The Present

Ronnie walked back to the counter, picking up his sub and taking a bite as he looked at the group, telling them they could not stay at 'Rockin Records' because they did not have the room for them. mentioning they only had one bedroom.

"So, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here" Ronnie explained taking another bite from his sub as the group looked at him, asking where they could stay, it was getting too late to leave as Ronnie finished his dinner. telling them about the 'Crashing Pit' it was this spot outside the city filled with old beds and couches.

"The Crashing Pit still exists," Barb said in some surprise, seeing nothing but modern Pop-Rock style since she got here. Eddy nodded, telling them the 'Crashing Pit' was also Rock Rebellion Turf so they would not have to worry about Greatmane loyalists

"Just go there, find a bed and plop down on it, visitors do it all the time and no one will question anything about you staying there," Ronnie said as the trolls looked at each other. Eddy just plopped on the sofa pulling out a magazine.

"So, you're just gonna send us out?" Branch asked a bit irritated as Eddy looked at them, saying they'd be safer at the Crashing Pit

"a lot of rebels frequent that place so just spend the night there, then in the morning, we can come up with some ideas of what to do" Eddy suggested as the group looked at him.

"I'll show them where the Crashing Pit is, but I'm coming back to keep an eye on you" Barb proclaimed with her arms crossed as Eddy sighed, trying to understand her point, why she wanted to keep an eye on the guy who stabbed her made some sense but He did not fully understand her reason.

The group left as only Eddy and Ronnie were left in the record store, flipping the closed sign as the group left. Ronnie looked at Eddy stating they all looked grey as he nodded, telling him that Deyo, The Dark one, used the strings to steal their colors as Ronnie glanced, saying he had heard about a troll losing their color but never actually witnessed it.

"They looked defeated" Ronnie added, crunching his wrapper into a ball, pitching it in the trash can as he walked to the minifridge, offering to crack open some beers. he mentioned the group seemed nice but Eddy was just getting their hopes up for defeat as Eddy took a sip of his drink, doubting they'd be able to even get them back home.

"I just...had to tell them something," Eddy replied, sitting on the couch, holding his can, not feeling it was right to destroy their hope, he simply took a sip of his can as Ronnie looked at him, asking what was wrong. Eddy just looked at him, saying everything about the situation was wrong, he killed Deyo and made the situation worse, the old leaders were without their colors among other things.

"I don't mean with the way things are now, I mean with you since you got back to the future, you've been acting like a different Troll, you've gotten soft" Ronnie stated as Eddy just sat back, looking at Ronnie, taking another sip and looking at his friend.

"You must have forgotten the part where Deyo wore me like a skinsuit, I feel responsible for what happened" Eddy explained as Ronnie just punched his shoulder, saying he was being controlled, and now he wasn't. Eddy had no excuse to just give up.

"I Could have killed Barb, I could have killed all the leaders, or done a lot worse," Eddy replied, admitting the guilt he felt for his actions in the past. Ronnie just stood up, shaking his head, saying he didn't so he should stop getting in a knot over what could have happened and focus on the now.

"Personally, I'd get started with patching things up with your Rock Queen Girlfriend, she seems a bit sore about the stabbing thing... and not the good sore, the bad sore" Ronnie joked as Eddy looked at him, rolling his eyes, telling him not to joke about that kind of stuff. Ronnie just chuckled, saying Eddy spent a large sum of money on his gift to her.

"Seriously, that much for a present. That's less sweet and more desperate" Ronnie said as Eddy knew that they would end up in the future and he wanted to surprise Barb

"It's only right I give it to her" Eddy stated as Barb entered the shop, asking what they were talking about. She told them the others were at the Crashing Pit as she noticed the beer can, asking Eddy to hook her up. He pointed to the minifridge as Barb walked up, pulling one of the cans, cracking it open, again asking what the two were talking about.

"Eddy got you an 'I'm sorry for stabbing you with a sword, please forgive me' present Ronnie said standing up, looking at the two, saying he was gonna leave the lovebirds alone, heading upstairs as Barb looked at him, making a joke about him being a softy.

"It's not something sappy is it," Barb added, explaining the thought of him giving her chocolates or flowers made her nauseous as he chuckled, saying Barb was in the clear because it was nothing like that. he reached under the sofa, pulling out a long black case, setting it on the table as he looked at her.

"Open it" he requested as Barb analyzed the case, glancing at him, realizing the gift was a guitar as she sarcastically complimented his creativity, mentioned she had hundreds of guitars back home, undoing the locks and flipping open the lid.

"...You didn't," she said genuinely surprised and the contents of the case, revealing the Axe of Rock, weathered with age, six silver strings, running down the neck as Barb closed the case, trying to think of the words for this act. This guitar was a piece of history, passed down her family, and when it was taken she thought she'd never see it again.

"Eddy I, thanks," Barb said, lifting the instrument from its case, asking how he even got it. Eddy tugged his chin saying it was a complex story but the basics of it were back when Eddy was possessed he managed to convince the Dark one the Guitar was useless without the strings, so in exchange for him keeping the strings Eddy could keep the guitar.

"He even said it wasn't worth anything to him" Eddy replied as Barb held it in her lap, forming a chord strumming, the sound was heard as she turned one of the pegs, strumming as a cleaner note was heard.

"That must be a pain to play sitting down" Eddy joked about the three spikes on the bottom as Barb just rolled her eyes, admitting it was uncomfortable.

"Eddy, This is, I don't even know what to say," Barb said not used to getting touchy or feely as Eddy understood, telling her there was no need to say anything, looking at her. he asked if they were good as she nodded her head, saying they were all good, her wound wasn't even there and she knew he was possessed at the time.

"No use in blaming you," she said mentioning they were good as they sat on the couch, drinking their beers as Barb looked at Eddy, setting her guitar back in the black case, looking serious as she asked if they could get real for a second.

"Aren't we already real now" Eddy sarcastically retorted as Barb playfully punched his shoulder, saying that she was being serious, looking at Eddy, asking how long he was possessed and when it started. Eddy shrugged, he realized that it started after killing Deyo. All the black junk got into his wounds and that was what possessed him.

"During that time I had weird visions, an out of body experience, seeing the afterlife, talking to dead Trolls, I just thought I had brain damage for my near-death experience. By the way, when I was out-of-body, I could swear I saw you refusing to give up on me" Eddy explained as she downplayed it.

"It was an emotional time, I'm allowed to have feelings... but that's not what I want to know. After Lonesome Flats were you still you know 'you' during the Preconcert and in Rock Castle" Barb asked as Eddy knew what she was talking about as he nodded.

"Yeah, that was me, all me... he may have been along for the ride but I was holding the controls" Eddy comforted as Barb sighed in relief, looking at him, rubbing her arm as the two looked at each other. Eddy looked at Barb, who was asking what the status of their relationship was, especially with everything going on. They were both on edge talking about the idea of a relationship, especially now.

"I feel we should get this settled now, what if I go back to my time and never see you again, I need closure" Barb replied feeling confused as she took another sip of her can, Eddy just looked at the Rock Queen, asking if she was drunk. She was actually asking about a relationship. Barb letting out a belch, crush the can on her forehead, tossing it. the crumpled can bounced off the bin, landing inside.

A/N and now the topic of an Eddy/Barb relation is brought up, it's implied they made out in the first book but chalked it as a one-time thing.