Raelle could barely open her eyes and did not know where she was, but she knew she was in a building and was moving through a hallway. Raelle felt she was being carried bridal style and tried to look up at the person holding her. The person appeared to be a male troll that was tall and slender with green skin, yellow eyes, a large orange nose, and large gray horns. He wears short brown pants, a large brown cape, and a collar of metallic blades around his neck. Little did Raelle know that the person holding her was her teacher Strickler and that he was a changeling.
Strickler looked down at her with mixed emotions, and Raelle could tell one of those emotions was a concern for her or something else. Raelle tried reaching up to him, but her arm felt like it weighed a ton. Her arm fell and hung over the arm of the one holding her. Raelle looked at what they were going to and saw Bular, Nomura, NotEnrique, and the goblins. She realized that the troll carrying her must be a changeling. Raelle knew that she was in trouble and she was powerless. As they got closer, Raelle spotted a familiar structure: Kilahead Bridge. When they entered the room, the changeling placed Raelle on a stone slab before stepping back.
"Well done, impures," Bular said to the three changelings before approaching Raelle, "Now, let's see what knowledge we can obtain from the young Witcher. Impure, bring the selenite."
Strickler took out a translucent crystal before placing it on Raelle's forehead. The darkness soon consumed Raelle once again as her eyes glowed white. A translucent fog of dark purple smoke began to seep from Raelle and fill the air.
When Raelle woke up, she found herself back at the Greek temple. But there were no statues of previous Witchers or a way to leave the temple, instead, Raelle was surrounded by a fog of dark purple smoke. Raelle heard various female voices call her name and deep down knew they were her previous lives.
"What's going on?" Raelle asked.
Instead of receiving any answer, a memory from when she was younger appeared in the fog. Raelle stepped closer until a blinding white light caused her to close her eyes. When she opened them, Raelle was in the memory. The memory was one that Raelle would never forget because it was the day she was taken in by Barbara Lake.
Meanwhile, Bular, the changelings, and the goblins watched the memory play. Raelle was rummaging through the trash until the trash can fell over, causing a loud noise. The young Raelle tried to hide, but Barbara was outside with a broom and saw her.
"Oh. What are you doing here, sweetie? Where are your parents?" Barbara asked, lowering the broom and kneeling to Raelle.
"My parents are gone," Raelle answered, trying to fight her tears, "I don't have anyone else, and I was trying to find something to eat in your trash."
Barbara looked at the little girl in front of her with sadness before saying, "How about you come inside, and we can get you all cleaned up and a warm meal. And you can stay the night. How does that sound?"
"Thank you."
"Your welcome," Barbara smiled, "Now, let's get inside."
Barbara and young Raelle hold hands before going inside the house. Once inside, Raelle was introduced to Jim, Barbara's son, who was cooking dinner. The three bonded over dinner, and Barbara could tell how happy Raelle was. Jim, too.
The following morning Barbara told Raelle that she was going to adopt her. Within a matter of months, Barbara, Jim, and Raelle were at the courthouse, and the adoption was finalized. Before leaving, a picture was taken of the happy family.
"Why are we seeing this?" Bular questioned, "Seeing the past of this young Witcher has no significance. Her life holds no knowledge. How do we see the memories of the past Witchers?"
Strickler lightly taps the crystal, and the memory transforms into one of Alvara. The first Witcher was in the great hall inside a medieval castle. A crowd of trolls gathered Alvara as she stood in front of them.
"My people, I stand before you to ask you to become something more," Alvara began, "I ask you to become guardians. I ask you to become gargoyles. My grandparents and I have a way for you to become these beings. You will be stone by day, and you shall be alive by night. I am not forcing you to do this. The choice is yours to make."
A moment of silence overtook the room before one troll stepped forward and began chanting, "For the glory of all! For the glory of all! For the glory of all!"
Soon, more trolls stepped forward and began chanting as well. Alvara knew that she had gained the guardians she hoped she would. They would become the ones to watch over the world when she could not.
The memory changes again, but it turns into one of Raelle's. It was the day after Jim had won his fight with Draal. She was in Trollmarket with Jim, Toby, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh in the Heroes Forge.
"Hey, Blinky," Raelle spoke, "Something weird happened the other night, and I think it might be Witcher related."
"What is it, Mistress Raelle?" He inquired.
"Well, last night, Jim and I were in his room since we both couldn't sleep due to the fight. Jim shined the light from his amulet on one of his posters, and it changed the words from English to Trollish. But the weird thing was that I was able to understand the words in Trollish, or I, at least, was able to see them as they were in English. Then Jim pulled out the Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore and flipped to the page with Kilahead bridge on it. I was able to understand the Trollish words, too, Blinky. What is going on?"
"It is one of the many gifts of the Witcher," He replied, "Master Jim had mentioned you have dyslexia."
"Yeah, it means that my brain is wired differently and makes reading a bit difficult, among other things," Raelle said.
"You do not have dyslexia, Misstress Raelle," Blinky told her, "Or perhaps you do in collaboration with your ability."
"What are you talking about, Blinky?" Jim asked.
"One of the known abilities of the Witcher is they can translate any language to their native language in their head. What you experienced, Misstress Raelle is a perfect example. When you looked at the book and poster, they were in Trollish, but to you, they were in English."
"My head is going to explode again," Toby spoke.
"That would explain why you seem to be the only one passing Señor Uhl's class," Jim said.
Bular was becoming furious as the memories did not contain the knowledge he sought. The giant troll growls with anger at the memories.
"We must find what I seek before it is midnight, or else it will be too late," Bular stated. He then approached the unconscious Raelle, "I know your previous lives are trying to protect their knowledge with these ridiculous memories, but sooner or later, I will have what I seek."
The memory changes once again to one of Alvara's. The memory was in a small makeshift village in the middle of the forest with trolls going about under the night sky. In a house, a human woman named Adelaide was singing to her sleeping daughter, who was holding her sewn dragon made by her mother. Adelaide had dark blonde hair tied in a bun and wore a light purple floor-length dress with hemlines a shade darker. She wore a brown cloak with a silver brooch and chain on her shoulders. And a belt with a pouch around her waist.
Suddenly, a muscular male troll bursts through the door. The troll had dark lavender blue skin, same color bat-like wings, long black hair, and wore armor similar to Raelle's. Bular and his minions knew the troll was not a troll, but a changeling. More specifically, he was Mor'du, the father of Alvara, the first Witcher.
"Mor'du, what is wrong?" Adelaide asked.
"Gunmar and his army are on their way," He answered, "We need to get everyone to the water. Quickly now. We have no time to lose."
Adelaide quickly grabbed what supplies would be necessary as Mor'du alerted those in the village by banging his sword against his shield. Upon hearing the sound of the sword hitting the shield, the villagers grabbed what was necessary before they all left their homes. Mor'du leads his wife Adelaide and the trolls to the shores near the forest where their former home residence is.
"Vocate venti fortunate ex rege Oberonis et hic navis flugem regate ad orae Avalonis," Mor'du spoke the incantation.
An ominous mist appears, and several skiffs sail to the shores. The skiffs have a tiller at the stern and the prow a carved figurehead of an unknown bearded figure. One by one trolls step onto the boats before sailing away. Only one skiff remained on the shores as Adelaide, Mor'du, and their daughter were the last to leave.
"Adelaide, I love you and our daughter with all my heart," Mor'du said, "You both need to leave and get to Avalon. I will stay here and buy you and the others some time."
"No, I will not leave you," Adelaide told him, "I can stay with you and fight them off."
"My darling Adelaide, you changed me for the better. I first thought humans were nothing but greedy and hateful beings, but when I saw you, everything changed. I love you and Alvara more than anything," Mor'du kissed his wife and daughter goodbye and watched as the boat sailed away.
Adelaide could still see her husband through the mist as he let out a roar before running back into the forest to face off against Gunmar and his army. Tears ran down Adelaide's face, knowing she would never see her husband again.
Suddenly, Raelle's eyes snapped open, and the white glow remained. Dark purple and black smoke with light purple electricity consumed Raelle and she turned into her gargoyle form. Raelle roars before standing up and growling at those around her.
The goblins slowly surround and close in on her before jumping onto Raelle. The goblins piled on top of Raelle, causing her to fall to the ground. With a powerful motion, Raelle stands up and unfurls her armored wings. The goblins are sent off her and hit the walls.
"What has happened!?" Bular asked Strickler, "You said the crystal would substitute the talisman, and nothing will go wrong!"
Nomura tries to attack Raelle with her scythe swords, but the attack is blocked by Raelle using her wings as shields. Raelle sends Nomura flying back with a sharp exhale. Nomura gets up and prepares to attack again. Dark smoke and light purple electricity appear in Raelle's hand. When the smoke faded, there was a broadsword in Raelle's hand. The broadsword had the same coloring as Raelle's armor. The grip of the sword was black, the pommel and cross-guard were gold, and the blade was silver. The sword in Raelle's hand was the infamous Mor' du. The same sword was wielded by every Witcher before Raelle. Going all the way back to Alvara.
The changelings and goblins had fear on their faces but tried not to let it show when they first saw the sword. They knew that many had been taken by her blade. But Bular did not care about the sword's reputation.
"Get her!" Bular ordered Nomura.
Nomura hesitated to attack, but she had no choice. The female changeling charged toward Raelle and swung her swords, but they were blocked by Raelle's sword. Each attack after was blocked until Raelle grabbed Nomura by the neck and threw her to the side.
Bular took out his sword and charged at Raelle. When the giant troll was about to attack, Raelle flew to the ceiling. Bular looked up to find Raelle, but she had disappeared. Suddenly, Raelle's scourge was wrapped around Bular's neck and was lifted. Bular tried to free himself, but it was no use. Raelle used her weapon and threw Bular to the ground.
Raelle takes a deep breath and sharply exhales with a hiss toward Bular. The attack caused the giant troll to be embedded in the floor. Raelle turns to Strickler and stares at him before charging toward him. Strickler grabbed a blade from the collar around his neck and was ready to fight his young student. But then Raelle suddenly stops and sniffs her changeling teacher. Strickler was confused and, at the same time, grateful that he was not dead.
When Raelle is done sniffing, she stares at her teacher with narrowed eyes before roaring in his face. When the roaring was done, Raelle ran out of the museum on all fours. Strickler stood perplexed by what happened and was unsure as to why he was not harmed by his student as he looked around him.
Meanwhile, at the Lake household, Jim rushed into Raelle's room and grabbed Sitch off the bed before running downstairs with the bear in his hands. He jumped off the end of the stairs and ran toward his friends.
"I got it!" Jim announced, holding the bear to Toby, Draal, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh.
"What is that?" Draal questioned.
"This is Stitch. Raelle has had this little guy since she was a baby. He is what Raelle treasures most."
"No kidding," Toby said, "I remember when I almost spilled something on him, and Raelle didn't speak to me for a week after she threatened to break my hand. I still feel a little bit bad, though."
"Excellent work, Master Jim," Blinky commented before pulling out a bottle filled with a white liquid from his satchel, "Now, we can find Mistress Raelle."
Blinky uncorked the bottle and poured a few drops of its contents on Stitch. Seconds later, the bear glows white light before floating out of Jim's hands toward the door. Stitch repeatedly bumps into the door before Toby opens it to allow the bear to float outside.
"Quickly now," Blinky said before he and the others rushed outside.
Blinky, Jim, and Toby used the front door, while Draal and Aaarrrgghh had to use the backdoor because of their size. The trolls and human teens followed the floating bear and kept an eye out for Raelle. Jim hoped they would find her soon and that she would be alright. Jim also sightly vowed that whoever kidnapped his sister would pay for what they did. The group of heroes was glad the streets were empty of people and quiet. Halloween seemed to be over for most of Arcadia, but it was barely halfway done for the group. Jim, Toby, Draal, Blinky, and Aaarrrgghh felt like they were in a horror movie and were waiting for the monster to jump out at any moment to attack or drag them off into the darkness. Everyone was on the edge of their seat. They continued to follow the floating teddy bear for what felt like hours to them. Jim noticed that Stitch was slowly beginning to glow brighter.
"Blinky, what does that mean?" Jim asked his mentor while pointing to the bear.
"It means we are getting close," Blinky replied, "The closer we are to Mistress Raelle, the brighter the stuffed bear will glow. And we, I dare say, are almost there."
They continued to walk for a few minutes longer and went into town before the bear glowed the brightest it had ever been. The light was almost blinding them. Suddenly, the light faded, and the bear dropped into Jim's hands.
"What happened?" Jim asked, "What does this mean?"
"Yeah. Is this good or bad?" Toby questioned.
"It is good. It means that we have found Mistress Raelle," Blinky explained.
Toby and Jim looked around, but they saw no sign of Raelle. They only saw buildings with Jack O' Lanterns with no lit candles and Halloween lights that were turned off. Jim began to wonder if something was wrong with the potion, and it didn't lead them to Raelle.
Just as Jim was about to give up hope, a roar cut through the silence. The heads of the trolls and humans perked up and turned toward the direction the sound came from. The roar was familiar as it belonged to Raelle's gargoyle form. With Jim leading them, they raced toward the source of the roar. Jim hoped they would find his sister standing victorious over her defeated captures.
When they arrived, the group found something they were not expecting. They saw a handful of smashed cars, an overturned bench, a knocked-over tree, and street lights with shattered light blubs. But no sign of Raelle. Jim soon became worried for his sister again.
"I don't understand. Where is Raelle? Stitch was supposed to lead us right to her," Jim said, slowly being consumed by anger. He turned toward Blinky, "I thought you said the potion would help us find my sister!"
"Jim, I think you need to calm down," Toby told his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Calm down?! How can I calm down when my sister has been kidnapped by Bular or someone else? How am I going to explain this to my mom?"
"We will find the Witcher," Draal spoke, "She can not be far."
"Draal is right, Master Jim. The bear would not have led us here if Mistress Raelle was not," Blinky stated.
"So where is she?" Jim questioned.
A giant shadow silhouette cast by the moon covered the group. They were confused at first before looking up at the moon and saw Raelle hovering high above them.
"It's Raelle!" Toby exclaimed, "Hey, Rae-Rae!" He waved, "We've been looking all over town for you! Why don't you come down, and we can head home to watch some monster movies!?"
Raelle did not reply, and there was only silence. The silence continued causing Toby to be creeped out, and the rest were getting nervous by the lack of response.
"Hey, Rae? Is everything ok?" Toby asked in a nervous voice.
A bone-chilling roar came from their friend and sister before she dove at them at an alarming speed. Her claws were ready to attack the moment she came into contact with her brother and friends, but they jumped out of the way in time. Raelle flew back into the air and hovered as she glared with glowing eyes at them.
"Oh, no. It is as I feared," Blinky spoke.
"What is?" Jim questioned as he summoned his sword, "What is wrong with my sister?"
Before Blinky could answer, Raelle sang an atonal, quivering sound causing them to cover their ears in pain. Thinking quickly, Draal grabbed a trash can and threw it at Raelle. With the impending impact, Raelle stopped making the sound and flew out of the way of the trash can. Raelle roared at her brother and friends before disappearing from their sight and hiding not far away.
"It appears that whoever kidnapped Mistress Raelle was trying to use the thinning of the veil to obtain the knowledge of past Witchers. But they did not have the proper tools for the rituals. And they forced her to enter the State at the beginning of her training."
"Ok, but what does that mean for us?" Toby asked.
"It means Mistress Raelle is acting purely on her survival instincts and sees anyone as a threat to her survival."
"Ok, so how do we bring her back?" Jim asked.
"I do not know," Blinky replied, "But I have a theory."
"Whatever your theory is, I suggest we do it quickly. The young Witcher will return to attack," Draal said, "She must be hiding somewhere near. Watching us."
"Ok, Blinky what's your theory?" Jim asked.
"Suppose since Stitch was able to lead us to Mistress then he should, in theory, return her to us. And something else to allow her to remember who she is."
"How do we do that?" Toby questioned.
Blinky pondered for a moment before speaking, "Tobias, why did you play music on your phone when we were in the Hero's Forge?"
"Raelle would always listen to music while she practices martial arts and she said that it can help her remember moves. And she says that there are songs that can bring back memories."
"Is there a particular song Mistress Raelle is quite fond of?" Blinky inquired.
"Yeah," Jim replied, "She listens to it almost all the time. It's called Little Wonders."
"Good. Now, the plan is simple. Master Jim will lure Mistress Raelle out by using Stitch as bait. Once she is out in the open, Tobias will play the song. This should allow us to speak to her and bring her to the surface."
Jim looked at Stitch before looking up at his friends, "It's time to bring Raelle back."
Draal and Aaarrrgghh hid in a large alley, while Blinky and Toby hid behind a car to watch Jim. Jim closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at Stitch and squeezing the bear in his hand.
"Raelle!" Jim shouted loud enough for his sister to hear, "I have Stitch! I will tear him apart if you don't come out! After that, I'll toss him in the sewer or shred him in the garbage disposal!"
There was nothing, but silence for a few seconds until Jim heard growling from behind him. Jim turned around and saw his sister crouching atop a car, glaring at him. Jim slowly backed away from Raelle while she remained atop the car and continued to glare at him. Toby took out his phone and was ready to play the song, but Blinky stopped him.
"What are you doing?" Toby questioned Blinky.
"The plan," Blinky replied before stepping out from behind the car and rushing toward Jim.
Jim saw his mentor running at him in the corner of his eye. Jim did not have time to question what Blinky was doing as he punched Jim in the face. Jim fell to the ground, confused why Blinky hit him. Jim sat up with his eyes closed while rubbing his cheek in pain, but when he opened them, Jim saw Raelle standing in front of him with her back facing him.
Raelle glared at Blinky and looked like she wanted to kill him. Blinky put all four of his hands in the air and slowly backed away from the young Witcher. But Raelle stalked him on all fours like a predator waiting for the right moment to attack its prey.
"Raelle, no!" Jim examined.
The Witcher turned to her brother and stared at him as he stood on his feet. Jim could tell there was no hatred in her eyes as he looked at him.
"I know who you are, Raelle. You are someone who stands up against those who pick on others. You are someone willing to do anything if it means a friend or a stranger will know there is someone out there fighting for them. You want to protect those who can't protect themselves," Jim stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. He closed his eyes and hugged her tightly, "I want my sister back."
Toby, Blinky, Aaarrrgghh, and Draal held their breath as they waited for whatever might happen next. Suddenly, Raelle's eyes lost their white glow and returned to normal. The others let out sighs of relief as Raelle hugged Jim back. Raelle changed back to her human form as she and Jim parted.
"Welcome back, Rae-Rae!" Toby cheered as he and the trolls raced over to the Witcher and Trollhunter. He hugs Raelle before stepping back and asking, "How do you feel?"
"Like I just experienced the weirdest dream while sleepwalking," Raelle replied.
"Rae, what was the last thing you remember?" Jim asked.
"The last thing I can solidly remember was following some goblins to an alley and beating them up to save a woman and her baby. Next thing I know: I'm here with you guys."
"Mistress Raelle, is there anything you can remember about your captures? What did they look like, what they said, or where you were?" Blinky questioned.
"I remember seeing goblins, Nomura, a tall green changeling, and Bular. I don't really remember what they were saying other than Bular wanted something from my past lives. And as for where I was, I can't say other than it was inside. Blinky, what did Bular want from me?" She questioned.
"I believe that Bular wanted something from one of your past lives, but what and which one, I do not know."
Silence overtook the teens and trolls for a few moments before Jim spoke.
"Hey, Blinky, why did you punch me earlier?" Jim questioned, "I thought the plan was to lure her out with Stitch, play the song, and talk to get her back."
"That is what I want you to believe the plan was. A gargoyle is a being that protects, and I had to make it look as if I was attacking you, Master Jim," He answered.
"You could have just told me that instead of lying!"
"I had to make sure that you were surprised by the sudden attack, and if I had told you, then your reaction would not be genuine. And Mistress Raelle would not believe you and not come to your aid."
"Still not cool, Blinky," Toby said.
Jim looked down at his watch, "Hey, it's 10:30. Happy Birthday, Rae. You're officially sixteen!"
Raelle looked at the time on the watch, "Your right. I am officially sixteen! Woohoo!"
"Happy Birthday, Rae-Rae!" Toby cheered.
"Happy Birthing Day," Blinky, Aaarrrgghh, and Draal cheered.
"Thanks, guys. Come on, let's go home. I have a feeling that I am going to sleep like the dead tonight. Boy, am I glad that it's the weekend," Raelle said.
"You guys can come with us and watch a movie or two before my mom gets home," Jim said to the three trolls.
"We are honored to join," Blinky said, accepting the offer with a smile.
The trolls and human teens ventured back to Jim and Raelle's home with smiles on their faces from the victory of saving Raelle from their enemies. When they got back, Raelle quickly placed one of her favorite movies in the DVD player and sat back with the others as it started to play.
"What is the movie we are watching?" Blinky inquired.
"One of the greatest classics of all time: Ghostbusters!" Raelle replied with excitement in her voice.
"Ghostbusters," Aaarrrgghh repeated.
"What is this movie about?" Draal asked.
"It's about these scientists in New York that catch ghosts and save the city before facing off against an ancient being that wants to bring the end of the world," Raelle answered.
The six quietly sat as they watched the movie, but the three human teens fell asleep near the end. The adrenaline from the excitement of the day had faded away, causing them to grow tired. After returning home, Barbara found the three asleep on the couch and the T.V. playing the credits.
"Don't tell me I missed the party," Barbara said, causing the three teens to wake up in a panic for their troll friends. But the teens saw they were not around.
"Uh, n-no. We were trying to stay up to wait for you, Mom. But I guess we fell asleep," Raelle told her.
"Thanks, guys. What were you watching?"
"Ghostbusters," Jim answered.
"Of course," Barabara smiled, "Why don't we do cake first, and then we can watch Ghostbusters 2?"
"Yeah!" Jim, Raelle, and Toby replied in unison.
The three teens made their way to the dining table, and Barbara pulled out the chocolate fudge cake from the fridge. Barbara placed the black and orange number 16 candle before lighting it.
Barbara walked out of the kitchen and placed the cake on the table in front of Raelle. Barbara took out her camera and started recording before she, Jim, and Toby sang to Raelle.
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Raelle. Happy birthday to you."
"Make a wish, honey," Barbara said to her daughter.
Raelle closed her eyes and already knew what she wanted to wish for. She just hoped it would come true. Raelle then flew out the candle with her wish in mind.
"What did you wish for, Rae?" Toby asked.
"Toby, if I told you, then it won't come true," She replied.
Barbara took the cake back into the kitchen to cut it into slices. She walked back out to the dining room and handed Jim and Toby each a slice of cake before going back to get one for her and Raelle. The four made their way to the living room, and Barbara started the movie while the three teens were eating their cake slices.
Barbara noticed a gift-wrapped box next to the couch from the corner of her eye as she walked back to sit with the teens. Barbara looked at the box for a moment before picking it up.
"Did you get a present from someone at school, Raelle?" Barbara asked her daughter. Barbara found a tag attached to the bow and opened it, "Happy Birthday, Raelle. From B, D, and A."
Three teens realized it was from Blinky, Draal, and Aaarrrggh, and they must have left it when they were asleep.
"Oh, yeah," Raelle said, "It was from three kids we know and hang out sometimes with after school."
"That's nice of them. Well, what are you waiting for? Open your gift."
Raelle undid the bow before removing the lid from the box. The gift inside the box made Raelle smile before pulling it out. The present left by Blinky, Draal, and Aaarrrgghh is a miniature statue of Raelle in her gargoyle form.
"It's beautiful, Rae," Barbara commented, "Now, this cake is not going to eat itself, and this movie is not going to watch itself."
Raelle placed the statue back in the box and picked up her plate to eat the slice of cake. The four watched Ghostbusters 2 as they ate their cake. Even though it was a little crazy, Raelle could not have wished for a better Sweet Sixteen.