Chapter 14: in which a gate opens

A sense of pure triumph filled the doppelgänger as he released Merlin, but an instant later there came a desperate cry accompanied by a scorching surge of blue magic. Skrael's ice prison disintegrated on impact and everyone was shoved back by the blast. Eyes awash with a cerulean glow, Douxie dove after his master.

The Green Knight felt the overflowing wave of power as his double threw a mountain of it downward to protect Merlin from the Heart of Avalon. Raw, blinding energy blasted upward from the gap, then explosions began to rock the castle, making it tilt and careen wildly.

The two primordial wizards drifted to the gateway, followed closely by their champion. Skrael used his staff to create an ice bridge to their fortress but none of them spoke until they reentered the main hall and saw a fresh trail of blood… and no sign of the Trollhunter.

Bellroc spun on the Green Knight with a thunderous shout. "Where is my prisoner?!"

Replacing his helmet, the visitor from another world ignored her ire. "Merlin is dead. That's what you wanted of me and I fulfilled my side of the bargain. I'll take care of my doppelgänger myself, but you no longer need me."

Skrael's staff swung out to point at him threateningly. "No one said you were free to go, foreigner. Do not make the mistake of thinking we will let you walk away."

"Retrieve the Trollhunter," came Bellroc's steel command, thick with deadly promise in her two voices. "Kill whomever you choose, but that one belongs to me."

Arcadia – Claire's bedroom, 4:26 A.M.

"You have a doppelgänger? Since when?" Toby exploded. "Also… what is a doppelgänger? You know, for the benefit of the ones in the room who don't already know."

"The easiest way to describe it is someone from a parallel world," Douxie answered, carefully levitating Merlin's giant crystal. "I've heard tales and translated texts about them, but I never paid much attention because they were always more of a legend to me, so—"

"There are rules even wizards as powerful as the Arcane Order cannot break at a whim," Blinky interrupted, his tone the authoritative one of a scholar once more. "Reaching into another dimension to pull someone into ours can only be done once every three hundred years because it takes that long for such a breach to heal and avoid serious injury to both worlds. The last known doppelgänger was summoned approximately five centuries ago and destroyed three entire trollmarkets in Europe, including portions of the cities above them. How he was eventually defeated or what weaknesses he may have had are sadly beyond our reach at the moment. What little information I located was referential, not descriptions of the event itself."

Douxie sighed, shaking his head. "There might have been more we could have found in Camelot, but… I'd say that possibility is a fairly solid dead end right now."

They all went silent. News that the flying castle was grounded had been both a shock and a tragedy. For some because they'd lived there, but for others because it had been a wealth of knowledge that may very well be gone forever if they couldn't find a way to salvage what was left.

Behind them, Zoe shut her eyes tight, one finger tapping against her temple as though trying to beat free some elusive thought.

"Doppelgängers… doppelgängers…" All at once she gave a gasp, icy blue eyes going wide. "I have to make some calls. Be back soon!"

Hours later Zoe came sashaying down the basement stairs of the Lake residence to join Claire, Jim and Douxie. Everyone else had either returned home or were visiting what remained of Heartstone Trollmarket in an attempt to find anything useful. Or searching for a tavern, in Galahad's case despite being told it wasn't the best idea. Thankfully Nari was content to embellish Barbara's back yard and play with the babies upstairs, Archie having orders to keep a strict eye on her… when she wasn't impulsively chasing him.

The wizard paused his third layer of magical wards when he saw Zoe's smirky face. "I think I found the answer you've been looking for."

"To which problem?" the Trollhunter wondered almost tiredly.

"The doppelgänger," she said with what seemed a self-satisfied smile. "My babička used to tell me stories when I was little. It turns out the last one killed all the great wizards who lived in central Bohemia so they wouldn't rise against him, leaving only hedge wizards he thought too weak to be a threat—a couple of which happened to be my ancestors. He had no idea they would ever be able to make a fifth configuration to send him back."

"A fifth configuration?!" Douxie nearly burst out, surprising the other two. "Zoe, do you have any idea how hard that is? I have trouble linking even though I learned from the best."

"And I learned from the best," she replied airily. "Because the other hedge wizards at Hex Tech have always been so interested in boosting their magic, they asked me to teach them. We've been practicing the last two years. That's how we warded the store."

Now he was nearly gawking at her. "What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why? So you could mock us like you did about the staffs? It was none of your business, especially with you being ambient—and something of a screw-up. Everyone was reluctant to have you interfere."

Jim stepped between them. "Hold up just one sec. You can send this doppelgänger back to his world with a… link?"

"Five wizards have to link up so that their magic can be combined for a single spell," Zoe nodded. "Together they can do things even a wizard like Merlin would find difficult or near-impossible. Yeah, someone can't be pulled from one world into a new one anytime soon, but they can be returned. It's a spell dedicated to restoring the natural order of the universe."

"Or we could just kill him," Jim said reluctantly. "It's not like I want to, but what else are we supposed to do?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head slightly. "I already spoke with Nari about it and she agrees it's a bad idea to kill him unless there is absolutely no choice. Dragging him here upset the harmony of his own world and he needs to go back in order to restore it. Killing him could have unexpected consequences because he shouldn't even exist here."

"Look Zoe, I'd be willing to try the configuration, but once linked I wouldn't be able to use my magic," Douxie said with nervous shifting. "I don't like the idea of being restrained like that with someone as unpredictable and powerful as he is."

"Could I do it?"

Both of them glanced at Claire, surprised at the offer. Zoe tried not to scoff, but her smile bordered on condescending.

"Not to be rude, but I don't think so. Linking is like nothing you've ever done. You've spent all this time learning to control your magic, to gain mastery over it. But this requires you to take all that and suddenly do the opposite."

"She's right," Douxie agreed. "You have to give complete control of your magic to someone else. It's an act of total submission. Not everyone can do it, especially with strangers."

"When I learned it from my parents it was easy, but with others…" the witch shrugged. "It took me weeks to finally link up with my friends even though I knew what I was doing, and months for them to do it with me even though they were trying. Something inside still fights against it."

"Can you at least show me what to do? Just so I understand."

"Well… I guess it couldn't hurt."

Douxie rubbed the back of his neck, thinking hard. "I know it's unlikely, but I'll have to see if there are any books at the shop that might possibly have the right configur—"

"Already done. Babička had an old book full of all that stuff. She sent me the specs this morning and I passed them on to Asmodeus."

"…And he actually agreed to do it?" The centuries-old wizard's tone brimmed with doubt.

"Look, Casperan," she sighed, folding her arms as if his response had been an insult. "You may not be his most favorite person in the world, but he's always willing to help another wizard in trouble. You should know that."

"Oh yeah… Pia. Alright fine, I'll do my best."

Zoe beckoned to Claire. "Well, if you want linking lessons you might as well come with me. Let's go someplace that doesn't have creepy frozen wizards hiding in the basement and screaming babies in the rest of the house. I'll introduce you to the other hedge wizards this evening after Hex Tech closes."

The two girls left and Douxie went back to crafting the ward. Jim slowly paced from one end of the basement to the other, reaching up to touch the base of his broken horn. When he saw the magical light show settle onto the walls before fading and Douxie himself drop down beside Merlin's green crystal in weariness, he approached.

"What's the difference between you and your doppelgänger?"

The dark-haired wizard felt his fatigue melt away. Even primarily using his bracer for powerful spells always drained him for a minute. "Hard to say. I know he blames the Merlin of his world for everything that went wrong in his life. Chances are good he did some pretty plonking things that made everyone consider him a serious threat, but he wasn't exactly specific."

"When I was their prisoner he attacked me twice. The first time it was when I called him 'Douxie', but the second time he completely went berserk and did this." One hand returned to the jagged remains of his horn. "All I did was ask if he really wanted you to suffer so much that he'd kill Archie. …What's it like when a wizard loses his familiar?"

Douxie jerked back in surprise. "I… I don't even want to think about it. A familiar bond is held by the wizard. If I die, Archie won't suffer any serious effects—the same way those changeling babies upstairs wouldn't get hurt if their changelings bought it—but if he dies…" His throat tightened unexpectedly, forcing him to speak softer. "I've heard the loss usually causes months to years of grief, but there are the rare cases where a wizard goes insane. You're suggesting my doppelgänger lost Archie in his world?"

"Does it make sense to you?"

Leaning against the wall and placing a hand on his chin, he gave a thoughtful nod. "Probably. I'm not sure how that knowledge helps us, though."

Jim sighed. "I'm just looking for any kind of advantage. If he got that emotional when all I did was mention Archie then maybe we can find some way to use it against him."

A niggling idea began to tickle the back of Douxie's mind. "It's not much… but I think I have an inkling."

Some hours later Barbara Lake finally convinced her son to let her take a look at his injury. Most of the windows were covered with blackout curtains taped down to prevent even a sliver of light from getting in, which made the entire house feel cave-like and welcoming to a troll… but at the same time unusual. Both NotEnrique and Strickler appreciated her willingness to accommodate their intolerance for sunlight.

"I hate that stuff," he muttered with a wince and shut his eyes tight. Iodine hadn't been his first choice of treatment, but she'd insisted.

"I'm sorry, Jim, but I've never treated a troll before," she sighed. Even though he sat on the end of her bed, she almost had to stand on tiptoes to apply it. "I don't know what kinds of diseases you might be susceptible to and I'd prefer not to take any chances. I want you to take some antibiotics too just in case."

"You're using your 'doctor voice'," he told her with a grin.

She attempted to smile back before applying more iodine to the wound, but there was no lightheartedness behind it. "I'll… I'll take a look at those burns once I'm done bandaging this up."

"Mom, both Blinky and Aaarrrgghh said they'll heal up fine. They just hurt a little."

"How about that mark burned into your face?" she asked, tightly-controlled anger behind the words. "I assume that one is bothering you since it made an indent two centimeters deep."

This time Jim didn't reply. He didn't want to admit how much Bellroc's backhand really bothered him. Barbara set the iodine bottle down with such softness that it startled him more than if she'd slammed it onto the table. But she gathered up the gauze and began wrapping his horn without a trace of anything but professionalism.

She only spoke again when she'd finished. "How much longer are you going to keep fighting these… people?"

"As long as it takes, Mom. And even afterward the job isn't done. I can't quit being the Trollhunter. It's a lifetime gig with no retirement."

"And… you're okay with that?"

"I don't exactly have a choice."

"It doesn't matter if you have a choice, Jim. You can still feel however you want about it."

He opened his mouth to reply when a foreign voice slipped into his thoughts. "Where are you, boy? Bring the Trollhunter and Nari to the center or I will destroy this miserable town block by block. I don't care if people die, but I know you do, Hisirdoux. I won't wait long."

One hand went to his head in surprise, noticing after a moment that his mother had done the same. Her eyes questioned him but she didn't say a word. Reluctantly he turned away and headed for the stairs. Douxie was practically yanking Nari toward the basement and trying to fend off Strickler's inquiries at the same time that Archie hovered by his ear, yammering about something. No one was making themselves understood because of the sudden commotion caused by six babies screaming at once, startled by the sound of a strange voice echoing inside their heads.

"Shut it!" the wizard bellowed, and a blanket of instant silence magically descended. The changeling babies' mouths still moved in full-throated howls, but they had been muted. "Nari, stay out of sight in case the Order is with him."

Her expression was regretful as she stepped through the basement door. Jim had to wave to get Douxie's attention, pointing to his mouth. A few blue sparks later he had his voice back.

"Mom, Strickler, take care of the kids and watch over Nari. It's too sunny for me to go out there, but I can take the tunnels to reach Arcadia Square, which I assume is what he meant by 'the center'. Doux, do you think the other wizards in town can really perform that spell Zoe mentioned?"

"On short notice like this? Hard to say, but I have to go meet him whether they can or not," he said as the dragon returned to the guise of a cat and landed on his shoulder. "I'll contact Asmodeus. You call Claire and see if they can get to Hex Tech right away. Mrs. Lake, how attached are you to your car? I need a ride and there's no guarantee it will come back in one piece."

Minutes later the wizard dove behind a car (thankfully not Mrs. Lake's), trying not to panic. His double stood beside the park's central statue, the very air churning into a windstorm as he threatened the lives of the entire town. Perhaps in an attempt to be taken seriously by the curious onlookers he started grabbing nearby objects with his magic and tossing them about. At least the majority of pedestrians were clearing the area now.

Douxie darted into the open and used his staff to fire off some blasts. The Green Knight blocked him with aggravating ease, reflecting the attacks back at him so that he was forced to take cover again to defend himself against his own magic.

[I'm on the far side now,] came Archie's voice in his head, accompanied by a throbbing pain behind Douxie's eyes.

"Wait for my signal, Arch," he replied mentally.

"Doux!" Jim called, diving beside him. For a moment the wizard was shocked, then glanced up at the cloudbank that had obscured the sun. "I don't get it. Why is he doing this? Isn't the Order dedicated to secrecy? Why announce his intentions to the whole town?"

"It's because he's running out of time. He's desperate to kill me before his armor becomes so weak that he has no more protection. Didn't you notice he hasn't summoned shadow mephits or thrown any onyx shards at us? He can't anymore, but that doesn't necessarily make him weaker." His eyes scanned the area, narrowed with worry. "Where is she?"

"What kinds of weaknesses does he have?" the Trollhunter asked.

"How would I know?!"

"Doux, he's you," Jim pointed out in a voice that said he shouldn't have to. "Your vulnerabilities are his. You do have some, right?"

The look he shot the half-troll was sardonic. "I can think of a few."

"Well, pick one."

As the windstorm raged around them, Douxie touched the charm bracer, growing resolved. "…Okay, but I have to get really close—as in close enough to be killed—and I won't get a chance even then unless we can put him off-balance first. But where the deuce is Claire? The plan won't even work if she can't get everyone into place in time!"

Claire's feet came down on the rooftop, barely keeping her balance as she hit an uneven tile. Asmodeus, Pia and Mark landed beside her, all giving a collective shudder at the mode of travel.

"Never used a shadow portal before," the girl with dishwater blond hair said. "I'll take this spot and link with Asmodeus as soon as he's at the head of the circle."

A new portal opened and the two boys followed Claire to another roof. She briefly watched Mark close his eyes to concentrate, but Asmodeus prodded her in the back to get her moving. Despite his nickname, he was Korean with a minimal trace of accent and seemed the least impressed with her abilities.

"No time to watch if you want that otherworldly devil to go back where he came from," he uttered in a snippy, no-nonsense tone. "You guys are lucky I'm good at memorizing configurations. If that dumb Brit can really link with me then this might actually work."

Claire swallowed a tart retort sitting on her tongue, choosing instead to stick to business. Once he was in place, the Asian looked toward GDT Arcane Books where Zoe could be seen beckoning to the few people who were still running about, unsure of what to do. Some followed her instructions to take cover inside or flee the area, but then she seemed to be having an argument with a frantic woman.

"Get her to the other spot," Asmodeus ordered as if he was her boss. "If she's not there, we're all doomed. You know that doppelgänger will zero in on us."

Trying not to shoot another glare at him, Claire splayed her fingers and started to form a shadow portal when things on the ground suddenly got hairy.

Zoe almost shoved the woman inside Douxie's shop (hoping its barrier would keep people safe) and then sprinted for one last group of people clustered behind the park bushes. She scattered them with some choice phrases about how brain-dead they were to sit around in the middle of a battle, then grabbed a pair of twin girls wearing scout uniforms by the hands.

"Your mom's this way!" she shouted above the swirling hurricane of wind.

But as they headed back toward the shop, a dark blue pickup tumbled end over end straight toward them, windows shattering and metal crunching with each impact. Zoe released the girls and snatched her techno-wand to point it at the vehicle. Screaming filled her ears as the children ducked in terror. A crushing force pressed down on her as the tool tried to manipulate an object a hundred times heavier than anything it had been designed for.

The pickup began to slow, but it kept coming. Sweat popped out on her forehead as Zoe realized in the space of one second there was no way to push it elsewhere. She tried anyway.

The opposing force of grabbing a truck shoved her back and the pink-haired witch slipped as one ankle buckled with a pop, pulling her to the asphalt. The vehicle's bumper came flying at her—she could see the distorted reflection of her face in the metal—when a vertical pool of black came between it and her. And mercifully it was gone.

"Zoe!"

The twins were still crying on the ground, sure they were going to die. Claire sent them toward safety with a shout that made them scurry off, then she reached down to help Zoe up.

But throbbing fire kept her from standing. Trying to bite back a shrill noise, her face twisted with the pain. Without pausing, Claire bent down to loop one of Zoe's arms around her neck and lift her up. Two staggering steps and they were overlooking the square.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she lowered the other girl to the roof.

"Does it look like I'm okay?!" Zoe screeched, curling around her foot. "No! I'm not friggin' okay! Pretty sure I just broke my ankle!"

She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. It was past time to link with Asmodeus. But when she closed her eyes to feel his aura a few buildings away, it flickered in and out of her mind's eye. Zoe did her best to concentrate on surrendering her magic, but the burning, pounding jolts of agony from her ankle kept getting in the way.

"I can't!" she almost sobbed, tears from the injury mixing with frustration. "I can barely feel Asmodeus at all and I can't make myself let go of my magic!"

Claire placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Let me give it a shot."

She looked up at the shadow witch, stunned into silence for a moment. "It–It's impossible. You scarcely even let me brush up against your magic when we tried it earlier. What makes you think you could do a flawless link now with someone you barely met?"

"Because if I don't, people I care about are going to die."

It was only after it was too late that she realized she'd completely forgotten the fifth member of the configuration.

All the doppelgänger's attacks were focused on them now that there was no one left in the square to threaten. His laughter bordered on maniacal and he fired off bursts of yellowish magic with unflagging energy.

"You'd better make that link, Doux," the Trollhunter suggested, keeping his head down.

"Claire should have brought me to the fifth point by now," he retorted. "If I'm not there, then it takes longer for the configuration to form. Maybe a few minutes."

"Are you saying we need to play for time?"

"Guess so." The wizard peeked out, catching sight of the doppelgänger and then dodging back behind the car as a wave of magic sizzled past. Remembering what Merlin had said about using his doppelgänger's own insecurities against him, he took a few breaths to ready himself. "Arch, looks like we'll have to improvise."

[As usual. Got it.]

Throwing himself into a forward roll, the familiar disguised as Douxie called out an insult and took off for the collapsed gazebo. The Green Knight twisted around, surprised. While he was distracted, the real Douxie leaped over the car where he'd been hiding.

"It's your fault Archie died!" he shouted running beside Jim.

The response was immediate. Crumpling to the ground, the knight held the sides of his helmet. Archie streaked forward, delivering a kick to his best friend's doppelgänger. The tennis shoe connected with his face, breaking the weakened mask, then he landed in a catlike crouch. Its pieces flew everywhere just before Jim slammed into him from behind. They rolled a few times, but the half-troll easily had the upper hand.

While Jim jammed one knee down on the cracked breastplate of onyx armor, Douxie grabbed hold of his doppelgänger's wrist and felt along the underside of the bracer. The Green Knight realized what he was doing just as the hidden catch came loose.

A horrible cry rang out, setting Jim's hair on end. From where he knelt, it looked like the Green Knight was in a serious world of pain. Douxie threw the bracer as far as he could and shot a look at the figures standing on the surrounding rooftops.

"Hurry up and link now!" the wizard shouted, risking everything and letting go of his magic.

It hung there invisibly, requiring every shred of his willpower not to yank back when Asmodeus touched it. Oily fingers dug deep into the molten core of his magic. With a grunt, Douxie's muscles went watery as he lost all control over his powers. He could feel the four other strains of magic all melding into one alongside his, but was surprised to sense Claire's instead of Zoe's.

Before he could even consider what that might mean, the Green Knight heaved upward, throwing Jim off and lashing out with his sword. Douxie's staff was flung to the cement nearby.

"You may have taken my bracer, muppet," he ground out through gritted teeth, "but I can still deal with you!"

Jim let the glaives loose, but sickly clouds of magic seized hold and jammed them into cracked layers of cement. A warning scream came from above as Claire called out to her boyfriend and he barely had time to realize a new danger before it was upon him. Lancing beams of sunlight came through a break in the clouds, touching the ground just feet away. Panicking, Jim dove beneath the fallen roof of the busted gazebo with no choice but to leave his friend.

Douxie had fallen to his knees at the attack, unsteady from his link with the other wizards and unable to use magic. Stil in disguise, Archie stationed himself between them with a growl. Before he could do anything, a stasis bubble coalesced around him. It squeezed, forcing him to return to his true form.

The Green Knight staggered forward to touch the floating bubble of magic. There was a cloudiness fogging his expression, crazed with the sharp loss of his bracer, yet excitement overtook him as he gazed at Archie. Yellow dragon eyes glared at the doppelgänger with frightening fierceness.

Archie snarled, baring his sharp teeth. "I want nothing to do with you!"

"You'll change your mind soon enough," he said softly through a smile that almost seemed sincere, one hand stroking the liquid-like trap.

From where he had fallen, Douxie pushed up onto his elbows and gave a reflexive shout. "Let him go! You know he'd never be yours!"

The Green Knight's hazel eyes grew crafty as he turned on his double. "The only reason I accepted Skrael's proposal was because I learned Archie still lived in this world. The moment I stepped through the barrier I could feel him. Once you're dead and his memories of you are purged, he'll belong to me."

Hot anger pooled in his gut. Before he even realized it, Douxie had shoved to his feet and charged forward. The two of them grappled, one unable to use any magic and the other barely able to. Behind them, Archie fought to get free unsuccessfully.

Then magical whiteness washed over the world—

It was an all-too-familiar scene. A group of soldiers stood frozen in place while the fifteen-year-old version of himself looked about in confusion, Archie by his side. No… it wasn't him. It was his doppelgänger.

Douxie saw Merlin approach, looking down at the young wizard with disdain. "You would do better to practice your scams in a city that is less intolerant."

But his other self didn't fall down on one knee in awe. Blistering embers of anger kindled in his eyes. "Before she died my mother told me you're the one who condemned my family. The Casperans are all dead because of you!"

Surprise flitted across the old man's face, but the accusation attacked his pride, making it flare in response and keeping him from feeling any remorse. "Apparently not. Be grateful there is one left."

He turned his back, but shocked by the callousness of the great Merlin, Douxie's doppelganger pulled a knife and flew at him. Hearing him, Merlin spun about with an automatic stunning spell. It fired off in a burning green flash—but Archie had darted between them to stop the fight.

The stun struck the small dragon full force in the heart, sending him tumbling all the way across the square.

Douxie couldn't keep back a shocked gasp of his own as the other gave a hoarse, strangled cry and ran to him. Archie stared up at his friend through a mask of pain, twitched the beginning of a smile… then his eyes glazed over.

"No… no… Please don't be gone, Arch!"

Merlin watched the boy gather his dead familiar into his arms, begging through tears. Then the one Douxie had grown to see as the only real father he'd ever had… walked away.

Cradling his dearest friend, the boy wizard suddenly erupted with fury. "I'll make you pay, Merlin! No matter how long it takes, I'll make sure you pay for this!"

An instant later the world blurred, coming back into focus with a night sky grown pale and bloody with the light of flames. Camelot, both city and castle, were ablaze as the doppelgänger stood on the ramparts laughing with mad glee.

Archie's broken spectacles dangled from his hand as he raised one fist to the sky and shouted, "Justice! This is justice!"

Douxie blinked, so overwhelmed by the images and sudden brightness of daylight that he didn't see the sword until it was too late. Even though he made an attempt to pull back, the blade sliced straight into flesh as it ripped along his side.

He fell to the ground from the force of the blow, shock keeping him from feeling it at first. His hand found the wound, wetness soaking through his T-shirt and hoodie. He held it there and could feel blood slip through the cracks between his fingers.

This… this was it, wasn't it?

Pain sluiced through Zoe's leg, a scorching scalpel digging deeper with every heartbeat. Claire had fallen beside her, unable to stand as the link with Asmodeus and the others drained her completely. But she let out a cry to warn Jim just in time as the clouds broke open to admit deadly sunlight.

Zoe watched as two versions of the same person faced off. He really was old. And scarred. Spying from her hiding place overlooking Arcadia Square, the air witch was overcome with an odd feeling of awareness. If Douxie hadn't gotten that Foretelling long ago and changed his future because of it, this is very much the way he would have looked.

By now the armor had chipped away up to his shoulder, patches of black marring the skin along his arm. And with his helmet nothing more than broken bits of onyx littering the ground, he stared at the younger version of himself with an intensity that was unnerving. Archie could be seen struggling and spitting fire, but though the bubble stretched and rippled, it didn't break.

Their enemy's face glowed with pride, but even more disturbing was the tenderness in it as he gazed at the little dragon. So consumed by an obsession that he'd been willing to do anything to attain it, this stranger from another world finally saw the reward of all his hardships and gave a genuine smile. Against her will Zoe felt sorry for him.

Douxie surged at the doppelgänger, grabbing hold in a frenzied, instinctive attempt to free his best friend.

At the same time a strange feeling of familiarity had come stealing up, indenting itself on Zoe's mind. She knew on an indescribable level the scene had changed—Douxie couldn't use magic because of the link, he had a staff, and the Knight's armor was disintegrating—but it was still leading up to the same moment she'd seen in the Shadow Realm.

As they wrestled back and forth, Douxie suddenly faltered, looking around as though he'd forgotten where he was. In that moment of distraction the sword struck. He fell. She could see blood staining the park sidewalk beside him.

From her spot, terror snatched Zoe's breath away. The Shadow Realm's vision was taking place before her eyes! Every vestige of pain in her ankle dulled before the very real fear that he would die.

Desperation drove her forward as the aeromancer threw out her hands, screaming and forcing her magic to reach!

A cocoon of silence folded around him, keeping the Green Knight's incapacitating words from being heard. No sound passed through the swaddling layers of air. Shunting aside the growing fire in his ribcage, Douxie snatched up his staff to block the descending sword. His double looked surprised, then he shouted something else equally inaudible. The wizard responded by slamming him in the face with the heavy end of his weapon.

There was no time to wonder what was wrong with his ears. He could feel the configuration finally taking shape beneath their feet, with the Green Knight unknowingly standing at the apex as it came to life.

Sound came rushing back at Douxie with a roar a fraction of a second before glowing symbols flared in a circle, focused entirely on the stranger. A gateway opened in a blaze of red and gold light, unlocking as the natural order of the universe sought to push this intruder back into his own world.

Letting out a bellow of sheer hatred, the doppelgänger fought to stay. The pentagram-shaped door appeared to devote its attention wholly on him, inhaling and reaching out with inescapable greed.

"No!" the doppelgänger howled, stabbing his sword into the earth and holding on tight.

"I haven't given up on this world," Douxie cried over the rising noise of suction, "and I won't let you take that choice away from the people who are still alive here! Go back where you came from and find your purpose there."

"Fine, I will—but not without my familiar!"

The Green Knight stretched out his bare hand and beckoned to the floating stasis bubble. Face transforming with new terror, Douxie made a grab for it, but with his magic occupied fully by the doorway there was no way to stop him from stealing Archie!

"Don't! If you try to make him go through that doorway it will rip a hole in both our worlds!" he protested. "We'll all die!"

His doppelgänger's expression was savage and unforgiving as he placed a protective hand on the bubble where Archie floated, hissing.

"Either he stays with me or innocent people in two worlds perish along with us, Douxie. The only way out of this is if you die."

A/N: Man, this chapter was evil! I had to do another complete rewrite to make it coherent because too much had to be established first before the action could begin (I did also add a tiny tribute to my own babička who loves to tell stories and hoard things).

Minor note on Jim's incantation for his sword (even though he doesn't use it in this chapter): I know it's supposed to be "For the doom of Gunmar" but Gumar is dead. Seems a bit redundant to bring that up at this point, yet since he's basically stuck in his Eclipse armor all the time there isn't much alternative but to call on that specific sword. I did attempt to have him summon Daylight in an early draft, but it didn't feel right with his dark armor and the mismatch drew too much attention to itself when the focus should be elsewhere.

I really did try to follow the show's pattern with beast-Jim, but that part always left a particularly bad taste in my mouth. It felt important to let him be himself as much as possible instead of devolving into psychological torment that doesn't have all that much impact on the story anyway.