Here at the End
The teens left Charlie's keep in much higher spirits then they had arrived in. Jim and Eli raced each other around the air skiff; Mary interrogated Steve and Seamus about what had happened to her at Killahead; Claire and Stardust practiced their magik; and Aja and Krel taught Toby more about Akoridian culture.
"That was a good idea, Arch. Getting them away from the main fight for a bit," Douxie looked over his shoulder at his familiar, "And talking with your dad seems to have calmed them down."
Archie hovered by his person's shoulder, "Yes. I just hope leaving everyone else doesn't turn out to be a mistake."
The Arcadian mountains rose into view.
"I guess we're about to find out," Douxie whispered before looking around, "Guys, we're almost there."
Jim and Eli landed, wings folded tight to their backs. Claire slammed her book shut and shoved it back into her bag. All the teens crouched low, hands hovering over their weapons. Their eyes were trained on the mountains. Stardust's fur stood up and her lips were pulled back in a toothless snarl.
They could see the Arcane Order's castle hovering low on the other side of the valley. Douxie kept the air skiff close to the trees. They knew something was wrong before they even landed outside HexTech. Fires burned in the street and chunks were missing from the buildings and pavement. Shards and mounds of ice littered the area.
"Something BAD happened here…" Aja whispered, climbing over the railing of the skiff.
Mary put her fingers into the grooves of one wall, "These are Papa's claw marks…"
She looked over to her brothers.
"These were made by Draal's spikes," Jim scuffed his foot in the deep marks in the street.
"And Morgana's magic signature, Douxie."
Claire and Douxie ran their fingers over the scorch marks.
"They must have fought the Arcane Order," The young wizard breathed, eyes following the fire and ice.
"Tronos!" Aja screamed and ran into the remains of HexTech.
The electric cat was trapped in an ice prison.
"Step back!" Douxie ordered.
"Be careful! Don't short him out!" Aja begged.
One well timed blasting spell and Tronos collapsed to the floor.
"Tronos!" Aja pulled his head into her lap.
"What happened, "Douxie knelt beside them.
"The Lady Trollhunter went into the SSShhhadow Relm and returned with Morgana," Tronos croaked, "But they were followed. We were ambussshhhed while trying to move Nari."
"Did anyone else escape?" Jim asked.
"No. But they are all alive," Tronos forced himself to his feet, "They only left me becaussse they thought I wasss dead."
Aja shuttered.
"Well. It's a 'good news/ bad news'," Seamus shrugged, "Our families are all prisoners of war but, hey, at least they're alive."
"Douxie, what are we going to do?" Mary whispered, "We have to get them back."
"We will! I just need a plan."
"We need something to distract them with," Jim sat on the remains of the HexTech desk, "Draw them away from the prisoners and give us enough time to get in and get everyone out. But what? We sent the staff to Merlin and they have everyone already."
Claire shifted her grip on her bag, "We could give them the book."
The whole room turned.
"Hear me out! Yes they'll know how to get the Seals but we'll have everything else. This rescue mission is to get nari and the others back so we'll have what they need to get the Seals AND what they need to use them. As long as we have one of those things, they can't win."
Her teammates were silent for a moment longer.
"That might just work," Douxie nodded slowly, "But that won't occupy them for long."
"And I bet they'll leave Tanta Nono and the Onkels on guard duty. We'll have to be ready to fight them, too."
"Eli...There's no 'ready' to fight family…" Krel sat on the floor, playing with shards of the Heart of Avelon.
"I have a plan!" Douxie perked, "Claire, Eli, Krel, and Stardust, I want you four to stay here with me. I'll need your help. Jim, you take Tronos and the others in the skiff up to the ship as soon as the Arcane Order leave the castle. We'll join you as we take care of them."
Jim nodded firmly and waved his party along. They all said a few hasty goodbyes and dashed off to prepare. Aja used her serator to fly the skiff out of sight and they all watched until Belrock and Skrel descended from their ship.
"Let's go." Jim hissed, "Keep low and we'll try to free as many Trollhunters as we can before we get caught."
Everyone nodded and kept to the edges of the skiff. Steve and Toby knelt with their weapons on the floor. JIm wordlessly motioned for Aja to put the ship next to the window Douxie and Merlin had broken earlier.
Inside, Bular and Nomura lumbered slowly into an adjoining chamber. Walter carried Nari into a deeper chamber of the castle. Arthur was nowhere to be seen. The team of teens waited in silence until all that was left was the Trollhunters. Then Mary, unable to wait for her cousin's signal, leapt into the castle and scurried to her father, completely entrapped in ice.
"Papa!"
The second her fingers touched the ice, the whole cristal melted. Otto coughed up a mouthful of water and looked up at his daughter.
"That's new..." Mary stared down at her hands.
The ground shook as Nomura and Bular charged back into the room.
"Protect Mary!" Jim ordered, launching himself into the castle, "Mary! Free the others!"
The young polymorph dived at Bular and used his sword to fend off the troll's dual blades. Otto leapt to his feet and took his little sister head on. As each member of the Trollhunters was freed, they joined the fight. Arrrgh to the fight with Bular away from the Young Trollhunters.
"You're five short," Angor pulled Aja out of the way of the warring brothers.
"They're with Douxie keeping the Order busy," Jim explained, "They'll be here-"
He ducked out of the way as Otto threw Nomura across the room. A dark portal opened near the ceiling and Claire, Eli, Krel, and Stardust fell through.
"Miscalculated! Miscalculated!" Claire opened another portal and came out between Angor and Morgana, "Ow."
Eli landed and set Krel on his feet, "What did we miss?"
"Mary's new magik leaves a lot of questions," Seamus motioned to the water on the floor, "And we still haven't found Nari. Where's Douxie?"
"He went to find Nari."
A rain of obsidian shards littered the wall above their heads. They ducked and dodged.
"Claire, use the skiff to get everyone not actively fighting down to land. Angor, Barbara, port the rest. I'll handle my brother."
Everyone split. Claire let out a piercing whistle, drawing the attention of the others. Otto managed to pin Nomura beneath him and was grappling to keep controle.
"Es tut mir leid, Schwesterchen," He growled.
He punched her hard between the eyes.
"Ow! What the Hell, Otto!" Nomura held her nose and looked around, "Um...Where are we?"
"You're back? Zat actually vvorked?! Arrrgh! Cognitive recalibration! Hit him in ze head REALLY HARD!"
"Trying!"
Arrrgh and Bular were locked in a battle for control. A roar filled the air as Walt charged into the chamber.
"Yeah, I was wondering when he'd get here," Jim frowned.
Shaking his head, he charged at his father. He hit him across the face as hard as he could with the flat of his sword. Walter stumbled back, one hand over his face.
"Did it work? Da?" Jim landed in front of his father.
Walter lowered his hand, glaring daggers at his son and growled.
"It didn't work. It didn't work! It didn't work!" Jim turned and flew as fast as he could, "Chitea*! Open the portal!"
Angor moved without thinking and opened a portal directly in front of the boy. Jim dived through and crashed directly into his mother.
"I may have made Da angry…"
Barbara sighed and dived out of her husband's way. Bular and Arrrgh tumbled out after Walt. Still warring, still struggling for power.
"Arrrgh! Hurry up!" Draal kicked Walt in the face and rolled out of the way.
"TRYING!"
Bular knocked his brother to the ground and roared. Arrrgh took the opportunity to grab his brother's ankle and launched him through a chunk of Avelon."
"Ugh...My head…" Bular groaned, "Did we win?"
Otto and Blinky landed in a heap beside him.
"I guess not…"
There was a crash above them.
"Morgana!"
Claire and Angor watched in horror as the King and his sister plummeted to the ground.
"Can't she fly!?" Claire asked.
"Yes... She's falling on purpose!"
Angor sprinted forward. The castle above them began to crumble.
"Mary!"
Seamus transformed and dived between her legs, carrying her towards the royal siblings. Otto could only watch before Barbara shouted and he turned.
"Waltolemue Stricklander!" Her shout made even the cursed changeling turn, "You promised you would never leave us! And you've always kept that promise! Wherever you've gone you've always come back to us! I need you to keep it now! I need you to come back to us again!"
Jim pulled his mother out of harm's way, "You keep telling me to do what's good for me. That I can't help anyone if I don't take care of myself, too. Now it's time for you to listen to your words, Da. Do what's good for you and FIGHT HIM!"
Walter growled and charged at his family again, "No! The King IS what is good for me! My soul belongs to him!"
On the other side of the battlefield, Mary and Seamus burst past Angor. They saw Arthur shoot Morgana with one of his cursed obsidian shards.
"Oma! Onkel Arthur!"
Seamus stopped, not daring to get any closer. Mary leapt off his shoulders and tried to run forward. He held her back by the hem of her shirt. Morgana held back Arthur's blade with her stone hand. Angor sprinted past the teens, not caring about the dangerously charged magiks.
"Morgana!"
A blast of magic blew them all back. Walt shook his head and stared at his wife and son.
"W-Walt?"
He backed away, whimpering and pawing at his head. Jim tiptoed forward.
"Da?"
"Get BACK!" Walt lashed out, tossing the boy across the field.
"Jim!"
Mary looked over her shoulder for only a second but it was long enough for Morgana to cancel the levitation charm she had on Avelon.
"No!"
The green glow faded from Walter's eyes as he looked down at his son. A shiver ran down his spine as dashed over and took the boy's limp form in his hands.
"Jim!" Barbara ran over and tried to grab him.
She looked up at her husband, tears welling in her eyes. Walt bowed his head, fighting back tears of his own. Then, Avelon hit the ground with shaking force. Walt gasped and curled his wings around his wife and son. Once the dust cleared he slowly opened up. Barbara stepped back to look up at him and Jim groaned.
"D-Da?"
"Young Atlas?"
Jim grinned and hugged his father around the neck. Barbara raced forward to join them. She never made it, however. Grey stone began to spread from the hole in Walter's chest.
"Da!"
"Walt!"
Walt dropped Jim and shook before the stone completely took him over.
"NO!"
There was no way of knowing who had screamed the loudest. Jim latched onto his father, sobs wracking his whole body. Barbara cupped her husband's face.
"Walt! No! No! Please! No!"
Sobs filled the grotto. Suddenly, he began to crumble. Barbara leapt away and pulled Jim against her chest, not wanting him to see his father reduced to dust.
Walt blinked up at them as the dust cleared, "B-Barbara? J-Jim?"
He bareilly got to his feet before he was knocked back once more. They didn't get much time to celebrate. The Arcane Order's castle exploded above them.
"Douxie!" Claire and Nari launched themselves forward.
Claire took even herself by surprise, launching herself literally from the ground to catch the falling wizard in the air. She tumbled through her landing.
"Douxie? Douxie, wake up!"
"C-Claire?"
"Thank God! You're not dead!"
The kids tumbled over themselves to hug their friend. All but Jim, who was still reluctant to let go of his father, and Mary and Seamus. They sat up as they noticed the sobs still rattling through the air.
"VVhere is Mary? Und Mama? Und Seamus und Angor!?"
They ran as fast as Douxie and Walter's injuries would allow. Seamus held Mary as she sobbed.
"I tried! I- we-we could have helped him! I could have saved them!"
Angor cradled Morgana. The enchantress hung limp in his arms.
"Morgana! Please! Woke up! Don't leave me! Please!"
Otto took his daughter from her boyfriend. His own shoulders shook.
"A-*cough*- Angor?"
"Morgana!"
"W-What happened? Is everyone alright?"
"We're all here, Mum," Walt took a shaking step forward, "We won."
"W-Wally?"
He looked down at his human hands, "I don't know."
Morgana tried to push herself to her feet but Angor just held her tighter. Douxie groaned and looked around. Slowly but surely the family was getting back together.
"Nari? Come on. We should be going?"
"Going?" Steve looked up at the plant spirit on his shoulders, "But I thought you kicked their Arcane Asses?"
"Only temporarily. They won't be down long and when they get back up they'll be after Nari. We have to keep moving."
"Alright," Barbara pulled Walt's arm over her shoulders, "But first, why don't you come to Trollmarket with us. You need to pick up Merlin and some supplies never hurt."
Douxie sighed and nodded. Claire and Steve pulled out their phones and started texting their parents.
"I gotta go," Steve handed Nari to Douxie, "Mom and Coach want me home. They're going to FREAK when they find out where I've been."
"Dad said I can stay with all of you tonight," Claire tucked her phone away and pulled out her staff.
"Two more portals," Angor told her, "One to get us all in and one to get the Wizard and Douxie out. Then, no more magik until I say so, Youngling."
She frowned but nodde and conjured the portal. Slowly, the family and friends filtered through. Walt stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"Walt?" Barbara looked up at him.
He tore his eyes away from Excalibur and shook his head, "I'm fine, Love. I'll be fine."
LLB
In Angor and Morgana's keep, the families were finally reunited. For the Trollhunters it had been less than twenty-four hours. For their children, however, it had been nearly a week.
Lenora found herself on the sofa, curled as best she could into her husband's embrace. Mary curled into Otto's other side and Eli tucked himself into Lenora's side. Toby had settled himself between his parents' legs.
Seamus snatched up Cordelia before Blinky and Arrrgh had even fully passed through the portal. He had never been happier to be sandwiched between his dads. Draal and Nomura had taken Erik from Vendal and crashed in the corner.
Bagdwella shook in Bular's arms as they clung to their twins. After forcing herself to stay calm all that time, she simply couldn't do it anymore. Angor had disappeared down the hall with Morgana and Stardust. Aja and Krel were trying to lead Claire and Tronos down to their bedroom.
As much as Jim wanted to detransform and curl up to sleep with his parents like everyone else, there was something he had to do first.
"Jim?" Barbara looked up from where she was checking on the twins, "Where are you going?"
"The Hero's Forge. I...I have to check something real quick."
His cousins sighed.
"We might as well come with you."
"Count me in, too," Claire agreed.
"I'll have to bring Cordi. I don't think she's letting go any time soon."
Jim nodded and led the way. In the Forge, he stepped forward and opened the Soothscryer.
"Um...Jim?" Eli looked around, "What are we doing?"
Beautiful, glowing blue lights began sparking into existence. Each one glided to one of the Trollhunters past. All but one.
"The Amulet was destroyed," Jim explained, "They can move on now."
Each light began to take shape.
"Onkel Kanjigar!" Toby ran forward and hugged the ghost.
Daya grinned down at them, "Smart move, Skinny Legs."
Jim chuckled and hugged her.
"You've all grown so much from the whelp wreaking havoc on the market," Kanjigar teased, pulling Mary and Eli into his hug as well.
"So...this is it then?" Seamus wiped his eyes, "You're moving on and we'll never get to see you again? The End."
"No," Daya pulled him close, "You won't be able to see us again. But this is far from the end."
One by one, the Trollhunters vanished until Daya and Kanjigar were all that was left.
"May your swords stay sharp," Daya whispered as she faded.
"And your spirits bright," Kanjigar vanished.
The Forge seemed darker, the six teens left standing in the massive room.
LLB
Cambodian Translate:
Chitea- grandpa
AN1: So those 'not deaths' got a bit repetitive but I couldn't bring myself to kill anyone yet.
AN2: And there's the end of "Chanlging Families Adventures". I have some of the next book "The Changling Families vs. the Titans" prepped but I need to make the cover for it before I post anything else. See you all then, TTFN Ta Ta For Now.