p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Strickler's POV:/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""… history wants to repeat itself," Young Atlas said, pulling out a knife. In response, I pull out mine. I cannot say I understand what he is saying. What history? Why is it repeating?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"I am pulled away from my thoughts as Young Atlas speaks again. "Could we just talk about this? I know you are better than this. What would my mum, Barbra, think if you killed her only son?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Barbra would hate me if I go through with this, but I do not have a choice…do I? Jim knows too much about me; but Barbra would hate me anyway if she ever learnt the truth…/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"I attack, blocking out Jim's words, so they could no longer distract me from my one goal. To keep my secrets, not let anyone ever get the better hand, so I could land on top and try to protect myself./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"I knock Jim's knives away and back him into a conner. He is not even trying to defeat me, or even kill me! Why was this, given all he knew? Not trying to kill me and put an end to this monster?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He was cornered with nowhere to go. He was looking around for something to block my knives. Something metallic sounded in his back pocket as he hit the wall. He pulled out the metal object and threw it at my face. It was solid and it unbalanced me, knocking me over as it emitted a green and blue flash./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"I sit there disoriented. When my head finally stops throbbing, I open my eyes and try to gather my bearings. I cannot find Jim. All I see is a blue troll where once Young Atlas was cornered./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He looks as disorientated as me; when our eyes meet, he becomes wide awake and looks around frantically. He dives for something, the gaggletack Jim had just hit me with. It forces me back into my human form./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"When the troll touches it, there is another blue flash, and Jim is in front of me, holding the gaggletack. "What? How?" I sputter in confusion. I', familiar with all the changelings in Arcadia, but I know for a fact that Jim isn't one, especially since the only young changeling that is out is Not-Enreque. How could Jim be a Changeling?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"As I was about to form a coherent question, the young changeling says, "I can explain."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;"––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Explain he did. Without the evidence I had seen and the knowledge he had no way of knowing, I would not have believed him. I still could barely believe him, especially the fact that Barbara could love a man like me after knowing everything I had done, and that he had been the Trollhunter and defeated Gunmar./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He said that he had gotten a new amulet, one after the old one was destroyed, "Young Atlas," I say, realising the nickname I had given him really suits, "you said you had a different amulet from the daylight that you used to travel back in time. Did that amulet travel back with you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Not that I know of," Jim replied. I looked into his eyes and realised that this poor boy had the weight of the world on his shoulders. I break my gaze and continue speaking, still having many questions that I want to ask before Barbra got home./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Have you tried calling it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""No, I will try now. For the glory of Merlin…" he started before stopping and trying again, "for the good of all, daylight is mine to command!" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Nothing happened. We look around, but no amulet appears. I turn to him once more. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you told me that you wielded Excalibur, not daylight. Maybe try calling that?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He does not look that hopeful as he calls out again. "For the good of all, Excalibur is mine to command!" With those words said, all the lights in the house flicker, and a green light emits out of his chest. He cries out in pain. Not sure what to do, I stand there, watching helplessly as green light envelopes him completely and lifts him off the ground./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"When the lights fade, Jim is standing there in full body armour, Excalibur in hand. "It works," the armoured boy calls out, "I can't believe it actually worked, this is so great!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Before I could say anything, we hear a car pull into the driveway. Jim pulls off his armour, quickly hiding that and the gaggletack, before going into the kitchen to get dinner./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""We can talk later," I whisper. "Maybe at school tomorrow? You clearly don't know how to transform properly." From what I could understand he didn't know how to transform at all without a gaggletack./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Yeah, that would be good," Jim replies, his shoulders slumping. "Thanks for understanding Mr Strickler."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Barbra enters and dinner goes smoothly. I thought about all he had said as we ate. From another future, one where Barbra loved me and Gunmar was dead. It was almost unbelievable. More than I could have ever wished for. With a future to look forward to, I begin to plan what will have to come next./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""… history wants to repeat itself," Young Atlas said, pulling out a knife. In response, I pull out mine. I cannot say I understand what he is saying. What history? Why is it repeating?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"I am pulled away from my thoughts as Young Atlas speaks again. "Could we just talk about this? I know you are better than this. What would my mum, Barbra, think if you killed her only son?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Barbra would hate me if I go through with this, but I do not have a choice…do I? Jim knows too much about me; but Barbra would hate me anyway if she ever learnt the truth…/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"I attack, blocking out Jim's words, so they could no longer distract me from my one goal. To keep my secrets, not let anyone ever get the better hand, so I could land on top and try to protect myself./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"I knock Jim's knives away and back him into a conner. He is not even trying to defeat me, or even kill me! Why was this, given all he knew? Not trying to kill me and put an end to this monster?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He was cornered with nowhere to go. He was looking around for something to block my knives. Something metallic sounded in his back pocket as he hit the wall. He pulled out the metal object and threw it at my face. It was solid and it unbalanced me, knocking me over as it emitted a green and blue flash./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"I sit there disoriented. When my head finally stops throbbing, I open my eyes and try to gather my bearings. I cannot find Jim. All I see is a blue troll where once Young Atlas was cornered./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He looks as disorientated as me; when our eyes meet, he becomes wide awake and looks around frantically. He dives for something, the gaggletack Jim had just hit me with. It forces me back into my human form./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"When the troll touches it, there is another blue flash, and Jim is in front of me, holding the gaggletack. "What? How?" I sputter in confusion. I', familiar with all the changelings in Arcadia, but I know for a fact that Jim isn't one, especially since the only young changeling that is out is Not-Enreque. How could Jim be a Changeling?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"As I was about to form a coherent question, the young changeling says, "I can explain."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;"––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Explain he did. Without the evidence I had seen and the knowledge he had no way of knowing, I would not have believed him. I still could barely believe him, especially the fact that Barbara could love a man like me after knowing everything I had done, and that he had been the Trollhunter and defeated Gunmar./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He said that he had gotten a new amulet, one after the old one was destroyed, "Young Atlas," I say, realising the nickname I had given him really suits, "you said you had a different amulet from the daylight that you used to travel back in time. Did that amulet travel back with you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Not that I know of," Jim replied. I looked into his eyes and realised that this poor boy had the weight of the world on his shoulders. I break my gaze and continue speaking, still having many questions that I want to ask before Barbra got home./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Have you tried calling it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""No, I will try now. For the glory of Merlin…" he started before stopping and trying again, "for the good of all, daylight is mine to command!" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Nothing happened. We look around, but no amulet appears. I turn to him once more. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you told me that you wielded Excalibur, not daylight. Maybe try calling that?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"He does not look that hopeful as he calls out again. "For the good of all, Excalibur is mine to command!" With those words said, all the lights in the house flicker, and a green light emits out of his chest. He cries out in pain. Not sure what to do, I stand there, watching helplessly as green light envelopes him completely and lifts him off the ground./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"When the lights fade, Jim is standing there in full body armour, Excalibur in hand. "It works," the armoured boy calls out, "I can't believe it actually worked, this is so great!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Before I could say anything, we hear a car pull into the driveway. Jim pulls off his armour, quickly hiding that and the gaggletack, before going into the kitchen to get dinner./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""We can talk later," I whisper. "Maybe at school tomorrow? You clearly don't know how to transform properly." From what I could understand he didn't know how to transform at all without a gaggletack./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;""Yeah, that would be good," Jim replies, his shoulders slumping. "Thanks for understanding Mr Strickler."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"Barbra enters and dinner goes smoothly. I thought about all he had said as we ate. From another future, one where Barbra loved me and Gunmar was dead. It was almost unbelievable. More than I could have ever wished for. With a future to look forward to, I begin to plan what will have to come next./p