Later that night or earlier that morning (depending on how you looked at it), Dan found himself seated atop one of the many boulders that lined Make-Out Point on Arcadia's border, surrounded by a ring of goo which had once clung to him. With the rise & fall of Morgana (whose soul still lingered on the back of his tongue in the most delicious way) and the destruction of the town's Heartstone, the local population of trolls had decided to set off in search of a new home. As the Trollhunter, it was Jim's duty to lead them to where rumours said one lay in New Jersey.

Barbara Lake, his mother, stood on the outermost lip of the point where she watched the town with tear-stained eyes. For her, it must've seemed like the only graduation her son would ever have; despite failing high school & being turned into a supernatural creature that she couldn't quite recognise as her son. A little further ways away, Merlin hunkered over his iron staff both revelling in the defeat of his most despised enemy (despite not really being involved that much in her demise) and furtively sweeping glances towards the distressed woman. For Dan, felt like he had a duty to see off the Trollhunters as they left for New Jersey. He was also putting off having to face the Tarrons & Mother for their goodbye, although he knew that too, was inevitable.

As (proper) dusk settled over the town, painting the sky in pinks and purples, Jim emerged from the woods behind them and shuffled over to face his mother with a look of sorrow upon his face. Dan turned back to face the town because he felt like this moment was far too intimate to watch or even listen to. He couldn't really do anything about the latter, but that didn't mean he couldn't pretend.

"…I promised I'd never leave you" Jim whimpered.

"Honey" Barbara cooed, cupping her son's face in her hands as she silently marvelled how much bigger he had grown both in size and maturity in such a short time. Part of her cried for the little boy she once knew, even as she stared into the eyes she had always known. "I knew this day would come, I just…never knew when"

"Mom…"

"I hope you f-find what you're looking for" Her voice wobbled as the two embraced. Over on the edge, Dan clung to his legs and dug in his nails as he was reminded of the goodbyes he could never say to his own family. "Just call often. Everyday—twice a day. Text—now and then…"

"Hehe, of course, Mom" Jim laughed wetly into his mother's shoulder. "I—I love you!"

"Not more than I love you, kiddo"

"Are you ready, Master Jim?" Blinky chose that moment to emerge from the edge of the woods when he sensed the end of the heartfelt moment.

"Ready as I'll ever be" Jim replied wetly as he scrubbed at his eyes.

"I don't know what tomorrow brings" Blinky turned to Barbara as mother & son parted ways. "But with our Trollhunter by our side, I don't fear it either"

"I really appreciate that, Mr Blinky" Barbara smiled.

A lot had happened over the last couple of days for both trolls, ghosts and aliens—he was sure the wizards were somehow involved too, he just didn't know how—and the final bit of reprieve they got felt bittersweet. In Dan's case, the army of Reapers had fallen upon the town with the eruption of smoke & fire and had all but sucked up every soul like the hungry vultures they were. With good reason, of course. Especially with so much magic in the air; because if they had left the souls to linger above their vessels, then the magic would have corrupted them much faster as it was wont to do.

Meeting the Trollhunters & Morgana upon the bridge had been a total and utter coincidence actually, Dan had used the landmark as a meeting place to gather reports from the Reapers throughout the night (he wasn't stupid enough to think that it would take only a couple of hours to escort that many souls to the Ghost Zone). Morgana being there had just been an added bonus, he supposed. And he hadn't been lying to Claire when he said he didn't know that Morgana was actually residing in Arcadia because of the whole Arthurian-witch-of-legend thing.

Besides, if anyone was to blame for that, surely it was the local wizard population who hadn't deemed it necessary to inform him of their matriarch's residence? Then again, she was a powerful witch, so even they might not have known. Or it could've have been the influence of the Heartstone that had done that—perhaps the Heartstone was more of a beacon than he had first thought?

A rustle from the russets behind them had him sparing a glance over his shoulder at a violet-armoured Claire who emerged with both of her equally tear-stained parents at her shoulders. "Claire…" Jim sighed as the witch came to embrace him, mindful of the sunburn that still lingered there. "I can't ask you to—"

"—You didn't ask" Claire interjected with a knowing smile as she nodded back towards her parents.

"Oh?"

"She has enough credits to graduate early" Councilwoman Nuñez placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "So we're treating this like some time abroad"

"As long as she comes back soon!" Mr Nuñez threatened, making Claire look entirely uncomfortable at her father's overprotectiveness.

"Claire, before you go" Dan finally hopped off of the boulder, shaking his legs to reawaken them as his hands loosely held onto the new staff that had been recently forged for her. The Shadow Staff—her previous weapon of choice—had broken apart upon Morgana's Fading, leaving her without a tool which wouldn't do. Which is why he'd spent most of the evening running about creating the thing (with help, of course). "Here"

"What…is this?" Claire warily took the curved staff held out to under the watchful eyes of her parents & her boyfriend.

"Tooth of dragon & crystal of tears. I know it's not exactly your most traditional wizard's staff, but Dorothea ensures me that the forges had their best working on it" Dan replied with a smile as Claire's hands roved up and down the intricately carved hilt. "And Frostbite tells me that the crystal has served it master in ages past. It's the least I could do, besides someone's gonna need to watch little boy blue, over here"

"…Hey!" Jim whined petulantly in the background.

"I—I can't take this!" Claire protested, despite clearly not wanting to give it up.

"Uh, uh, uh!" Dan raised his hands in surrender, not quite able to rid his expression of the shit-eating grin. "No backsies! Go on, give it a whirl"

Claire spared a glance towards her family & boyfriend before she stepped off to the side, swinging the new staff around like it was baton, first with hesitance and then with glee as portals of every shape & size flitted about the air. "That's quite the gift, young king" Merlin stepped up beside Dan as they watched the young witch play with her new staff.

"Mm" Dan hummed in agreement. "I'm sure she'll put it to good use. Oh, and Merlin?"

"Hm?"

"Dora wanted me to give you a message"

"…Well?"

"Mmphf!" Dan raised his foot up in the air and stomped it down on Merlin's own foot. Hard.

"Ugh!" Merlin groaned as he slumped against his staff and rubbed at the sore appendage with a slight glare in the halfa's direction. "I recognise the handwriting"

"Good luck, young Atlas" Strickler soon appeared behind them with a whoosh of his wings as he landed next to Barbara with a crystal of baby souls that he gently set aside and pulled the troll boy aside, wary of the magic crackling in the air.

As the two conversed, Not-Enrique quickly snatched up the crystal full of babies before he scrambled up onto the boulder that Dan had vacated. As Jim turned to leave, the young changeling slapped the crystal into her outstretched hand with a grin. "You did good raising him, Doc" Not-Enrique grinned as he handed the babbling crystal to her before he scampered off. "Here's a thousand new babies to raise!"

"Ah!" Barbara gasped.

"What!" Strickler called.

"Have fun with that, you two!" Not-Enrique giggled.

"Wait—!"

As the group turned to leave, Dan felt not quite misplaced but out of sorts when he noticed that Toby—the final third of the Trollhunter trio—had yet to arrive. It was odd seeing them without the stocky boy, like only finding one shoe where you left it last. "WAIT—!" Toby bellowed as he came huffing over the mountainside with a backpack slung over his shoulder. Now, they were ready. "WAIT FOR ME! Man! Boy! These goodbyes are tough, y'know? Nana wanted me to take Mr Meow-Meow PI, but he does not travel well…What?"

"Tobes" Jim sighed wetly as he knelt before his best friend. Dan knew from experience this was going to be heartbreaking and he wasn't even the one doing it. "You have to stay"

"What…?" Toby appeared taken aback by the notion that he was being left behind. Again. "You're—you're going on a quest! I love quests! We go everywhere together…"

"I'm hurt, Claire lost her Shadow Staff, you are the only one who can protect Arcadia"

"No, Wingman" Aaarrrggh grumbled as he came to stand at his friend's back. "I help, I stay"

"So…you're staying with me" Toby turned to the troll standing over him before turning back to his best friends. "And you're…leaving?"

"But we'll be back" Jim promised as Claire came to kneel next to him.

"Someday" Claire added with a smile.

"You better!" Toby launched himself forward and enveloped the two in a tight hug as tears streamed down his face.

"And then, we'll get tacos!" Jim went on.

"And enchilldas" Claire added too as the three friends embraced each other.

"We sure found that adventure, right Tobes?"

"I'm really glad we took the canal that morning" Toby replied wetly.

"Keep Arcadia safe. You're it's only Trollhunters now"

"…I still don't like you" Nomura was the last one to hug the stocky boy, saying her goodbyes before both Trollhunters, changelings and trolls returned to the forest with a wizard at their side just as the stars started wink up in the sky. Armour winking in the twilight, Dan was reminded of the words their valedictorian had spoken at graduation that day. It had been an excerpt from some Shakespearian piece that he could never remember the name to, but the words had stuck with him nonetheless: "Destiny is a gift. Never forget that fear is but the precursor to valour, that to strive & triumph in the face of fear is what it means to be a hero. Don't think, become"