christyqueen104-Hehehe, indeed, I am the author that loves to torment the characters! The more angst and suffering, ze better. And trust me, it's not just you! Claire looked GORGEOUS, and Jim was…well, I used to think he was just adorable, but now, he's more than that, if you know what I mean…

merendinoemiliano-Thank you!

Reading M-Thank you so much!

T3ddyBearL0ve-Haha, I'm glad my fic makes you so excited! And thank you, I tried to tone down Steve's dumbness and comedic side a bit. Make him a bit more realistic, you know? I know, I really tortured Jimbo there didn't I? I love when animal like beings butt heads, so I had to put that in there for our troll boy. Exactly, I wanted to see more Zoe! You'll get more of her in this chapter though hehe. Oh my gosh, have you seen the new movie clips yet? It has that exact train scene! And man oh man, it is epic and horrible all at once. Aww, and thank you so much! You've been with this fic from the start, and I really appreciate that. I hope you like what's in store. :)


Jim really, really hoped his face didn't show how scared he was. Then again, he doubt anyone would blame him if they noticed, because the Arcane Order was here. And he knew with ice-cold certainty that they weren't going to toy with them this time.

Bellroc and Skrael floated down from the fortress and landed on the asphalt. They padded towards the Trollhunters, radiating confidence and power. Skrael smirked, and Jim had the sudden urge to smack it off his face.

The Green Knight leapt off the skull's maw, the asphalt cracking from his impact. He directed his sickening yellow gaze to Nari.

"Enough hiding, Nari," he rasped. "This ends now."

Fury ignited within Jim, and this time, he didn't try to fight against it. "You're not taking her!" he roared, smashing his fists into the ground.

The others shouted their agreement. Blinky and Steve raised their weapons. Morgana got into an offensive position, golden magic swirling around her hands. In a flash of blue, Krel's human form disappeared. Jim couldn't help but stare at his alien-no, Akiridion-form. He had four arms? And why was he so obsessed with Jim's blueness when he himself was blue, and a neon, glowing one at that?!

Jim nodded at Morgana, and she nodded back. With a flick of her wrist, Jim's illusion bled away until he stood at the same towering height as Argh.

Everyone stood silently, each side waiting for the other to make the first move. The very air buzzed with magic, and yet, it was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

It was Morgana who struck first. "Elemen-zath!" she cried, floating into the air and firing a bolt of magic at the Order. The Green Knight blocked it with Excalibur, dissipating the magic in a puff of steam.

Jim swore he could see the Knight's eyes crinkle with a smile. "Attack," he uttered.

Then all hell broke loose.

Skrael started shooting ice from his staff left and right. Jim saw one blast heading straight for Toby and snatched his friend away to safety. The ice missed him by a hair and froze against the side of a building.

Toby gulped. "Thanks, jumbo Jimbo," he panted.

Jim groaned. "That's a horrible nickname."

"Nope. It's already stuck." Toby twirled his war hammer. "Now launch me!"

Jim bared his teeth in a grin and flung Toby into the air. He let out a warbled war cry before smashing his hammer onto the ground. The ground shook from the impact, and the Order temporarily lost their footing. While they were distracted, Krel readied his phaser-looking gun and fired several blasts. Morgana and Zoe shot magic of their own, lighting the night sky with pinks and golds.

The smoke cleared, and Jim's heart sank. The Order was completely unharmed.

Skrael chuckled. "Pathetic."

Bellroc shrieked and flew forward, flames flickering around their body. They crashed into Argh, singing his stony skin. Jim rushed to help. Suddenly, something collided into his side, knocking the wind from him. Before he could see who attacked him, a cold fist slugged him across the face. He fell to his knees, wheezing. He lifted his gaze and his heart dropped at the sight before him.

The Green Knight stood before him, Excalibur in hand. "For a beast," he said, "you sure don't fight like one."

The dark magic inside him flared, and Jim growled. He clenched his fist and rammed it into the Knight's jaw.

Or, that's what he meant to do. In reality, his fist had been caught by the Knight. He tried to break free from his iron grip, but found he couldn't. He stared at the Knight, eyes wide.

The Knight cocked his head. "How disappointing."

He tossed Jim away like he was a bunch of grapes. Jim crashed into a café, shattering the glass windows. He tried to get up, only to stumble and fall.

Get up, he ordered. Get…up…

"Ahhh!"

Jim's head shot up, and his blood ran cold. The Green Knight had Blinky suspended in the air by the throat. In his other hand, he held Excalibur, which glinted dangerously in the firelight.

"Blinky," Jim whispered. "No…" His vision turned red, and his markings flared brighter. "NO!"

He pounded towards the Knight and slammed his horns into his side. The Knight dropped Blinky. Jim snarled and thrashed him across the face. The Knight reeled, clutching his face, before retaliating with a swing from Excalibur. Jim leapt back to avoid the blade. He made a move to the Knight, only to dodge Excalibur yet again.

He really, really wished he had his armor right now, but something told him that the amulet wouldn't work for him. Not in this form, not with the corruption running through his veins.

So, to make up for the lack of shield, he dug his claws into the asphalt, tore a chunk of it off, and hurled it at the Knight. It slammed into the Knight, sending him flying back.

He turned to Blinky, a concerned whine rising from his chest. "You okay?"

"A little battered and bruised, but nothing too serious," his mentor reassured him, patting his arm. "I've been through worse-" his eyes widened. "Master Jim, look out!"

Jim whirled around and caught Excalibur seconds before it sliced into his head. The Knight pressed harder, the blade biting into Jim's palm. He hissed and pushed the Knight back as hard as he could.

The Knight skidded back before straightening. His gaze flicked to Blinky, who held his broken arm close to his chest.

"You care for him dearly, don't you, beast?" the Knight said, his voice as grating as chipped stone. His yellow eyes flashed. "What do you think would happen if I were to…dispose of him?"

Something ugly snapped in Jim. And with that snap, his mental barriers against the shard's influence cracked. Dark magic flooded into his mind and heart, distorting everything around him. His enraged gaze fell on the Green Knight. But instead of seeing an enemy, he only saw prey.

"No," he snarled, his voice now coarse and deep. "You don't touch him!"

He pounced on top of the Knight. Driven by savage instinct, he opened his mouth wide and bit into his shoulder. For the first time, the Knight screamed-an unholy, screeching noise. Jim bit down harder, relishing the taste of blood in his mouth.

Scorching pain flashed through his side and he roared, releasing the Knight. He whirled to the source of the pain and bared his teeth at Bellroc.

"It's a shame the Knight lost his control over you," they said, their body awash with the glow from the fire. "You would've been so very useful. Alas," they twirled their staff, "I'll just have to kill you instead."

They swung their staff through the air, unleashing a torrent of flames. Jim leaped high into the air to avoid them. He landed behind Bellroc and smacked them aside. They stumbled but recovered just as quickly, using their staff to vault over Jim and kicking him in the back. Small as they might be, they had great strength and Jim lost his footing. He growled in irritation and grabbed Bellroc around the middle.

He started squeezing, only to let go with yelp when their body lit up in flames. He stared down at his charred and smoking hand.

Jim glared at Bellroc. "You'll pay for that, you-"

He roared as something sharp and jagged pierced through his side. Intense pain exploded from the wound and crackled throughout his body. Tears sprung to his eyes and streamed down his face.

"No, no, no!" Toby screamed. "Jim! JIM!"

Jim looked down at the sword sticking out of him, and felt like he was going to throw up. He gasped as Excalibur was wrenched out of him. He dropped to his knees, dimly aware of the gaping hole in his body. A dark green boot stepped in front of him, and Jim raised his trembling head to meet the chilling gaze of the Green Knight.

Even though he was wearing a helmet, Jim knew the Knight was grinning. "Not so strong now, eh beast?" he rumbled.

Through the blinding pain, Jim noticed with satisfaction that he hadn't escaped unscathed either. His fangs had shattered the Knight's pauldron, and, underneath the cracked armor, oily blood oozed from broken skin.

Jim grinned ferociously. "Neither are you."

The Knight's eyes narrowed. "Skrael. Silence it."

"I'm rather busy at the moment," Skrael said, busily spinning his staff to deflect Zoe's spells.

"Now!"

The ancient being rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." He sliced his staff through the air. A wave of ice followed, freezing Zoe mid enchantment. Skrael pointed his staff at Jim. "Night, night, Trollhunter."

Cold and pain overtook Jim, and everything went black.

.

.

.

Jim was back on Killahead bridge. He didn't know how or why it was here, but he didn't care. All he could think about was how many enemies he had to protect his friends from. Whether it was Gunmar, Morgana, or the Green Knight, the fight would never end. His friends, the world would always need him. He was stuck in a vicious, unforgiving loop.

Jim's boots clanked on the hard, ancient stone. His armor, usually so comforting and warm, felt cold and heavy. It was weighing him down. His responsibilities were weighing him down.

He truly was young Atlas.

Then, in the isolated darkness, a voice. So, so quiet he wasn't sure if it was real of if he was imagining it. The voice came again, louder this time, and it was calling his name.

"Jim…Jim…"

Jim racked his brain for who that voice belonged to. It sounded so very familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. His mind was still focused on how hopeless his fight was. What was the point if there were always more enemies to face? What was the point…no point at all, really…

The voice cut through the darkness once more. "Master Jim! Come back, please! Fight it!"

Jim furrowed his brow. That voice…he did know it; he was sure of it. It was…it was-

He gasped. "Blinky!"

The memories flooded back to him in one rushing wave. The Arcane Order, Claire, Camelot, everything. Then he remembered the Order had found their hiding place…they had attacked, and-they had lost.

Dread settled into the pit of Jim's stomach. They had lost. Which means Blinky needed his help, right now. He had to get back. He needed to leave…wherever this was.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings for the first time. His eyes widened as he realized where he was. He was in the shadow realm. That would explain the floating rocks and why he was back in his half-troll form. But why was he here?

He blinked, and standing before him was…himself. Or, the corrupted version of him anyways. The other him looked just as surprised as he was to find himself here. That surprise quickly turned into anger and he roared in fury. The other him lowered his horns and charged at Jim. He yelped and leapt to the side to avoid being trampled.

"Stop!" he shouted at the other him. "Why are you attacking me? I mean, you're me!"

The other him shook his massive head and huffed. He turned to Jim, growling. His scarlet eyes flared angrily.

Then it clicked. This was the corrupted part of him-the one the shard had created. But if he had been down here, then the other him must've been…up there. Controlling his body, while he wandered down here none the wiser.

Jim swallowed, his hands trembling at his sides. He was losing, and badly. This fight was different than the rest, though. This fight was for his very soul. He couldn't afford to slip up anymore.

"Jim!" It was Blinky's voice again, panicky and pleading. "Please, son! Come back!"

Son. The word brought newfound strength to him. He would go back-back to Blinky, Toby, everyone else. They needed him, and he needed them. He wasn't going to leave them now, corrupted or not.

Jim pointed at the other him. "You're going to let me leave," he said coldly. "Right. Now."

The other him stretched his mouth in a sickeningly wide grin and shook his head.

"Fine." He clenched his hand into a fist. "Then I'll make you!"

He rushed at the other him and slammed his fist against his cheek. As the other him stumbled back, the shadow realm dissolved into bright white light. When his vision cleared, he was staring into the panicked faces of his friends.

He tried his best to smile. "So, what'd I miss?"

Blinky just about burst into tears. "Oh, master Jim," he sobbed. "You came back. For a moment there, I thought I'd lost you, my boy."

Jim's heart cracked. "I'm sorry, Blink. I didn't mean to make you worry, it's just-" he stopped, finally seeing how serious the situation they were in was. "What happened here?"

They were in the Arcane Order's fortress, in the same room he had found Claire in. It had changed drastically since then. Wickedly sharp, freezing structures of ice covered the whole room. With horror, he saw many of his friends were trapped in the ice-Zoe, Argh, Nari, even Toby. Blinky, Morgana, Steve, and himself were covered in ice as well, but at least their heads weren't frozen like the rest. Jim himself only had his head and one hand free.

"Well, after that infernal demon Skrael froze you, it wasn't long before the rest of us fell, too," Blinky explained. "We fought bravely, but the Order's power is unlike anything I've ever seen. As such, we were brought here, yet I fear the worst is still yet to come."

"And me?" Jim asked softly, dreading the answer. "What was I like?"

Blinky looked away. "You don't have to know, master Jim. It was the corruption talking, so it doesn't matter-"

"Blink, what was I like?!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, I'll tell him," Morgana sighed, who, much to his chagrin, was trapped in the same chunk of ice as he was. "If you must know, you were absolutely dreadful. Roaring your head off, gnashing your teeth. Said some hurtful things too."

Jim suddenly felt very cold. "Like what?"

Morgana pursed her lips. "For me, you said it was my fault Arthur is the way he is now. For the boy," she nodded towards Steve, "you said he was a 'worthless fleshbag.' And as for the troll…y-you said you did not want to be called his son."

"No…" Jim shook his head, as if that would erase his actions. "No, no, no…" He lowered his head, tears slipping down his face and falling onto the floor.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I am so, so sorry…I was horrible to you, horrible-"

"Jim," Steve said, surprising him. He lifted his head to meet Steve's gaze. Despite the situation they were in, he spoke with confidence. "It's like what happened in the forest. It wasn't your fault then, and it wasn't your fault now."

"Indeed," Blinky agreed. "T'was the dark magic speaking, not you. Your words did sting, yes, but I know my Jim would never say such things." He gave him a loving smile. "Don't give yourself a hard time, my boy. I'm not upset with you. None of us are."

For the thousandth time, Jim was glad he had someone like Blinky in his life. The shard still scared him, but he felt better with the troll by his side. He offered a smile of his own. "Thanks, Blinky. You're right."

"Goodness gracious, when am I not?"

"Well, isn't this sweet?" Claire drawled, floating into the room. Her long sleeves flowed behind her. "A father comforting his surrogate son. It's too bad you don't have much time left with him."

"You," Jim snarled. "It's your fault I'm stuck like this."

"Yes, it is." She smirked, and her irises flashed in their pools of blackness. "I'm quite proud of that curse."

"Ha!" Morgana laughed. "Shoddy magic if I've ever seen it. And you call yourself a sorceress?"

Claire's face twisted in anger. "Silence, witch!"

"Do shut up," Skrael said, striding into the room. "We have work to do."

Claire opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it when Bellroc shot her a warning glare. Scowling, she flicked her hand. Nari, completely frozen in a small chunk of ice, rose into the air.

"Hey! What are you creepozoids doing to Nari?!" Steve demanded.

"Ensuring she won't leave us again," Skrael answered with an evil grin.

"Morgana," Jim whispered, "isn't there anything you can do to help?"

"My sister only looks out for herself," the Green Knight said, lifting her chin with one hand. "She'd leave any of you for dead if it meant her freedom."

Morgana wrenched her chin free from his grasp. "You don't know me at all, brother," she spat.

"My patience grows thin, mortals," Skrael hissed, approaching Steve. He stroked Steve's face with sharp ice-tipped nails. "Don't you realize you've already lost? Merlin is dead at the hands of his oldest friend, and while we lost Morgana, we have another witch on our side."

Bellroc pointed her scorching hot staff at Jim's throat. "Tell us where Merlin's errand boy is, or be turned to ash," she growled.

"Claire, I know you're in there!" Jim cried, craning his neck away from the staff. "Please, help!"
Claire's scowl faltered. "I-"

Suddenly, a blue apparition of Douxie appeared. "Arcane Order, Hisirdoux is here!" Skrael rolled his eyes and prepared to slice Steve's throat. "Ah-ah-ah! Hold your hexes if you still want these!" Douxie flourished a strange, intricate contraption made of metal.

Skrael gasped and turned away from Steve. "The Genesis seals…"

Douxie grinned. "You want them? Well, come and get them! I'll be at the café." He winked and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Bellroc and Skrael exchanged a look before nodding and stalking off. Jim's spirits rose. Nice one, Douxie! he cheered.

"Secure Nari," Bellroc ordered, waving her hand at the Knight and Claire.

Skrael added, "And if the others give you any trouble…kill them."

The Green Knight watched as they left the room. He then turned to Claire and said, "Watch over them, witch." He raised his hand, and a yellow aura overtook the purple one around Nari. "I will secure the forest child." He strode out of the room, Nari hovering behind him.

Finally, Jim thought, fixing his glaze on Claire. This is my chance. I can save you.

Claire noticed him staring and sneered, "What are you looking at, Trollhunter?"

"You, Claire," he answered. "Despite what the Knight says, I see you in there."

Before Jim could say more, an explosion sounded from across the room. Jim whipped his head in the direction of the noise and beamed. Argh was out of his icy prison, thanks to the furry dragon flapping his winds behind him.

Archie winked at Jim and flew around the room, shattering the ice with his flaming breath. Before long, everyone was free, including Jim and Morgana. Claire shrieked in fury and fired several bolts of magic at Archie. He dodged them all, spinning and swooping through the air.

Claire hissed. "Why you measly, little-ah!"

A bolt of pink lightning struck Claire's shoulder. She cried out and clutched her charred armor. She glared at Zoe, who grinned and blew her smoking finger gun.

"What?" she asked coyly, raising an eyebrow. "You're not the only wizard here."

"You've got that right!" An electric guitar riff screeched through the air. The unbearable loud sound grated against his sensitive ears. Jim whined and covered his ears. There's only one person who could play like that, he thought grumpily, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling. Sure enough, Douxie had come, fire-engine red guitar in hand. He winked at Zoe. "The master wizard has arrived."

Zoe groaned. "Please don't ever say that again." But Douxie knew better. He saw how her eyes had sparkled when she had seen him.

"Brats!" Claire screamed, hands swirling with magic and her hair floating around her shoulders. "You don't stand a chance against me!"

"You sound a little off, Claire," Douxie remarked. "How about a little music to soothe the mind?"

He struck a chord, and a ray of blue magic shot from his guitar. Claire threw up a shield, deflecting his magic. But while she had been busy with Douxie, she had forgotten about Zoe. Glowing ropes lashed from her hands and wrapped themselves around Claire. Zoe clenched her fists, and electricity sparked from her hands and crackled throughout the ropes. Claire shook violently as electricity coursed through her body. Finally, her eyes fluttered shut, and she slumped to the ground.

Zoe sighed and relaxed her hands. The electricity fizzled out, but the ropes remained intact. "I don't think she'll wake up for a while. I zapped her pretty good."

Douxie let his guitar disappear into his bracelet. "Is everyone alright?"

"I'd hug ya, but I can't move my arms," Toby said, shivering.

Jim rumbled in concern and butted Claire gently with his horns. "She's going to be okay, right?"

"Yeah, magic like that rattles a wizard more than anything," Douxie replied with a shrug. His gaze fell on a wound in Jim's side, and his mouth dropped open in horror. Bloody hell, it was more than a wound, he could see clean through it. "J-jim, what happened to you?!"

Jim glanced down, surprised, as if he had forgotten there was a gaping hole in his body. "Oh, yeah, that. Funny, it really hurt when I was stabbed, but now I barely feel a thing."

"An advantage of full troll physiology, master Jim," Blinky said, brushing ice flecks off his trousers. "No blood and no vital organs means much less pain."

"That's a relief," Douxie muttered. He started as he saw there was yet another wizard present among them. And it just had to be- "Morgana?! What's the Queen of the Apocalypse doing here?!"

"What I should've done long ago," Morgana answered, rising to her feet. "Deal with my brother." She pushed past Douxie. "Get your injured to safety." She floated into the air and out of the room.

Morgana's on our side now? Douxie thought disbelievingly. Honestly, after the week I've had, I didn't think anything could surprise me anymore.

He turned to the others and noticed that one crucial member was missing. Panic settled over him. "Nari!" His gaze flicked from one ice sculpture to the next, as if she was hiding behind one. "She's not-she's not here with you?"

"The Green Knight took her somewhere," Jim said. "Douxie, did you get the seals?"

"Uh…" He suddenly found it hard to look Jim in the eyes. "I'll explain later. Let's go!"

Jim carefully picked up Claire. They followed Douxie to the outside of the fortress. Douxie whistled loud and clear, and the airship rose above the clouds. They winced as the boat screeched against the metal, unleashing a spray of sparks. Douxie slapped his palm against his forehead.

"Sorry, sorry! Still getting the hang of it," Krel apologized with an uneasy chuckle.

"All right, everyone on board," Douxie said, "Krel will take everyone down to Arcadia. I have to get Nari, see my plan through to the end." Zoe still hadn't gotten onto the boat. "Zoe-"

"I'm coming with you," she stated. "It's too dangerous for you to go alone."

Douxie smiled bittersweetly. "Sorry, Zoe, but you have to go with them."

"Is it because you think I can't hold my own in a fight? You should know by now-"

"No! No, that's not it." He averted the others' curious gazes and pulled her aside. "Look, it's because I'm worried about Jim," he said in a hushed tone. "His corruption is getting worse and worse. If he loses control up there, and if Claire gets free…they need a wizard, Zoe. They need you."

She opened her mouth to protest, then shut it with a huff. "I hate it when you're right."

He laughed. "I know. Be safe out there, okay?"

Douxie started to move away, then stopped. To tell the truth, he…he wasn't sure he was going to come back from this alive. If that's what it took to save the world, he was okay with that, really he was, but…He gazed into Zoe's eyes, those beautiful blues. If this was the last time he was going to see those eyes, then…

He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her close. He closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss her. Just before their lips made contact, she pressed a finger to his lips. Douxie started and opened his eyes. She was staring at him with such ferocity that he thought she was going to kill him right then and there.

"Not now," Zoe whispered, brushing her fingers through his hair. "I'm not going to let you give me a stupid goodbye kiss because this isn't goodbye. You are going to come back to me, Casperan, you hear?" Her bottom lip trembled. "You're going to come back."

Douxie chuckled. "Of course. The wrath of the Arcane Order is nothing compared to that of Zoe Ashdon's." He slipped out of her arms and started walking backwards. "But when will I get that kiss?" he called.

She wiped her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "When you come back to me alive!"

"With a reward like that, how can I possibly fail you?" He summoned his staff to his hand. "I promise, Zoe, I will come back to you."

Douxie gave one final wave before turning his back on Zoe and the others. He tried to swallow down his guilt as he entered the fortress once more. He knew, from the sinking feeling in his heart, that this was one promise he might have to break.

.

.

.

"I thought you said your magic was supposed to knock her out for a while!" Jim yelled, ducking under a stream of purple flames.

"Any normal wizard, yeah!" Zoe shouted back, glowing pink daggers in hand. "Your girlfriend is obviously not normal!"

With a yell, she chucked the daggers at Claire, who had awakened far, far sooner than anyone had expected. She had wasted no time in cursing them out and attacking them. Zoe's daggers bounced harmlessly off a thick violet shield.

"Die, meaningless pests!" Claire screamed, her eyes crackling angrily.

"Ah, she's too scary!" Steve shrieked. "Go back to sleep, spooky Claire!"

He swung his weapon at her head, but she caught it without a second glance. Steve lost his grip and nearly flew off the boat. She snarled and lobbed the weapon at Krel. The tooth impaled itself in the keyhole. The airship's power source sputtered and belched smoke. Everyone screamed as the boat started spiraling to the ground far, far below.

"We're gonna crash!" Toby yelled, the knuckles on his hands white as he gripped the railing.

Zoe grit her teeth. "Not if I can help it!"

She squeezed her eyes shut and held her hands out. Her brow furrowed in concentration. Slowly but surely, a large portal opened below the boat. The boat flew through it seconds before it crashed into the ground. The portal spit the airship only a few feet above the dirt. The boat skidded across the earth, sending up clods of dirt.

Jim coughed. He was a little rattled from the impact, but otherwise he felt okay. He clambered out of the ruined airship and scanned their surroundings. He groaned. They had crashed near the ruins of Camelot and the broken Heart of Avalon. Typical. The last place he had seen the real Claire was the place he had to fight her.

Argh's bellowing snapped Jim out of his thoughts. He looked up and gasped. Claire had summoned a shadowy panther-like creature. Violet flames flickered around it, and its tail lashed about angrily. The panther was on top of Argh, snapping its jaws at his face. Claire cackled as she fired streams of magic at Zoe and the others, who couldn't do much other than hide for cover from the deadly blasts. Zoe herself looked pale and sickly, her bolts of electricity sparking weakly. That portal had done a number on her.

That's it. Jim had to get Claire back now. Not just for the others' sake-but for his.

Because the shadow realm had started flickering across his vision.

He snarled and slammed his body weight against the panther. He and the beast rolled on the ground, a thrashing mess of claws and horns. The panther's flames singed his skin, but he barely registered the pain. Jim growled and rammed his horns against the panther's skull. The panther reared its head back and yowled in pain. Then it hissed and slashed its claws across his face.

Now that was pain Jim did feel. He roared and kicked the panther off of him. He clutched his face in agony, the cuts throbbing. Killahead bridge swam across his vision, and he furiously blinked it away.

Not now! he begged. Please, not now!

"Master Jim!" Blinky cried. "Master Jim, are you alright?"

"I've been better!" he called weakly, and struggled to get to his feet. He shook his head to clear it and saw that Argh had restrained the beast. It flailed in his grip, but he had it secured, for now.

"Jim, finish it," Argh grunted.

Jim nodded and charged towards the two. For one terrifying second, he had an overwhelming urge to attack Argh, to pound him into dust. He fought the feeling back, but it was getting harder and harder.

His clawed hands curled around the panther's throat. With a guttural roar, he ripped the beast's head off. It fell limp in Argh's grip. It then disappeared, head and all, in a puff of smoke.

"No!" Claire screeched. "No, no, no-"

"Claire, listen to me!" Jim pleaded. "Listen to my voice. Come back to me."

She raised an armored hand. "I refuse to listen to-"

Her words were cut short when Zoe summoned more glowing ropes that bound Claire tightly. She thrashed against her restraints, but the ropes held.

"Hurry!" Zoe shouted. Sweat ran down her face. "I don't have the energy to hold her for long."

"Claire," Jim began, "You've stood up against Angor Rot, Morgana, and countless others. You're the strongest person I know-you're certainly stronger than a knockoff evil version of yourself!"

"I'm superior to her!" Claire screamed, but the fight in her eyes was petering out. "She doesn't hold a candle to me!"

Jim shook his head. "No, you're not," he said, and was it just his imagination, or was his voice getting deeper? "The Claire I fell in love with outshines you in every way possible. You stand no chance against her-and that terrifies you."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Claire seethed. The ropes around her dimmed slightly, and Jim knew he had to hurry.

He approached her and said, "Yes, I do. I know her, and she wants out. I want her out." He smiled in spite of the fact he could sense his soul weakening. "Claire, I'm sorry for making you worry so much about me. When you come back, I promise I'll be better. And you of all people know I always keep my promises."

Jim closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he found himself in the shadow realm. He blinked, hard, and he was back in the real world. Any moment now he would lose himself completely. But he still had one thing left to say.

"I love you, Claire," he said, stroking her face gently. "No matter what happens to you or me, I always will."

Something changed in Claire's eyes then-something warm and loving flooded into them. The black veins disappeared from her face. The black sclera and glaring purple irises faded away until the chocolate brown Jim knew so well replaced them.

Claire shook her head and peered at Jim, as if seeing him for the first time. "J-Jim? Is that you?"

He couldn't help but laugh in relief. "There you are."

Then the shard overtook him, and the world went black.

.

.

.

Claire was utterly exhausted. Not just her body-though that had its own aches and pains-but her mind as well. It felt like she had spent several all-nighters cramming for exams. Then again, that was to be expected after fighting an evil version of herself in her mind.

She pressed a hand to her head and winced. Everything was still sort of foggy…but she remembered the last few minutes clearly. She had been falling deeper into the shadow realm, reliving that horrible day on the bridge over and over. But then she had heard his voice loud and clear. Saying that he needed her. How was she supposed to ignore that?

That's when the other Claire had appeared in the shadow realm. They had fought-a vicious, nail-scratching fight-and Claire wasn't sure if she could win this one. That's when Jim told her he loved her, and she had suddenly realized how much she was going to lose if the other Claire won.

She had glared at the other Claire. "I'm not going to let you win."

"Haven't we done this before?" the other Claire sneered, wiping the blood from her nose. "As I recall, I beat you, little lamb."

"That's right. You did. But now I know why you did." Claire floated into the air. Purple magic flared to life in her hands. "And I'm not going to let it happen again."

"You're still scared of your shadow magic, you weakling! While I, on the other hand, am not, which is why I've been able to perform magics you could only dream of."

"That's where you're wrong," Claire said. "I wasn't scared of my shadow magic-I never was. I was terrified of who I might become…that I might become like Morgana. It was that fear that made you." She lifted her hands, and for the for the first time, she saw a flicker of fear in the other Claire's eyes. "But now I know better. I'm not like Morgana, and I never will be. Douxie was right about that; I just didn't believe him until now."

The other Claire forced out a choked laugh. "Merlin's pathetic apprentice, and a raging Trollhunter? That's who's making you oh so confident right now?"

"Yes," Claire answered coolly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go see them." Her eyes crackled with fury. "I won't be seeing you ever again!"

She yelled and unleashed a torrent of blazing violet magic at the other Claire. The other Claire summoned a shield, but it fractured completely within seconds. She shrieked in agony as the magic struck her. She dropped to her knees, but Claire didn't let up. The black veins on her face started spreading all across her body. Claire grit her teeth and poured more of herself into the magic-her rage at the other Claire, her pain that she hurt her friends, and, strongest of all, her love for Jim.

It was too much for the other Claire. The black veins started glowing a brilliant purple. It glowed brighter and brighter until it was painful to look at. Then, with one final screech, the other Claire exploded into dust.

Just like that, Claire was out of the shadow realm and back in the real world. There are some perks to the shadow realm, though, she realized grumpily. For one, she hadn't been able to feel the soreness that had settled into each of her muscles. She hadn't been able to feel how exhausted she was from all the magic she had used.

But none of those things mattered. She was back, she could finally be with Jim…speaking of which, where was he?

As if reading her mind, a deafening roar ripped through the air. Claire's eyes snapped open and she sprung to her feet, her body on high alert. Her gaze shot to the source of the roar and she cried out in horror.

Jim-her amazing, sweet boyfriend-was fighting Argh. He was fighting Argh! Even worse, he looked like he was enjoying it. With each blow, his wicked grin only grew wider. His glowing bloodred eyes flashed with glee. Poor Argh clearly didn't want to hurt Jim, but he couldn't exactly not fight either.

Claire didn't want to watch anymore, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. She still couldn't believe that-that beast was Jim. At least when he was half troll, he was still her Jim, fangs and all. But this beast…this beast wasn't Jim at all. She couldn't even recognize him. She only knew it was him because she remembered dimly that he had used the shard to transform himself, but-

She gasped. The shard! She remembered now. Other Claire had placed a curse on it-a curse to keep it stuck in his heart, so he couldn't transform back. And the only one who could take it out…was her.

Claire clenched her fists. That witch…how dare she do something like this to her boyfriend?! Well, she was going to get that stupid shard out and get Jim back.

"Argh remind Jim who he was!" Argh growled. He slammed Jim onto the ground and held him firmly in his place.

Blinky ran over and pleaded, "Master Jim, snap out of it! We are your friends!"

Jim snarled in response. He grabbed Argh and threw him at Blinky. The two trolls crashed against one another and rolled on the ground in a tangles mess of limbs.

"Come on, Jim!" Steve shouted. "You're stronger than a dumb rock!"

"You wouldn't know about being strong, fleshbag," Jim said, his lip curling in disdain. His altered voice sent shivers down Claire's spine. "You are a frightened, pathetic weakling that deserves to die."

"No," Steve said, shaking his head. His voice trembled with fear, but he pushed on. "Maybe I would've believed that a couple weeks ago, but now-now I know that isn't true. You were the one who told me I wasn't weak, Jim! You're the reason I don't think I'm useless, and that everyone would be better off without me." He tightened his grip on his weapon, a determined look on his face, and Claire realized just how much Steve had grown. "So I'm going to knock some sense into you and get the real Jim back."

He charged towards Jim, yelling at the top of his lungs. He ducked under Jim's swinging fist and slashed his side. Jim, with a snarl, retaliated by ramming his fist into Steve's chest. He flew into a tree and slumped to the ground.

"No, no! Steve!' Toby cried. Jim turned his fierce gaze on Toby, who paled and started backing away. "Come on, Jimbo. It's Toby, your best friend! Ah!"

He yelped as he fell through Claire's portal, Jim's claws missing him by a hair. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. His eyes widened when he saw Claire standing up to Jim. "C-Claire? Is that you? Like, you you?"

"Yeah, it's me," she said, shooting him a warm smile. "I'm back. I'm sorry for hurting you guys, and we'll talk later, but right now," she glared at the beast that had overtaken Jim, "I have to get our Trollhunter back."

"Okay, you do that." Toby sank into Argh's furry shoulder. "I'm just going to…lie down here for a bit."

Jim scowled at her. "So, the puny witch is back. No matter. I'll defeat you as I did every one of your friends."

Claire ignored him and stood her ground. "Jim Lake Junior, I know you can hear me! I know you're still in there!"

She outstretched her hand and used her magic to probe deep into Jim's mind. She knew the shadow realm well, all she had to do was find Jim's soul…

Jim's markings turned purple before flickering back to scarlet. "Get out of my head!" he snarled, pouncing on her.

Claire dived into a portal in the nick of time and landed behind Jim. He chased after her, his footsteps shaking the earth. She jumped through another portal just before he could get her hands on her.

A girl with pink hair-Claire thought she recognized her from the music store-raised her hands, which were sparking with pink lightning. Claire held her hand up. Wait. The girl bit her lip but slowly lowered her hands.

While Jim searched for her, confused, she called, "You came back for me, Jim! You never stopped trying to save me. Even I didn't think I could come back, but you believed in me." Her eyes welled up with tears. "And I'm never going to stop trying to save you. Now, fight it Jim!"

Claire closed her eyes and willed her heart to calm down. She tuned everything out, the pounding footsteps that were growing closer and closer. She took a deep breath and just focused on the darkness surrounding her. The shadows drew closer to her and pooled around her hands. With a shout, she unleashed a stream of smoky black and purple magic.

The magic struck Jim in the chest mid-leap. He collided against a tree and slid to the ground. Claire slumped, feeling more exhausted than she had ever been. I hope that worked, Jim, she thought, because I don't think I have any more left to give…

Somewhere in the farthest depths of the shadow realm, Jim Lake Junior woke with a start.

"Huh?" he said, pressing a hand to his head. "Wh-what happened?"

He stared down at his hands, utterly confused. There was a strange buzzing underneath his skin-not painful or anything, just…really weird. More than anything, he felt so…so energized. Like he had just guzzled a bunch of energy drinks. (Which he had done as a troll to disastrous results.)

A furious roar bellowed behind him, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He whirled around to face the noise and came face to face with a monstrous troll. What the-

Then all of his memories from before came rushing back. Shard, losing control, got Claire back, only to completely lose himself. Right. But if the dark magic had completely corrupted him, why was he seeing the other Jim right now? Why did he feel like he could fight an army single-handedly?

The other Jim snarled and threw a punch at him. Jim yelped and ducked the massive fist. He reeled back to strike a blow of his own, but when his fist smashed against the other Jim's face, something bizarre happened. He watched with wide eyes as violet magic burst from his fist and exploded in the other Jim's face.

The other Jim touched his smoking face and stared at Jim, dumbfounded. Jim was just as shocked as he was. He-he wasn't a wizard! He shouldn't have been able to do that! How-

A wide smile crept across his face as he remembered that Claire had shot him with a lot of shadow magic. That magic must've transferred to the shadow realm, and thus, into him.

He threw his head back and laughed. "Claire, when I get back, I will never stop telling you how amazing you are." He gave the other Jim a wicked grin. "You're in trouble now, big boy."

Jim focused on the magic coursing through him and willed it to form Daylight. Sure enough, a midnight-black version of the sword formed in his hand. He grinned. Okay, now that was sweet.

He dove at the other Jim. The other Jim dodged his first swing but failed to avoid the second. He roared in pain as Jim slashed his side. He rolled aside to evade the other Jim's fists as they slammed into the bridge. He scaled the other Jim's back and ordered Daylight to disappear. He summoned a glowing cord and wrapped it tightly around his throat. The other Jim grabbed the cord and tried to pull it off, but Jim's grip was too strong.

Jim gasped as the real world swam across his vision, and he yelled, "Now, Claire! Take the shard out!" He grunted as the other Jim's claws raked his hands. "I can't hold him for much longer!"

Claire's face lit up with hope before a determined look entered her eyes. "Got it!"

She sprinted forward. That's when the other Jim really started to panic. He tried to grab him, but Jim released one of his hands to throw a pair of shimmering daggers at his hands. Claire yelled and thrust her hand into his heart. Both Jim and the other Jim howled as she wrenched out the shard.

Jim could feel the dark magic draining from him like water swirling down a drain. It wasn't painful; quite the opposite, it felt good. His body had been infected, and he was finally getting cured. The other Jim gave one last snarl before disappearing completely. Jim dropped to the bridge and sighed in relief. Finally…

"J-Jim?"

He looked up, and there she was. Still in her charcoal-black armor, but it was her. The real her.

He smiled. "Claire."

She burst into tears and leapt into his harms. Jim squeezed her tight so that nothing could ever tear her away from him again. A few tears of his own slid down his face. He was so, so happy to have her back. That he was back and they could finally be together again. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scents of the environment. Man, was he glad to be out of the shadow realm.

With a start, he realized how much shorter he was. Claire's head lay just underneath his chi now. And he felt so…so weary, and weak. His heart skipped a beat. He…he hadn't turned back into a human, had he?! Had removing the shard also removed the effects of the potion?! He hadn't meant for that to happen-!

Then Jim heard himself purring, and he relaxed. Weird how fast he had gotten used to that enormous form…not that he missed it in the slightest. Honestly, he shouldn't be surprised that he was tired; he had been fighting and running nonstop since Killahead! He couldn't imagine how much more exhausted he would feel if he had actually turned back human.

Claire burrowed her head into Jim's shoulder, making him forget about everything else except her. He nuzzled her and ran his fingers through her soft hair. "I really like your long hair," he murmured.

She made a sound between a sob and a laugh. "Thanks," she sniffed, withdrawing from the hug. "It's the only good thing that came from her."

"Jim!" Toby cried, running over and throwing his arms around them. "Claire! You're back! Now both of my best friends aren't evil anymore!"

"Master Jim, fair Claire," Blinky said, joining in on the hug. "Oh, how I've missed you."

"Argh happy," Argh rumbled, scooping them all up into the air. "Sorry for hitting Jim."

Jim laughed. "It's okay, Argh. I'm sorry too."

"And I'm sorry for, well, anything I did to hurt you guys," Claire said.

"Are you kidding?" Toby exclaimed. "That cat thing you sicked on Argh was awesome sauce! I mean, it almost killed us, but it was still awesome!"

"Thanks, Toby," Claire said, cracking a grin. "I didn't even know I could do that."

"How do you two feel?" Blinky asked as Argh set them down. "I imagine being corrupted has its tolls."

Claire groaned. "Like I've been running a marathon for a week straight. And I really want to brush my teeth and take a shower."

Jim nodded his agreement. "Same. I mean, it feels great to be back to normal, but I could sleep for days. And…" he frowned. Now that he thought about it, he didn't feel quite right. Like something was missing. Why did he still feel so strange? Why…why did he still feel like he needed the shard?

He swallowed and turned to Claire. "Claire…what did you do to the shard?"

"Oh, right! I had forgotten about it." She opened her hand. "I have it right here." The shard sat in her palm almost innocently, glistening in the early morning light.

And it was calling to him.

His hands shook. "W-we have to destroy it. It still…it still wants me, and I want it. We've got to get rid of it."

Worry flickered across Claire's face. "But how?"

"Douxie said-" Jim paled as he remembered that Douxie wasn't there with them. "Douxie!"

.

.

.

Douxie was warm. So very, very warm and relaxed, like he had just slipped into a hot bath. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this at ease. He knew Merlin had told him he had to go back, but he felt so comfortable he didn't want to move an inch…

Then something hot and sharp exploded his chest. The strange sensation spread across his body, then in a millisecond, turned into pain. Douxie yelped and shot straight up. His nerves tingled unpleasantly, but otherwise, he felt fine. The worst of the pain had already passed.

He pressed a hand to his head and winced. "What…happened?"

"Douxie!" A pair of arms wrapped around him and squeezed him so hard he thought his ribs might break. "You're alive!" The arms retreated and he was met with the furious gaze of Zoe Ashdon. Her eyes shone with tears. "Don't you ever do that again."

He stared at her incredulously. "Did you just…did you just shock me?"

"What was I supposed to do?! Your heart wasn't beating!" She crossed her arms. "Keep this ungrateful attitude up, and I'll shock you again."

"L-let's not be hasty here!"

Archie rubbed his head against Douxie's arm affectionately. "Douxie, you brave, foolish boy. I was worried that I had lost you."

"Come on, Arch." Douxie scratched his head, and Archie leaned into his touch, purring. "I wouldn't leave you like that." He grinned mischievously at Zoe. "Besides, I was promised a kiss if I survived."

Zoe scowled. "If you think for one second I'm going to let you kiss me after running off like that, you've got another thing coming, Casperan-mmph!"

Douxie brought Zoe close to him and silenced her with a kiss. She tensed at first, but quickly relaxed and passionately returned the kiss. Her lips crackled slightly from her electric magic, something Douxie had always liked. It had been ages since they had kissed like this. He squeezed her tighter. He could stay like this forever, in a world where the Arcane Order didn't exist, and that it was just him and-

Someone snorted from behind them. "We're not interrupting anything, are we?"

Douxie started and pulled away from Zoe. His face turned beet red from mortification as he turned around and saw everyone was watching. Toby and Steve had their phones out and were recording, sniggering. Blinky and Argh coughed, Krel made a face in disgust, and Nari just looked confused about the whole thing. His gaze flicked over to Jim, who nodded in approval.

"Wow, Teach," Claire smirked, putting her hands on her hips. "I didn't think you had any skills in that department."

"I've been alive for nine hundred bloody years, thank you very much! Of course I would know how to-" He blinked and rubbed his eyes. Claire…she looked different. More at ease. Was she really back? "Hold on a mo. Is it really you, Claire? Or did I hit my head harder than I thought?"

She laughed. "It's me alright."

Douxie beamed. "Well, it's certainly refreshing that you're not trying to kill me on sight anymore. I'm glad to see you. I've missed you-both of you," he added, looking at Jim. Jim was back to his normal half troll self, no eerie glowing markings in sight.

Jim flashed him a grin, his fangs no longer nearly as threatening as they used to be. "Not gonna lie, Douxie, I was worried about you. But, hey," he said, shrugging, "I should've known your obnoxiously loud guitar playing would scare the Order off."

"Obnoxious?" Douxie spluttered as everyone else laughed. "I-you know what, I'm just going to ignore that. How did you two manage to get back to normal anyway?"

"To give you the short version, Jim brought me back," Claire said, lacing her fingers through Jim's and staring at him lovingly, "and I brought him back."

"And…the shard?"

Claire held it up for all to see. Toby whistled. "Man, I can't believe that tiny rock was responsible for jumbo Jimbo."

"I know," Douxie said solemnly. "Claire, if I may?" He flicked his hand, and the shard floated out of Claire's hand and into the air. "Now, let's destroy the blasted thing, shall we?"

He shot a concentrated beam of magic at the shard. Claire and Zoe followed suit, and soon the group was bathed in colors of sky blue, violet, and pink. The shard started vibrating violently. It glowed brighter and brighter, until it was almost too painful to look at. Finally, all of their magics overwhelmed the shard and it exploded with a massive BOOM. Thousands of tiny splinters rained down on them, before even those disappeared into puffs of mist.

"I love explosions and all," Zoe panted, wiping her sweaty face, "but for god's sake, no more magic. I'm spent." Douxie groaned in agreement.

"How do you feel?" Claire asked, touching Jim's arm gently.

Jim deliberated for a second. "Uh…" Slowly, a wide grin spread across his face. "Normal." He laughed in delight and twirled Claire around. "I feel absolutely normal! No weird obsession, no anger, nothing." He set her down and looked at Douxie gratefully. "Thank you."

"No problem," Douxie grinned. "It's what mates do."

"Now that that's out of the way," Archie interrupted, "can we address that?"

He gestured with his wing to Excalibur. The sword was embedded in a large boulder. Douxie noticed it had been freed from its own corruption as well, and was pure once more. The emerald shone peacefully in the sunlight.

Toby gasped, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Excalibur is right over there!" he squealed.

He ran over and wrapped his hands around the hilt. He pulled as hard as he could, but the sword refused to budge. Grunting, he tried again to no avail. Finally, he stepped back, wheezing. "Okay, I just had to try."

"Excalibur needs a wielder with Arthur gone," Douxie said. "Who shall take it?"

Jim scratched his chin, deep in thought. "What about Steve?" he suggested.

"What?!" everyone shouted, including Steve himself.

"Uh, this is the same blond oaf we're talking about, right?" Krel said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

"Come on guys!" Jim protested. "I know Steve can be kind of…ignorant, at times, but trust me, he's the best one to wield Excalibur."

"Lake, y-you must've lost your marbles," Steve spluttered. "I'm not-I'm not cut out for that! Why don't you take it? You're the fancy Trollhunter and everything."

"Exactly," Jim said, gesturing at his armor. "I'm the Trollhunter! I have an amulet that comes with its own magic sword. I don't really need another."

Steve looked uncertain. "I don't know…"

"Jim's right," Douxie said, surprising himself as much as the others. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized he meant it. "You've faced every battle with us, no matter how dangerous they were. You're a brave fighter, Steve. Maybe not the best one, maybe not the smartest either, but you've got a good heart. I think that makes up for it, yeah?"

"Exactly," Jim said, nodding. "You're not the bully you were a year ago, Steve. You've changed for the better. Even when I thought I was a monster, you stood up for me. You believed in me." He placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. "Heck, you still tried to fight me when I was fully corrupted. You tried to talk me out of it. The old Steve would've never done that." He stepped back. "That's why I think Excalibur should be yours."

Steve gazed at Jim with wide, disbelieving eyes. "R-really?"

"Really. Besides, you need a better weapon than that tooth. No offense."

"Okay then, um…" Steve walked forward and hesitantly grabbed Excalibur's hilt. He looked to Jim for approval. When Jim nodded, he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He tugged hard, but the sword was stuck. With a look of determination, he dug his feet into the ground and heaved with all his might.

Excalibur slid out of the stone. Steve stumbled and nearly lost his balance, before steadying himself. The blade glowed a soft gold. He stared down at it in awe. "Woah…"

"He did it," Archie said numbly. "I can't believe it. He really did it."

Jim grinned and punched Steve on the arm. "Told you so."

Steve winced and rubbed his arm. "Thanks, Jim. I…I never thought I could ever be worthy of something like this. I promise, I'll use it better than Arthur ever did."

Douxie smiled bittersweetly as the others congratulated Steve. As much as he hated it, he had to go. It was best to get a head start from the Order. He didn't want them to torture his new friends again, at least not today. It was his burden to bear, and his alone.

"It's time Nari and I got a move on before the Order catches up," he said, righting the airship.

"You're leaving? Already?" Claire asked disbelievingly.

"I promised Merlin I'd keep Nari safe, which means taking her far away from here." Archie flapped onto Douxie's shoulder as he and Nari leaped onto the boat. He nearly jumped out of his skin when someone tapped on his shoulder.

He whirled around to face a furious Zoe. "And just what do you think you're doing, Casperan?"

He stuttered, "L-look, I'm sorry Zoe, but you can't come. You don't know how powerful the Order is. It's much too dangerous, I can't have you-"

She held a finger up, ending his tirade. "I let you go once, and you almost died. What am I saying, you did die. And that's not happening again. Not on my watch." Her face softened, and she looked away. "Douxie, I lo-really want to be with you. I want to keep you safe. S-so, I'm going whether you like it or not."

"But-" he stopped himself. He knew bringing Zoe would be a reckless, foolish thing to do. She hadn't earned her staff yet; if anything, she would only slow him down. If Merlin was here, he would definitely forbid him from bringing her along.

Then again, he had never listened to anyone before, so why start now?

"Alright," he said, taking her hand. She looked up at him, surprised, and he gave her a warm smile. "Yes. I want you to come."

She blushed and smiled back. "Finally, you're talking some sense."

He chuckled and turned to the others down below. "Don't worry, I'll be seeing you champions of Arcadia soon enough."

"Keep yourself alive, okay Douxie?" Jim called as the boat rose into the air. "After throwing us back in time, you owe me a free dinner at the café."

Douxie saluted. "I'll give you the bloodiest steaks we have!"

He waved at the others until they disappeared beneath the clouds. Even then, he still had his hand up in farewell. Zoe took his raised hand and gently lowered it.

"We're gonna be okay," she said, squeezing his hand.

Douxie smiled at her and squeezed her back. Nari walked over to them and pressed a comforting hand on his leg. Archie rubbed himself against his cheek, and he scratched him under his chin. The sun had just crested over the sea of clouds, bathing them in warm light. He turned his gaze to the horizon, his confidence rising like the morning sun.

"I know we will."


A/N: There it is, folks. Wizards-Secundo Ire is officially completed. And just in the goddam nick of time too-the day the opening scene for Rise of the Titans came out (which I haven't watched out so I could focus on this) and precisely one week from the release of the movie. Am I emotionally ready for that? No, no I am not.

So, *claps hands* Steve got Excalibur. I know, I really like that Jim's going to get it in the movie, but in this AU, it makes more sense. There were some theories he was going to get it, after all, and I kinda liked that idea. I would've given it to Jim if the amulet was destroyed, but I'm kind of sentimental towards the amulet and really didn't want to get rid of it. It's funny, I was only going to follow the show and have Zoe in it for like, two minutes, but someone commented they wanted to see her more, so I added a little bit more, and the next thing I knew, she's kicking ass and kissing Douxie.

As for rewriting Rise of the Titans, I'm pretty sure it's going to happen. I wasn't going to at first, but the hype for the movie has changed my mind. Still not one-hundred percent sure yet (it kinda depends on if I think the movie needs fixing like Wizards did), but keep your eye out for it! Though, if it does happen, it won't be for a good long while. (I need a break, guys...)

As for the conclusion for this essay, I want to thank everyone for reading this fic. Your comments and your support for this fic always made my day and kept the fic going. I never really thought this many people would read this little AU, but I'm glad you guys did. It inspired me to keep writing. For those who have stuck with it since the beginning, thank you for tolerating my infrequent updates. In a couple weeks, I'll go back to updating my other fic, Journey to the Heartstone. If you want to message me or explore the depths of my Tumblr, it's .com. Thank you guys so much for reading, and I'll see you around. :)