Author Note: Author Note: Tales of Arcadia is one of my favorite franchises and is a series that I will always keep near and dear to my heart. I love fantasy and the supernatural. After the series went on passed Trollhunters, I was hoping 3below and Wizards were going to be based around the two other main characters, Claire and Toby like Trollhunters was for Jim. We did get some of that in 3below for Toby and we did see some cool moments for Claire in Wizards. But I felt robbed and sad that Claire is mainly in the plot to help her boyfriend and Gilmore Del Toro tried to scrub that off with magic. I love the idea of Claire having a magical abilities. But felt like nobody extended on that. After Wizards ended, I wonder what would Claire's life be like as a witch? How does this affect her relationships? And this is part of my own wishful thinking, but I wonder if Morgana and Claire are related somehow? And also this may contain spoilers for Wizards.
Also, I'm modifying my story and the chapters. All three parts of these stories are going to be in the same chapter. Either less chapters and they're longer, or more chapters and they're shorter. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Arcadia. I only own the story.
I feel my power growing more and more every day. I feel trapped and scared. How am I going to cover this up? If this does come out, how will my friends react to this? Will my parents take this kindly? So many questions are spinning around me. I fall into my thoughts as I shiver and whimper. I can't lose control again. I look in the bathroom mirror and see my reflection. I look into my eyes and see them start watering. I feel my body begin to shake and burn up into my chest.
"Don't cry, my child." A familiar voice whispered in my ear like Morgana was trying to comfort me.
I look around to see no one. I glance at the mirror before lowering my head to look at my arms. The slashes are still there, but I know they'll disappear soon. I close my eyes, feeling hot tears stream down my cheeks. I stepped back until my back hit the wall and fell to the cold floor. I pulled my knees to my chest and tucked my chin into them. I let the darkness surround me.
"Don't give up, my child."
"Claire?" Darci's voice came into my head. "Are you alright, Claire-bear?"
I don't give a response.
"Claire, you've been in there for 15 minutes. Are you ok?" Mary asks calmly.
I raise my head to see Darci and Mary's shadows under the door.
"Claire! Answer us or open the door." Darci says in a gentle tone.
Before answering, my brain is shot with screams and whispers. Images of flashes and feel the burning pain of fire in my stomach. "NO!" I scream. I want my friend's arms and presence around me so much, but they would have burning questions, and I would annoy myself.
"Claire! What's wrong? You're not ok. Please open the door. Let us in." Darci pled.
I always lock the bathroom door whenever I go in, whether it's doing my business or not. Even if they try to open the door, they can't.
"Claire, open the door," Mary says, raising her voice a little, causing me to wince.
I respond by sobbing into my knees and keep muttering, no over and over again. After a few minutes, I heard the doorknob twist but not turn, and thumping on the wood came next.
"Claire, unlock the door," Mary says.
"Claire. We are worried about you, and it doesn't sound like you're alright. Open the door!" Darci says.
I start to cry as the screams in my head won't go away. I hear the doorknob twist and shake.
"Claire!" BANG! BANG!
I don't want them in. My body is a few feet away from the door, but I can't open it. I feel my hands heat up and stare up at the doorknob. Next, I see the doorknob turn from black to brown, to yellow, to orange, o read in seconds.
"OWWW!" I hear Darci scream.
"What the hell?!" I hear Mary yell.
I cry louder. I just made the doorknob burn like fire and burned Darci's hand.
"Claire! Are you ok in there, girl!" Darci cries with pain in her voice.
"Go away!" I scream. Not at them, but at the voices and sounds in my head to disappear.
"Claire, you're scaring us. Do you want us to call your parents, Douxie or Jim?" Darci asks with concern.
"Yes." I cry, my voice breaking. I need Jim and Douxie. I want Jim because he's my boyfriend, and I know he could sympathize with and comfort me. He knows more about trolls and wizards than Darci and Mary know about aliens. I need Douxie because he's a wizard and my mentor. I want him to know if anything is wrong with me magically. I know he came back from New York a few weeks ago on a mission, and he's here.
"Should I call your parents first or-"
"No! No! Call Jim first and then Douxie! Please don't call my parents!" I yell to the door.
"Ok," Darci replies.
"I don't want my parents to know," I say before sobbing again.
"Ok," Darci says before I hear her dilating and her phone ringing. After three rings, I hear the ringing stop.
"Hi, Jim. It's Darci. Are you busy right now? Ok, good. Claire is in the bathroom, crying and screaming. We can't get her to come out. She says she wants you and Douxie to come to her house right now. Please get here fast! Mary and I are scared for her. Ok. We'll see you soon." Darci says and then hangs up the phone.
Each end of the sentence stood for the end of her part of the conversation. I can't hear Jim's side of the conversation.
"Claire, Jim is on his way here in about 10 minutes, and Douxie is with him. They will be here shortly." Darci calmly says.
"Why do you want the 'hottie guitar boy' around?" Mary teases.
"SHUT UP!" I scream. Once again, to the voices, not her.
"Not the best time, Mary. Let's just wait for the others to get here. Go downstairs and see when they'll be coming. I'll stay up here." Darci snarls.
Wait?! What?! Who are the 'others'?!
"Ok," Mary responded. After, I hear a pair of feet walking farther away and down the steps.
"Are you alright in there, Claire-bear?" A gentle, calming Darci asked after a few minutes or two of silence.
The same question she asked me when finding me in the bathroom of the double date with our boyfriends. I was not ok, and I'm not ok now. "Leave me alone!" I cry.
"It's ok, Claire. Jim will be here soon." She reassures me.
I don't respond. I now focus my attention on the room. The bathroom is white and bright, but as the minutes' roll by, the space becomes darker and colder. I've begun to shake and feel paralyzed. Tears run down my cheeks like heavy rainfall. I haven't cried this hard since Jim turned into stone. I need him right now. I need him to save me from this nightmare.
"Claire, my child. Don't cry." Morgana's voice gently hits my ear.
"I'm coming for the wizard who can hold the Shadow Staff, born in the middle of the ten months of the year and who our champion is less than, but they will have power that the Arcane Order knows not. They will either be the savior or doom of the war!" A voice hissed.
"Morgana... Where are you... I'm scared." I sob into my shirt.
"Who's Morgana?" Darci asks, voice shaking.
I hear Bellroc and Skrael's laughter pierce my ear. "Get away from me, Bellroc and Skrael... leave me alone!" I cry louder.
"Claire! Who are you talking to?!" Darci asks.
I close my mouth. After what felt like an eternity, a buzzing echoed through the room, making me jump. I looked around and found my phone beside me, beeping with Jim's contact number on the screen. I try to reach for the phone until I feel a cramp in my stomach and yelp in pain.
"Claire! What's going on in there?!" Darci cries, thumping at the door. I shrunk into a little ball beside my phone to see the screen. I don't want to talk to Jim on the phone; I need it to be face-to-face. After ten rings, he gives up and sends me a text message.
Tex message: 'Are you ok?! I heard from Darci that you're crying. I am almost at your house. Just hang on.'
I felt happy he was coming, but I couldn't smile. I am in pain. Please, Jim. Hurry! One minute, two, three, it feels like an eternity until I hear the door open and slam a minute later.
"He's here! They're here!" I hear Mary shout from the first floor.
I hear thundering sounds coming up the stairs, making me whimper.
"Where is she?! Is she ok?!" I hear Jim's frantic voice.
"She's in there, but I don't know if she's ok. She keeps saying weird names like Morgana, Bellrock, and Skaer, and she's been crying and screaming. I don't know what's wrong or if she's hurt or something?!" Darci cries like she saw a ghost.
"It's ok, Darci. Go over to Toby and calm down. I'll talk to Claire." Jim speaks calmly.
Wait!? Is Toby here?
"Ok," was the last thing I heard from Darci. I hear shuffling on the floor, and the noise outside silences the air. Only a minute later, someone speaks.
"Claire." My body shakes when I hear Jim's voice says my name. "Claire. It's me. Are you alright?" He calmly asks.
I want to be honest, but I now start feeling guilty about Jim, Douxie, and maybe even Toby or anyone else in our friend group that are here. "No." I cry back to him.
"Please open the door."
"No!"
"Claire, how can I help if you won't let me in."
I don't respond a wait for Jim's voice again.
"Claire, I, Douxie, and everyone else is worried about you. Douxie is next to me, and we want to help you." Jim says calmly.
The air is silent again, and I hear another knock on the door. "Claire." Douxie's voice comes to my ear. "We're here to help. Please open the door, Sis." He pleads in a gentle voice.
"Claire, what's wrong?" Jim asks after a minute passes.
"I'm scared, Jim," I answer, my voice breaking from tears. I don't want to say anything more, but I can't. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I keep having these strange dreams at night. And when I wake up, they just keep coming. I try to control what's coming over my head, but I always start feeling like something will explode if I don't. But when I do, it gets worse." I cry.
"Of what, Claire?" Jim asks in concern.
I bite my lip. My chest starts glowing again, and my hands show my purple lights. "Of my magic." I cry in pain. Darci and Mary might be in the hall outside of the bathroom and listening, but I don't fucking care. I wait for someone to knock on wood and hear them speak. But I hear nothing. For three minutes, there's only silence.
"Claire." Jim's voice speaks. "Imagine a giant stone wall in front of you. Full of growing climbers and rose thrones. You look up and see a glowing light shining."
I knew what he was doing, telling a scene of what went through his head when playing the role of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. The scene where he was climbing the orchard wall to get to me.
"Do you see it?" He asks.
"Yes. I sniff.
"Then climb that wall, and when you get to the top, what do you see." He finishes.
I knew he meant opening the door. Climb the wall, fighting the chains around me to escape the window. I take the first step, feeling the shooting pain in my stomach. But I want the prize at the top of the wall. One, two, three, four. I finally get to the door knob and turn the handle to unlock the door. Hearing a click, I slowly open the door to see a sweet, gentle smile belonging to a dark hair, blue eye, a 16-year-old boy. I throw myself into his arms, nestling my head against his chest. I instantly feel Jim's arms wrap gently around my waist. I cry loudly in his jacket, and his arms pull me tighter against him.
"Shhh! Shhh!" I hear him shushing me, stroking my hair.
I close my eyes, enjoying his scent, the comfort of his arms, and the silence of the area. "I'm scared, Jim." I broke out through my swelled-up throat. He rubs my back and shushes me in response. It felt like an eternity, but someone had to cut the beautiful silence.
"Are you alright, Claire?" I hear Toby's voice through Jim's jacket.
I want to feel mad and lash out, but I don't have the energy to move a muscle and leave my boyfriend's comfort. I don't want to look at Toby.
"Do you want everyone to leave?" Jim asks quietly.
I just grip his jacket tighter and nod my head.
"Toby, Douxie, take everyone downstairs, and we'll be with you guys soon," Jim says.
A few seconds later, I hear footsteps going down the stairs, and silence is heard again. I'll take a deep breath and gather my composure. I feel Jim's grip loosen around me.
"Claire, look at me." He demands gently.
I dumbly obey. I lift my head to see, once again, a sweet, gentle smile. But that smirk turns more severe in a matter of seconds. I feel his hand caress my cheek and brush my hair behind my ear. I almost melt from staring into his beautiful sapphire eyes.
"Do you wanna tell me?" He asks quietly.
I nod my head and take a deep breath. "It's kind of a long story," I say, my voice shaking.
"I have all day." He says.
I take another deep breath. "It all started after we left Arcadia after the Eternal Night battle. I thought it was from Morgana and it would go away, but it didn't; during the summer, the magic only got worse inside me. I wanted to tell you. Every time I tried to, I choked up, and I would lose my words of what to say. I was scared and didn't know who to turn to. To Blinky, to Merlin, or even to you." I stop to take a breath. "When I was by myself, I would try to practice using my newfound powers in secret. To control them on my own. It works a little bit. Remember all the strange things going around us that not even Merlin or Blinky could explain on our journey to New Jersey?" I finish.
"Yeah. I remember when an explosion of purple flames threw you to the wall and me to the opposite side of the room. Merlin didn't know who or what caused it, and I found you passed out from the blow to the head." Jim adds—an Adventure we had in Colorado.
I chuckle a little, only to lose it after a few seconds and become more serious. "That was me. When Merlin called us, we again met Douxie, Steve, and Toby. I felt more comfortable again despite Merlin placing you in a gemstone. When we went back in time, Douxie helped me greatly with my powers and taught me how to control them. While that was good and all, something felt wrong. The more we stayed in Camelot, my magic only grew stronger. My magic grew dangerously more when the Arcane Order battle ended, and Morgana was killed. Since we returned home and went back to school, I've been trying to suppress and control my powers. But I can't, and I just..."
"Shhh! Shhh! Shhh! Please don't cry." Jim shushes me and pulls me back into his chest as I break down again.
I clutch him tighter, pulling myself closer, and sob louder in his shirt. I hear him shush me. I lost my sense of time, was overfilled with tears, feeling tired.
My body relaxes. "Claire, I want you to take a hot shower, get on some comfy clothes, and come downstairs. Ok?" Jim whispers in my ear.
I nod my head. "But what about-"
"Don't worry. I'll explain everything to our friends, especially to Mary and Darci. You just worry about cleaning yourself up." Jim answered, interrupting my question.
He releases his grip around my torso. I weakly lift my head again to see my boyfriend's face. I feel his hand ghost my skin and caress my cheek. I lean into his touch, take his hand, and kiss his palm. I look back up at Jim's face and smile sweetly at him. He returns the smile and leans in to kiss my forehead. He gets up to his feet and helps me to mine. We share a kiss before I walk to my room.
I open the door and see NotEnrique on my bed. "What's wrong, Sis? I couldn't come out 'cause of all the fleshbags out there." He says with concern.
"A magic mental breakdown. I cut myself in the bathroom and cried my eyes out. My friends are downstairs, and I'm gonna take a shower." I answer in annoyance while walking toward my dresser.
I open it and grab some clean underwear, black leggings, and fuzzy purple socks. I turn around and walk to the closet. Sliding the door open, I look through the hangers of clothes. It's almost 5:00 PM. I want to wear some pjs, but I don't like wearing them this early. But I'm tired and need to wear something soft. I look past several hanging clothes for a baggy, purple plaid shirt. I've worn it several times before, and a perfect top for chilling out in. I unhook the sweater before I walk towards the door and turn the knob.
"Stay here, and don't come out until I come back," I command NotEnrique before closing the door and holding the fresh clothes to my chest. I slowly walk to the bathroom door, open it, shut it, set my clothes on the toilet, and open the shower curtains. I look down and remove my clothes while staring at the dry blood on the bathroom floor. My blood. After taking my shirt off, I see the slashes on my arms covered in blood. Thankfully, not wet.
The healing process is already working. The slashes will be gone entirely within a few days; it depends on how bad the cuts are. As soon as I undress, I enter the shower/tub. I slide the curtains and turn on the water. It's cold and tickles my feet. After waiting a few seconds, I pull up the switch to make the water come overhead.
It hits like ice, and I clutch my mouth with a scream, making a groan against my teeth. I quickly turn the water temperature up, moving another switch to the left, as Jim wants me to take a hot shower, but as the hot water touches my arm, I feel the urge to scream. The pain feels intense like I'm going to be sick. After another few seconds, the pain swells away, and I start to clean myself. As the water hits my body, I suck in the steam of the water, thinking back to the memories of New Jersey, Camelot, and the Arcane Order—the horror of war, evil, magic, and my mistakes.
Nimue told me the truth about myself. I'm a walking mistake. I hold guilt, and that makes everyone around me suffer. Every move I made, every choice I made, I caused suffering. Wanting to save my baby brother from the Darklands is why Gummar finally broke free. Only caring for Jim's well-being leads to the death of Morgana and Merlin. Those are just some minor issues that I had done. No matter what I do or even breathe, I seem to cause something or someone pain. Maybe that's why Morgana thinks we aren't so different than Merlin could ever comprehend, and Merlin couldn't trust me. I'm a bad omen.
I shake my head as I hear Jim's voice rings in my ear. "You are not evil, Claire."
I try to focus my attention on the water coving me. It feels good on my skin and might sting my wrists, but I'm used to the pain. The silence and light of the room welcome calm for me. I turn off the water and slide the curtains thoroughly washed, soaking wet and shivering. It might be warm water, but leaving is like stripping heat out of the body. I step out and grab a towel to wrap around myself.
I walk towards the mirror on the wall and see the steam covering the reflection. I swipe over the steam mirror, now seeing my face in the glass. I stop and look closer to see someone else in my reflection. Same hair, same eyes, but not me. Someone who I had never met before and looks familiar at the same time. Then I see my irises; then the sciera turn purple. I jump, feeling panicked. I close my eyes and complete them before taking a deep breath. In and out, in and out, calm down. This isn't real. When I open my eyes, my eyes won't be purple. I open my eyes and see my normal brown eyes in the reflection that is finally mine.
I take off my towel and see my naked body. I somehow got a tingling feeling in my spine. What would it be like if Jim saw me naked?
"Hey." He whispers, walking up to me.
"Hey," I whisper back.
Jim comes right behind me, his head beside my ear and half-naked body touching my back. He moves his hand up my arm, making me shiver. "I think you look beautiful," Jim whispers, tickling me. Then, Jim starts kissing my neck.
I shiver and shake my head, getting rid of mature thoughts. Jim and I haven't even talked about taking our relationship further. I grab my towel from the floor and quickly dry myself. I hold my warm, dry clothes and place them on my body, ensuring my sleeves cover my slashes. I feel more comfortable and calm but exhausted. I slowly open the door and look around, seeing nothing or anyone. I grab my worn clothes, open my door and walk to my room, where NotEnrique sits quietly on my bed.
We don't talk; I just throw the clothes in a hamper. "Do you want to meet my friends?" I ask my surrogate brother, turning to him.
"Really?" He asks, looking surprised but excited.
"Yeah! I think it's time. Come on!" I answer, gesturing to the door, and NotEnrique approaches me. We exit my room and quietly walk across the hall to the stairs. I hear talking and muttering voices on the main floor, telling me my friends are still here. I fall and groan softly in pain as I reach the first stair. Every step I take feels like I want to throw up, and I lean against the wall and take a few deep breaths.
"You ok?" NotEnrique whispers, climbing near my arm.
I turn to him and nod, but I feel constipated and close my eyes. "Yeah. Just feel the wind knocked out a little." I groan. I get up and hear the voices grow louder. I turn to NotEnrique. "Stay here, be quiet, and wait till I call for you to come out. Ok?" I instruct him. NotEnrique nods, and I walk more quickly but softly down the stairs. I take the first step and see all my friends in the living room. Jim, Zoe, and Eli sit down while Darci, Mary, Douxie, Toby, Aja, Krel, and Steve stand up.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. Do you mean you, Toby and our best friend are part of the group of Troll Hunters who fought evil trolls who lived under our town for centuries? You transformed into a Half-Troll creature and took Claire away from us!" I hear Mary scream, her back to me and looking at Jim.
Jim looks nervous. "Yeah." He admits. Everyone, including Darci and Mary, knows trolls exist, thanks to the Eternal Night Battle. Still, Mary and Darci never understood why I left Arcadia for the summer and didn't seem to retain their memories.
"It wasn't his fault; he never forced me to come. I wanted to go with Jim to New Jersey." I say out loud, making everyone who has their backs to me turn around. I feel flustered and fake a smile, hugging myself.
Jim gets up and walks up to me with open arms and a warm smile. "Hey, Claire!" He says softly, placing his arm on my shoulder. "How do you feel?"
"Better," I admit. "A little tired, though."
Jim slides his whole arm around my back and touches my other shoulder. "Then why don't you sit down for a bit." He replies and gestures to the spot where he is sitting. I walk, feeling his body pressed against the upper right side of my body.
"Yeah, and you can explain what you have been doing this past year!" Mary yells angrily, causing me to wince and Jim to growl as I sit down.
"Mary, leave Claire alone. She's been through a lot lately." Jim mutters, taking a seat next to me.
"I don't care! Darci and I deserve an answer to why Claire left us!" Mary screams.
"Mary, calm down," Darci says softly, placing a hand on Mary's shoulder.
But Mary yanks her upper body away, fuming in rage. "I deserve to know!"
"And you do," I reply softly, looking down at the floor.
"Claire, you don't have to"
"No, Jim! Mary and Darci are my friends and deserve to know the truth about what's happened." I protest, interrupting Jim. I look up and see my friends with crossed arms and furrowed brows. "Do you want me to answer a set of questions or explain the full story?" I ask them.
"Explain the full story, and don't leave out any details!" Mary answers, pointing and scowling at me. I feel hurt, and Mary or Darci would use that sentence to ask me about something they are excited about in my life. But now, Mary uses it to yell at me with anger.
I take a deep breath and straighten up. "I'm sure that Jim and Tody explained to you what the world of magical creatures, trollmarket, trollhunters, and the Darklands are, right?" I ask.
Mary and Darci both nod their head with glaring eyes, not talking.
"It all started when goblins took away my baby brother. After observing Jim's suspicious behavior, I went to Heartstone Trollmarket. It had a beautiful, huge, red/orange rock in the middle of trollmarket called the heartstone. I became a Trollhunter after Romeo and Juliet. I never hung out with you guys because I was busy fighting trolls while trying to save my brother in the Darklands. Not to hang out with a college boy. After hard and tense missions with other trolls, school, our parents, and being chased by a troll assassin named Angor Rot, Jim went into the Darklands and got Enrique out after two weeks. Enrique got out, but... Jim didn't. Me, Blinky, AAARRRGGHH! and Toby saved Jim from the Darklands. Thanks to getting Jim out alive from a different dimension, we accidentally released an evil troll called Gunmar. It led to the elder of trollmarket... Vendel to die and the evacuation of trollmarket. I helped everyone escape by using a staff I received while fighting Angor Rot, called the shadow staff, creating a big enough portal that sent trolls somewhere safe. But by using that much magic, I opened up something horrible. Close to the end of the year, you guys, Jim, Toby, and I met Douxie as he was handing out flyers for the Battle of the Bands. We signed up to compete, but I always ditched to help Toby, Blinky, and Jim as the Trollhunter. During all that time, I started getting sick. But it wasn't a normal cold. You probably know Morgana La Fey, an evil witch who possessed me from story books." I stop and pay attention to my friend's expressions. Mary and Darci's faces and bodies relax slightly, but Mary still looks angry, and Darci looks more concerned.
"It was like fighting a virus I could feel but couldn't get out of my body. The more Morgana possessed and controlled me, the more I got sick. With the help of Jim, Toby, Blinky, and Mr. Stricker, I found the strength to fight Morgana and regain my body back. After that event, Jim, Toby, Blinky, AAARRRGGHH! and I journey to find a wizard in the same stories, Merlin. With his help, we planned an attack on Gunmar and his army, the Gum-Gums, but also, thanks to him, he turned Jim into a half-troll. The mind of a human and the pride and instincts of a troll. He could be able to fight and kill Gunmar. But Jim could no longer be able to walk in the sun, eat human food and overall, be able to live in our world. Toby, Strickler, Blinky Jim's mom, and I were furious at Merlin." I ball my fists up and feel like I want to punch something. I felt a hand on my back and noticed Jim's touch, calming me down. I take a deep breath and start again where I left off.
"During the Battle of the Bands, I fought a different battle—the battle of the Eternal Night. I was fighting against the Gum-Gums with many different species of trolls. You guys did see some of the action, and I helped get you to safely. Jim fought and destroyed Gunmar, and I banished Morgana into the shadow realm between worlds and where I have contact. The Eternal Night was over, and the danger had passed. But it wasn't left unscathed. The explosion you guys all saw was how Eternal Night was caused. Morgana used the ashes of dead Gum-Gums, Merlin's staff, and the heartstone to create the Eternal Night, and not only was trollmarket destroyed, but the heartstone as well. The heartstone is not only a gem but is a life source of troll kind. They needed it to live; it was hard for us. The trolls couldn't stay in Arcadia and traveled to New Jersey to find a new heartstone. Jim couldn't live with humans for being a half-troll and was the Trollhunter. So, Jim decided to go with the other trolls and... I went with them." I stop to catch my breath; something I feel is slipping out of my mouth. I feel water come to my eyes. I look down, biting my lip.
"The day before the Eternal Night. I thought a lot about what had happened and what would happen whether or not we win or not. I wanted to tell you guys...but I couldn't. You guys are my friends...but I didn't tell you. After the battle ended, I immediately decided to go with Jim on his travels to New Jersey. I told Toby, my parents, and myself that it was the summer and I would return one day... But as the days pass, I realize I probably can't. No family, no connections, no knowledge of living on my own, and no humans surrounding me, being far from home... There were some times when I wanted to go back home... But I feared what would happen if I even brought up the topic. How could I go home? How would Jim feel? And if I did go home, would I feel happier? I started feeling guilty of feeling selfish and constantly making mistakes." My voice sounds raspy and throaty. I fall to the floor on all fours and shut my eyes, making massive tears hit my hands.
"While I returned home as summer ended and school almost began, something felt wrong. I started feeling anxious and stressed with my magic powers, which grew during the summer. There were some instances where I almost or did make something blow up or/and make something strange happen, like changing the weather, creating shadows, and making the lights flicker or explode. I tried to control whatever was happening inside of me, but that only strengthened my magic. I started to feel alone and scared. I didn't know what to do and who to tell. I did have Douxie as my mentor and fellow wizard, but he was in New York City and had a mission to do, and everyone else was enjoying their normal lives back. So I felt I had no one. I'm so sorry, Mary. I'm so, so sorry, Darci. You probably hate-"
"Hey, hey! Shhh! Shhh! It's alright, Claire. Please don't cry. Shhh! Shhh!" I hear Dari's muffled voice and feel two bodies on me and four arms around my back.
I take some deep breaths and try to calm down, leaning my head against Darci or Mary's shoulder. I spend a few minutes tightly holding my friends, composing myself.
"We're sorry, Claire," Mary mumbled in my ear as I gathered the rest of my composure.
Darci and Mary let go, and I pull away and see their hurt and teary eyes. "Guys, I'm so sorry-"
"Claire, don't you dare say 'I'm sorry again," Darci says sternly, but her voice is raspy.
"You already spilled your guts and cried, making you look puffy, girl," Mary says in the same tone, but I can see tears in my friend's eyes.
"But aren't you confused or mad at me?" I whine.
"We were mad at you for ditching us, lying, not telling us what was happening, and leaving us without a goodbye, but for everything you just told us and what you've gone through, we're reconsidering," Darci answers.
"And we are confused about what we've just been explained. But hell! We discovered aliens and trolls existed three months ago, and I think we can handle anything thrown at us." Mary adds, sounding a bit snarky, making me smile a bit.
"Claire, you're our best friend, and we want to help you no matter what happens. We're so proud of you for telling us the truth and being upfront. This might be hard to handle, but we'll do it for you." Darci says sweetly.
I feel like crying again. But for tears, joy, and smiles at the girls before me. "Thank you," I mumble softly and hug them. I look up to find Douxie's hazel eyes. He glances at me and looks up over my shoulder. I turn in that direction and see Jim nodding and looking over me. I turn back to Douxie and see him shake his head before looking at me with hurt eyes.
I let go of Darci and Mary, and they crawl away from me to allow Douxie to walk to me and sit with his knees a few inches away. I focus on his eyes and see hurt, guilt, regret, and pain.
"I'm sorry, Claire." He mumbles quietly.
Douxie's body is tense, and tears are in his eyes. In a few seconds, Douxie grabs my shoulders and pulls me into his arms, catching me off guard. I lean into his chest and let out a deep sigh, relaxing in one of my best friend's arms. Soon, Douxie lets me go, and I look at him with tired eyes, slumped back and hugging myself.
"Claire, I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you. Hearing what you said is sad, and I wish I could help, but I was in New York City and couldn't. I feel like a failure to you. I see you as my student and a sister and find it's my job to help, protect, advise, and teach you, and I didn't after I left Arcadia to protect Nari. I wish to reverse time, help you better, and ensure this wouldn't happen, but I can't, but I'm here and can help you now. No matter what happens, don't hesitate to tell me what's wrong. Alright?" Douxie says with a raspy voice.
I nod my head, and we hug again. Douxie stands up and helps me to the same level with his hand. Douxie uses that hand and places it on my shoulder while everyone somehow gathers around us.
"Claire, we are all here for you and will help you whenever needed. You are not alone." Douxie says calmly and smiles.
Soon, everyone comes closer and touches a part of my shoulder or back with smiles and nods. I feel like crying again. "Thank you, guys," I mumble, and everyone walks to a seat or hugs me, making 7 out of my ten friends. Darci, Mary, Douxie, Toby, Krel, Aja, and Jim, but someone needs to be added to the group. "Hey, do you guys want to meet someone?" I ask, finally smiling.
Everyone raises their eyebrows but nods their heads. I turn my body to the staircase. "You may come out now; they won't bite," I shout. It takes 20 seconds, but NotEnrique slowly crawls out of his hiding place and walks to us. Everyone doesn't scream, but Mary, Darci, Zoe, and Douxie look at NotEnrique in shock, with wide eyes and open mouths.
"Hi, everyone!" NotEnrique says shyly, waving his hand.
There is a hush of silence in the room for a while before hearing Mary's voice.
"Awwww, it's so cute!" She shouts, looking like she saw a kitten. She and Darci rush to NotEnrique's side, they touch him, and he enjoys the pets.
"What is it?" Zoe asks in disgust, holding her nose.
"It's a he, and his name is NotEnrique, and he is a changeling." I hiss at her.
"Yeah! I'm Sis's cool younger changeling's brother!" NotEnrique shouts happily, making Mary and Darci giggle.
"Wait- He's your brother? How? You two are different species, and you already have a brother." Darci says in confusion, raising an eyebrow.
NotEnrique comes to me and climbs onto my shoulder. "Well, this little rascal was the troll who took my brother's place and the reason I started as a trollhunter. NotEnrique is a changeling, a type of troll who can change into any appearance he is bonded to. That means my brother." I answer, smirking at the little troll on my shoulder, who returns it.
"Really? That's so cool!" Darci shouts. "Can you do it for us?"
NotEnrique and I glance at each other with worried expressions. "No! After Jim rescued Claire's brother from the Darklands, I can't transform into the little one anymore." NotEnrique answers.
"After an awkward talk, my parents allow NotEnrique to stay here. He sleeps in my room, and I see NotEnrique as a brother, even though he is a troll." I add, and NotEnrique hugs my neck, making me giggle and kiss him. I see Archie come out and hiss when seeing NotEnrique on my shoulder.
"Hey, who are you?" NotEnrique hisses at Douxie's familiar cat and leaps to the floor, a couple of feet away from Archie.
"Who are you?" Archie hisses at NotEnrique.
Before either can attack the other, I grab NotEnrique, and Douxie grabs Archie.
"Hey, hey, let me go! Let me at him!" NotEnrique hisses.
"Put me down, Douxie! Spy!" Archie hisses.
"Calm down, you two!" I shout at the animals and look down at my troll brother. "NotEnrique, Archie is a friend and isn't going to hurt me," I said before looking at the black cat. "Archie, NotEnrique is not a spy of the Arcane Order." It takes a few minutes, but Archie and NotEnrique calm down. Douxie and I set our animals down but don't let them go.
"Archie, he's not going to hurt her," Douxie whispers and lets Archie go.
I let NotEnrique go, and he slowly walks to Archie. They circle each other, tilting their heads.
Archie turns into a dragon, and NotEnrique looks at him with amazement. "Wow, how did you do that?" He asks the little dragon/cat.
Douxie and I laugh at the two as NotEnrique and Archie have a friendly conversation.
"I've never seen a changeling before," Douxie says in amazement, making me giggle.
But the happy moment ends when I fall from the pain in my body and hold my mouth.
"Claire, are you ok?" Jim asks, rushing to my side.
I lean against my boyfriend's shoulder. "No!" I groan in pain. Jim helps me up and leads me to the couch.
"Hey Jim, when are Claire's parents coming here?" Zoey asks, sitting in a chair.
I feel myself stiffen up. "Wait-what!" I panic.
Jim turns to me with a concerned look and lightly touches the places of my covered slashes. "Claire, I called your mom to tell her what I saw in the bathroom and being worried about you," Jim replies.
I groan and throw my head in my lap. "What did you tell her?" I mutter.
"I told her what happened to you when we all came downstairs. She wanted to talk to you, but I could hear water running upstairs and thought you were still in the shower. Ophelia was at work when I called her but said she would be here as soon as possible. She told me to make sure you didn't hurt yourself and feel comfortable before hanging up to call your Dad." Jim answers but doesn't help me any better.
"What's the problem with Claire and her parents?" I hear Douxie ask, making me look up.
Douxie looks confused, raising an eyebrow and his arms crossed. He has never met my parents before, which can be a problem. Letting my skeptical parents meet my mentor or magic. Yeah! That's not gonna end well. "Trust me; you haven't met my parents yet, Douxie."
We hear a car park up to the house, and my body shakes from the moment of dread. The car door slams, and I hear thumping. Though maybe it's the sound of my heart. The door slams open.
"Claire! Claire, where are you?" I hear my mom shout.
I shiver and want to sink into the couch, hugging myself. I look up and see Jim's sad expression. "I'm in here, Mom!" I shout and turn to the last place I hear my mother's footsteps. I catch her eyes and see horror and panic in them. She runs to me, and everyone clears the path of the living room. Mom didn't even question the strangers in her house.
"Show me your arms!" Mom orders, grabbing my hand.
I recoil from them and shake my head.
"Sweetie, I'm trying to help you. Please show me your arms." Mom states and repeats but calmer.
I take a deep breath and open my arms to let Mom unbutton my sleeves and pull them to see the mid-slashes. Mom gasps, her eyes are sorrowful, and tears coat them. I also hear more gasps around us.
"Oh, my goodness Mija..." Mom says, trying to keep her composure. She takes a deep breath and gives me a stern look before turning to my friends. "May someone get Claire a water bottle, an ice pack, and dry and wet wash clothes."
Jim is the first one to get up and rush into the kitchen. Mom turns around and sees all my friends smiling nervously at her.
"Did we interrupt you from work, or did they let you go?" I say bitterly.
"Oh no, Mija! No, no, no! After hearing what happened to you, I called your father and ran out without barely talking to my boss. You are much too important than my professional career." Mom says sweetly, turning to me.
I roll my eyes. Since when has she been worried about my well-being?
Jim returns with everything Mom asks of him and hands it to her. "Thank you, Jim!" She says kindly, something Mom never would say to Jim, even in such a tone.
Jim and I share a glance, smiling at each other before I groan and turn my head back to my left arm, and Mom covers it with a damp washcloth. Mom cleans my arms with the wet cloth and places the ice pack on my right arm.
"When you're arm starts to feel numb, switch the pack to the other arm. It doesn't look like it's bleeding." Mom states and hands me the water bottle. "Drink some water and relax. Your father will be here soon."
I nod my head and obey my mother. She gets up and walks back to let Jim sit beside me. I lean against my boyfriend's shoulder, relaxing from the stress of the past hour.
"Oh, and by the way, who are these kids besides Toby, Mary, and Darci?" She asks calmly, not stern or skeptical.
Before I answer, I hear another car pull up to the house, footsteps, and the door slams open, making me stiffen up.
"Claire! Claire, where are you, Mija?" I hear my dad shout.
"Javier, shush! Claire is in the living room. Don't scare our second child." I hear Mom says sternly.
I turn my head and see my dad's worried and panicked face. He rushes and kneels in front of me. I straighten up and rub my eyes, smiling weakly at him.
"Show me your arms!" Dad demands, and I obey and open my arms to show them.
"Oh, Mija..." Dad mumbles when observing my weak and exhausted body and slashed arms.
"Hi, Papá!" I say softly and chuckle a bit.
"How did this happen?" Dad says in his panicked tone. It's not a question; it's a demand.
"Ummm..." I look around at my friends and try to think of the best way to describe what I did to myself. No one is going to approve or like the answer. "I-I... cut myself."
Dad and everyone in the living room gasp and looks at me in shock. I feel guilty and lower my head into my shoulders. As seconds passed and no one talked, I played with my fingers and bit my lip, feeling more shame and guilt.
Dad blinks and straightens up. "We'll talk about this later, Claire." He says softly and sternly.
I nod and sigh in relief, glad Dad or Mom won't shame me in front of my friends.
Dad turns around and sees my friends as Mom did. They all wave at Dad, nervous. "Claire, who are these kids besides Toby, Mary, and Darci?" He asks calmly. Not stern or skeptical, just like Mom.
"There are the rest of my friends Dad. Steve, Eli, Krel, Aja, Zoe and Douxie." I answer plainly.
"Hi!" Everyone on the other couch says, smiling awkwardly.
"Thank you all for helping my daughter," Dad says kindly to them.
They all reply, 'don't mention it,' but Douxie gets up.
"You're welcome, Sir!" Douxie says kindly. Mom walks to the living room with Enrique in her arms, and Douxie steps closer to my parents. "It's a pleasure to meet my apprentice's parents finally."
I roll my eyes but blush as Dad smirks at me. "Claire, where did you find this young man?" He says with a cocky attitude.
"Javier!" Mom hisses, giving Dad a stink eye.
I groan and roll my eyes again. "Dad, this is one of my best friends and mentor, Douxie." I introduce him to my parents.
Dad raises an eyebrow. "Mentor? Apprentice? What is going on?" He asks in confusion.
Rightfully my parents would be confused. I glance at Douxie and nod to let him explain while I watch, leaning up against my boyfriend.
"Ophelia, Javier, your daughter is a witch. I'm a wizard and Claire's mentor who helps advise, teach, and protect her in the art of magic." Douxie says with a smile.
But instead of being proud, my parents turned their eyes to me, looking even more confused. "Claire, what is going on? What is this boy talking about?" Mom asks.
I tense up and glance at Douxie. "Wait? You didn't tell your parents about what happened two months ago?" Douxie says with wide eyes.
I wince and tense up. "I was trying to find a good time to explain Douxie," I tell him and turn to my parents. "Mom, Dad, Douxie is right. During the summer, near the 20th of July, Jim and all the other trolls arrive in New Jersey and find a hearthstone. But it was small, not even the size of me and Jim combined. But with our troubles came a monstrous creature called the Green Knight. He struck Jim in the chest, and we had to return to the 11th century. During this time, I met Douxie and saw Steve and Toby again. After long and hard conflicts, all three of us returned to our time, turned Jim back into a human, destroyed the Green Knight, and stopped a terrible group called the Arcane Order. During all this time, I discovered I could do magic, and since I have no experience, Douxie became my mentor." I explain to them.
Mom and Dad still look confused. "Really? First trolls, then aliens, letting our daughter wander the U.S., and now magic and wizards? What is this world coming to?" Mom says, looking fatigued.
I glance at Douxie and see him looking reassuring, making a light bulb come to mind. "Wait, I can show you!" I say with excitement, quickly standing up. It gave me a bit of a rush, but I recovered. I throw my ice pack down to my seat and stretch my arms before me, showing off my slashes to everyone.
I take a deep breath, and my hands start to glow violet. My parents look shocked, with Enrique cooing at the glow. I turn my palms up and breathe, focusing on the slashes. The violet glow sweeps my arms, and I feel stinging in my skin. But it's working; the slashes are dissolving. I feel a sense of joy as I watch my skin heals entirely from the slash marks.
I gently place my hands to the side and see everyone with flabbergasted faces, specifically my parents. "Whoa, you have healing powers!" Douxie says in excitement, grabbing my hand and examining it.
"What-what..." Mom trails off, almost fainting. Dad steadies her and takes Enrique in his arms.
"This is impossible!" Dad says, looking pale as a ghost.
"It is. Your daughter is a witch." I hear Archie say.
I notice him at the feet of Douxie in the concern of my eye. Mom and Dad try to look for the source of the sound but fail, thinking it might be someone at their level.
"Down here." Archie hisses, and my parents look down before they turn white as sheets and speechless than ever.
"Oh, my god..." Mom says with shock, looking at the black cat.
Archie walks over to me and sits, smiling.
"It-it talks!" Dad says, also in shock.
"Yes, yes, I'm a talking cat. I'm Douxie's familiar and can turn into a dragon." Archie says politely, making me smile nervously at my parents.
Mom takes a few steps back, and Dad grabs her hand. "Ophelia, are you alright?" He says softly with concern.
"I just need to have a moment to think." Mom breathes, and I feel like sinking when seeing Dad's eyes. She walks back to the kitchen with her hand on her face, looking scared.
I feel guilty and shameful again, thinking my parents won't approve of this. They dealt with trolls and let me go to New Jersey with Jim. How are they going to deal with their daughter being a witch? I walk over to Mom and try to finish her gaze. "I'm sorry, Mom; I know you probably think I'm insane and feel disappointed in me," I say with shame. Mom takes a deep breath and turns to me with her sad, painful eyes, but they're not disappointed or disgusted. Her eyes are full of regret and shame, catching me off guard. What could she be ashamed of?
Mom walks over to me with a smile. "No! I'm sorry for my reaction; this is too much to swallow now, but I'm not disappointed or think you're insane. I always thought you were a free spirit like Abuela." Mom says, spreading her arms out and wrapping them around me.
I freeze from the feeling of my own mother's arms around me so gently yet tightly. I hadn't remembered receiving a hug from her like this in a long time. Granted, Mom did hug me when I came out of the shadow realm after being pushed in and when I returned home, but those hugs were more secure than loving. This hug is the latter.
I give in and return the hug, wrapping my arms around my mom's lower back. I snuggle in her chest and feel mom's grip grow tighter, stroking my hair. I feel like crying joyfully for my mom for the first time, finally feeling affection from her. I close my eyes, feeling a tear slide down my cheek. I start trembling and lump in my throat.
"Shhh! Shhh!" Mom says, breaking the hug and lifting my head. "It's alright, Claire. I know this is scary for you, and you feel alone. But Dad and I will help you whenever you need it."
Mom's eyes are gentle and affectionate. I bite my lip to keep another tear in my eyes. "Thank you, Mamá!" I cry with a hoarse voice. We hug again, and I look up from Mom's shoulder to see Dad and Enrique. Dad's eyes are the same as Mom's, and they embrace us, too, with Enrique babbling.
I feel at peace once and for all and smile in my parents' arms. We let go, and I look at both of my parents. "Thank you, guys!" I cry, rubbing my eyes and nose.
"We love you, Claire, with all our hearts," Dad says sweetly, and his smile is the same.
"We'll talk about this later. Alright, Mija?" Mom asks.
"Alright, Mamá!" I answer, smiling as I walk to my friends in the other room. They are all either satisfied or bored, and they come here from who knows where and have to sit through all this drama. "Sorry, guys."
Jim gets up and walks up to me, smiling sweetly. "It's ok, Claire. We're just glad you're ok." He says, and we hug.
"I'm just glad it's over," Steve says sarcastically, making Douxie hit him in the ribs. "Owww, dude! Not cool!" He hisses at him.
"Too soon, dude!" Mary hisses at Steve.
Everyone in the living room gets up and starts talking and laughing, making me smile and glow inside. I walk up to Douxie with Archie on his shoulder and my parents, who are talking. "Hey!"
"Hey, Cheeky!" Douxie says, smiling.
I roll my eyes and turn to my parents. "So this is your teacher of magic?" Dad asks, smiling but raising an eyebrow.
"Yes! Douxie is an excellent teacher!" I cheer, clapping my hands together and smiling.
"And Claire is an outstanding student. I've never met another girl so determined and intelligent after 900 years ago." Douxie proclaims, smiling.
I wince and turn to my parents, who raise their eyebrows even higher. Dad relaxes and smiles. "900 years old? You look great!" He cheers, making me sigh with relief and smile.
Enrique babbles and reaches up in Dad's arms, making Douxie and Archie look down. "Is this Claire's little brother?" Douxie asks.
"Yes! This is Enrique!" Dad answers.
Douxie bends down to Enrique and smiles with his fingers reaching out. "Hello, little one! Your sister is a witch." Douxie says sweetly. Enrique giggles and says a 1-year-old hello to my friend. Douxie giggles as Enrique grabs his fingers, making me and my parents laugh.
After some talk about what Douxie does and when we do lessons, I walk away to my boyfriend. Jim is talking with Toby, but he glances in my direction and smiles. We open our arms and embrace one another tightly yet affectionately. I feel Jim kiss my forehead and stroke my hair.
We pull away slightly but still hold on to one another. "Thank you for coming over here again, Jim," I say softly.
"No worries, Claire. I'm just glad you're ok and safe." Jim replies, caressing my face.
I frown a bit. "I'm sorry Papá commented about Douxie before getting to know him." I apologetically say.
"No, no! It's ok, Claire. I know I hadn't made the most favorable first impression to your parents than Douxie did." Jim says sweetly, rubbing my back.
I smirk at him, lean on my tip-toes and give my boyfriend a quick peck on the nose, making him chuckle. "I love you, Trollhunter." I sigh in happiness.
"I love you too, Claire," Jim says before pulling me for another hug. I snuggle in Jim's chest while he rubs my back. "Call me if you ever need someone or just want to talk. Don't ever hesitate to reach out. You are not alone, and I'm here for you." Jim mumbles in my hair. I close my eyes, not feeling alone anymore.
"We are here for you, Claire." I hear Morgana say sweetly in my ear.
Author Note: I'm so sorry for the slow update. Please review.