Reading M-I wouldn't say a 'changeling,' per se, but something kinda close to it! This chapter will explain all :)

Somebody-Thank you! Don't worry, you'll see troll Jim again soon!

No one-Thank you! I thought the concept was new and interesting too hehe. A bit too much dialogue for me, but I'm glad you thought I made it work!

merendinoemiliano-Why thank you!

Nightspyder-Thank you so much!

No one-Oops, I kinda forgot about the ray hehe. Which meant the characters also conveniently forgot. Good eye though! But yes, I wanted Jim to enjoy the sun. It was nice to write about something fluff-related for once lol. And I know right?! The whole concept of Claire being 'spent' was ridiculous and out of nowhere.

Reading M-Essentially, yes! Jim can be human with the armor on, not without it off though. I agree with your opinion about Arthur and Trollhunters-Arthur was only a good king to humans, not trolls. If a Trollhunter was a human, they would blindly obey Arthur and hunt trolls for the sake of killing them. I know a lot of the fandom thought Jim being human was a core lesson of the show, and it is, but Merlin was right that to have someone in both worlds-human and troll-was going to be the best Trollhunter. Jim really is the bridge between magic and mortals.

Steve did not want to wake up.

For one, it hurt to breathe. Every time he took a deep breath, he would feel a sharp pang in his chest. That probably wasn't good. For another, his face felt like it had been badly sunburned. He had no desire to look in a mirror and see his hot face red as a lobster.

But all of that paled in comparison to his self-esteem. Even after a year of training with Jim, he hadn't been able to figure out how to wield Excalibur. He didn't know how Arthur had been able to make it-make it all glowy or whatever. He thought that maybe, just maybe, finally facing off against the Arcane Order would unlock something, but it hadn't. He had failed.

So, all he wanted to do right now was burrow deeper into his surprisingly comfortable armor, and not face the world. Cowardly? Sure, but right then he didn't care. It's what he was anyway.

Unfortunately, a very annoying Akiridion would not shut up.

"This oaf better wake up," Krel grumbled, poking his face. "Or else Aja will end me."

Steve didn't open his eyes, despite his heart skipping a beat at the mention of his angel.

"If that's how he's going to be," Krel said finally, a mischievous tone in his voice. "I have no choice."

Steve mentally frowned. Just what was he going to do?

Krel giggled. "I've been wanting to do this for the longest time!"

THWACK.

Steve bolted upright and held a hand against his stinging cheek. "Dude!" he cried, glaring at Krel. "Did you just slap me?!"

He shrugged innocently, but he was unable to hide his grin. "You weren't regaining consciousness! As you humans say, drastic times called for drastic measures."

"Sometimes I wonder how you're related to Aja."

"Honestly, so do I."

He groaned and leaned against the wall of the van. "Maybe it's better she isn't here right now. I don't want her to see me like this."

Krel frowned. "Like what?"

Steve pursed his lips as he struggled with just how much he should tell Krel. Over the past year, they had grown closer. Krel loved Earth, but he would get homesick frequently. And since Aja was gone most of the time with all her queen duties, and with no sight of Pepperjack since he had left, Steve often got lonely himself. They had bonded over their loneliness and, to both of their surprise, discovered the other wasn't as bad as they had thought.

Steve looked at Krel's concerned face and sighed. "I don't want her to see me so defeated," he admitted. "She was always the badass fighter, and I…wasn't. I wanted to be someone who could protect her as well as love her."

He tucked his knees to his chest and lowered his gaze. "But I'm not. I'm just a nobody in a room full of the most powerful people in the world."

"You're right."

Steve blinked. "What?"

Krel nodded. "Yep. You are a nobody, Steve. A nobody who holds the famed sword of Excalibur. A nobody who can fight as well as the best generals on Akiridion-5. A nobody who, despite not being a troll, wizard, or alien, has earned to stand by queens' and kings' side."

He placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "You're all someone we care about, Steve. Nobody or not."

Steve grinned, his heart a little lighter. "Thanks, Krel. Really." He playfully punched his shoulder. "And here I thought you weren't nice enough to give advice."

"There's the Steve I know, for better or for worse," Krel grumbled as he stood up. He offered a hand to Steve and helped him get to his feet.

Steve hesitated before picking up Excalibur. He quickly slung it across his back, determined not to look at the sword any longer than he had to.

Suddenly, a blinking blue light appeared on Krel's wrist. The Akiridion frowned and tapped it. A holographic circle appeared, with a tiny blue dot on the edge of it.

Krel positively beamed. "My sister has finally arrived!"

Steve gasped. "Aja? My ninja-angel love muffin? Whoo!" he cheered.

They raced out of the van. Steve didn't question how they were back in the castle-it was probably Claire's work anyway. The familiar disk-shaped ship flew into the room before coming to a gradual stop. Steve bounced on his toes, practically vibrating with excitement.

There was flash of light as the doors to the ship opened, and there she was. The queen of Akiridion-5, and Steve's very own girlfriend. And man oh man, did she look beautiful.

"Sister! It's been far too long!" Krel exclaimed, wrapping her in a tight, four-armed hug.

She chuckled and squeezed him back. "Let's try to keep to the same side of the universe from now on, hm?"

"No promises," Krel remarked as he stepped back.

Steve laughed as he ran up to Aja and twirled her around. "My majesty!"

"My blonde oaf," she laughed as he put her down. "I've missed you so much!"

She pulled him into a kiss, and Steve was so happy he thought he'd melt. Ever since she became queen, he'd been seeing less and less of her. It made moments like these all the more special.

They broke apart all too soon. Steve was just about to give his puppy eyes to her so he could sneak in one more when he saw an unfamiliar figure standing behind her.

He was tall-in fact, he was the same height as Steve. His eyes were the same shade of dark brown has his hair, which was messily parted to one side. Although he was human, he was dressed in Akiridion attire. He was good-looking too, and Steve felt an unnatural wave of jealousy wash over him. But, despite having never seen this person before, why did he feel like he knew him?

He narrowed his eyes. "Do I know you?"

The guy grinned. "Maybe this'll help." He pulled a ridiculously large pair of square glasses from his pocket and put them on.

The effect was instantaneous. The glasses were the last piece of the puzzle Steve needed to get the picture. His jaw dropped. It was Pepperjack. His nerdy, skinny Pepperjack! Only, he wasn't tiny anymore. He had-he had gone through freaking puberty! Even his voice wasn't all cracked and high-pitched anymore!

Eli laughed. "Yep, I finally hit my growth spurt. I know I've changed a lot, but one thing's still the same."

His hand formed a C and he held it out to Steve. "Creepslayerz?"

Steve's shock wore off and he grinned. His hand also formed a C and he placed it on top of Eli's. "Creepslayerz!"

They beamed and threw their arms around each other's shoulders. "It's good to see you again, Pepperjack," Steve said.

"Likewise," Eli said. "I love your armor-it looks like it came straight from the medieval ages! And that sword is pretty wicked."

Steve smirked. "Oh, yeah, that old thing? It's just Excalibur."

"WHAT?!"

"I know you weirdos have a lot to catch up on, but we kind of have the end of the world to worry about," Krel interjected. "The others are in the main hall. We should meet up with them now that Aja's here."

They walked into the main hall. Most of the others were already around the table, including Claire, Douxie, and even the scary changeling lady. Everyone greeted Aja warmly, and there were more than a few gasps at Eli's new appearance.

"Soooo, who are we waiting for?" Krel asked.

"Toby went to get Jim, his mom, and Strickler," Claire answered. "They should be back soon. I think Jim just needed time to-"

Her words came to an abrupt stop. Her eyes grew wide. "I forgot to tell you guys. Jim is-"

"Jim is here!" Toby declared as he strode into the room. "Now we can finally get down to business-holy shit is that you Eli?!" he shouted, eyes almost popping out of his head.

"The one and only!" Eli exclaimed, waving to Toby.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who changed," Jim chuckled as he stepped into the light. "Hey, everyone."

For the second time that day, Steve's jaw dropped. Jim wasn't…he wasn't a creep anymore! He was human again! But how-

"Nooooo!" Krel wailed. He dashed over to Jim and started checking him over. "There were so many more tests and experiments I wanted to run! Your physiology was unlike anything I had ever seen. Now you're just another fleshy human," he moaned.

"Ouch," Jim muttered.

"Jim, how is it you are no longer blue?" Aja wondered, staring at Jim in awe.

"Um, long story short, I put a magical stone in my amulet, and ta-da."

Aja brightened. "So you can switch between blue and human form? Just like us, yes?"

"I, um, don't think that's how this works."

"How do you not know-"

"As fascinating as this conversation is," Zoe interrupted, "we have more important matters to discuss. Like, how to fix all that," she said as she gestured to Douxie.

Douxie giggled and squeezed Archie tighter, despite the cat's protests. Okay, Steve wasn't even going to ask about that.

"So let's get down to business. And Krel, stop poking Jim."

The Akiridion pouted but obliged.

"What have you got for us, Blink?" Jim asked.

The six-eyed troll placed a silver tome on the table. "Merlin's grimoire has enlightened me to the destructive forces of the Arcane Order." He started to open it eagerly.

"Oh, boy. Whenever he opens a book, it's pretty bad," Toby said.

"Shush, Tobias. As I was saying…" He flipped through the pages. The grimoire glowed a cool blue, and images formed as he spoke.

"The Arcane Order. They seek to reawaken the titans. Imbued by the Order's primordial energies, three titans were their handmaidens in ancient battles. Ones even I had never heard of."

Three symbols appeared above the table: a shimmering green tree, a cluster of ice crystals, and a pulsing flame.

"They have been in stasis for a millennia, awaiting a reckoning of epic proportions. A reckoning this world, or any other, has never seen." The three symbols traveled across an image of the earth. As soon as the three symbols, the earth turned an angry shade of red and became a blank-there was no continents, no oceans, no anything. Just a blank slate.

"When all three combine, Earth will be made anew," Blinky finished solemnly.

"Anew?" Claire repeated. "Let me guess, 'anew' is just a fancy word for destroying the earth."

"Considering they will erase all life, burn the oceans, flood the cities…yes, I would say so," Blinky said.

"The Arcane Order believes it is a new start. Life will begin again," Archie mused.

"Life will start anew, with the Order having complete control," Douxie said with Nari's voice, looking away in shame.

"Hey, hey, nothing is getting reborn as long as we have Nari," Jim stated firmly, placing his hands on the table. "They need her to complete the ritual, right?"

Blinky nodded in affirmation. "Yes, all three primordial wizards must be present."

Jim walked over to Douxie-no, Nari, geez this was confusing-and stooped down to her level. "Do you have any idea where the Order might be?" he asked gently.

She shook her head regretfully. Then, without warning, she started screaming.

Jim scrambled back as Nari shot to her feet, shrieking. She clutched her head in agony before collapsing. Jim's mom and Zoe rushed to her side and helped her sit up.

"What's wrong?!" Claire demanded, her gaze flicking from Nari to Blinky.

"They're breaking the spell," Zoe whispered in horror.

Nari continued writhing in pain, whimpering. His mom stroked her head and looked up at Zoe desperately. "Isn't there anything you can do for her?"

"I-I-" Zoe looked like she was going to cry. "I don't think I can. The Order's powers-they're too much for me."

Douxie's body was suddenly enveloped in an emerald-green glow and rose into the air. "Trollhunter," she choked out, "you must unite the three."

She gasped but forced herself to meet Jim's gaze. "It's-it's the only way. Unite, Trollhunter!"

She let out a final scream before dropping to the ground. The green glow faded from Douxie's body. He didn't move.

"Douxie, wake up!" Zoe pleaded, shaking his arm. "Please, don't be-!"

Douxie gasped and bolted upright. He groaned and held a hand to his head. "Ugh…what happened-oof!"

Zoe wrapped her arms around him tightly, cutting him off. "Don't you ever do something that stupid again," she sniffed.

Archie dove into his arms as well. "And if you do, we'll smash all your records," he warned.

He chuckled and hugged them back. "Well, I can't have that, now can I?"

"What did you say?" Jim asked as Douxie stroked a purring Archie. "When you said, 'unite all three?'"

The wizard looked confused. "I didn't say anything."

"I think you said, 'Trollhunter, unite the three.'" Strickler repeated as Zoe helped Douxie to his feet. She guided him to the table, Jim following suit.

Douxie furrowed his brow before wincing. "I don't remember saying that…it must've been Nari's final words before we switched back. I'm sorry, but I don't know what she could've been talking about."

"She said 'Trollhunter,' didn't she?" Stuart said, turning to Jim expectantly. "You must have an idea, right Jim?"

"I-I don't," Jim stuttered, very conscious of how everyone's eyes were on him. "Maybe…maybe she was talking about trolls, aliens, and wizards? Uniting the three worlds? But…we're all already here. Together."

He rubbed his eyes, wishing Nari was here. First Merlin, and now her with the cryptic riddles. "Although, I have a feeling that's not what she was talking about."

"Something to be solved later, then," Aja said. "Ducksee, no, Doosie-skull boy, did you see where this Arcane Order was?"

Zoe and Claire snorted with laughter as Douxie looked down at his skulled necklace and belt, baffled. "Skull boy…?" he mumbled. He shook his head. "Never mind. Um…it was dark. Someplace circular."

"That narrows it down," Archie snarked.

"Shut up, Arch." Douxie squeezed his eyes shut in concentration. "There were seven large doors, and rails on the ground."

"Rails, rails…" Blinky mused. "Circular…" he beamed. "It's a roundhouse! A switching station for locomotives."

"That gives us something to go on!" Jim exclaimed.

"Yes!" Krel agreed, bringing up an image of a globe. "Over three thousand somethings in North America alone, though. I think I can narrow it down to a few hundred if I-"

Claire cleared her throat. "Or I could just lock onto Nari and portal us there."

Everyone stared at her.

"I can do that, you know."

.

.

.

"Attack!" Aja shouted.

They charged out of the portal, weapons raised and at the ready. Their battle cries died in their throats as they emerged onto a very deserted and isolated roundhouse.

"Uh, where are they?" Toby said, voicing everyone's thoughts.

Claire shook her head, bemused. "I connected to her. She should be right here!"

"She's right," Douxie murmured, gaze roaming around the abandoned building. "The bricks, the masonry. It's the right place, just…" he trailed off, at a loss for words.

"We don't have time to guess," Jim interjected. "Everyone, start searching. We have to find them, before it's too late."

They explored the area, searching over and under countless pieces of junk. The longer they searched, the more Jim's hopes dwindled. After all, three demigods of untold power were performing some sort of ritual in this very place. They should be pretty obvious. And even if they did find them, how much help would Jim be? He was human again. He couldn't-

No. No. He wasn't going to start thinking like that. He still had the amulet; he could still fight. It was just a matter of finding the enemy.

Archie flapped over to Douxie. "I'm afraid they're not here," he said.

"But they were here," Douxie insisted. He looked down at the floor, deep in thought.

He gasped and his head snapped up, eyes wide. "Bloody balroths, the train tracks. Maybe they still are! They didn't leave this place-it's an illusion!"

He ran to the center of the room, brimming with excitement. "Just as the amulet mechanizes an incantation, the train tracks…look, they're a sigil!" He pointed at the floor. "A giant mechanical invocation!"

He dashed up a set of stairs and activated his bracelet. He thrust his hand forward, glowing blue runes shooting from his bracelet. Then slowly, the train tracks started to move. Parts shifted this way and that with a groan, like the gears of a clock. When they finally stopped, a blazing orange symbol appeared above the reformed tracks.

"It really is a sigil," Zoe said in wonder. She punched Douxie's arm with a chuckle. "Pretty impressive, Casperan."

But it seemed the show wasn't over yet. The illusion continued fading away. The warm glow of the room faded, replaced with a harsh cold blue. Ancient symbols were scratched on the walls. And in the distance, growing louder and louder by the second…was chanting.

"Get ready!" Douxie warned, summoning his staff.

In a flash of gold, the Arcane Order appeared. They hovered fifteen feet above the ground, oblivious to the newcomers. Nari was suspended in the air by sparking sigils. Her eyes were open, but the Nari they knew wasn't in there. Her gaze was hollow, staring at the scene unfolding before her with no emotion.

And, in the center of the circle, floated the Genesis seals.

"Three will rise, three will form," Bellroc and Skrael uttered in unison. "Unite and be one, the world be reborn!"

"Nari!" Douxie cried, leaping down from the platform.

"It's too late!" Claire said. "She's under their control."

"The seals haven't been broken. There's still time!" Jim shouted, Daylight forming in his hands. "Trollhunters, destroy those seals!"

Douxie and Claire sent streams of magic at the Order. Before they could even touch them, the magic bounced off against a previously invisible force field. Zoe directed a bolt of electricity at them to the same effect.

Aja snarled, her serrator morphing into a blaster. With a yell, she unleashed an enormous beam of energy. It was so bright and powerful Jim had to look away. But when the beam died and he looked back up, the Order was still there.

"None of this is working!" Aja shouted.

Jim's frustration grew into anger. "I know, I know!" he growled. "We have to fight!"

"But how?!"

"I don't-I don't know!" he screamed. He hated how this. He hated how helpless he felt. The world was going to end, and he could only just sit here and watch?

Determination washed over Jim, and he straightened. No. He was going to stop them, even if it took his life.

Claire's eyes widened. "Jim-"

Her words fell on deaf ears as he leapt into the air with a roar. He stabbed his sword into the shield, and miraculously-it tore right through it. He hung there, his legs swinging. Yes! he crowed. If he could break through the shield a little bit more, then the others could-

Bellroc turned to face him, a wicked grin on her face. "Too late, Trollhunter."

Then the seals broke.

The resulting power surge threw Jim away from the Order. He crashed into the ground with a grunt. He raised his gaze. The sight before him made his stomach sink in despair.

Rays of magic poured from the Order's mouth, feeding into the Genesis seals. The ground shook beneath them before an ice-white beam exploded from the ground. Angry dark clouds swirled around the Order, obscuring them from view. Lightning crackled within the clouds. The cloud funneled down, burning right through the ground.

They walked to the edge of the singed hole in a daze, as if they couldn't believe what they had seen.

"What-what just happened?" Toby asked shakily.

"We failed," Jim said, the words as heavy as his heart.

"So now what?"

Douxie stared down into the abyss with horror. "The titans will rise."

Jim looked around at his friends. They all wore the same hollow expression of defeat, and he was sure he had it too. But he couldn't afford that luxury. He was the Trollhunter. He had to be strong when the others couldn't be.

"So what?" he said, drawing everyone's attention. "We've fought against countless odds before. Whether it was Morgana or Morando, we've always pulled through. These titans are just another enemy to defeat, another obstacle to overcome."

Steve raised a hand. "Uh, Jim-"

"Later, Steve." He turned to Claire. "Portal us back to the castle. We can rest and regroup there-come up with a plan to take down these guys."

She opened her mouth, closed it, before opening it again. "Jim, there's, um, something you should know."

He sighed in exasperation. "What is it?"

"I don't know how to say this, but-"

"You're a freaking troll again, dude!" Toby shouted. He shrank under Claire's glare. "My bad."

Jim rolled his eyes. "I know you're the jokester here Tobes, but right now? Really?"

"Lake, he isn't joking," Steve said nervously. "That's what I was trying to tell you. Right before you attacked the Order, you just…changed back into a troll!"

"Uh-huh, sure. If I'm really a troll, then why-" he stopped as he caught his reflection in Toby's armor. His face-his very blue face-stared back at him, fangs and all.

"Oh," he said, his voice small. "Would you look at that."

Then he fainted.

.

.

.

For the second time that day, Jim woke up in a place with no idea how he got there.

He groaned and leaned back against the soft velvety pillows. This was just embarrassing. How many times was he going to be knocked out like this? It was becoming an unwelcome habit.

He cracked his eyes open in order to get a better sense of his surroundings. He recognized it to be one of the spare bedrooms in the castle, with the familiar four-poster bed and candles. He relaxed ever so slightly. At least there were no enemies here.

He sat up and winced. Okay, turns out he hadn't fully recovered from the train battle. Just another thing to add to his list, along with being turned back into a human. Or was he a troll again? Hell, for all he knew he could be a freaking Akiridion.

Oh God, don't think that. At this point that could that actually be a possibility-

"So, sleeping beauty's finally awake."

Jim started at the voice but smiled when he saw who it belonged to. "Claire."

"Hey, you," she said, smiling back at him. Jim noticed she was out of her battle armor and back in her purple turtleneck. Which meant…

He groaned again. "How long was I out for?"

"A few hours. But," she stated with a glare, "don't you dare feel bad about it. Your body needed the rest, and honestly, we did too."

Claire sat next to him on the bed, her gaze softening as she looked up at him. "How do you feel?"

He sighed. "Physically? Could be better. Mentally? I don't even know where to begin."

"That's not a surprise, considering you've been troll, human, and back again in the past twenty-four hours."

His heart skipped a beat. "So I wasn't dreaming? I-I'm really a troll again?"

"Well…" She caressed his face before pulling him into a kiss. Jim's eyes widened in a surprise before he happily returned the kiss. Even when they broke apart, he wouldn't stop grinning like an idiot. The next thing he knew, a deep purring had filled the room.

She giggled. "Does that answer your question?"

Jim gasped and abruptly stopped purring. "I-"

He excitedly felt all over his face. The fangs, the pointed ears, even his scruff-it was all back! He was back to normal!

He beamed at Claire. "I really am a troll again!"

She laughed. "Yep. Blueness and all."

Jim's jubilation faded as a horrible thought dawned on him. Sure, he was a troll now, but how long would this last? He wasn't sure if this was permanent or not anymore.

He looked at Claire with uncertainty. "I'm a troll again…but how do I know I won't turn human out of the blue? Like I did the first time?"

"Ah, I think I can help with that!" Douxie chirped as he strode into the bedroom. He waved his hand through the air. Blue magic shimmered around him before a doctor's coat (albeit a black one) appeared.

He gave an exaggerated bow, the coat flapping behind him. "Master wizard doctor, at your service!"

Jim raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that just make you Doctor Strange?"

Douxie faltered. "N-no, his magic is inaccurate and trite, and-and let's just address the problem, shall we?" he finished, glaring at Claire and Jim snickering.

"First off," he said, "using a stone of unknown magical power was perhaps not the best decision on our part."

"You think?" Claire said sarcastically.

"Cheeky," he scolded her. "It's not that bad! It was put into the amulet-which means if Jim takes off the armor, he can pop it out. Presto! Problem solved."

Jim coughed. "Uh yeah, about that…I haven't been able to take the armor off."

Douxie gaped at him. "You what now?"

"I can't help it! The world's about to end, I'm switching between human and troll; this is a very stressful situation! I can't relax enough to get it off!"

Douxie raised his hands in surrender. "Hey now, take it easy. I get it. Er…this just complicates things a bit." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Zoe told me how you've been able to change forms, what with it being a time stone and all…but she couldn't figure out why."

He looked up at Jim. "Say…when you turned back into a human, what was going through your head?"

Jim bit his lip. "I don't know, there was a lot of stuff going on. Steve had just been kicked off, I guess…then I went to face Bellroc and she-"

He hesitated as he remembered her biting words. You of all people should know that scars, especially from dark magic, never truly disappear…It is only a matter of time before the beast returns.

Jim shuddered. The beast still haunted him to this day. The shard was gone, but the memories of hurting his friends never truly left. He didn't want to tell Claire and Douxie how scared he still was, but he had learned last year that keeping secrets always ended in disaster. They deserved to know. He trusted them.

He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. Still, that didn't make this any easier.

"She said some stuff that got in my head," he finally admitted. "Stuff about last summer and…the beast."

Claire and Douxie's eyes widened, their mouths falling open into a perfect O.

He lowered his gaze. "I know the s hard is gone and everything, but I'm st-still afraid. I hurt you guys. What if I do it again? When she brought it up, I-I just felt so ashamed. I wanted to run from the memories."

"That bitch," Claire seethed. "I'm going to kill her for that."

"But it gives us something to go off of," Douxie murmured. He looked Jim in the eyes. "Jim, what did you feel when you attacked the Order in the roundhouse?"

"Uh…" Jim wracked his brain for the answer. "Determined, I guess. Angry, too. I wanted to stop the Order, but was powerless to do it. It was frustrating, to say the least."

"Interesting," the wizard mused. "What if…what if the Avalon stone is tied to your emotions?"

"What?" Jim and Claire said in unison.

"Think about it," Douxie said, excitement growing. "When Jim was feeling insecure-about his troll form too, if I am to assume-" Jim nodded dumbly, "he turned human because he wanted to. But when he was angry and wanted more power…he shifted back into a troll!"

He beamed at them. "It all makes sense!"

"Not really sure I'm catching your drift, Teach," Claire said.

"No…no, he's onto something," Jim muttered. "It's true, on the train I was scared that just being a troll was enough to bring back the beast. I wanted out. And then with the Order…I wanted to fight." He looked up at Douxie. "I guess that was enough to change me back, huh?"

"Precisely! As long as Jim keeps his emotions in check, he should stay a troll."

"But what does that mean going forward?" Claire asked. "Until he can get the armor off, what do we do?"

Douxie's enthusiasm faltered. "I…I'm not quite sure. I haven't seen anything like this before. I don't know what to do."

"Well, I do," Jim declared, rising to his feet. "We fight as we always have."

Claire placed a hand on his shoulder, her brows knitted in worry. "But Jim, what happens if you become human in the middle of battle?"

He laughed. "I spent most of my time as the Trollhunter as a human, remember? And I did just fine. This is no different from when I didn't really know how the amulet worked. I survived then." He gave her a comforting smile. "I'm going to survive now."

She opened her mouth to protest before sighing in defeat. "You're going to go out there whether I like it or not, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Fine." She crossed her arms. "But you better play it safe."

"You know I never do."

Douxie chuckled to himself as he started walking to the door. "Look at you two, bickering like an old couple," he teased. He gestured to the door. "The others are waiting. Shall we be off then?"

Claire looped her arm through Jim's. "We shall."

They strode to the main hall, where even from afar, they could hear Aja's raised voice.

"Stupid human politicians!" she shouted, followed by a slam. "Why won't they just listen?"

"Duh, because they're the government," Toby remarked. "They're already scared out of their minds. There's no way they're gonna listen to any outsiders-sorry, Aja-and a teenager at that."

"But I am only trying to help!" she snarled.

"They're not the brightest people either."

"Wow," Jim marveled as the entered the hall. "What'd I miss?"

Toby's face brightened. "Jimbo! You're up!"

He ran up to him and gave him a hug. "And still a troll too! Pay up, Krel!" He held out his hand expectantly.

Grumbling, the Akiridion placed a ten-dollar bill in Toby's hand. "Sweet!" Toby crowed.

Jim gaped at his friend. "You guys betted on me?" He shook his head. "Never mind, that's not important right now. What are we looking at, team?"

"A failed attempt to reach out to every government on the face of the earth," Aja growled. "I told them I would send my ships to take the humans off-world, where it is safe, but they didn't believe me. They would always panic and start yelling at me. Saying they can 'handle this themselves.'"

"Which is an outright lie," Jim finished. "Great. So we don't have backup plan. Which means we cannot fail." He turned to Krel. "How long until the titans converge?"

"Eighteen hours, six minutes," he replied. "Skrael's frost titan is in Greenland, Nari's is in Brazil, and Bellroc's is in the Hong Kong sea. What's our next step?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Nomura rasped, approaching the table. "We take down the titans."

Jim nodded. "Three titans, three courses of action. Krel, what's the daylight situation in those three locations?"

"Daylight situation…?" Realization dawned upon him. "Oh, right! Yes, let me see…"

After a few quick taps on his wrist, he looked back up at Jim. "Nari's is currently in full daylight. Skrael's is too, but it's in the middle of a blizzard. Bellroc's is the only in the dark."

"Then here's the plan," Jim began. "Steve, you lead a team against Nari. Take Strickler, Nomura, and the Akiridions-they can survive the sun. Douxie, you and the other wizards take down Skrael. The trolls and I will face against Bellroc." He grinned, baring his teeth. "I have some personal issues to work out with her anyway."

"We have no time to lose," Aja said curtly, adjusting her serrator. "Everyone make their final preparations. We leave as soon as possible."

Steve looked like he was going to faint. "Aja, I don't think I can-"

"It's okay, my blonde oaf." Her gaze softened and she took his hands into her own. "I'll help you."

"Ugh, just get me out of here already," Nomura groaned, rolling her eyes. She punched Jim in the shoulder as she walked past him. "See you around, little Gynt," she winked.

Jim smiled back. "Stay safe."

"And be boring?" she called over her shoulder. "No way."

He laughed quietly to himself. The sound of footsteps made his ears twitch and he looked up. He brightened. It was Claire.

"Guess it's time for our goodbye, huh?" he said, pulling her over to have more privacy.

She smiled. "I guess so."

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. He melted into the soft and gentle kiss. It made him feel safe and warm, and he wished it would never end. It was just what he needed, no doubt it was what she needed too.

All too soon, they broke apart, and the reality of what they were about to do finally settled in. This-this could be the last time he ever saw her. He couldn't bear the thought of it.

His distress didn't go unnoticed by Claire. "What's wrong?"

"What if I…what if I never see you again?" he confessed, his voice cracking.

"I will always be here…" she touched his head, "and here." She placed a hand on his heart. "No matter what happens, we always find a way back to each other."

She gazed up at him, her eyes shining. "Always."

"Hey, guys! I just wanted to-ohhhh, oops!" They turned to a very red-faced Toby. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. But…" he trailed off expectantly.

Jim sighed. "What is it, Tobes?"

He brightened. "Thought you'd never ask! So, I was adding up the teams in my head, right? And I noticed that there are only going to be three of you guys for the titans in Hong Kong! Kind of understaffed, don't you think? So I thought-"

"You want to join my group?"

"Is it that obvious?"

He placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "You're with me, Tobes. Always have been, always will be." He reluctantly watched Claire leave. "And I could use the moral support. If I'm being honest, I'm kind of freaked about randomly shifting between human and troll."

"I got your back, Jimbo. And hey, look at this way." He grinned at Jim, his braces flashing in the light. "You're practically a changeling now! Isn't that cool?"

Jim couldn't help himself. He started to laugh, the pressure and anxiety from the past day lifting off his chest. "You're right, Tobes. I guess it is pretty cool."

They slung their arms around one another and strode out of the hall, ready to face their next adventure.

A/N: Dear God this chapter was hard to write. Amidst exams, going out of town, and frankly not knowing what to do for this chapter, it took a lot of time to finish. To be honest, I'm still not happy with it. But I want it out of the way so I can actually write the chapters I do have ideas for. Apologies if it wasn't up to the usual snuff.

It was also wayyyy longer than I intended it to be. I just kept adding scenes, and shit had to be explained, and ughhh, it was so much. I'm glad it's over with. Sorry for all the dialogue and feels (again) I swear they'll be a shit ton of action in the coming chapters. Like, a lot. Just thinking about it sounds exhausting.

I've always wished Steve and Krel had a better relationship in the show, hence their personal conversation here. I like to think they're almost like brothers, learning about each other's cultures and all that. And no, the team won't have an easy backup plan like in the movie with the Akiridion ships. What made them think that would even work? There's no way in hell any world government would let freaking aliens 'abduct' people. So yeah. None of that weird conflict like in the movie.

To clarify on the Avalon stone, when Jim feels angry, protective, basically wanting to kick someone's ass, etc., the stone senses that and is like "oh, okay, you're a troll." When he feels scared, ashamed and uncertain of his troll form-whenever he wants to be human really-the stone winds his body back to human form. Needless to say, lots of shenanigans (and angst naturally) will come from this. Essentially, Jim is a volatile changeling as long as the Avalon stone is in his amulet.

Other notes: no Steve mpreg in this chapter, or ever in this fic. Hooray! Second, the khronisfere is gone. As much as I loved the Hong Kong trolls, it was really abrupt and out of nowhere. I mightttt still use them, but we'll see. Still, no khronisfere, it was a worse MacGuffin than the Genesis seals. Third, I like Steve and all, but I don't really want to write from his perspective, you know? But at this point, he's become such a big character, and so important to the story, that I kinda have to. We won't see a lot from his perspective though (unless you guys like it a lot).

Finally (sorry this end note is so long) I know it seems like a lot of the characters-Nomura, Aja, Eli, etc.-aren't getting the spotlight, but I promise in the coming chapters, since they're all going to be in their separate teams, they'll get their chance to shine. I'll do my best to do them justice, since the movie didn't.