. For that single essence that is creating it.

I shook my head as I tried my best to lend her my strength. My armor now growing a deep royal purple as I held her close to my chest. I felt her let out a cough as I realized my strength alone wasn't enough to help her through this.

"HELP!" I held out desperately as I held her closer to me. The pain she was feeling now coursing through my veins as I tried my best to blink away the tears welling in my eyes. "It's killing her!"

"ON IT!"

"AAARRRGGHH! We're going to need you!"

"Help! On it!" I tightened my hold on Claire's hands to help keep the staff steady as I felt it shift a little within our grasp.

"All for one, right?" I smiled as I opened my eyes the best I could to see Toby grabbing at the staff right under the handle.

"We fight these battles," I glanced over to see Blinky speaking before placing two of his many hands at the top of the staff. "Together."

"To-get-there." AAARRRGGHH gave a small smile as he wrapped his left hand around the bottom of the staff. I blinked away the new tears welling up in my eyes as I felt a new sense of relief running over Claire. I glanced up toward the sky above us to see the portal now expanding into a small dome. It nearly covering everyone that was near the gyre trying to escape the hell that would be Gunmar's control.

"NO! GET THEM! NO MERCY!" I felt what was purely Claire's sense of confidence wash over me suddenly as I could tell what exactly the punk was thinking as she cried out in a loud scream.

Not on my watch.

I closed my eyes as a large pulse of purple took over the area.

When I opened them again, I was expecting us to still be there in the tunnel. To be captured.

But when I peeled my eyes open slowly and I felt Claire's full weight lean against me, I realized we were on the cliffside. The same one we had our first kiss at. The one we were at the night of the Spring Fling.

We got away. We were safe.

"SHE DID IT!" I looked over to Toby who gave us a wide toothy grin showing all of his braces as his hand dropped from the staff. "SHE FUCKING DID IT!" Blinky seemed less enthusiastic as he brought his hands back and looked over himself for any kind of damage.

"We lived?" He let out a small broken chuckle before looking over toward AAARRRGGHH. "We lived!" A small cheer came from all the trolls as I turned my attention toward the punk within my arms. I smiled to see she was okay. A small smile appearing on her lips, but an obviously tired look on her face.

"Did we-?" I panicked as I felt her go limp in my arms.

"CLAIRE!" I yelled out as I wrapped my arms around her waist and tried my best to help her as I brought her down onto the ground. I cradled her close against me as I checked over her frantically. "Claire?!" I swallowed hard as I noticed her normally blue strip in her hair started to fade. A new purely white strip now looking up toward me as she laid nearly lifeless in my arms.

"There are side effects to using magic that isn't yours."

I took my shaking left hand and cupped the side of her face as my mouth felt as if cotton balls had taken place of my tongue.

"Both mentally-."

I felt something roll down my cheek as I caressed Clarie's face as gently as I could with my armor covered fingers.

"-and physically."

"Claire?" I spoke softly as I felt a hand place itself on my shoulder as I just silently stared at the limp Latina resting in my arms. Her normally tan, caramel skin having a sickenly pale tone to it as I tried my best to hold her gently. "Claire?"

She can't be. She can't.

"Jim?" I heard Toby shush Blinky gently as I felt a hand squeeze my shoulder.

"Give the man a minute." I swallowed hard as I glanced over to Toby.

"S-She-." My voice broke as I tried my best to keep myself from crying. "She's n-not-."

"It's okay, Jim. Everything will be-." I snapped my attention toward Claire as I heard a soft voice make itself known.

"J-Jim?" I felt a relieved smile take over my face as I saw Claire's eyes flutter open slowly. Her deep hazel orbs looking up toward me with a small smile gracing her lips. "Did we do it?"

"Yeah." I held her closer to me as I tried my best to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall from my face. "Yeah, you really did." I heard Claire gift me with a soft laugh as she reached up to cup the left side of my face.

"I said we," Her smile widened a little bit as she rubbed her thumb gently on my cheekbone. "Not I." I chuckled gently in reply as I just smiled at her like a fool.

"Whatever you say, Nuñez." I helped her as she started trying to sit up. "Take it easy though, alright?"

"I'll try my best." Once she got into an upright sitting position she leaned her weight against me and laid her head on my free shoulder. "I'm just-."

"Tired?" I gave her a soft smile as she just gave a sleeping laugh in reply.

"Yeah." I felt her nuzzle into my shoulder as Toby pulled his hand off the other. "Just a little." I smiled at the softness in her voice as I instinctively slipped my arm under her legs and picked her up bridal style.

"How about we get you home then, huh?" She wrapped her arms around my neck as her face hid away into my neck.

"Home sounds nice." Her voice sounded nearly angelic as she let out a small yawn soon after. I heard her summer something as I jumped down to the ground and started carrying her off toward town without a second thought. All while Vendel's voice echoed within my mind.

"There are side effects to using magic that isn't yours."

What side effects, Vendel?

I looked down toward Claire's now sleeping features as I carried on through the forestry.

What do I need to protect her from? Because whatever the hell it is, I do it.

I lifted my gaze so I was looking ahead of me now.

Even if it means fighting against Gunmar myself.