Author Note: Shout out to the reviewer who requested me to watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; thanks. I watched it when it came out on Disney+ because I don't want to waste $30+ on a company that hates people like me. I didn't like the ending; too many awkward jokes, but I liked most of the movie and thought it was worth the watch. It was good research for the character of Bellroc. They think of themselves as a god but get furious with what they don't understand. They keep trying to make Claire join the Arcane Order and doesn't understand why she won't join them and stand with humans, who Bellroc sees as beneath them, but they will do anything to make Claire join them. The High Evolutionary is furious that Rocket is his only creation with original thought. Sorry for the slow update. I wanted to before college started, but I didn't have time. I had to stitch four different drafts together to make this chapter. Also, I might be breaking the rules from the show from the start of this chapter, but this is the point of Fanfiction.
"Claire. Claire."
The voice doesn't sound like anyone I know. The soft bed I'm on changed to a cold, hard surface. I open my eyes and sit up in what looks to be a training area outlined by purple and blue colors. I look up and see what seem to be stars, some outlining and forming strange constellations above my head. It feels so peaceful and cold in here.
"Claire. Claire."
I freeze. "Hello? Who's there?" I call out, making my voice echo off the walls. A moment of silence, then I sense something behind me. I see an orb of blue and light purple approaching me. Fear and panic sweep over me, and I summon my staff, ready to strike, but the orb flies into the ground, and a ghostly blue and light purple apparition of a troll in armor appears before me. I tremble in fear and feel compelled to attack, but the presence in the air soothes my worries.
"Calm down, young one. I won't harm you." The troll speaks in a gentle manner.
"I recognize your voice. You were the one in my dreams when I held the Amulet of Daylight." I say and notice the Amulet on their chest plate. "Are you a ...Trollhunter?"
"I am. My name is Kanjigar. I am the last Trollhunter before yours. This is the Void, a place between worlds for the Trollhunter to receive counsel from those who came before." He replies and gestures above my head.
I see stone statues of trolls around the room, staring down at us. "Wow! So this is where Jim was?" I mumble, then I remember Blinky saying something to me. "Wait, how am I here? Blinky told me only the Trollhunter could enter here."
"We invited you here." A voice speaks behind me.
I turn around and see another orb floating around us.
"To give you our appreciation and gratitude for what you've done for us." Another voice says, and I see three more orbs flying.
"Thank me? Of what?" I ask, turning to Kanjigar.
"Claire, you have done us a great service to us by re-creating the Amulet of Daylight." He says clearly, making me tense up.
"What-no! I didn't do that! Douxie and Nari did that!" I deny it, panicking.
"Silly girl, we see everything." The other voice whispers.
"There are no secrets here." Kanjigar corrects me and opens his hand, making blue fog form around us. It creates a vision, and I see Douxie and me creating and unlocking the Amulet. As I touch the Amulet, the vision disappears. "We've seen all. Your deeds and determination reunited us, and we wanted to give you our gratitude."
I sigh as I can't hide anything from them. "Ok, I did it, but please don't tell anyone, especially Jim and Blinky," I admit and beg.
"Why not?" Kanjigar asks, concerned.
"Well, because you can see everything, I assume you know what's happening," I reply nervously.
"Yes, but there shouldn't be anything to fear. The Trollhunter loves you and won't be scared of you."
I sigh and look down, thinking to myself. "Just give me some time. We're already in a tense situation enough."
"Well, I suggest you do it soon as danger is coming for you. You are the leader and have a responsibility of protecting and being honest with the group." Kanjigar replies sternly.
I want to be honest with my friends, but I'm still paralyzed with worry. "Yes, I will." I agree and look up at Kanjigar.
He smiles and nods his head. "Good. Go forth and prosper, young one. We will be there watching over you and your Trollhunter... Just like your grandmother."
"Wait, What?" I ask, but before I can react, Kanjigar and the Void fade away, and then I become lightheaded, waking me up to reality in Jim's arms.
Zoe and I have another occlumency lesson in the library while Veronica watches. It goes better than yesterday, but blocking someone from invading my mind is tough. While practicing, I asked Zoe how the 'talk' with Douxie went, making her blush. I notice a purple bruise on her neck and know something happened between the two last night. After more persistence, Zoe snaps at me to stop. I teased her that once I mastered Legilimency, I could look into her mind and see what happened, making Zoe look bright as a tomato and making me laugh my ass off. When lunchtime came close, we ended our lesson and walked to the arena where the rest of our friends were. After recuperating, Douxie and I do a lesson in the arena, but I can't stop glancing at Jim and Blinky away from us. He is in his Daylight armor, and I can't stop feeling proud of him.
"Claire!"
I turn my head and blush. "Sorry. Let's begin."
"Get your book, and we'll start," Douxie says, and I nod.
"No need, I already have it." Someone says behind us, and I see Veronica with my spell book floating over her hand. "I didn't mean to invade, Claire, but I didn't want you to run back and forth through the castle just to get something while I can teleport." She says sweetly, handing me my book.
"No need to apologize, Veronica. You're just trying to help your 42nd great-granddaughter and her friends as much as possible." I reassure her and take the book, making her smile.
I hand Douxie my spellbook, and he opens it. "Why do you only let Douxie read it?" Zoe complains, making me roll my eyes.
Because he's the only one I trust with it.
"You can look at Claire's spellbook." He replies, glancing at Zoe and then at me. "If you're alright with that, Claire?"
"It's fine since Zoe knows about my powers," I say calmly, letting Douxie show Zoe the book's pages.
"Wow! You taught Claire Wizard-ese in less than three months? You're a better teacher than student." She says, amazed, making me and Archie snicker as Douxie blush.
"Come on, guys, let's get going with the lesson." He hisses, making us stop and clear my throat. "Alright, Claire, today, you will learn a defensive and offensive spell. How to create and hold a force field and hit and break it."
"Yes!" I mumble excitedly but pretend I didn't say anything when he turns to me.
He chuckles and shakes his head, turning his eyes back to my book. "The spell itself can't hold off anything that hits it, but if the witch or wizard concentrates enough, it can deflect anything that hits it or, even sometimes, make whatever hits it bounce back to the contractor."
"Cool," I comment.
"If you concentrate well enough, you can block anything the Arcane Order throws at you. Even their deadly daggers."
A shiver goes up my spine, thinking about them and what they did. "How does it work?" I ask, taking a deep breath.
Douxie asks for space in the arena and Zoe's help, making everyone back up from us. "Watch me and Zoe, and we'll demonstrate." He replies. I nod, and Archie and I stay clear of the witch and wizard. "First, I plant my feet firmly on the ground to keep my balance." He explains and does that. "Then, I cross my arms in front of my chest like an X." And shows it. "To conjure the spell, think of what's coming towards you and stop from touching or hurting you. With that, say, 'Scutum!' If you do it correctly, a force field will appear before you." He finishes.
He turns to Zoe and nods his head. In a flash, Zoe summons her wand and blasts a spell toward Douxie, making my heart skip, fearing him getting hurt, but he crosses his arms to his chest and shouts, "Scutum!" creating a blue force field around him and creates a slight pressure wave spread across the room, blowing through my hair. Douxie drops the shield as everything settles, making Steve whistle in amazement.
"Woah." Toby mumbles.
"That was intense," Jim adds.
"Douxie has been working on defensive spells for years while Zoe does attack ones," Archie replies, making her roll her eyes.
"I like to attack, while Douxie doesn't like to harm." She corrects him, making me giggle until I glance at Douxie, seeing him tense up.
"So you guys are like partners in crime?" Steve asks, making Zoe glare at him.
"Steve, drop it!" I hiss at the defense of the couple.
"Changing the subject!" Douxie shouts, catching my attention. "Now, Claire, before you defend yourself with this spell, I want you to hit my or Zoe's force field and break it if you can."
"Ok!" I agree, nodding my head and stepping towards them.
"Who do you want to hit?" Zoe asks.
"You need a wand to summon a force field?" I ask instead of picking.
Zoe rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. "I might be a hedge witch, but these spells Douxie can do, I can do as strong or stronger than him." She says casually and turns to Douxie, winking at him, making him slightly blush, turning away while Zoe giggles.
"Do they always flirt with each other during your lessons?" Jim whispers behind me.
"Yes. It's a bit annoying, but I don't mind. I like watching it." I whisper back, not turning around. "Then I want you, Zoe," I say, breaking up the couple's conversation.
"Good choice." Zoe chuckles, and Douxie steps away and closer to me.
"You remember what to do?" Douxie whispers as Zoe gets in her position.
"Yes," I reply, but Douxie stays by my side.
"Ready?" Zoe asks, seeming so too.
"Yes!" I agree, nodding my head. I ground my feet to the ground and take a deep breath. Douxie reassures me I can use any offensive spell, so something pops into my head. "Expelliarmus!" I shout and shoot the spell at Zoe. Before it can touch her, she summons the force field, causing the spell to fail and a slight pressure wave through the room, but not as significant as Douxie did.
"The disarming charm? Really?" Zoe laughs, dropping the force field. "That's child's play."
"It's one of the first spells Douxie taught me and the first that came into my mind," I say in defense.
"Well, try one of your tougher spells. You have to learn how to break a shield."
"A simple spell can be just as deadly as a challenging one if you use it right." I correct her, making Douxie chuckle, crossing his arms. We start again, but I use the same spell, this time, harder. After a few more tries, I hit the shield, and even though I didn't break it, Zoe almost lost her balance.
"Better, but you didn't break it." Zoe comments, making me frown.
"It's alright for now. It took me a while to master it." Douxie reassures me, and I show him a smile. "Now, you take the defense role, and I will be the offense."
"Ok," I reply, becoming nervous.
"Go easy on her, Douxie." Jim hisses, making us turn to look at him.
"It's ok, Jim." I shush him and look back to Douxie. "I'm ready!" I say, smiling.
Douxie raises his eyebrow but shrugs it off. He walks where Zoe stood, and she goes to the side, watching us. "You remember what to do?" He asks, and I nod my head. "I'll give you a head start for this time because you've never done this before."
I nod my head and make myself ready. Root my feet to the ground to keep my balance, cross my arms across my chest, take a deep breath, and shout, "Scutum!". Instead of what Douxie said, my mind goes to protecting something behind me, thinking of my friends, family, and Abeula, whom I should've protected. With that, I create a purple-colored force field around me, making me smile.
"Good job, Claire," Douxie says in front of the shield, smiling too. "Now, let's see how long you hold it."
My heartbeat picks up when Douxie conjures something sharp in his hand. It's bright blue, but it's small. Douxie looks at me and throws what's in his hand. I keep my eye on the shards until my mind freezes, causing the shard to hit the shield, and I fall. "Oww!" I groan, falling on the ground back first.
"Sorry, Claire," Douxie says, helping me up. "Did I hit you too hard?"
"No, I just froze and panicked for a moment." I hiss, rubbing my back.
"That happens for the first time. I remember doing that, but Merlin was a bit more aggressive."
"Well, thanks for going easy on me," I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
"If you want, we can do it again."
"Yes!' I agree. We repeated what we did, and after a few more times, I successfully blocked what was coming toward me and didn't fall or let the shield drop. Douxie hits me again but harder, and I stop the attack, keeping my ground.
"The Arcane Order doesn't play fair, so we will begin again, but I will shoot a spell at you without warning, and you have to block it quickly." He says while snapping his fingers, demonstrating what to do.
"Well, that's good to know," I mumble, rolling my eyes; then, within a second, Douxie shoots a spell at me, and I conjure the force field, but it throws me off guard. Suddenly, a vision of Abuela's dying body beside me and the screams of the trolls around me come to my mind, making me lose my footing. The force field breaks, causing the spell to blast me back, and I hit my head on the ground before my vision becomes black.
"Claire! Claire! Wake up!" Nari's voice rings in my ears.
I open my eyes and see hers, filled with worry. I groan in pain and sit up, blood rushing fast to my head. "What happened?"
"You fainted again," She pauses and looks down at my nose, eyes wide. "And you're bleeding again."
I feel the blood drip down my nose. "Not again." I groan in annoyance. Then, I turn my head and see Veronica and notice something dripping from her face, and press her hand on her head, groaning in pain. "Veronica!" I shout in worry, getting up to run to her. "Are you ok?"
Like me, I see bright red liquid dripping from her left nostril. "Yeah, I'll be alright, my dear." She says calmly but groans in pain. "You should be more careful."
"I'm trying, but it seems like my body can't handle my magic, which is frustrating as I was born with these powers."
"Your mother suppressed them when you were eight years old. Perhaps that's why your body can't handle it, not to mention you're pushing yourself too hard." Zoe comments.
"We're running from the most powerful force in the universe, Zoe. Of course, I'm pushing myself too hard!" I groan in annoyance.
"How in the world did Veronica get a nosebleed and a headache, the same with Claire when she's just standing there watching us," Steve asks, confused.
I pinch my nose to stop the bleeding and turn my head to look at Veronica. "Do you want to explain or for me too?" I ask, my voice hoarse from lack of oxygen.
"Don't worry; I will." She replies and turns to look at my friends. "Claire and I are not just related by blood, but Claire is my reincarnated self; that's why we look exactly the same, and I can communicate with her before she came here. Anything she knows, I know, anything she sees, I see, and when she gets hurt, I feel it and have the same thing, explaining my nosebleed and headache." She explains, shocking everyone.
"What?" Archie says in surprise and flies to Veronica. "That's not possible. I've never heard of this before and have lived for centuries. These things were only believed in some religions."
"No one knows everything, Archie. Even when they're centuries years old." Zoe says, rolling her eyes, making Archie hiss at her.
"But that still doesn't explain why Claire is getting headaches, nosebleeds, and faints circumstantially," Jim says, annoyed, stepping beside me.
"Ummm..." I hear Nari.
I turn around and see her look scared, hiding her gaze from everyone. "Nari, what's wrong?" I ask softly, kneeling down to her level, sensing her worries.
She takes a deep breath, looks at me, and grabs one of my hands with her small ones. "Claire, I think I might know why this is happening to you, but I'm afraid to say." She replies sheepishly.
"It's ok, you can tell me. I won't be mad." I reassure her.
She smiles slightly and takes another deep breath. "Some wizards' powers are linked to their emotion, but some magical creatures' powers are linked to their souls. Until they are strong enough after years of training, using magic will lead to exhaustion, soreness, sickness, or passing out due to the strain on the body. If something takes a bit of magic away from that magical creature's body, they can recover it, but it's extremely exhausting, and they could fall asleep for days to weeks. But if something takes too much power out of that magical creature or all of their powers, it will tear it out of their soul and kill them." Nari explains and places one of her hands on my chest. "You, Claire, your magic is linked to your soul, a powerful but deadly trait rare in magical creatures."
I freeze in fear and stare at her in shock. "Oh, so that's what's been going on," I mumble to myself. "That's why I'm always so tired."
"Yes, and that's why the Arcane Order wants you alive, or your magic will be gone," Nari says, sending a shiver up my spine.
"Well, it seems this journey is getting worse every step we make," Jim says worryingly.
"You don't know how much power you have, Claire," Nari says softly. "That's why they want you and me."
Then an idea pops in my head. "Nari, if I break my family curse, I won't become tired, sick, or experience these nosebleeds?" I ask, and she nods but doesn't smile. "Then I'll do that!"
"Absolutely not!" I hear Douxie hiss, and I turn to him, standing up. "Claire, you're already pushing yourself too far," He says seriously. "After hearing this, you need to understand what Nari is saying. I can't stress enough for you to slow down."
"But the Arcane Order is coming-"
"Claire, stop!" He snaps, interrupting me. "As your mentor, I'm not requesting or recommending that you slow down; I'm ordering you to stop! The Arcane Order might kill you, but right now, you are slowly killing yourself! You have to stop!"
"How long are you going to keep that?!" I hiss, staring him down. "A day? A week? A month? A year?!"
"Until I say so!" He defends himself, crossing his arms. "But until then, you can't use any magic!"
I'm stunned and stare at him in horror while I hear gasps around the room. I can't believe Douxie said this. He wants me to stop at this point. Does he not hear what Nari and Veronica said and know what's coming for us? Anger boils inside, and I stare at him with evil eyes, feeling compelled to shoot a spell, punch, or spit at him. "Fine!" I yell, getting close to his face. "You just signed our death sentence!" I hiss before running out of the room, not wanting to be around anyone, especially Douxie. I feel like exploding. I want to destroy something. I try to summon my magic, but it shoots pain in my body, making me scream in agony. I'm losing my mind. I'm so frustrated at Douxie's restriction on me, taking away my spell book and not allowing me to do any magic. I could do it in secret, but if I get caught by my friends, the fairies, or Veronica, they would most likely snitch on me, but soon Douxie will realize his mistake and give me back my spell book. The odds are against us. He can't prevent me from defending myself, my friends, and my family and defeating the Arcane Order. To calm down, I wander around the castle halls; then, I soon realize I can't retrace my footsteps without a fairy. I groan in frustration at how stupid I am, thinking only by anger instead of being critical. I stop and take a deep breath, collecting my thoughts. I notice something in the corner of my eye. I turn around and see a slight glow down the hall. I sense something down there and walk towards it. As I get closer, my necklace begins glowing brightly on my chest and grows as I step forward. A slight ring in my right ear makes me turn to a blank wall. I roll my eyes and think to move on until I spot a circular hole engraved into the wall. I examined it closely, and it looked exactly like the hole to open the castle's outer doors and the hidden door in the Portrait Hall in the manor at home. My necklace's glow catches my attention, and I touch the wall, sensing something is behind it. Thinking of what I've done before, I take off my necklace, bend down, and place the pendant into the circular engraved hole, and when I let go, the wall glows bright purple. Streams of blue run across the wall and create a beautiful Celtic design pattern, outlining an arch door. I touch the door, and my necklace floats back into my palm, causing the glow to fade, showing off steal metal on the wall. Curiosity to what's inside crawls into my mind, and I push open the heavy door. I expect to find something, but I can't see anything. I put my neck back on, but it glows brighter than ever, illuminating the empty room. I step inside, and a whirl of wind and a loud bang sends a shiver down my spine. I turn around and find I'm locked inside. I rush to the door and try to find a handle, but I can't, making me more frustrated. First, I'm forbidden to use magic, and now I'm locked into a secret room inside the castle. I sigh and take a deep breath, needing to stay calm to figure this out. Then, a spark catches the corner of my eye. I look over my shoulder and see a glass box I swear wasn't there before. I notice something glowing inside. Thinking it's a fairy, I rush toward the glass to free it, but then see it's not a fairy, but a beautiful medieval crown. It's simple yet designed for royalty—thin pure, sliver metal woven in Celtic patterns with small and beautiful diamonds, creating an ethereal glow. The shape is different from crowns I've seen before—a diadem. The diadem and its beauty enchant me. I touch the glass, and the diamonds on the diadem glow. I look down and see writing on the circle stone under the crown with text at the edge of the stone going all the way around. It seems to be written in Old English, then it shifts and changes into English I know and can speak.
"The crown which lays here will glow on the head and hands of the true heir of Camelot."
What does that mean? Is this a crown that belongs to Camelot? Who had it on their head before? Queen Guinevere? Morgana? Queen Igraine? A girl whom King Arthur might've had? But there are no descendants of Camelot royal blood today. The diadem appears to be made at a different time, but there's no dust or rush on it. I notice a light and look down to see my pendant glowing bright. I look up and see the diadem shine brighter. I look closer and examine the details of it. On the diadem, I see an empty spot where a diamond is supposed to be. The missing diamond is on the center of the diadem, seemingly to where it touches the forehead. I feel enchanted and drawn to the glow of the diadem. I gently touch the glass and feel the crown vibrate against it. Could it be?
A click rips through the silence, and I see the door open widely for me. I turn back to the diadem and see nothing has changed. I don't want to be trapped in here again, so I run out of the room, causing the door to close as I walk out into the hallway. I turn around and watch the door disappear, leaving only the circular engraved hole I found it from. For a moment more, I stare at the wall, wondering what I just saw behind it—a crown with a message. The crown which lays here will glow on the head and hands of the true heir of Camelot.
What does that mean, and why is it here? Maybe I can ask Veronica if she's ever seen that diadem before when I find her. I call out her name, but she doesn't show up. Maybe she can't sense me, but why would that be? I'm her reincarnation. I roll my eyes and walk down the halls like before, finishing what I was initially doing. Hopefully, Amber, Veronica , or someone else will find me, or I will find them, but Veronica says these walls will confuse you and make you lost, making me nervous. Another shiver runs down my spine when I hear a baby's crying echo throughout the halls. "Hello? Is someone there?" I call out, trembling in fear. The crying counties, and I sense something ahead of me. I don't know what I'm thinking, but I follow the sound, feeling I need to know something. Walking through a castle section, I notice the familiar walls, thinking I've been here before in a dream.
"Shhh! Shhh! It's alright, child. You'll see your mother soon."
I remember that voice. That's Queen Guenevere's. I pick up my speed until I stand before a familiar arch door from my dreams. The crying is behind there. I touch the knob, but the incessant crying raddles my head, making me dizzy. I take a deep breath and pull my strength to open the door. When I walk in, the crying stops, but the door slams shut, making me jump. "H-hello? Is anyone here?" I call out again, looking around the room.
"Morgana, I have someone who wants to meet you."
I turn around, and the room changes, appearing warm with the burning fire and bright colors. Then illusions of purple figures appear in the room, one sitting on a bed with the blankets over their legs and pillows behind their back, and two more walking towards it, with one holding a crying bundle. The figure, taking the appearance of a woman in the bed, tries to move and reach out with their hand but leans back on the pillows, too exhausted to move. Another figure, a woman, rushes to her aid. The third, another woman, comes next to the bed and hands the bundle to the one who sits on it. I carefully walk closer and notice something familiar with this setting, reminding me of my dream of Morgana, Guenevere, and Elaine in a room like this...and doing the exact same thing, raising questions in my head.
"Oh, my goodness. Hello there!" Morgana cries weakly to the wailing bundle. She shushes and gently cradles the blanket, making the crying soften and fade.
"Mistress, she looks so beautiful," Elaine says sweetly, and Morgana looks up at her.
"She looks like her father." She replies.
"What are you going to name her?" Guinevere asks curiously.
I pay attention closely, wondering whether or not what I heard before will be the same.
"I've been thinking about it for a while, but I'm going to name her what her father would've wanted to name her," Morgana pauses momentarily, looking down and smiling. "...Veronica."
As soon as I heard the word, it felt like a punch in the gut. No! That can't be true.
"Veronica. That's a perfect name!" Guinevere cheers happily, sitting next to Morgana.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful baby Mistress," Elanie says and bows.
"Thank you, Elaine," Morgana replies kindly, smiling at her before looking down at the bundle in her arms. "I love you, Veronica." She whispers, kissing her gently on the head. I notice something shine on Morgana's neck before the vision disappears. It was a necklace that looked similar to mine. No. How is that possible?
I can't move and momentarily lose my breath. My vision becomes blurry with my heartbeat racing fast. I stumble from lack of oxygen and lean on the bookshelf behind me. I look down to the floor, trying to catch my breath and take in what I saw. The timeline. The location. All the visions I saw and the whispers I heard. I feel like my whole world is crumbling down. No. No. That's not possible! This can't be true.
Author Note: Sorry if I used a spell or two from J. K. Rowling's series, Harry Potter. I love that series, and most magic spells are written in Latin, which Rowling used in her series. Since this is fan fiction, I'm not breaking any legal rules on this site. I'm pretty sure many fantasy books that have magic in the universe do the same as me. Some call it a remix, re-make, or rip-off, but I call it a cliche. After this cliffhanger, please review!