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talesofargante · 1 year

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The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 8: Part 3 - Changeling Reveal

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Episode Summary: Jim volunteers to babysit with Liz so they can find out whether Claire's little brother, Enrique, is a Changeling. While investigating, Liz discovers a new ability.

Words: 4.1k

Warning: literal cat food (if I miss any warnings, please lmk)

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"Since we lost our gaggletack, we need another one. Call Toby to see if he and AAARRRGGHH can get it," Liz instructed.

"Alright," Jim pulls out his phone and calls Toby, who answers, "What's up, Jimbo? Everything okay with Enrique?"

"I sort of just lost it," Jim replies, thinking of Enrique as anything but human.

"What do you mean you lost it?" As soon as Toby asked, Enrique vomited on himself and on the floor. Jim quickly backs away in shock and disgust. "No! What in the world?!"

"Oh, gosh. That's disgusting." Liz gagged slightly at the sight, carefully making her way closer to Enrique without stepping on the emesis on the floor and picking him up from the jumper. "Okay, someone's been playing around too much. Let's get you cleaned up, little padawan. Mind cleaning that up, Jim? I'll meet you upstairs."

Without waiting for a reply, Liz heads to the stairway and climbs to the second floor. She walks down the hallway to the nursery room, where she began cleaning up Enrique. Thankfully, she was familiar with taking care of him after learning from Claire while hanging out at her place.

After wiping Enrique down, Liz couldn't ignore the tingling sensation of magic coursing through her as she touched him. Without thinking and letting instinct takeover, she glances behind her to ensure Jim wasn't there before tracing a pattern with her fingers to Enrique's chest as foreign words spill from her lips.

In an instant, silver light sparks from her fingers, encompassing Enrique's form, then the light fades to reveal a green changeling with red-yellow eyes and brown course, spiked hair on his head, and scruff. The creature snarled. "Eh?! What the – What did you do? How did you do that?"

"So it is true! You are a changeling," Liz said breathlessly, thinking back on all those times she sensed something off until her eyes widened in sudden realization – she could sense changelings! If she had been sensing changelings in disguise this whole time, there was one person she could think of who may also have been involved. "Tell me, where are the Killahead bridge and your master, Bular? Is Strickler working for him?"

"Tsk. I ain't telling you nothing, enchantress. They warned me about you – the Guardian with magic."

Before Liz could confront him any further, footsteps were heard down the hall. In a flash of crackling green light, the changeling transformed back into Enrique, though he was NotEnrique to Liz's knowledge.

Entering the nursery, Jim walks up to Liz, glancing down at Enrique, unaware that the creature's identity has already been exposed. "Toby and AAARRRGGHH are going to bring us another gaggletack. In the meantime, let's see if our little friend will share where he hid our gaggletack. Where did you hide it?"

Enrique giggles, pointing his tiny finger toward the bin by the crib before clapping his hands in glee. Liz couldn't help but glare at the baby. This little trickster is messing with us.

"You hid the horseshoe in the diaper bin, didn't you?" Jim asked. Enrique seemed to cheer as Jim slowly lifted the diaper bin cover. "Because you're just a normal baby, and that's what normal babies do."

"Really, Jim, I don't think he hid it there." Liz sweat-dropped at his action. Smelling the bin, Jim quickly closed it and plugged his nose. "Ooh, doggy! Oh, it is really packed."

"Wait–" Before she could stop him, Jim instantly opens the lid and without thinking twice, stuck his hand into the bin. Liz grimaced at his action, swallowing the down the urge to vomit. Meanwhile, Enrique rolled away from his crib without their notice. Jim searches the bin, finding nothing as his eyes move to the empty crib. He gasped, standing up and looking around the room. "Enrique? Enrique!"

Liz silently cursed herself for getting distracted and searched the room, though she knew that NotEnrique hadn't gone far. He cannot escape. Not without completing his assigned task – to spy on them and report their activity to Bular until the construction of Killahead Bridge is complete.

"You stay here, Liz. Just in case Enrique decides to show himself back here." Jim suggested before walking out into the hallway. "Enrique? Oh, Enrique?"

Glad to see Jim taking the lead on this one. Before she knows it, he will be the Trollhunter that everyone needs. Liz patiently waits inside the nursery, predicting that NotEnrique will set a trap for them both should they decide to search for him together. She could hear the sound of metal clattering from downstairs and footsteps running towards it. Then, there was a silence followed by a yelp.

"Jim!" Filled with worry, Liz moves towards the door when it suddenly bangs shut in her face. A burst of giggles greeted her from behind, pulling Liz's attention to the center of the room on the floor, where NotEnrique, in human disguise, playfully grinning at her.

"Liz?" Jim called out from outside in the hallway. Just when she turned around to call out for him, a sudden weight landed on her shoulders as a baby blue blanket wrapped around the bottom half of her face with the ends pulled from behind, silencing her.

Having enough of his games, Liz reaches behind her for NotEnrique, who leaps off her back and releases the blanket. She turns around, glaring at the creature. "That's it! Playtime is over, changeling."

"Aw, but I'm having so much fun." NotEnrique teases from the ceiling, blowing a raspberry at her. "Stop being such a party pooper."

Eyes narrowing, Liz waves her hand forward, ribbons of silver light shooting towards NotEnrique, ensnaring him in its grasp. "Hey! That's cheating!"

"If this was a game, you should know I always play to win," Liz said, her voice echoing with power and control that seems to have taken a hold over the changeling as she uses her magic to pull NotEnrique towards her. Within reach, she grabs him by the scruff and stares him in the eyes.

At that moment, Liz felt as though something was being tugged inside her. Like the ends of a tight bow being pulled and loosening as a slight wave of unbridled power course through her body and mind, shadowing her senses.

"By whatever means necessary," Liz finalized, unaware of the glowing ring of silver encompassing her turquoise irises, reflecting in his own, filled with fear.

"Y-yes! Okay, you win! Please don't hurt me, enchantress. I'll be good!"

"You have nothing to fear from me if only you answer my questions."

"Alright! I'll tell you! Strickler is working for Bular, and they're hiding the bridge in the –"

"Liz! Are you in there?" Jim calls out from down the hallway, interrupting NotEnrique's confession. Using it to his advantage, NotEnrique quickly transforms into his human form and starts crying loudly in Liz's arms. "Why you little –"

"You found him!" Toby exclaimed from behind Jim as they entered the nursery. Hep walked ahead of his friend towards Liz, his attention on the distressed baby. "Aw, there, there. Did the nasty Trollhunter-man and Guardian-lady scare you?"

"Oh, come here, come here, little baby boy. Don't worry. Don't cry. Shh. Come here. Yeah, yeah. Come here, come here." Toby grabbed the baby from Liz's arms and pressed the little one against him.

Jim watched with suspicion as the baby sucked on Toby's shoulder before lifting his head and spitting out to the Trollhunter. A large frown spread across his face, not believing the act. Quickly, his face changed from serious to happy. "Oh, hey, little guy!"

Instantly, Jim pulls out and holds up the gaggletack with a purposeful grin. Awkwardly, Enrique let out a deep grunt before sobbing hysterically, making Toby wince. "Hey, what are you doing? You're freaking him out."

"He is freaking me out! He made me stick my arm in a diaper bin!" Jim holds his hand up to his friend, who curiously sniffs it before retching away. Liz grimaced, taking a step back to a safer distance. "Made you? You did that all on your own, Jim."

Jim sent her an exasperated look. "Not helping, Liz."

"She's right. You're better than that." Toby turned his focus on the baby, soothing him. "Who's a little baby boy? You're a little baby boy. You're such a little baby."

"That's it. I've got to do this. It won't hurt him." As Jim advanced, NotEnrique began to cry again, trying to escape. "Hey! Stop-! Slow! Hey, can you not-?"

Toby gently shoved his friend back, who just kept coming back. "Dude, get away from him! You're scaring Enrique!"

NotEnrique had climbed onto Toby's head as Jim jumped at him, the three flipping in the room as Liz evades to the side, avoiding the tumble. Jim had landed upside down in the chair, but he quickly picked himself back up before tossing the horseshoe between his hands.

"All right, come to daddy, poopling!" Jim grunted before diving for them, but Toby jumped out of the way. Toby groaned as Enrique fussed in his hands, pulling to be free. Jim slowly walked towards them and held out the gaggletack. Luckily, but unfortunately for Enrique and Toby, the changeling kicked Toby in the face before falling. Still, the redhead had caught him, trapping him. Jim pressed the gaggletack against NotEnrique's head, and lightning shot out of the gaggletack, revealing the changeling. Toby screamed when he made eye contact with NotEnrique, dropping the creature back into the crib as Toby ran behind Jim and Liz.

"Oh, no, that is not Enrique!" Toby shrieked, shielding himself behind the champions. The Trollhunter stepped up to the crib as the blanket draped over the creature. Once Jim reached to the side of the crib, NotEnrique popped out from the covers with a slight growl.

"Stupid flesh thing!" NotEnrique snarled. As he jumped from the crib, Toby and Jim screamed. The changeling jumped onto the lamp before twisting around and knocking it over.

"Oh, no, that is not Enrique!" Toby once again pointed out.

"We know, Toby, but we can't let him escape!" Liz said before chasing after NotEnrique with the two boys close behind. Out in the hallway, the three teenagers ran across the hallway to the stairway, looking down the empty steps.

"Where'd it go?" Toby asked as Liz and Jim turned the corner.

"There!" Jim called out. NotEnrique's back faced them before turning around, revealing Claire's family cat with part of its tail and head sticking out from the miniature troll's large mouth.

"Put... the... kitten... down," Jim ordered as they advanced. Spitting out the kitten, NotEnrique threw it at Jim's face, who fell back with a yelp. NotEnrique jumped onto Toby, kicking him down as Liz managed to get the cat off of Jim. Nevertheless, Jim was pounced on by NotEnrique, making him groan as NotEnrique's clawed hands pressed, most likely around Jim's neck. "You're a real killjoy, just like your mate."

Leaping off, NotEnrique quickly evacuated the area as Toby panicked. "That is not Enrique!"

"We know!" Jim and Liz exclaimed at the same time, pulling out their amulets. They all ran after the changeling down the stairs.

"For the glory of Merlin, daylight is mine to command."

"By the power of the Arcane, magic is mine to command."

In a flash of blue and cyan light, Jim's and Liz's armors appeared as they ran down the stairs. The three chased after the creature who had managed to climb up on the living room arch before swinging off and kicking Toby and Jim to the floor as Liz stepped back to avoid getting knocked down behind them.

NotEnrique lets out a long laugh as he crawls upside down on the ceiling, Jim and Toby already on his trail. As NotEnrique jumped from the roof, the two friends dived for him, but they knocked into one another as the creature managed to miss the oncoming collision. In the process, Toby crushes Jim into the floor with a yelp. While NotEnrique blows a raspberry at the two boys, Liz comes up behind and tries to grab him. Still, he quickly evades her grasp by jumping between her legs and onto the office chair in the reading room. Picking themselves up from the floor, Jim and Toby stopped beside Liz as the changeling twisted the chair to face them, a bottle in one hand and an open magazine in the other. "Do you realize how good you guys have it here? It's a party compared to those troll-turds in the Darklands."

Toby shouted as he ran up to the troll and tipped the chair over. Jim decided to chase as NotEnrique laughed before jumping over the room with the Trollhunter after him. Toby had finally stood as an open magazine was clutched between his hands. A sexy girl had appeared on the cover, meaning the contents inside were probably un childlike as Toby calls out on NotEnrique. "No, hey! You're a very bad baby!"

Toby looked back into the magazine anyway and flipped the page. "My word!"

Before he could turn a page further, Liz quickly snatched the magazine from his hands and tossed it away. "Bad Toby! Stop getting distracted and help Jim!"

"Ah! Yes, ma'am!" Toby saluted with a blush, running to the kitchen and skidding behind the island as Jim held a sizeable circular pan over his head, the dish acting as a shield. At the same time, random objects were thrown at him.

"Where's the real Enrique, you filthy rugrat?" Jim shouted before diving behind the island counter as NotEnrique stood in the fridge, chucking food at him.

"As if I'd ever tell you!" NotEnrique spat, throwing harder objects that shattered on impact. As Liz takes refuge behind the counter with the boys, a cake platter falls beside Toby, the slice of cake landing on the floor perfectly.

"Ooh, cake!" Toby cooed as he picked up the slice. Jim peaked his head around the counter, his sword appearing through a cloud of blue smoke. He furrowed his eyebrows in concentration as NotEnrique threw a carton from the fridge. Quickly, Jim jumped out and sliced it with his blade, blue smoke emitting around him with scraps of carton paper.

"Don't make me use this." Jim threatened, hoping not to kill off his evidence.

"You can't touch me. I'm her baby brother. What do you suppose is gonna happen when they come home and see something's happened to their precious?" NotEnrique laughed. "I'm untouchable, baby."

Jim frowned at the statement, knowing he was right. Noticing a broom lying next to her, Liz had an idea, grabbing it and passing it to Toby, who nods and looks around the corner of the island, broom on hand.

"Jim, catch!" Toby yelled, tossing the broom to his friend, whose sword evaporated and was replaced by a normal household item with Jim smiling.

"Uh oh."Avoiding the broom, NotEnrique jumped on top of the fridge before hopping into the divide of the cupboards and kicking the fridge door into Jim's back. Jim let out a cry of pain before smacking the wall cupboard door where NotEnrique stood last. The changeling pulled himself into the cupboard with a laugh.

Quickly, Liz reached for the handle and pulled the small door open, only to find nothing except for cans and glass containers. Trying another cupboard, she opened it, finding her target buried under some more tin cans, growling. She yelped as the cans fell, feeling her arm getting grabbed and pulled backward onto the floor as Jim steps in front of her in time, protecting her head with his arms as his back gets hit by the falling objects and NotEnrique escapes.

Luckily, Toby had been prepared with a large pot and caught the changeling under its steel trap. Unfortunately, his joyous occasion was short-lived when NotEnrique's fist created large dents from the inside.

Toby let out a scream as the pot bounced around the kitchen, carrying Toby with it. As it bounced, Liz and Jim climbed out of the way, and the pot led Toby from the kitchen and right into Enrique's bouncing swing in the living room. The swing acted like a slingshot, sending the two back with screams, passing Liz and Jim, who watched with shock as Toby and NotEnrique crashed into the wall.

Suddenly, a ringtone sounded from Jim's armor. Turning his head, Jim felt the back of his armor, searching for his phone as Toby and Enrique fought in the background.

"That must be Claire. Good thing I taught you where to store your phone." Liz winked. Jim grinned, finding his phone and answering it. "Oh, hey, Claire! How's the concert?"

"Jim, my parents just called. They're coming back early. I'm leaving now." Jim listened to her panicked voice before his eyes grew wide in realization. Noticing his reaction, Liz steps up to him. "What's wrong, Jim?"

"The Nunez, they're on their way home," Jim said, letting his armor disintegrate back into his amulet with his mouth agape. Suddenly, a blast of loud music sounded, catching them by surprise. The two champions turned to see NotEnrique by the stereo.

"Who's there? What's that music?" Claire asked.

"Tell her how you were elbow-deep in me dookie-bin," NotEnrique said, turning up the music even louder and dancing.

"Are you...having a party?" Claire asked accusingly, sending Jim into panic mode as he dodged the random items thrown at him. "No! No, no party! Gotta go!"

He hung up the phone as Liz summoned a shield to protect herself and Jim from the projectiles. Toby comes up behind them, back in the action as NotEnrique continues throwing anything and everything he can get his hands on, random objects lying everywhere as though a tornado had torn through the kitchen.

Suddenly, a loud knock sounded from the back kitchen door, followed by the door falling and landing between Jim and Toby, who gasped in surprise. Outside the doorway stood AAARRRGGHH, his hand frozen in a knocking motion.

"Stupid, smelly trolls!" NotEnrique sneered from the island countertop, dropping the cans and backing up.

"Their door!" Jim groaned and pressed his hand to his forehead as Liz shook her head, fingers pinching between her furrowed eyebrows. "What did you guys do to their door?"

With a laugh, Blinky popped into view from the outside. "We... Uh, we're here to... help."

He picked up the door as Jim pouted.

"Well, I don't remember inviting these two to dinner!" NotEnrique spoke, causing them to all look as he hopped from the fridge to the freezer, where he grabbed a box and stood atop the refrigerator. "First course, frozen peas!"

"Don't make me climb up there, foul beast!" Blinky threatened. Toby had taken a chicken leg from the floor and bit into the meat before throwing it at NotEnrique, who ate it in one gulp.

"Whoa!" The changeling grunted before jumping from his taller pedestal to the ceiling lamp and loading his mouth with peas. Then he launched them like a machine gun at Blinky, who covered his eyes as he stumbled around. "My eyes, my eyes! Green balls of madness! They hurt very badly!"

All of them took cover. NotEnrique laughed before loading more into his mouth and shooting more.

"AAARRRGGHH, it's just like our video game. You with me, buddy?" Toby mentioned. AAARRRGHH came out from beneath the small plate that did no justice to protect the giant troll from the peas. He smiled, however. "Sushi."

"Yeah!" Toby smiled, giving his troll friend a high-five.

"Draw fire?" AAARRRGGHH suggested. Balling his fists, Toby stands up with a proud smile. "No, it's my turn."

He ran as NotEnrique continuously blasted him with peas and fell over. "Oh, it's hailing peas, and I hate peas! Oh, ooh, ow!"

On top of the ceiling lamp, NotEnrique continued with the peas, aiming them at Toby. Suddenly, a large fist belonging to AAARRRGGHH slammed the changeling into the ceiling. His fist retracted, causing the smaller creature to wheeze out as he fell off the lamp, his arms and legs stiff as he fell onto AAARRRGGHH's plate. Toby laughed with cheer as he joined his larger friend's side. "Way to go, wingman!"

"Boom, boom!" AAARRRGGHH added when they fist-bumped.

"Way to go, you two!" Liz smiled, clapping as she and Jim stepped up to them. Jim's expression turned serious.

"All right, enough! Where's the bridge?" He asked NotEnrique, who recovered and sat up on the plate with a grin.

"What bridge? London Bridge? I hear it's falling down," NotEnrique teased until AAARRRGGHH's hand crushed him. "Ow! Fleshbags... no sense of humor."

"We are not asking again. Where is the bridge?" Liz questioned this time. AAARRRGGHH continued to crush him, causing the small troll to groan. "Give me a break! I don't know anything. - It's me first day."

"Squeeze him till he pops!" Blinky said, stepping beside the two champions. The giant troll followed the order and pressed down further. The smaller troll's eyes bulged before he pushed the hand off him. "Okay, okay, okay! Can't blame a guy for looking out for himself. But you can't tell anyone I told you. I got a pretty sweet deal going here. If the bossman hears I squealed, he'll feed me to Bular."

"Bular's working with someone else?" Blinky questioned in concern.

"Who? Who is Bular working with?" Jim asked.

"Oh, er..." NotEnrique glances at all of them until his gaze stops on Liz, who subtly shakes her head, her turquoise eyes flickering with glistening silver. He clears his throat, looking away. "Forget I said anything."

Suddenly, a car pulling into the driveway drew everyone's eyes to the front of the house, where headlights appeared on the wall.

"Oh, no, someone's home!" Jim exclaimed, panic setting in once again.

"I suggest we make our egress," Blinky added, but AAARRRGGHH questioned the new word. "Egress?"

"It means to exit." Blinky grabbed the changeling, but Jim grabbed him by the smaller troll's legs, causing NotEnrique to yelp. "Whoa! I'm supposed to be babysitting it!"

Blinky pulled on NotEnrique's arm. "And I need the proof for Vendel!"

"And I need not be split in two." NotEnrique swats at them to let go.

"Enough! Jim's right. We were supposed to be babysitting. We'll bring the changeling to Vendel at another time." Liz said as Blinky reluctantly let go.

The front door unlocked.

"Okay, you have to go now," Liz muttered as NotEnrique continued to push out of Jim's grip, but the boy had a tight hold on him despite getting punched and kicked in the face.

"With haste," Blinky added. They left, AAARRRGGHH had trouble putting on the door, but they went in time. NotEnrique continued to struggle, but they froze as a voice spoke out. "Claire, we're home!"

It was Claire's father.

Not wasting another second, Liz waved her hand, muttering foreign words under her breath as cyan-colored mist swirled across the kitchen, replacing everything back to their original state before her armor dissipated. Meanwhile, Jim watched with his mouth agape in complete shock. Since when can Liz do magic?!

Hearing approaching footsteps. Jim pressed on NotEnrique, who transformed into his human form as Claire's parents walked into the kitchen. The parents gasped at seeing a random boy holding their child with Liz standing near him with a charming smile.

"Oh! Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Nunez."

"Liz? We didn't expect you to be here. Who is that, and where's Claire?" Mrs. Nunez asked, perking her eyebrow with suspicion. Before Liz could reply, Jim spoke up, chuckling nervously. "I'm Jim, the babysitter."

"In-training, he means." Liz corrected, remaining calm through the situation. "He goes to our school and wants to learn how to babysit, just in case he needs to earn some money on the side after school. As for Claire, she —"

Claire runs into the kitchen in panic before letting out the word, "Fudgeknuckle!"

Claire glances between her friends and her parents.

"Ah, Claire! We were explaining how you invited us over to teach Jim how to babysit. Did you find what you were looking for?" Liz nonchalantly asked as though Claire was with them the entire time. Mr. and Mrs. Nunez turned to their daughter for an answer.

"Uhh...yeah!" Claire smiled, understanding what Liz was trying to do. "I dropped my phone outside from upstairs while playing with Enrique and them in the nursery. Good thing it happened after you guys called."

Claire pulls out her phone from her skirt pocket, waving it. "Here, it is. Luckily, it didn't break."

"I'm glad." Liz smiled, nudging Jim to say something. "Ah, yeah! Good thing. You had us worried there."

Liz turned to NotEnrique, ruffling his hair, turquoise eyes gleaming in its original color as she grinned down at the baby, who cooed innocently in response.

"Well, it seems our playtime is over. Good game, Enrique. Hope to play with you again soon."

[End of Episode VIII - Adventures of Trollsitting]

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the last part of Episode 8! If you are interested in reading more, click the links below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

While reading, feel free to leave a comment [keep it negative-free, would you? thanks :)] or critique. I appreciate the feedback. And along the way, if you like the journey so far, leave a star, a kudos, or/and heart to vote! If you have any questions, feel free to ask as well and I’ll do my best to answer without giving any spoilers ;)

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

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talesofargante · 1 year

Text

The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 8: Part 2 - Undercover Babysitters

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Episode Summary: Jim volunteers to babysit with Liz so they can find out whether Claire's little brother, Enrique, is a Changeling. While investigating, Liz discovers a new ability.

Words: 1.2k

Warning: teasing (if I miss any warnings, please lmk)

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

As dusk rolls in across Arcadia Oaks, Liz drives up to a two-story Victorian house. Parking her motorbike in front of the residence, she walked up the front steps towards the door and knocked.

"Coming!" A voice shouted from inside. Sounds of footsteps raced to the door, and it opened, revealing an excited Claire. "Liz! You're here early! But wait..." Claire looks behind the brunette in confusion. "Where's your boyfriend?"

Liz blinked. Boyfriend? Boyfriend! Feeling warmth growing in her cheeks, Liz coughed. "Not-my-boyfriend is on his way."

Claire smirked at her friend's reaction. "For now, Liz. For now. Anyways, come on in."

Liz enters inside, first noticing a blonde-haired baby on a doorway jumper. "Hey there, my little padawan! Remember me?"

Immediately, Enrique giggled, greeting Liz with a partially toothless grin. Claire laughs, closing the door behind her. "Of course, he does, after all, that mischief you taught him to do."

"Ah, troublemaker this one is." Liz smiles, bending down to Enrique's level and reaching out a hand to his hair. Upon touching his head, Liz instantly sensed something strange. Her smile dropped slightly.

"I'm going to get Enrique something to eat. Do you want anything?" Claire asked on her way to the kitchen down the hall. Liz stood up, shaking her head. "I'm good for now, thanks."

"Okay, but feel free to help yourself if you do," Claire said, disappearing into the kitchen. Liz turns her attention to the baby, who giggles, bouncing in his jumper. Something's off about Enrique. It's the same feeling she gets when she first encounters Strickler and Nomura. Like a tingling sensation coursing through her body as if trapped and wanting to be released.

Bending down to the baby's level, she closely examines Enrique, examining for anything out of the norm. He looked the same since she last saw him, but the tingling feeling she got from being near him made her doubt. Before she could suspect anything, Claire returned from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of chunky baby food.

"Well, doesn't that look appetizing," Liz said, grimacing as she peered into the bowl. Claire rolls her eyes at her sarcasm. "You can have some if you want."

"Nah, I don't want to steal lil' Rique's dinner." Liz chuckled. Bending down next to her friend, Claire begins feeding Enrique, who chews playfully at his food. Suddenly there was a knocking on the door, followed by a familiar voice. "Hey, guys!"

Claire doesn't stand to get the door, continuing to feed Enrique. "That must be your soon-to-be-boyfriend. You should answer that."

Rolling her eyes, Liz quickly stands and heads to the front door, ignoring the giggles behind her. Opening it, she was greeted by Jim holding up an iron horseshoe.

"Jim! Put that away before she sees it!" Liz whispered frantically. Realizing his mistake, Jim shoves the gaggletack into his satchel. Once the object is hidden, Liz steps aside to let the boy in. "Sorry. I'm not late, am I?"

Liz shook her head. "Not at all, just in time, actually."

"Perfect, you're both here. I put his routine up on the fridge. After playtime, you just have to put him down. He's a good sleeper." Claire instructed.

"On the fridge. No problemo." Jim said, placing down his satchel on the floor. Claire pulls out a paper note from her green purse. "Phone numbers are here for emergencies."

Standing up, Claire hands the note to Liz with a stern look. "Whatever you do, do not call my parents first."

"Oh, because they don't know you're going to the concert, do they?" Liz asked with a teasing smile.

"You're not the only one hiding a secret," Claire said, glancing between Liz and Jim with a smirk. "So anyways, if your secret is eating babies, now is the time to tell me."

"When I said how cute babies are that I want to gobble them up, I didn't mean that literally." Liz chuckled. Claire shrugs. "Hm, good enough for me."

Suddenly, the sound of a motor vehicle approaches from outside. "Oh, there's my ride."

Claire hands the bowl to Jim as she walks past them toward the wall mirror next to the main door, fixing her hair. "Don't worry. He's buckled in good. Besides, he'd rather play with his food than eat it. My parents are at some kind of fundraiser, so they won't be back until "late" late. I'll be two or three hours max. What else am I forgetting? He loves games. Peek-a-boo, hide-and-seek. What else?"

"We've got this. Enjoy the concert." Jim said, opening the door for Claire.

"And help yourself to anything in the fridge." A horn honked outside, grabbing Claire's attention. "I'm coming! Sheesh-kebab!"

Jim and Liz follow Claire to the doorway, their faces shocked by what they see waiting outside: Steve waiting on his red moped.

"What's up, my lady?" Steve greeted Claire with a wave.

"You're going with him?" Jim asked, aghast. Liz crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against the doorway. "Well, isn't that a surprise?"

"He, um, bought the last tickets." Claire shamefully grinned, grabbing the extra helmet and putting it on as Steve smirked, toothless. "Don't be jealous, my Juliet, I'll take you next time."

Jim glared at him as Liz laughed. "In your dreams, Blondie. But you better drive safely, you hear!"

"Of course, scout's honor," Steve said, placing a hand over his heart before patting his moped. "Hey, buttsnack, like my ride? Last, on the showroom floor. Handles like a dream. No big deal."

The blonde boy let out a laugh as Claire called to them from her seat. "Thanks again, guys! You're my heroes!"

Steve drives away with a laugh. "Buttsnack!"

Frowning, Jim heads inside ahead of Liz before she closes the door behind them. Liz sighed. "Don't let him get to you, Jim. He's only teasing to get a rise out of you."

"As always," Jim said, placing the bowl on the coffee table and grabbing his satchel. He walks to Enrique and then bends down in front of the baby to get a closer look. Enrique playfully bites on the silver spoon, cooing at Jim, who stares at him suspiciously. "I'll give you this much. You seem a little too adorable and drooly to be a changeling." Jim points a finger at Enrique. "Hey, are you now, or have you ever been a shape-shifting troll creature?"

"Like he's gonna answer that," Liz grinned as Enrique giggled, dropping the spoon in favor of Jim's finger, grabbing it, and sucking the tip. Jim chuckles, withdrawing his finger. "Oh, man, what was I thinking? You're no monster. But just in case...want to play the horseshoe game?"

Jim peers into his satchel for the gaggletack. "Huh. That's weird. It was just here."

"What? It's gone?" Liz peers inside the bag from above, seeing that the horseshoe is indeed missing. Looking around, she notices something off. The buckle of the jumper was left hanging on the side, unbuckled. "Wait a minute. You were buckled in a minute ago."

"This is supposed to be childproof," Jim added, glaring at Enrique. "Where did you hide it? Speak."

The baby paused, staring at the boy for a few seconds until he burst into giggles, reaching out to Jim playfully.

"Oh, you want to play games, do you? Then let's play."

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the second part of Episode 8! If you are interested in reading more, click the links below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

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talesofargante · 1 year

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The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 8: Part 1 - Baby-napped

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Episode Summary: Jim volunteers to babysit with Liz so they can find out whether Claire's little brother, Enrique, is a Changeling. While investigating, Liz discovers a new ability.

Words: 2.3k

Warning: mentions of kidnapping and falling (if I miss any warnings, please lmk)

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"You saw a goblin carrying a baby away?" Liz questioned, standing atop a natural stone bridge as she watched the Trollhunter maneuver across the cliff face below.

"Yes! I saw it clear as day," Jim answers, heaving himself upwards to a nearby narrow ledge. Liz exchanges worried glances with the trolls beside her while Toby watches his friend.

"That is concerning." Liz rubs her chin in thought. "Goblins are usually known for leaving destruction wherever they go, but they occasionally follow orders of their superiors like the Gumm-Gumms and Changelings to do their bidding, including stealing human babies and replacing them with changelings. Perhaps whoever that baby is, there's a changeling in its place."

"Let me get this straight," Jim grunts with exertion, climbing the jagged cliff face as a safety rope dangle in the shadows away from him. His ears and eyes had caught the sound of gears turning within the walls, which only meant one thing. Suddenly, he screams as a stream of fire bursts out from the wall where Jim had previously been after quickly releasing one hand and swinging back. The fire barely grazed him as he watched with fear. After the fire died out, Jim swung himself back into place and carried on up the wall while speaking. "Whew! They steal babies... so they can replace them... with changelings?"

"Precisely, Master Jim," Blinky confirmed while Toby remained unconvinced. "Uh, allegedly steal. I just saw a bird."

"And, in order for a changeling to maintain its appearance in our world, no harm must come to the human child in theirs. I assure you, there is no safer place for a baby to be than the bowels of the Darklands nursery." Blinky explained as Liz watched Jim press his back against the rock wall, slowly inching to the rope dangling a few feet from him. However, as he reaches the safety rope, another stream of fire bursts once more from the walls, frightening Jim with a gasp. "Well, that's good to know!"

As the Trollhunter continued training, Toby casually fed AAARRRGGHH a VHS tape. "Whoa! Hold on, there. Okay, suppose they did take the baby to the Darklands. Isn't that where Gunmar is trying to escape from?"

"The doorway to his realm is sealed for now, but it doesn't exonerate the cracks that inevitably form over time. Cracks that allow small things to pass." For emphasis on his words, Blinky brought his fingers up to his face and pressed the fingers almost together.

"Small, like babies and goblins," AAARRRGGHH said.

"So, if we can find out whose baby was stolen, we'll find a changeling in its place, right?" Jim pitched in. More gears turned within the cliff face, shooting out more streams of fire. However, Jim was cornered from both sides, forcing Jim to jump from one cliff face to another across from him, clinging onto its smooth surface. "And once we have the changeling, we'll have the proof to finally convince Vendel –"

Losing his grip, in the end, his words were cut short as he let out a piercing scream, tumbling off the rock and into the dark trench. The rope slipped from AAARRRGGHH's hand as Toby ran to catch the rope's end. "Jim!"

"No!" AAARRRGGHH yelled, quickly catching Toby before he fell as well. Luckily, Liz had caught the rope in time, causing the Trollhunter to bounce to a stop, hanging more than fifty feet from the ledge.

"Got him!" Liz said, pulling Jim to safety as the giant troll sat Toby back on the ground before assisting the Guardian. Finally, as Jim reached the surface, he spoke, hanging in mid-air from AAARRRGGHH's hold. "I told you I'd fall."

"You fell because you knew you could. What if you're endangered, and we aren't there? Next time, we'll climb sans the safety line." Blinky pointed out as he approached closer.

"We'll?" Jim continued, hanging from the rope as he folded his arms with a frown.

"The only lesson learned today is that, with this many changelings, Arcadia is far more dangerous than previously thought," Liz grimly stated as she gazed at Jim and Toby. "For the both of you."

"It's decided." Blinky continues. "As Jim has Draal now to protect his home, Tobias, you will now have AAARRRGGHH to protect yours."

Toby beams excitedly. "Really? For real? We're gonna be roomies? Yeah! High-five, big guy!"

The two high-five in celebration, but the troll made the fatal mistake of letting go of the rope as Jim screamed, falling again.

"Not again!" Liz shouted, conjuring a silver whip to grab the Trollhunter before he fell into the dark abyss.

"Whoa, how are you doing that without summoning your amulet? That is so cool!" Toby exclaimed, watching in awe as the Guardian pulled Toby to safety with AAARRRGGHH's assistance.

"Just another perk of being a Guardian," Liz swiftly replied, grabbing onto Jim's outstretched hand and hauling him back to the safety of the bridge as the whip dispersed into thin air. "I can conjure any weapon I wish as long as it's used for the right purpose. To protect magic and its Trollhunter."

"Lucky me," Jim said, taking a breath to calm his nerves from almost falling to his death as Toby patted his friend's back. "What happens if it's used for another purpose?"

"Then, it would be flawed, which in turn puts me and anyone in danger should it be used in combat," Liz answered.

"What about protecting humans?" Jim asked. "Don't they deserve protection too?"

"That's where you come in, Trollhunter. Not only are you protecting the trolls against the magic of a darker kind, like the Gumm-Gumms, for example, but also humans against untethered magic that can potentially be harmful."

"Lady Liza is right, Master Jim. Though each of you has a role to play, it takes two of you to work together and protect the balance between man and magic." Blinky steps into the conversation. "Such power and privilege come with great responsibility."

"Awesome sauce." Toby's mouth gaped in awe. "I want to be part of that."

Liz chuckled. "You already are, Toby, and right in the center of it, which also puts you in great danger. So it is vital that you and Jim are placed under the protection of Draal and AAARRRGGHH."

"Fine by me," Toby grinned as Liz smiled. "With that settled, we can now focus on finding out who that baby was."

"Wait a minute." Jim interrupted his armor vanishing from his form. "What about you, Liz? Don't you need troll protection as well?"

His question was met with silence until bursts of loud laughter echoed throughout the Hero's Forge, startling the two boys while Liz slightly grinned. Blinky swiped away a tear. "Lady Liza needs no such protection, for she has the capabilities to protect oneself far more than anyone else, including us trolls."

Liz pats Jim on the shoulder. "What he means to say is that I've been trained long enough to handle things on my own, but I appreciate your concern, Jim. Truly."

"Well, if anything, I'll be there to protect you when you need it." Jim proclaimed without thought, remembering the many times Liz protected him from danger and a promise made between them long ago.

Liz's smile brightened. "I'm counting on it, Jim."

***

At school the following day, Jim reveals the stuffed bunny he found when he chased the goblin to Liz, handing it to the brunette while Toby cringes in disgust. "Ugh! You're still carrying that germ-infested thing around?"

Ignoring Toby's complaints, Jim was determined. "I am going to find out who it belongs to, and when I do...."

Toby interrupts him, leaning against the bike rack. "Maybe you didn't see what you thought you saw. You've been spending so much time in Trollmarket. Maybe your mind is starting to play tricks on you."

Though Liz believes Jim, she couldn't disagree with Toby, wondering if Jim is becoming too engrossed in finding proof of changelings. However, she would always side with the Trollhunter, so before Liz could defend Jim's claims, Jim gives in to self-doubt. "Maybe you're right."

"You have Suzy Snooze?" Claire's voice suddenly chimed in, capturing the trio's attention. "My brother's bunny! I've been looking all over for him."

"You've been looking for this?" Liz asked, handing the stuffed bunny to Claire. "Yeah. He's been acting so weird without it. Where did you get it?"

Before Liz could respond, Jim intervened. "What do you mean, he hasn't been himself? Exactly how has he been acting?"

Toby had stepped around the bike rack and to his friend's side. "Easy, Jim!"

He chuckled with a smile, placing his hand on Jim's shoulder as the taller boy glanced at him with a surprised look. "Always concerned about the children. But just for clarification, are we super sure this is his? I mean, you could probably pick this up at, like, any store."

"I think I'd know the stuffed bunny I grew up with," Claire said, gazing tenderly at her old childhood toy until Mary ran up to her, interrupting their investigation.

"Claire, I'm so sorry, but I can't babysit tonight. I can't. I really can't!" Mary whined in desperation. Turning her attention away from the trio, Claire faced Mary with a mix of emotions written on her face. "You promised! My parents have a work thing and the Papa Skull concert tonight. Papa Skull! I, like, live in their shirt every day!"

"Sorry, but Dean finally asked me to a movie, and then Hank invited me to ice cream! "Tight jeans," Hank! Love can't choose, Claire!" Mary said, creating many poses of her love as she spoke. This made Liz perk an eyebrow.

"Do you believe this?" Jim said in a hushed tone to a disbelieving Toby. "I know. Mary Wang's a player?"

"No! She doesn't know her brother's gone because Claire's brother is a changeling." Jim said as a matter of fact. Utterly surprised by the boy's rash speculation, Liz frowned. "We can't be sure of that, Jim."

Jim glances at Liz. "Trust me."

Without waiting for a reply, Jim grabs onto Liz's hand and steps forward, raising a hand, interrupting the girls' conversation. "Claire, we can babysit!"

Claire beamed excitedly. "Tonight? Really? You both would? Wait, have any of you ever babysat before?"

"Uh, yeah." Jim chuckled, but Liz shook her head. "Yeah...no."

"They call me Jim the Baby-handed." Jim continued as Liz covered her face with a hand, feeling secondhand embarrassment. Despite that, Claire smiled anyway, feeling a heavy weight lifted from her shoulders. "Oh, my gosh! You guys are a lifesaver!"

Claire wrapped both arms around Liz and Jim, squeezing them in a group hug before letting go.

"Just come by my house at seven, no sooner. Thank you, Liz. Thank you, Jim." Claire waves back at them, grateful to the two, before leaving with Mary. Toby turned in the direction of his best friend. "He's not a changeling, Jim."

"Only one way to find out." The Trollhunter stated before leaving, unknowingly dragging Liz behind him as a dumbfounded Toby stood still with his lips parted in confusion.

Across the courtyard into a building, Jim kept walking, his mind elsewhere as Liz repeatedly called out to him. "Jim. Jim! James Lake Jr.!'"

Steps stopping to a halt, Jim paused, making Liz bump behind him. Turning around, he looks at her confused, his mind returning to the present moment. "What? What's wrong?"

"I should be asking you that, Jim. But before I get to that, can you do me a favor and let go of my hand? It needs a breather." Glancing down at their clasped hands, Jim's blue eyes widened, and he instantly let go, stuttering an apology. "O-Oh! Gosh, I-I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it. Are you okay?"

"All good," Liz replied, shaking her hand to bring back circulation. "Anyway, are you okay, Jim? You seem distracted lately."

"Me?" Jim pointed at himself before waving his hands. "I'm fine. Everything's fine. Not distracted at all. I'm a hundred percent focused."

Arms crossed in front of her, Liz gazes at the boy in disbelief. "Everyone knows that when someone says they're fine, they mean the opposite. And if you were focused, you would have immediately noticed my hand in yours before dragging me along with you." Jim blushed in embarrassment as Liz continued. "So, in other words, I don't believe you. So tell me, Jim, what's on your mind?"

Scratching the back of his neck, Jim thought about how he was going to reveal Liz's forgotten past and their childhood connection, only to be disappointed yet somewhat relieved that it was delayed due to their current circumstances with the Killahead Bridge, the changelings, and the potential doom of evil trolls escaping from the Darklands to their world should they fail to prove the changelings' existence to the trolls in time. Though, of course, he would never admit his thoughts to Liz, merely shrugging. "Just thinking how close we are to getting our proof."

Liz gazes at Jim silently for a moment, pondering whether or not to believe his response. After all, many things were left unsaid and held back in the cafe until their current situation resolved. Although she was curious about the person Jim mentioned, Liz decided not to push him and relented. "If you say so, Jim. Just remember that you can always talk to me if you ever need someone to talk to."

Upon hearing her kind assurance, Jim felt compelled to spill out his bottled thoughts, but before he could reply, the school bell rang across the hall.

"Ah, that's our cue. I better go before I get late to class." Nudging his shoulder playfully with her fist, Liz smiled. "I'll meet you at Claire's. See you then."

Without waiting for a reply, Liz waved a quick goodbye and sped down the hall as Jim watched her figure disappear amongst the growing crowd of students.

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the first part of Episode 8! If you are interested in reading more, click the links below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#talesofargante #tales of arcadia fanfic #tales of arcadia #tales of arcadia fanfiction #toa fanfic #trollhunter #trollhunters #wattpad fanfic #fanfiction #tales of argante #tumblr #wattpad #jimlakejr #guardian #jimxoc

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talesofargante · 1 year

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𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝚅𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚎'𝚜 𝙳𝚊𝚢! ♡♥︎ ∙ 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖: 𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚜_𝙽𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙴𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝙰𝚁𝙶𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙴: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 ⚔︎ ∙ ✍︎ 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚢 @missnightingale.wp ∙ 𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝙶𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚕 𝚃𝚘𝚛𝚘'𝚜 𝚃𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚊: 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 ∙ 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚟𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚙𝚊𝚍 & 𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚛 ☞ 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚒𝚘 ∙ ✎ 𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝 (𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙹𝚒𝚖 𝙻𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝙹𝚛.) 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 @kirathecricket ∙ #fanfiction #fanfic #talesofarcadia #trollhunters #trollhuntersnetflix #trollhunter #guardian #jimlakejr #myoc #talesofargante #ao3 #wattpad #tumblr #guillermodeltoro #trollhuntersfanart #fanficwriter #talesofargante (at Arcadia Oaks) https://www.instagram.com/p/CorNvNmO-P1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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talesofargante · 1 year

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talesofargante · 2 years

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The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 7: Part 4 - Study Date

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Episode Summary: Armed with an ancient troll-hunting tool, Jim and Toby set out to unmask the Changelings living among them while Liz confronts Jim about her forgotten childhood past.

Words: 2.6k

Warning: none (if I miss any warnings please lmk)

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During her afternoon shift at the local bistro, Liz told Douxie about her study session with Jim later in the evening. Stunned by the news, his broom paused mid-sweep against the wooden flooring. "What? You're meeting him here?"

"Would you rather I invite him over to our place?" Liz asked, busily wiping down the long work table by the window, ignoring the stern glare from Douxie behind her. "You know the rules, love. I need not remind you what happened last time."

"Obviously, Doux." Liz rolled her eyes, remembering a time in New Jersey of a blonde boy with a jersey jacket who she was assigned to tutor though the boy had a different plan besides studying. "Honestly, I would have taken care of it until you walked in and scared him off."

He scoffed. "It was a good thing I was there, love. That chap didn't know a thing about personal boundaries and I was more than happy to remind him."

Liz sighed. "And I appreciate your protection, Doux, but like I said time and again, I had it under control. I was going to use magic to spook him off just before you ruined my chance of entertainment."

"Then you would be breaking rule number one – no magic around humans."

Liz paused, looking at Douxie with a perked eyebrow over her shoulder. "You're no fun, you know that?"

"I'm plenty of fun in many ways, love. You just have not seen it all." Douxie winked playfully though Liz was not amused.

"Whatever you say, old-timer," Liz said, finishing her cleaning. Douxie stomped his broom with a huff. "I'm not that old."

"Old enough to be my ancestor," Liz mumbled, walking back to the main bar.

"What was that?" Douxie asked, but Liz hastened her steps, calling out behind her. "Nothing!"

"Well, I look forward to meeting your study date!" Douxie shouts after Liz, only to receive a curt reply from a distance. "Not a chance, Doux! And it's not a date!"

Safe behind the bar, Liz felt a buzz in her pocket. It was a text from Claire.

{Have fun on your study date with Jim! Tell me all about it later k <;3}

Liz huffed at the message.

What's with everyone? It's not a study date!

***

After closing up the bistro early for the evening, Liz goes through her homework alone at one of the tables, relishing the quietness of the diner as she waits for Jim. Earlier, just before closing, she had to use magic on Douxie to get him out of the restaurant since he continued to be stubborn, insisting he should stay as a chaperone for their "study date". Having none of it, Liz was quick to use a floating spell to cast him out the door. Fortunately, there were no witnesses around to see the spectacle.

Archie would have found it comical. Liz thought, chuckling to herself while she glanced around the empty restaurant, only to pause at the sight of gift cards near the cash register as the memory of a white envelope Jim gave her came to mind.

"The answers. It's all in there."

The answers to her forgotten past. A missing piece in her life she has always wondered about for years, now finally answered in writing from a boy who she only just met not too long ago. What does he know? Liz thought curiously. Should she have kept the letter and read it?

Liz shakes her head. No, that letter represents Jim's last words unspoken to those close to him should he fall in battle. A letter she would never accept even if it contained the answers she sought. She would rather hear it all from the boy himself.

Suddenly, a tapping pierces the quiet space, prompting Liz to find Jim behind the glass door, waving at her to let him in. Waving back, she walked to the door and opened it. "Come in, Jim. Glad you came."

"Wouldn't miss it." Jim smiled, entering inside before Liz closed the door behind him. She guides him to the table, where her laptop, books, and papers laid spread out, leaving some space for Jim on the opposite side. "Take a seat. I'll grab some drinks and snacks. Any preferences?"

Jim takes a seat opposite hers. "Anything to keep me up from falling asleep."

"Well, coffee it is. Be back in a jiff." Liz said, heading to the bar. After a moment, she comes back with a coffee in each hand, and freshly baked croissants tucked in between her arms, placing them on the table. "Here's our local favorite coffee and our limited special pastry, Lune Chocolat Croissant – on the house. I hope you like it."

"Wow! Thanks, Liz," Jim thanked her with a grin as Liz sat down on her chair. "No biggie. Now then, let's get started."

***

"See, the equation only contains powers of X that are non-negative integers. Does that make sense?" Liz asked as Jim glanced at her. "Is it supposed to?"

Liz shakes her head with a smile. "Nah. That's why it's called algebra."

The two share a laugh. Settling down, Jim speaks up. "Hey, thanks again for this. I-I feel... I feel really bad about what's happening with the play and for preoccupying so much of your time to help me."

"I don't mind it, Jim. You have a lot on your plate, so I get it."

Jim felt relieved at her response, albeit surprised about her being neutral with working with Steve instead of him in the play. The thought of it leaves an uncomfortable feeling in his chest.

"But there's something that has been bothering me for a while," Liz admits, breaking Jim from his thoughts. "Oh. What's troubling you?"

"Remember when you gave me that letter and mentioned that it had the answers to my past? What did you mean by that exactly?" Liz asked with a perked eyebrow.

Jim gulped, not expecting to address it so soon as his mind went haywire. How should he approach this? How is she going to react? Would she look at him differently once she knew?

"Jim, did you find something about my past?"

"I-Um-There's so much to tell you. I don't know where to begin." Jim finally answered as Liz's eyes widened. Leaning forward instantly, she grasps Jim's hands in hers. "It's okay, Jim. Just start from the beginning. Slowly. Starting with how you found out."

Flushing a little at her unwavering stare, Jim sweatdropped. "Well, actually, I–uh, didn't find anything. More like I know some – things."

"You know some...things?" Liz repeated, confusion spread across her face. "What do you mean?"

Jim stammered in response, breaking away from her turquoise gaze but unable to withdraw his hands from her warm grasp. "I–I should have told you earlier since the moment I first saw you in class, but I wasn't sure until I got to know you a little more. Until I know for sure that you– that you're her."

"Her? I don't understand, Jim. Who are you referring to, and what does she have to do with my past?" Liz asked anxiously.

Before Jim could answer her question, a ringtone chimed, followed by a vibration on the table that caught their attention. It was Liz's phone with an image of Toby on the screen. Quickly, Liz answered it and put him on speaker for Jim to hear as they listened to Toby laughing and murmuring incoherently as the sound of crashing and breaking echoed in the background. Sounds like trouble.

"Something is wrong. Let's go." Liz said, standing from her chair and packing their things as Jim followed suit. Once everything's packed and the bistro secured and locked, Liz trails behind Jim to his parked bicycle. "You got bike pegs, Jim?"

Straightening his bike to a stand, Jim glances at the pegs on his back wheel. "Uh-Yeah."

Liz nodded. "Great. I'll be riding with you. If you don't mind, that is?"

"Not at all," Jim said, grabbing his helmet from the handlebars and handing it to Liz. "Safety first."

"Thanks, but what about you?" Liz asked, quickly buckling the safety gear atop her head. Jim shrugs as he gets on his bike. "You'll be there to save me if anything."

Liz laughed, grasping his shoulders as she stood on the pegs behind him. "Then, I better hold on tight and make sure you don't fall."

Jim chuckled. "I'm counting on it."

***

"For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!"

"By the power of the Arcane, magic is mine to command!"

A flash of blue and cyan pierced the darkness of the night as the two champions raced to the local dental clinic. Barging inside the dental office, they found it in havoc with everyone under the influence of laughing gas – AAARRRGGHH hanging through the skylight window, Toby riding the hanging lamp while Blinky and a changeling laughed away.

"What in the world?" Liz said, staring at the chaos in front of her. Toby smiled at the sight of his best friend. "Jimbo!"

"Uh..." Jim barely let out a chuckle at Toby's demeanor before hearing the horrid voice of the changeling. "The Trollhunter! Die!"

In a moment of distraction, the changeling pounced on Jim, but Liz quickly intervened, jumping in front of him with a shield of silver and gold and slamming the changeling to a wall with cans of laughing gas spilling out. The fumes made their friends laugh again as Toby fell from the lamp, making Blinky cackle even harder. The changeling gets up and charges again, this time at Liz. "Die, Guardian! Die!"

Though Liz braced for impact, Jim stepped in with his sword in hand, slamming the pommel onto the changeling's face. Using the changeling's daze to his advantage, Jim swings his sword at her, pushing her back.

However, the upper hand was short-lived when the changeling managed to find the lamp and shone the bright light into Jim's eyes as he covered his sight with his arms, leaving him vulnerable. With a tug of his leg, Jim was pulled down and then suddenly pinned as she forced his arms to the ground with an evil snarl. "Perish, you worm!"

"Get off of him!" Liz shouts, switching her shield for a sword and taking a swing at the changeling, but the creature catches onto her wrist and swings her to the other side of the room, crashing onto the empty cans.

"Liz!" Jim cried out in worry as he struggled within the changeling's grip, groaning as he tried to escape. He looked back at Toby and Blinky, who stood shaking in the corner, holding a lamp resembling the one Draal had trained Jim with. Remembering Draal's advice, Jim watched as the creature lifted an arm for the killing blow. "Die!"

Concentrating on his sword, the blade evaporated before appearing in his other hand as she bent forward to slice him open with her claws. Before touching him, the sword pierced her stone skin like butter. The changeling let out a gasp as blue smoke sprouted from her stab wound, quivering in fear as lightning shocked from her stone figure while Jim stepped to his friends, who watched fearfully. Suddenly, a giant blast encompassed the changeling and the entire building, setting off car alarms blaring in the distance as the changeling died in the explosion.

Inside, dark smoke filled the room, but as it cleared, everyone stood in the places they had last stood with gray smears coating their bodies while Jim rushed to Liz's side, whose armored free figure lay on the floor against the wall. "Liz! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm good." Liz lets out a cough, swiping the gray smear from her face. "Though, I need a shower and an ibuprofen."

Jim chuckled, glad to see her unharmed as he helped her stand up to her feet.

"There goes proof." AAARRRGGHH pointed out as Toby coughed. "Oh, my gosh! She's in my mouth. Oh, my gosh!"

"Oh, no! I killed our only evidence of changelings in Arcadia." Jim says in defeat as he pulls off his amulet, his armor vanishing from his figure.

"And my dental hygienist!" Toby added as Blinky stepped beside Jim, placing a hand on the human boy's shoulder. "You finished the fight, Master Jim, and in self-defense, for that matter. Vendel may continue to have his doubts, but we continue to have our lives. A fair bargain, I'd say."

"Just out of curiosity, what are you guys doing in Toby's dentist's office?" Liz asked while Toby freaked out, wiping off ashy remains, and AAARRRGGHH struggled to enter the building.

"I thought it was possible that danger may come to all of you should you cross paths with the wrong changeling. So, we followed Tobias as a precaution." Blinky explained. Liz nodded. "It's a good thing you both did."

Suddenly a loud bang occurred, startling everyone, but they calmed when they realized AAARRRGGHH had finally dropped from the tight grip of the skylight. He stood up with a pair of teeth and clanked them together as he spoke. "And curious."

Toby eyed the trolls. "About what?"

"You humans have a concept that is quite foreign to us." Blinky breathes into Toby's face, the boy suddenly pulling back as he gagged.

"Oral hygiene." Blinky laughed, but no one else had, so he stopped and looked around. "Mm. Looks like we're officially out of laughing gas. We should depart."

"Agreed. It's been a long day for us all," Liz commented, heading out the door as Jim and Blinky followed behind her, but AAARRRGGHH could not fit through, so he climbed back up the ceiling window.

"Hey! Uh, excuse me, wait! Look at this place. Do you have some magic artifact that can clean up this mess?" Toby exclaimed.

"Yes. I believe it's called a "Tobias," Blinky said, walking away and leaving behind Toby as he looked around at the mess with a grimace.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

***

After separating from their troll friends, Jim gave Liz a ride home, dropping her off at the front entrance to the second-floor apartments above the ground-level retail stores. Just before Liz could say goodnight, Jim spoke up with haste. "Liz, about what I said earlier about your past — "

Liz holds up a hand to stop him. "Though I am eager to hear what you have to say, I think it's best we put that on hold for later, Jim. With changelings being one step ahead of us and them now knowing our awareness of their existence, our main priority is getting proof and finding the Killahead Bridge. Time is not on our side with the bridge close to completion and we cannot afford to get sidetracked."

"Er, right. You're right." Jim said, rubbing the back of his neck with mixed feelings of relief and disappointment. "Um, I know this is a little off topic but is it okay if we can reschedule our study session? I still feel like I need help with algebra."

"Of course. Tomorrow after school?"

Jim nods. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Great, it's a date," Liz replied without thought but instantly realized what she had just said, a faint blush crossing her cheeks. "Ah-I, well, goodnight. Text me when you get home safe."

Without waiting for a response from Jim, she hurries inside and runs up the stairwell as the boy watches after her from his bike, unaware of the growing smile on his face.

"Good night, Lizzie."

[End of Episode VII - To Catch a Changeling]

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the last part of Episode 7! If you are interested in reading more, click on the links provided below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#tales of arcadia #trollhunter #trollhunters #fanfiction #tumblr #ao3 #guardian #tales of arcadia fanfic #jimlakejr #talesofargante #tales of argante

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talesofargante · 2 years

Text

The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 7: Part 3 - Attack of the Gaggletack

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Episode Summary: Armed with an ancient troll-hunting tool, Jim and Toby set out to unmask the Changelings living among them while Liz confronts Jim about her forgotten childhood past.

Words: 2k

Warning: none (if I miss any warnings please lmk)

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Walking through Trollmarket, Liz steps beside Blinky, listening in to Blinky's plan of finding proof of the existence of changelings. "The matter at hand, Master Jim...Master Jim?"

Noticing Blinky staring over his shoulder, Liz looks back to find Jim staring at her with a dazed look until AAARRRGGHH shouts behind him. "MASTER JIM!"

"Gah!" Jim screamed, jumping in surprise and looking back at Blinky. "Yes, sorry. Paying attention!" Then, at Liz, his gaze now cleared from his thoughts. "Paying attention."

Quickly Liz faces forward, trying to hide a faint blush crossing her cheeks behind her hair. What is wrong with her? Why is she getting flustered over a stare?

She shakes her head, patting her cheeks to rid of the flush though her action does not go unnoticed by Blinky, whose eyebrow raised at her reaction while continuing his plan. "As I was saying, assuming that Killahead Bridge was in Arcadia, and it was indeed, as you say, delivered to a clandestine location, that would mean more changelings, scavenging, assembling, and disassembling. If we prove that the museum curator wasn't working alone, then Vendel might start believing that you saw the Killahead Bridge."

"So, we find another changeling." Jim paraphrased it.

"Stop saying that so loudly." Blinky scolded. Once again, the same eavesdropper who was listening to them back in the pub stood nearby. "Do you mind?"

Schmidt rolls his eyes and walks away. Blinky scoffs, continuing in a softer tone. "Changelings have not been heard or seen in Trollmarket for centuries. The mere word could cause hysteria."

"Then how do we find one?" Jim asked as the group walked deeper into Trollmarket. AAARRRGGHH replies with a grin. "RotGut's."

"Woah." Jim and Toby gaped in wonder. The group enters through a large archway with a carved statue of a troll towards the back wall covered with colorful patterned engravings. Only two tiny doors stood out, one higher than the other. Liz smiled in delight at the place, having frequent there every so often to gather supplies and books to practice magic and announce its purpose. "Purveyor of fine charms, totems, and spells."

"Follow my lead." Blinky knocks on the iron door handle. A large gem-paned window moves open to reveal a giant blue eye. Rot, the first one to appear, spoke. "Ailment or curse?"

A door on the bottom opens as a green eye appears. Guts, the second troll, spoke out as well. "Oi, numbskull! I'm supposed to answer it!"

"But I already did answer it." Rot said, but Guts argued, closing his door even though he could still be heard. "What is not clear about. "I deal with the customers, you handle the wizardry"?"

Noticing the familiar face of their regular customer, Rot greeted. "Oh, hey there, Liz. Hold a tick."

He closed the window, and Blinky laughed, entertained. Liz shakes her head but smiles at the familiar bickering between the trolls. Jim and Toby glance at each other when suddenly the door opens again. "Good, Rot. Stick with that. Welcome to RotGut's. How may we service you?"

"Totem, my good troll. We suspect one of these humans may be a changeling."

"Hmm?" Rot hummed in question. He looks at the boys, but AAARRRGGHH appears behind them protectively. "Other humans."

Rot looked at Blinky and Liz, answering. "You're gonna need a gaggletack."

Gut chuckled. "Unfortunately, you see, we're running a bit short on those. Very hard to get."

"But I've got a bag of them right here." Rot said, calling out the lie.

"What in the world – If you'll excuse us for one moment." Gut panics before closing the door once again for privacy. "Ey, what are you doing? I'm trying to drive up the price over here."

"I thought we were trying to help these nice lads, and Liz is our regular customer." Rot said before closing the window.

"Gaggletack?" Toby asked, looking at AAARRRGGHH. "Rare artifact."

"Exceedingly rare," Blinky emphasized. "An object of great mystery. With physical contact, it reveals the true nature of a changeling."

Liz nodded in approval. "Just the tool we need to get our proof."

"Why don't you open the door...." Guts said as the window opened once more, revealing Rot. "Step back, please."

The group took a step back while Gut still ranted from the inside. "......our hard-earned bits and bobs?"

Suddenly, a little drawer pushed open as the item flew from the opening, missing Liz, who sidestepped just in time as it smacked right into Toby's face, quickly knocking him to the ground with a groan. "It hurts!"

Jim winced before picking it up. "It's a horseshoe."

"Horseshoes are made out of steel in most cases. This one is made of pure iron. Changelings are vulnerable to iron," Liz answers as Toby stands, a little wobbly at first.

"Why would you put such a precious thing on a horse's foot?" Blinky asked in disbelief.

"Huh?" Jim asked as he and Toby shared a look. Liz chuckled. "Horses wear shoes primarily to strengthen and protect the hooves and feet, and to prevent the hooves from wearing down too quickly."

"Interesting," Blinky said. "Beware. Changelings are swapped with their human counterparts at birth. So, it is likely these troll pretenders have dwelt amongst you for decades. They could be anyone. Used car salesmen, tax collectors, television executives."

"Dentists." Toby points out. Blinky laughs. "Yes, especially dentists."

Liz shares a look with Jim, but he merely shrugs and asks, "So, who do we start with?"

Toby rips the gaggletack from Jim's hand, a handful of suspicious people in mind. "Oh, I've got a few ideas."

"Great, but be subtle. We don't want to alert the changelings before we can find them."

"Piece of cake."

***

At school the next day, Liz overhears the students talking about Toby getting into trouble for tapping Coach Lawrence with a horseshoe and setting up a horseshoe toss.

What happened with being subtle? Liz thought as she shut her locker door and headed toward the gym for play rehearsal.

On stage, while reading her script, Steve was practicing his lines. "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak–"

Suddenly, a horseshoe flew out from nowhere and hit Steve in the forehead, bouncing off to the floor near the drapes.

"Whoa! Steve, are you okay?" Liz asked in concern as Steve leaned over in pain, clutching his head before calling out angrily, searching for the culprit behind her backstage. "Hey! Who did that?!"

"What?" Liz mumbled, looking at the horseshoe on the floor, when suddenly a hand quickly swiped the horseshoe away from behind the curtains. Realizing who it was, she shook her head.

Oh, Jim.

***

After walking Steve to the health room post-rehearsal, Liz went to the courtyard, where she saw Toby tapping students in his path at random with an exhausted look on his face. Luckily, none of the students transformed. She couldn't imagine how she was going to handle that kind of situation. Liz sighs, following Toby to the lockers where Jim was. "Any luck?"

"Nope," Toby replied with disappointment as Jim closed his locker. "Yeah, I struck out, too."

"That's unfortunate." Liz walks up to them, stopping beside Toby. "Though I admit, your way of revealing a changeling is slightly obvious. It won't surprise me if one catches us searching for them by now."

In the distance, Liz caught sight of Mr. Strickler, who was walking by a small group of girls – Claire's friends. "I don't believe that's appropriate school attire."

"You, uh, try this out on Mr. Strickler?" Toby suggests to Jim, who instantly protests the idea. "Come on. You really think he is one?"

"Who knows?" Liz crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the teacher. "We'll never know until we find out for sure."

Toby looked at the horseshoe before looking back up at Strickler and heading in his direction, but Jim stopped him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Now? I don't want to embarrass ourselves."

Jim grabs onto the gaggletack, but Toby holds on, pulling it back. "You just don't want to admit that Strickler–"

"I don't want you to upset anyone who grades our final exams!" This time, Jim pulls it back as Toby lets go. "Fine! Okay, we'll do it later."

The school bell rings as Toby pulls it suddenly away from Jim and throws it in Strickler's direction. The points of his shoes barely touched the gaggletack. Liz observes only to find Strickler's unreadable expression.

"Whoopsy! Slipped." Toby said.

"Sorry." Jim quickly apologized before going to retrieve it. However, Toby moved his arm before him, stopping him in his tracks. "Uh, mind picking that up for us, Mr. S?"

Strickler scoffs. "And waste such idle hands as your own, Mr. Domzalski?"

Liz frowns at his response, her suspicion of the history teacher growing slightly. It's almost as if he knows what it is and is avoiding it.

"Our backs." Jim chuckles, playing along. "Coach Lawrence put us through the wringer this morning."

Strickler looks at Liz. "What about you, Ms. Walker? Since you are physically adept, from what I heard, perhaps you could pick this up for them."

"I would if it was in front of me, Mr. Strickler, though I don't see why that is not the case for you," Liz said, her gaze unwavering. Strickler quirked an eyebrow with amusement. He knew what was going on. After all, finding out that the Trollhunter was a mere student and the object lying in front of him with their useless excuses, he knew the way all too well.

Claire interrupted the moment by picking up the horseshoe for him and holding it out for Strickler to take. "Here you go, Mr. Strickler. Here's your horseshoe back."

Jim and Toby sighed as Mr. Strickler thanked Claire. "Thank you, Ms. Nunez, but that belongs to Mr. Lake."

"Oh. Well, that would explain the random tapping with horseshoes. So not going to ask." She handed the horseshoe to Jim, who laughed nervously as Strickler came to his side. "Take care of your back, Young Atlas. Such is the danger of carrying the world on one's shoulders."

As he left, Claire raised her eyebrow at his words, then looked at the Gaggletack and Jim with suspicion.

"Very suspicious," Toby said. Liz nodded, her eyes not leaving the teacher until he disappeared around a corner. "Tell me about it."

"Suspicious?" Claire said as Jim jumped slightly, realizing she was still there. "Claire."

"Still here."

"What's up?" Liz asked, hoping that Claire didn't catch on to their suspicious activities.

"You're still coming home with me, right?"

"Huh?" Liz and Jim asked simultaneously, making them both look at each other. Claire glanced between the two of them before speaking to Liz. "Remember, movie night at my place? The prequels? My parents are out and want me to watch Enrique for tonight."

"Oh, man. It's tonight?" Liz glances at Jim before looking guilty at Claire, uncrossing her arms. "Sorry, Claire. I know I made plans, but I have a study sesh with someone who needs my help. Raincheck?"

Again, Claire glanced between Liz and Jim before realizing something and hiding a smile. "Really? Well, I guess it could wait then. I'll text you when we can watch next time."

"Thanks, Claire." Liz thanked. As soon as Claire was gone, Jim asked in confusion. "What was that about?"

"Forgot that I had a movie night with Claire planned at her place. I didn't know it would be tonight." Liz explained, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "But your call for help takes precedent."

"Oh, right! Liz and I are gonna go to the Bistro...for math stuff." Jim said simply, handing Toby the gaggletack.

"Yup, we'll meet up at the cafe at six. I should be done with my shift by then." Liz nodded, turning to Toby. "Meanwhile, you can keep searching for the changelings and let us know when you find anything."

"You can count on me." Toby saluted to her before Liz and Jim walked off, leaving him on his own, a smile creeping onto his face. "And, now, my horseshoe-shaped little friend, we expose the definite changeling in our midst."

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the third part of Episode 7! If you are interested in reading more, click on the links provided below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#tales of arcadia fanfiction #tales of arcadia #trollhunter #trollhunters #fanfiction #tumblr #ao3 #guardian #tales of arcadia fanfic #jimlakejr #talesofargante

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talesofargante · 2 years

Text

The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 7: Part 2 - An Offer He Can't Refuse

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Episode Summary: Armed with an ancient troll-hunting tool, Jim and Toby set out to unmask the Changelings living among them while Liz confronts Jim about her forgotten childhood past.

Words: 1k

Warning: none (if I miss any warnings please lmk)

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

The following day, Liz skateboarded down the sidewalk, stopping nearby at the sight of Jim and Toby, who were waiting for the cars to pass. She kicks the tail-end of her skateboard into her hand and walks up to them. "Mornin', boys."

"Morning, Liz." Said boys greeted back, prompting Toby to speak up. "Say what we saw wasn't just an illusion, and they really did move it. How could we possibly find it?"

Once traffic was clear, they walked across the street as Jim replied. "Well, I don't think we're gonna be lucky enough to stumble on it again, Tobes. But one thing's for sure. That curator did not move it by herself."

"Maybe she had help!" Toby exclaimed. "Other changelings, perhaps?"

Liz nodded. "Definitely. It could be anyone in Arcadia Oaks, even someone we know. But we need to find a way to reveal their true nature."

"How exactly are we going to do that?" Jim asked Liz, but just as she was about to reply, someone called out her name. "Liz!"

Turning around, Liz sees Claire jogging towards her. "Oh hey, Claire."

"Hey! What's up, Nunez?" Toby waved as Claire reached them. "Hey, Colby."

"It's Toby. Not that it matters. You can call me whatever you want." Toby leans on his bike nonchalantly before falling over, yelping. Before Liz could ask about Toby's wellbeing, Claire spoke up. "How are you feeling, Liz?"

"Well enough to return to school, unfortunately," Liz jokes.

"That's good because there has been a slight change in the play after we were looking for a certain someone." Claire glares over Liz's shoulder at Jim, who stands confused, pointing at himself. "You've been looking for me? Was it because I couldn't make it to rehearsal yesterday? Something kinda came up. Steve filled in. That's what understudies are for, right?"

Claire perked an eyebrow at Jim. "Uh, you haven't heard? Steve isn't the understudy anymore. You are. She's tired of you never showing up without an excuse, so she made Steve Romeo."

"No way!" Liz exclaimed as Jim argued. "Come on! But I memorized all my lines!"

"Doesn't matter. Ms. Janeth is on the warpath for you. I'd watch out." Claire warned Jim before tugging Liz along with her to their day's first class.

"Didn't Jim notify Ms. Janeth beforehand that he was going to miss rehearsal?" Liz asked. Claire sighs, shaking her head. "If he did, Ms. Janeth wouldn't have thrown a fit yesterday during rehearsal. Be grateful you were not there to see it, Liz. That woman is terrifying, and right now, she's out for blood – figuratively, I hope."

As the school bell rings, Liz glances over her shoulder, seeing Jim dash toward Ms. Janeth's classroom. Liz grimaced, seeing that Jim had math class with said teacher.

Algebra + Ms. Janeth x Missing Rehearsals = Math Class of Doom.

Yikes. Hope he makes it out alive.

***

After school, Liz catches up with a glum-looking Jim on her way out of campus. "Hey, Jim! I see you survived Ms. Janeth's "Math Class of Doom."

"And, now, she's given me a mountain of homework I hardly understand." Jim looked at the ground as she watched with a hint of concern.

"You know, what? I did honors algebra last year and was pretty okay at it. What if you came by the restaurant for a study sesh?" Liz offers, sweeping her hair back from her face as Jim stops his bike suddenly, shocked at the offer. "Wow! Really? Are you sure?"

"It's no problem at all. Since we both missed school yesterday, maybe we could work together on the classes we missed out on."

"But I don't want to trouble you more than I already have." Jim rubs his neck.

"Oh, Jim, don't stress about it. I got your back, remember? We're in this together." Liz rested her hand on Jim's arm. He stares at her a moment until his lips curved into a smile, his once dull blue eyes shining bright under the afternoon sun. "Thanks, Liz."

For some unknown reason, seeing Jim's smiling expression sent a fluttering sensation to her stomach. Confused by her reaction, Liz pushes down the strange feeling and chuckled, lightly punching him.

"Come on, let's find Toby and get out of here. We have a changeling to catch."

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the second part of Episode 7! If you are interested in reading more, click on the links provided below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#tales of argante #tales of arcadia #trollhunter #trollhunters #fanfiction #tumblr #ao3 #guardian #tales of arcadia fanfic #jimlakejr #talesofargante

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talesofargante · 2 years

Text

The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 7: Part 1 - The Vanishing Bridge

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Episode Summary: Armed with an ancient troll-hunting tool, Jim and Toby set out to unmask the Changelings living among them while Liz confronts Jim about her forgotten childhood past.

Words: 1.2k

Warning: none (if I miss any warnings please lmk)

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

After casting a defensive spell around Heartstone Trollmarket with Douxie all evening, Liz waited until dark before teleporting Vendel, AAARRRGGHH, and Blinky inside the Museum of Arcadia Oaks, which thankfully was empty. Liz quickly went to work on removing security footage of their arrival and disabling the cameras before sending a quick text to Toby, reminding him and Jim to meet up at the museum. History of missed texts was a lesson for Liz not wholly to rely on Jim in responding to his messages, so her best chance of reaching him was through Toby since they were always together. If not, she sends a text through group chat as a backup.

Walking through the museum's east wing, Liz opens a window for the boys to enter since the front entrance is gated shut and heads back to the main corridor where the trolls waited. Vendel wanders around, analyzing hanging artworks and artifacts in glass cases across the hall. A renaissance dress captures Liz's interest, drawing her towards it. As she examines it, she senses Vendel's presence beside her, who also takes an interest in the display. But it seems their opinions differ when Vendel pokes at the dressed mannequin with his staff and comments, "Ridiculous garment."

Blinky scoffs behind Liz, prompting her to speak up. "I find the design exquisite though I pity the women back then who had to wear insufferable corsets beneath layers of fabric. Then again, beauty is pain."

Hearing footsteps nearby, they all turned to see Jim and Toby running up to them.

"You're late," Blinky said simply, staring them down.

"Sorry. Draal was training Jim." Toby explains, then grunts when Jim quickly elbowed him, hoping that his troll trainers wouldn't find out, but it was too late.

"Draal?"

"Training?"

"Hah! About time." Liz said, prompting everyone to turn to her in surprise. She threw her hands in the air. "What? The more help, the merrier."

"Yeah, he sorta made a home in my basement to look out for the place." Jim briefly explains.

"Of course. When a troll is defeated in combat, it's completely natural for them to take refuge in the victor's domicile," Blinky explained. Jim smiled, hopeful. "So, you understand?"

"I understand such an arrangement could only end in disaster. Utter disaster!" Blinky exclaimed. As the conversation dies down, the two trolls impatiently turn to find Vendel standing beside them. "Are we simply waiting here to be discovered? Or were you planning on showing me this thing you believe to be the Killahead Bridge?"

Blinky pats Jim's shoulder, laughing nervously. "The Trollhunter was just about to show us the way."

As Jim leads the group to the Killahead Bridge, he explains the events that led to their discovery, finishing off as he pushes open two wooden doors, entering the closed exhibit. "And as we were chasing away the goblin pack, we ran past this closed exhibit, and there it was." Passing the corridor, Jim opens the curtain to find the same large blanket covering a hidden object that took on the same shape as the Killahead Bridge. "The Killahead Bridge."

The trolls share a gasp as Blinky looks at Vendel, clearly showing the elder troll not to doubt so quickly as Liz crosses her arms over her chest, not wanting to step any closer to the bridge and reveal her magic to Jim and Toby just yet. Both boys grabbed the edges of the large cloth and tried to pull it from the large structure beneath it, but after a bit of struggle, AAARRRGGHH gently moved the two to the side before pulling it off with ease. Jim and Toby's faces dropped as they realized what hid beneath the tarp. Instead of Killahead Bridge, a Viking ship stood in its place.

"W-What?" Liz's arms fell to her side as she stared in shock. Where's the bridge? How were they able to remove it so quickly?

"That is not a bridge," Vendel mumbled, upset that he wasted his time coming into the human world and finding nothing worthy to set his eyes upon.

"But it was right here!" Jim gestured at the spot before turning to his best friend. " You saw it, Tobes. You took a picture of it."

"It was, eh... It was out of focus, and I did forget to turn on the flash. We were running so fast. We were being chased, you know? Maybe we only thought we saw it." Toby explains nervously. Jim watched with a worried face since Toby hadn't backed him up.

Vendel turned and looked at Blinky, who backed up, and Vendel advanced, his large glowing staff coloring the sides of his face, which showed all the angry curves in his stoned face. "Blinkous Galadrigal, I've not left the Heartstone in a century. I only did so tonight because of the grave peril the Killahead Bridge represents. For you to invoke that danger without just cause–"

Blinky crosses his arms. "If Master Jim says it's so–"

Vendel interrupts. "You will be only too quick to believe him. You've never met a conspiracy theory you didn't like."

"I hate conspiracies. That is why I am dedicated to rooting them out."Blinky stated, thrusting his arms out in frustration.

"Like you rooted out the plot to rid Trollmarket of all its cat meat?"

"That was a misunderstanding." Blinky defended, his fists on his hips while Jim and AAARRRGGHH shared a look. Liz sighed, drawing Jim's attention, and gave a quick nod, causing him to look back with his eyebrow raised.

"Precaution is the soul of virtue," Blinky argued, hoping to turn the favor towards him, but Vendel was not convinced. "Everyone in Trollmarket thinks you're paranoid."

"If it's everyone, it must be a conspiracy!" Blinky yelled back, already proving Vendel's point. Vendel sighed and rubbed his hand on his face. "It would seem your pupil is desperate to play the hero, while you are desperate to see danger where none exists. AAARRRGGHH, take me home."

AAARRRGGHH's eyes widened as Liz, Jim and Toby watched with sad remorse. He groans, stepping away, and Toby laughs nervously and heads off as well. Liz, Jim, and Blinky were left, the moonlight enhancing the depressional vibe in the room.

"It was right here," Jim mumbled in defeat, gazing sadly at the large ship. Blinky stepped up to him first before Liz reached them.

"Perhaps Vendel's right. Perhaps I have flooded your imagination with flights of fancy. I blame myself." Blinky mumbled, gazing at the ship disappointingly. Jim looked at Blinky in disbelief. "Not you, Blinky. You have to believe me. I know what I saw."

"He's right, Blink." Liz stands beside Jim, backing him up. "If the proof isn't here, it has to be somewhere."

Blinky sighed, facing Jim and Liz, placing one hand on each of their shoulders, and giving a reassuring smile. "You worry about your studies and training. I'll worry about this."

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the first part of Episode 7! If you are interested in reading more, click on the links provided below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#tales of arcadia fanfiction #tales of arcadia #trollhunter #trollhunters #fanfiction #tumblr #ao3 #guardian #tales of arcadia fanfic #jimlakejr #talesofargante

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talesofargante · 2 years

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The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 6: Part 4 - Unlikely Partnership

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Episode Summary: With trouble brewing on the horizon for Arcadia, Liz helps Jim prepare for a high-stakes rematch against Draal for the amulet. However, their animosity gives way to a surprising partnership.

Words: 3.3k

Warning: violence (if I miss any warnings please lmk)

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Jim Lake Jr. POV

"— and that's it."

Sitting atop the bed across from Jim, Toby stares at him dumbfounded. "That's it. That's it?! How come you never said anything to me about this, dude?! That Liz was your lost childhood friend, and she used to live here in this house – my house!" He gasps, looking around frantically with fear in his eyes. "What if it's haunted?!"

"Quiet down, Tobes. It's not haunted. I'm sorry that I didn't share this with you before. It was — " Jim looks down, fidgeting his hands on his lap, unable to look at his friend in the eye. "— too painful for me to talk about it before."

Jim hears a sniffle, prompting him to look up, only to blink in surprise when he sees Toby teary-eyed. "Why are you crying?"

Toby sniffles, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Because I just found out that my best friend was suffering this whole time, and I didn't even know about it until now."

"It's okay, Tobes. Even though you didn't know, you were there for me. I struggled to accept it, but as time passed, you helped me get through it. When you first moved here, I remember the times you knocked on my door almost every day, asking me if I wanted to go play outside or eat some of your Gran's cookies."

Toby almost drools at the memory. "Ah, those cookies were to die for. Maybe I should ask Gran to bake them again sometime. It was a good thing I was persistent then. You would have missed out."

"And that's why you're my best friend. You never gave up on me." Jim said, making Toby tear up again and punch Jim lightly. "Stop it, Jimbo, you're going to make me cry. Anyways, now that you told me everything, I got to ask – how did you know Liz was your childhood friend? Sure, Liz reminds you of her by looks, but what if it's just a coincidence?"

Jim shakes his head. "I didn't want to assume that Liz was her at first, even though they looked similar. But then, when she called me Jimmy, I was shocked because no one other than Lizzie called me by that nickname even though Liz hardly knew me. She also mentioned during dinner that she couldn't remember anything before the car accident that killed her parents and was taken to Trollmarket to be raised by Kanjigar. After hearing all that, it was no longer a coincidence to me that Liz and Lizzie are the same person."

"But didn't you say before that your childhood friend..." Toby hesitated for a second before continuing. "– died?"

"That's what was thought then. You see, after Lizzie, and her parents went on their weekend picnic trip out of town, they never returned the following Monday. I remember there was a storm at that time, and my mom was worried, so she reported it to the police, and they sent out a search party. Days later, when the storm passed, the police found her parents in their car washed up on the banks near Lake Arcadia Oaks. They were found dead at the scene, but Lizzie...she was still missing, and they couldn't find her anywhere." Jim releases a shaky breath, reminiscing the painful memory. "After months of looking, they gave up the search and presumed her dead. I didn't believe it at first, hoping that she was still out there alive. But she never returned or was found. Yet this whole time –"

Jim rubs his eyes, trying to prevent tears from forming. Saddened to see his friend like this, Toby pats his friend on the back to console him and instead finishes the sentence for him. "She was alive this entire time."

"Yeah, and was living right under our feet." Jim softly chuckled. He gazes around Toby's room, his eyes stopping at the window as a memory flashed in his mind of a sky blue painted room with soft pink curtains blowing in the breeze and a little girl's giggle echoing in the background. For a moment, his lips turn into a soft smile at a distant memory until a small frown began to settle on his face. "But even though she's alive, she doesn't remember me, my mom, her parents – it's like a part of her is missing and...."

Jim grasps the white envelope beside him on the bed, lifting it between himself and Toby. "– I don't want to leave her guessing about her past anymore. I owe it to her, and I'll do whatever it takes to make her remember."

Liz Walker POV

Liz paces back and forth at the entrance of Vendel's workshop. An hour has passed since Vendel told her to wait outside while he speaks with Blinky and AAARRRGGHH alone, leaving her confused. What's taking them so long? Didn't Vendel want to talk to all of them? Why discuss this separately? Unless – She pauses in her step. – there's something else she doesn't know about, and they're hiding it from her.

Heavy footsteps pull Liz from her thoughts when Blinky and AAARRRGGHH come out from the workshop and stop before her. "What did Ven say? Does he believe us?"

"Not quite, but he is concerned. He wants to see the Killahead Bridge for himself before taking further action. Tomorrow night, we will take him to the museum." Blinky explained. Liz nods, agreeing with the plan. "Sounds like a plan, but I don't see why Ven has called for me when you have all discussed it without me. Is there something that I should not know about?"

Blinky and AAARRRGGHH exchange a quick worried glance, worsening Liz's suspicions before Blinky hurriedly answers. "Of course not, Lady Liza. Vendel planned to speak to you in private afterward, wanting to hear your claim since you have seen the Killahead Bridge yourself."

"I see," Liz responds though she still believes they're hiding something from her. She would have to confront them about it later. After exchanging goodbyes with the trolls, Liz heads inside Vendel's workshop. She finds its owner's attention, scanning the contents of an open book on the table in front of him with various stones and trinkets splayed across the flat stone surface. "You wish to see me, Ven?"

"Yes, young one," Vendel looks up to meet Liz's gaze. "I want to discuss your recent findings. Based on what Blinky and AAARRRGGHH shared, you claimed to have found the Killahead Bridge being rebuilt by a changeling in the Museum of Arcadia Oaks. Is that correct?"

"That's correct."

"Do you have any physical proof of that claim?"

"Nothing more than the photo Toby took the night after I first discovered it." Liz curiously picks up a trinket, examining it.

"In what condition was the Killahead Bridge in when you encountered it?"

Leaning her hip against the stone table, she fiddles with a trinket in her hands. "From what I recall, the Killahead Bridge is halfway complete. The changelings are still gathering the remaining pieces, including the Eyestone."

Vendel nods grimly at her answer. "Is that all?"

"Well..." Liz trails off, remembering how the Killahead Bridge strangely reacted to her touch. "When I made physical contact with it, the bridge started to glow. I have no idea why it would react that way, and I was hoping to get an answer from you about that."

"Hmmm." Vendel ponders for a moment, rubbing his chin. "I presume it must be because of your magic, young one. Perhaps the magic of the First Guardian was imprinted onto its structure during the Battle of the Killahead Bridge, and the bridge has recognized it through you as the Guardian of the present."

"Then, there should be nothing to worry about, right? Since it's just a magical imprint." Liz waits for the elder troll's reply, placing the trinket on the stone table, but to her surprise, Vendel doesn't answer right away as she expected. She could visualize the wheels turning in the troll's head for a long pause until he finally responded. "Of course, nothing more."

"That's...good to hear," Liz said, though she highly doubted his words.

"I must warn you, young one. Such claims regarding the involvement of changelings rebuilding Killahead Bridge in human territory without physical proof will incite absolute pandemonium, similar to what you have witnessed earlier after the match."

Liz nodded. "I understand, Ven, but I cannot ignore what I have seen with my own eyes."

Vendel sighs. "I figured you would say that. That is why I shall bear witness to it tomorrow night and see if the claims are true."

"But wouldn't you be leaving the Heartstone defenseless?"

"Another reason that I have called for you. Tomorrow evening, I want you to increase Heartstone Trollmarket's defenses with your magic before I leave for the surface world."

"Of course. May I also bring Douxie along to help strengthen the defense?"

"You may bring the wizard, young one." Vendel nods in approval.

"Alright, I will let Douxie know when I see him."

Vendel looks back at the book, seemingly ending the conversation. However, Liz is curious about what Vendel says about Jim's success in the match. Perhaps he may have changed his opinion of the human Trollhunter. "Penny for your thoughts on the match?"

The elder troll sighs at the question but doesn't look up when he answers. "I suppose the human boy shows potential, but he has a lot to learn before he can defeat Bular or save anyone for that matter."

"Does that mean you accept Jim as our new Trollhunter?"

"That depends," Vendel replies, glancing up at Liz. "Would you be willing to make the Adamant Vow with this boy? He, who is untrained, inexperienced, and naive to our world?"

Liz recalls the Adamant Vow. It is a magical binding between the Guardian and the Trollhunter, established during the Age of Merlin by the first Guardian and Trollhunter. During her training as the Guardian, Kanjigar made a solemn vow to her as the Trollhunter. However, Liz could not make her vow as the Guardian due to age restrictions, leaving the bind incomplete. But now that she has grown up, Liz would be able to follow through with her vow as the Guardian, though this time, with the new Trollhunter, Jim Lake Jr.

"I would be more than willing to make the Adamant Vow, even if Jim is anything but trained, experienced, and knowledgeable of our world because I see that he has what every champion should need."

Vendel arches a brow. "And what would that be, young one?"

"The heart of a true champion."

Though his expression remained impassive, the elder troll nodded approvingly to her answer. "Very well. Once you inform the boy of the Adamant Vow, I will act as a witness, and since you believe he has some quality of a true champion, then I shall trust him in your tutelage, Guardian. But make haste with the binding and his training. If what you and your friends have claimed is true, then we are all in great danger."

"Thank you, Ven."

"Of course, young one. Is there anything else that you wish to discuss with me?"

"I think that is all," Liz said, stepping away from the table. "I'm going to find Draal and see how he is faring after the match before I meet up with Jim."

"Wait, he has already – " Before Vendel could say anything more, Liz teleported herself to Draal's Cavern.

"Draal?!" Peering through the curtain entrance, Liz waits for a response but receives only silence. Frowning, she ventures inside the cavern, searching for the blue troll. Dread begins to pool at the base of her stomach as she continues to find the cave rooms empty, including Draal's resting chamber. Where could he be?

Coming out empty, Liz decided to search for Draal in other places that she could think of where he might have gone. She teleported herself to the Hero's Forge, the Troll Pub, and the Plaza, but Draal was nowhere in sight. Even if she asked the other trolls, they, too, do not know where he was. Her worries gradually worsen with no leads on his whereabouts, and she instantly teleports back to Vendel's Workshop.

"Ven! I cannot find Draal anywhere! I asked the other trolls, but no one had seen him since the match." Liz panics as she finds Vendel in the same spot she had left him. The elder troll sighs and looks up to see the panic in the girl's eyes. "Just before you took off, I was going to mention that Draal is no longer welcome in Heartstone Trollmarket. Since he has been defeated in combat, you should find him in the human Trollhunter's domicile. Though I believe that boy is unaware of it."

Upon hearing this, a wave of sadness washes over Liz when she realizes that Draal is now banned from his native home. Still, at the same time, a feeling of unease begins to surface in her mind as she thinks of Draal living in the world above with the very human who had taken his chance to become the Trollhunter.

Liz didn't know which to worry about more – Jim's safety or Draal's safety as images of Jim getting mauled by Draal and Draal getting exposed by humans or worse, daylight flashed in her mind. The mere thought of it sends her into overdrive, teleporting from Vendel's workshop without a goodbye to a quiet spot near the Arcadia Oaks Canal, where she parked her motorbike. Noticing that night has fallen, and the roads are empty, Liz quickly hops onto her vehicle, shoves her helmet on, and races to the Lake House, hoping that she will find them both in one piece at the very least.

A few minutes later, down the road from the Lake House, Liz caught wind of growling and yelling in the distance. It's coming from his place! Was she too late?

Pulling up in front of the Lake House, Liz notices Barbara's car parked in front of the garage as sounds of growling and yelling continue from the backyard. To think of Barbara being home while this is happening. She thought, her face turning pale. How will she explain to Barbara that her son is a chosen champion of the magical world of trolls and that one of those trolls is now inhabiting her home and planning to kill her son?

Liz shakes her head, hopping off her bike and running towards the back of the house. Hearing voices, she quickly jumps over the fence with ease and finds an unexpected scene. Jim donned in his Trollhunter armor, standing in the back doorway, Draal with his back to Jim, and Nomura facing off the blue troll with her twin blades at her sides, all of them now looking in Liz's direction.

"Liz!" Jim shouted as Nomura revealed a sneer. "Well, look who decided to drop in. I've been meaning to visit you, Guardian. Now that you're here, I'll take you and the Trollhunter out at once."

"Do not touch Liz or the Trollhunter." Draal warned with a growl.

"Suddenly, you're honorable?" Nomura swings her blades at her sides in anger. "How pathetic. Your interaction with a human for so long has made you soft. No wonder you weren't chosen. Speaking of trollhunters, sorry to hear about daddy. Bular always liked the way he screamed." Suddenly, Nomura jumps towards Liz, her swords pointing in her direction. "Now, let's see how she screams, shall we?!"

Just before Liz can transform into her armor, Draal lets out a fierce war cry, bulldozing in front of her as he collides with Nomura. The changeling yelps, leaping back as Draal continues forward. Nomura kicked and threw her swords, their sharp ends pounded on his head, barely making an impact. With struggle, Nomura couldn't keep still as Draal continued to push her towards the back fence. The changeling leaped onto the slim surface and jumped over his tall body, slicing his arm with her sword, his scream piercing the quiet night.

"Draal!" Liz cries out in worry. Nomura began swinging randomly, Draal's arms shielding him from the onslaught. Sick and tired of not ending the fight, Draal grabbed each sword, pulling them apart to reveal Nomura's shocked face. Roaring in anger, he swings her body to each side, her purple stone skin smacking against the hard surface of the dirt, before tossing her far from Jim's house and into the night.

"Impure." Draal spat in distaste before looking at a flabbergasted Jim. "You were right."

"So, you're not here to kill him?" Liz asked, eyes wide from what had just occurred before her. Draal shook his head. "Not kill. Protect."

Liz immediately relaxed at his response as Jim's eyes grew before his face dropped, the armor fading into the amulet as it fell from its hold onto the ground, rolling out from his reach. Draal picked up the fallen object and looked at the human standing in front of him, Jim watching with confusion as Draal held out the amulet.

"Take it." Draal looks away, not meeting Jim's stare. "Don't make it weird."

Liz held back a chuckle, recalling the words said once before as Jim smiled, gently grabbing the amulet as Draal entered the house. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I am." Draal answered from inside the house as Liz walked in with Jim, grasping the boy's shoulder in concern. Jim nods, reassuringly placing his hand over hers before looking back at the blue troll wandering inside his home.

"But, are you?" Draal asked as he inspected the house. "Your battles won't always be waged in arenas. You won't have time to prepare, study your opponent for weaknesses as you did me, and have the guardian to defend you at all times." He turns back to Jim in seriousness. "You are the Trollhunter. It is time to start being afraid."

Draal sighs, glances at Liz and shakes his head mournfully. "Since I cannot go back to Trollmarket, I will guard your home."

"I...I don't think my mother would be down with that." Jim walks to his mother, who was fast asleep on the dinner table, gently pulling off her glasses and setting them down nicely as Draal sniffed, finding a door that led to the basement and entering it. Liz stood by the basement door, watching Jim tending to his sleeping mother. She was relieved to see Barbara unharmed and unaware of what had occurred in her home. It would have been difficult to explain to another human, especially to a single mother of the one and only human Trollhunter.

After making sure his mother was alright, Jim follows Liz down to the basement, where Draal pulls out coal from the heater, tossing it into his mouth. "This is nice."

He pulled out more burning rocks and scattered them onto the floor. "Here I shall protect out and your fleshbag mother, Bar-bu-rah."

Liz shakes her head with a small smile as Jim shrugs. "Mmm...close enough."

"Your mother will awaken soon. I protect. I do not clean." Draal said, mentioning the mess upstairs.

"Right. Yep. I'll get right on that." Jim headed back up the stairs, grabbing a broom on his way as Liz followed behind him. "I'll help out too."

"Fleshbag..." Draal called, grabbing the attention of both teenagers, who pause midway up the stairs. The troll stepped closer by the stairway, his gaze focused on Jim. "Maybe you'll make a good Trollhunter after all when that time comes. I will be proud to fight by your side."

Jim smiled, setting a hand on the troll's spiked shoulder. "Thanks, Draal."

Liz grins at the scene, finally glad to see that all is well between the two.

No winning is better than gaining an unlikely partnership.

[End of Episode VI - Win Lose or Draal]

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the last part of Episode 6! If you are interested in reading more, click on the links provided below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#tales of arcadia fanfiction #tales of arcadia #trollhunter #trollhunters #fanfiction #tumblr #ao3 #guardian #tales of arcadia fanfic #jimlakejr #talesofargante

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talesofargante · 2 years

Text

The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 6: Part 3 - Rematch

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Words: 3.2k

Warning: none (if I miss any warnings please lmk)

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Liz Walker POV

Liz could only stare after Jim as he walked away.

"Promise, Lizzie."

His words echoed in her ears, a sense of deja vu washing over her. Those two words sound so familiar. She's heard of it before once but cannot remember when.

Standing perplexed, Liz looks down at the white envelope in her hand, curious about the words inside. Answers that may hold to her lost memories.

Running her finger across her name in Jim's handwriting, she then reluctantly pockets it inside the inner pocket of her denim jacket, reminding herself that she would rather wait for Jim to share it with her face to face. If Jim can make it through this match, that is. She shakes her head of the negative thought. No, he will. She believes in him.

Again, Vendel's voice boomed, disturbing her thoughts. "Draal, son of Kanjigar, son of Tarigar, Draal the Destroyer, come forth."

Looking back out between the teeth of the wooden gate, Liz watches a rolling form appear from the opposite entrance, spotlights catching him as he ends his rolling, flipping madly in the air, and lands after his incredible little stunt. He roars and laughs at the crowd, throwing up his hands as his people cheer. Liz shakes her head, rolling her eyes. Always a show-off, that one.

Walking over to the gang, she stops nearby Jim and AAARRRGGHH as the Krubera troll places a heavy hand on Jim's shoulder, none too gently, but Jim seems to appreciate it, grinning at his troll friend. Then, Blinky steps in. "It's time to put everything we've ever said to you to practice. With a little luck, he'll trip and fall. Now, tell me: rule one."

"Always be afraid," Jim answered.

"Rule two."

"Always finish a fight."

"Rule three?"

"About that. I was reading, when the Venerable Bedehilde fought the Hydrabeast, there were no gronk-nuks, but there was a weakness under its scales." Jim explained.

"You read the book?" Blinky asked quickly, a look of surprise spread across his face.

"So that got me thinking of looking into other weaknesses that trolls may have besides gronk-nuks. Plus, Liz helped me in understanding Draal's weaknesses last night." Jim turns to Liz, giving her an appreciative grin.

"He read the book. He read the book!" Blinky hugged Jim tightly before lifting him off the ground.

"Books tasty," AAARRRGGHH added.

Vendel once again resumes his announcement. "And now, Draal's combatant, James Lake Jr., son of...Ba-bu-rah. Come forth, human Trollhunter."

With a steady whir, the wooden gate receded, opening the entry into the arena. Jim took a deep breath and entered, ignoring the crowd's harsh booing sounds.

"Fight from your heart, Master Jim! It's strong, stronger than any rock!" Blinky shouted to Jim, hoping that it would reach him. Suddenly, the wooden gate slammed closed, separating them away from Jim. Blinky then began to whisper to himself. "And certainly, stronger than mine."

Liz glances at Blinky sadly before turning her eyes toward the arena.

"Prepare for battle," Vendel announced. Draal smashed his fists into the ground, letting out a loud roar. Saying the incantation, Jim held up the amulet, activating his armor and sword appearing in his hand.

"Here we go. I am doing this." Jim said to himself, taking a fighting stance.

"Begin!" Vendel shouted at last as the crowd cheered with renewed vigor.

Jim Lake Jr. POV

Suddenly, the floor let out a rumble before it lifted, startling Jim. Blood rushing through his ears, he watched the platform lift higher than the crowd and glanced below, noticing no barriers to stop him from falling off. Then, he felt the gears roughly stop, stilling the platform beneath him. A mere second later, the platform begins to split, dropping section by section. Jim let out a yelp as he ran to another, but before he could, the remaining section he had run for dropped as well.

Hearing a yell, Jim looks up in time to see Draal charging at him from the air. With panic running through his veins, Jim jumps onto the closest platform below him. He landed with a groan, but upon hearing Draal's growls, he quickly gathered himself before rolling to the side as Draal's fists that were meant for him cracked the ground instead. Before Jim could do anything, Draal grabbed his leg, throwing him in a circle as he screamed before letting him fly into a wall. The wall cracked on impact, and he fell.

Landing on the ground, Jim stumbles on his feet until he finds himself at the edge of a platform, swinging his arms for balance to keep himself from dropping down into nothing but gears and possible death. Catching his breath, Jim turned his blue eyes to see Draal posing for the crowd, but as soon as they made eye contact, Draal jumped and rolled down the arena wall. Jim barely misses him as the troll rolls past, but it isn't over as Draal does a lap around the arena.

With only a few seconds to spare, Jim remembered Liz teaching him a particular move.

Standing a few feet away from Liz, Jim feels her eyes on him as a huge round boulder comes towards him. Once the boulder reaches a certain distance, Liz cues him. "Do it now!"

Jim threw his sword at the boulder as if throwing a baseball. The sword landed on the ground, and as soon as the boulder impacted the metal blade, a bright flash of blue light appeared, causing Liz and Jim to turn away before looking back to see the boulder stop in its tracks. Jaw-dropping, Jim raised his arms in the air and shouted with glee. "Woohoo! Did you see that?!"

"Sure did! Great job, Jim! You got a good swing." Liz grinned at the Trollhunter. "Bet you didn't know that you could toss your blade at your opponent, huh? And the best part is –"

Jim summoned the Sword of Daylight back into his hand with a smile. " – I can always summon it back!"

Instinctively, Jim tosses his sword in the path of Draal, the metal embedding into the rock, stopping Draal's "twist of doom" - as Liz would call it. The blue light and smoke filled the area as Draal hit it, causing Jim to flinch back just in case. Blinking a couple of times, Draal looked down at the sword, stunned, the audience gasping at what occurred. The sword appeared back within Jim's hand as a confident smile spread across his face.

He got this.

Liz Walker POV

Liz smiled proudly at what she saw. He did it!

"I never taught him that," Blinky said in complete confusion. Then, he glances at Liz. "Did you?"

Liz merely shrugs, but the beaming smile she had said it for her as Toby shouted happily. "He's a natural!"

She could only nod in agreement as she continued to watch the match. Earlier, Liz was worried for Jim despite their last-minute training. In fact, she felt as if her heart was lodged in her throat when Jim swung off the platform above and almost fell to his death below, but after seeing Jim toss his sword, she felt her worries start to wane. He got this. He got this.

Silently repeating the words to herself, Liz watched Jim swinging his sword, now ready to finally put his fighting skills to use. Again, he chucked his sword at the now angry Draal, but this time, the large blue troll easily blocked it with his arm, the blade disintegrating from the pierced ground. Liz winced. Or maybe not.

She tightens her grip on the wooden gate as she watches Jim make a run for it as Draal roars before beginning to roll once more.

"Ten whole seconds. He's not dead! That's a fortuitous sign." Blinky said optimistically. Liz could only wince as Jim ran past them, screaming bloody murder as Draal chases after him.

"Don't jinx," AAARRRGGHH said as Liz instinctively tapped on the wooden gate. "Knock on wood."

Collectively, the other three repeated her action and continued watching the match. Jim ran as Draal rolled on the wall, moving ahead of him. The troll stopped his roll, running at the Trollhunter with a raised fist as he jumped in the air, Jim protecting his head with his arms. Feeling her heart stop in her chest, she painfully watches Draal's fist collide with Jim, pushing the boy to the ground as blue smoke pours from his armor, covering his body like a barrier. The crowd cheered as Vendel watched with utter shock while Blinky and AAARRRGGHH cringed at the sight.

"Jim!" Toby called out from beside Liz, his eyes wide with shock.

"Look away! We will not remember him like this." Blinky covered his eyes, AAARRRGGHH already covering his own and Toby's. Not wanting to look away like the rest, Liz chooses to lean forward between the wooden gates, grasping her pendant as she silently prays for Jim, her eyes watchful on the scene in front of her.

Jim Lake Jr. POV

The blue orbit dissipated as Jim lay helplessly on the cracked pavement until Draal took hold of his leg once again and tossed him into the air. He punched Jim in the stomach, the force pushing Jim higher into the air before falling back down to Draal. Another fist sent Jim twisting through the air and landing painfully on the higher platform, making him grunt. Laughing, Draal caught a ride on one as Jim stood shakily, holding his pained stomach as each platform flipped. Jim screamed as his platform was the last to flip, tightly holding onto the ledge. Draal gave another fist to the air, drawing cheers from the crowd, and smugly headed to Jim, who tried to pull himself up but grew weaker, his muscles burning.

Draal laughed before stepping onto his fingers, causing Jim to fall with a scream. Jim slides down the side of the platform, flipping his body mid-way, and lands on his stomach, his breath taken from him.

Jim couldn't even push himself up. Glancing under the arm holding him up, he notices the arena shifting back to its original state. Hearing Draal's laugh behind him, Jim senses the troll's approach and raises his head with a glare as he looks back and twists his body. "Rule number three."

Jim sent his foot towards Draal's private area, causing the larger troll to groan in pain as he screams, the crowd gasping and wincing at the familiar feeling. As Draal dropped to the floor in pain, Jim used the opportunity to sneak behind the large blue troll as he remembered Liz's words. "If things get out of hand, just kick him in the gronk-nuks and get behind him."

Holding his stomach, Jim watches Draal twist and turn in search of him as he limps quickly to stay behind him. Jim backs up, still maintaining to stay behind the vast body. Draal yelled in frustration, a creaking noise alerting Jim to find a large ax appearing from a slit in the wall, swinging forward then back into its hiding spot. Then Liz's voice echoes in his mind. "Now that we know Draal's strengths and weaknesses, it's time that you learn how to use them and your surroundings to your advantage. After all, this training ground is where you'll be fighting tomorrow."

Use your surroundings to your advantage—the swinging ax!

"You cannot be the Trollhunter! You're a boy! I am the son of Kanjigar!" Draal shouted as Jim managed to limp over to the opening, leaning his arm onto the wall for support before finally speaking and coming out of hiding. "And I am Jim, son of Barbara. And the amulet chose me!"

Draal roared in fury. Closing his eyes, Jim waits for the familiar releasing noise. Once the sound met Jim's ears, his eyes pops open and he dodges the large ax at the last minute. Draal's eyes grew in size as the gigantic blade knocked him off his feet, his body thrown up in the air, then fell over the edge of the arena, inciting a collective gasp from the crowd.

Grimacing in pain, Jim pulls himself up from the ground and stumbles his way across the arena towards the edge, where he watches Draal grunt, unable to pull himself up as he hangs over the abyss, his fingers gripping onto the ledge. Jim can hear the crowd chanting above and around him. "Finish the fight! Finish the fight!"

An unpleasant feeling settles over Jim as those words echo in his ears. Suddenly, as if sensing the inevitable, the Sword of Daylight manifested into his hand. Jim stares at the blade as he raises it, then points it at Draal, his face being overrun by many emotions as multiple voices echo in his mind.

"Rule number two: Always finish the fight. An opponent must be given no mercy."

"The Trollhunter must always vanquish his opponent through death."

"This fight – the match between Draal and me – only one of us can live. To survive, I would have to – I don't want to – you know."

"If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to finish a fight, just remember that true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

"It is said that a true hero is measured not by the size of his strength but by the strength of his heart. That is why you were chosen, Trollhunter. Not because of your strength, but because of your heart, Jim. That is the difference between you and Draal. That is your key to winning."

Raising his sword to strike, Jim yelled and brought the blade down. The crowd gasped aloud but was stunned to find the sword hadn't struck Draal at all but the ground instead. Crouching closer towards the edge with one hand on the pommel, Jim held out his hand to the troll hanging below.

"The fight is to the death," Draal exhales. Jim shakes his head. "House rules, not mine."

Then, Jim offers a smile, repeating words said to him once before. "Come on, man. Don't make it weird."

Draal used his free hand to grab onto Jim's, the armor giving him the strength to pull Draal up as the crowd booed at the action. Jim looks onward at the crowd when he hears Draal mumble. "You should have killed me."

Glancing over his shoulder at Draal, Jim replies. "If I did, it would have upset Liz. She wants us both to live."

Then, he walked off to the center of the arena to address the crowd, looking down at him. "Look, I may not have followed your rules, but neither did the amulet when it chose me."

More booing continued among the trolls as Jim kept speaking. "Right now, over our heads, changelings are in Arcadia."

The crowd gasps as Vendel leans forward, his face in a deep frown. "What is he talking about?"

"You'll need a Trollhunter who doesn't have to live in the shadows. This is a time to work together. They're building the Killahead –" Suddenly, a heavy hand drags Jim down, interrupting him. Looking up, it was Blinky. "Stop! Say no more! We must leave this instant!"

The troll then pulled him from the crowd's view as the trolls booed. The rest of the gang was walking ahead through the narrow cliff-like pathway.

"They have a right to know," Jim said with a frown.

"And you have a right to listen!" Blinky scolded. Liz slows down from ahead of them to walk in step beside Jim. "They are an ancient race, Jim. It will take time to win hearts and minds."

Jim turned to find them throwing random items and garbage at Draal, who exited through the wooden gate, mostly in sadness and defeat. "Why are they treating him that way?"

Expecting an answer, he glances at Liz but notices her gazing sympathetically at Draal. From behind them, Blinky replies. "You spared his life but destroyed his honor. He will never be able to show his face in Trollmarket again."

Jim glances back sadly at Draal once more when a hand settles on his shoulder, the touch sending a light wave of comforting warmth through his body. For a split moment, he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Turning his head, he notices Liz smiling next to him. "Congrats on your win, Trollhunter. You handled yourself well out there."

"Thanks to you. And Blinky, of course." Jim grinned. She chuckled. "How modest of you."

They continued walking after the others. Once they completely exited the Hero's Forge, Toby jumps happily and tackles Jim into a hug, laughing in joy. "Oh, praise! You're alive!"

"And–" Jim was about to say he was sore when he realized that he felt no pain. How is that possible? He felt as if he had been run over by a bus earlier, but now he feels normal. That's weird. Must be the magic from the armor or something. "Ease up, Tobes. You're crushing my organs."

"Just one more minute," Toby added, but then a voice pulled them from their happy moment, calling out to them as the five turned around to see Vendel standing in the tunnel. "AAARRRGGHH, Blinky... a word. Even you, Elizabeth."

"Good fight." AAARRRGGHH patted Jim's head as he left, Blinky saying a few words as well as he walked away. "Yes! Very good fight, Master Jim. I'll handle Vendel. You get home and rest. Tomorrow, we shall join you for these...What do you call them? Ah, yes, "tacos."

Before following after the two trolls, Liz pulls out the enclosed white envelope from her inner jacket pocket and places it in Jim's hand. "You can have this back, Jim. Anything that you wanted to say, I would rather hear it directly from you."

Before Jim could say anything, Liz continues. "Anyways, I'll see if I can convince Vendel about the changeling and Killahead bridge. See you guys later."

Waving her hand, Liz jogs after the other two trolls, leaving behind Jim and Toby staring after her.

"I guess only one of you read their letters," Jim mumbles to himself, staring down at the envelope in his hand. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

"When I read I was your best friend, it took our relationship to just a whole new level." Toby sighs with contentment, releasing an arm around Jim and resting against his tall friend. Jim smiled down at his best friend but couldn't help but keep glancing at the unopened letter in his left hand. "Wish it did the same with Liz, though."

The redhead perked up at that. "What do you mean, buddy?"

"It's nothing," Jim quickly responds, sliding the envelope into his jacket pocket, but Toby didn't miss a thing. "Doesn't sound like 'nothing' to me. Come on, Jimbo, I'm your best friend. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Of course, Tobes. It's just — it's a long story," Jim sighs. Quick to understand, Toby nodded, patting Jim on the shoulder.

"Well, we skipped school today, so we got plenty of time. Come on, let's go to my place."

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the third part of Episode 6! If you are interested in reading more, click on the links provided below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#tales of argante #tales of arcadia #trollhunter #trollhunters #fanfiction #tumblr #ao3 #guardian #tales of arcadia fanfic #jimlakejr #talesofargante

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The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 6: Part 2 - The Letter

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Words: 2.5k

Warning: none (if I miss any warnings please lmk)

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Liz Walker POV

While training Jim, Liz asked AAARRRGGHH to send Toby home for the night as it was getting late. Toby was reluctant at first, but in the end, he gave in, trusting Liz that she would escort Jim home safely while believing it to be a good time for quality bonding between the two. Unaware of Toby's wiggling eyebrows at Jim as he left with AAARRRGGHH behind her, Liz assures Jim that his best friend would be fine before resuming the rest of their training.

Another hour of training passed with Jim lying on the floor, gasping for breath as the mechanical obstacles receded to the walls and floor of the arena. Liz walked towards Jim's exhausted figure until she stood next to his head, looking down at him. "You okay there, Jim?"

Busy catching his breath, Jim could only offer a nod as his armor and sword evaporated from his form. Seeing that Jim needed a moment to collect himself, Liz sat down beside him. "You did well."

"Thanks," Jim mutters a reply. He was silent for a bit afterward until he spoke again. "I thought I was going to have to figure out how to fight Draal all on my own tomorrow, but I feel better now that I'm prepared."

"Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst," Liz recited by memory, remembering Kanjigar's words from long ago, but in the corner of her eye, she notices Jim frowning to himself, and she knew what he was thinking. The worst possible outcome: death. Hoping to ease his mind, Liz explains. "Don't focus too much on the worst outcome. It would only worsen your fear. Yes, fear heightens the senses and keeps you alive, but it could also keep you from reaching your full potential as the Trollhunter. To become a true Trollhunter, one must also learn to face their fear and rise above it. In every fight you come across, remember this: always be afraid, but be strong and have courage in the face of fear. It's what the last Trollhunter used to say."

Upon hearing her last words, Jim instantly thought of Draal being the son of his late predecessor and sat up with a frown. "This fight – the match between Draal and me – only one of us can live. To survive, I would have to – I don't want to – you know."

"I understand," Liz said, her brows furrowing at the thought of either Jim or Draal meeting their end by each others' hands. She knew Draal would be more than glad to finish the fight. As for Jim, his human morals may be their best chance in keeping both himself and Draal alive to the end, but she could only pray that Jim would have the upper hand to make it work. Hopefully, her last-minute training session will help tip the scales in Jim's favor. "All I can say is that if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to finish a fight, just remember that true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

As Jim absorbed her words, Liz glanced down at her watch, noticing the time. "We should go before It gets too late. You're going to need all the sleep you can get."

Standing up, she pats away the dust from her denim pants, then offers a hand to Jim. "Wouldn't want you falling asleep on your feet during the match, now do we?"

"If I did, I'd probably upset Draal even more." Jim chuckled, grabbing onto her hand. As soon as Liz pulls him up from the dusty ground with a heave, Jim stumbles forward. Quickly, she steadies him, their arms locked on one another as they stand to their full height, only to look up at each other and notice their faces inches apart. Instantly, they let go of each other, stepping back to put some distance between them.

Ignoring the flutter in her belly at the closeness, Liz remains calm and speaks up. "Alright there, champ?"

"Y-Yeah," Jim replies, rubbing the back of his flushed pink neck, chuckling nervously. "Guess you make me weak on the knees."

Liz quirks a brow at that, but a smirk spreads across her lips. "Oh? Is that so?"

Realizing what he said, Jim blushes harder and immediately waves his hands in panic. "No, no. That came out wrong. Sorry, that was – What I meant to say – "

Liz holds up a hand, making Jim pause mid-sentence.

"Say no more. It's been a long night for us and you must be tired, so let's get you home," Liz said before turning around and walking away, leaving Jim flustered than ever. Shaking his head, Jim slaps his cheeks with his palm and jogs after her. "Uh, hey! Wait up!"

Unbeknownst to Jim, Liz, too, was just as flustered as he was.

***

They were silent throughout the entire way to the Lake House until Liz decided to stop her motorbike from going further at the edge of the court road, where the residence stood. "I think this is far as I go. Don't want Barbara noticing me here late at night when I should be at home."

Pausing his bike beside her, Jim leans his foot on the ground as he glances at the brunette. "That's fine, Liz. Um, thanks again for training me tonight and getting me home safe. Though, I wish I were the one to see you home safely instead."

"No problem, Jim. Once you get your training completed, I'll let you take me home anytime." Liz said with a wink, shrugging afterward. "It would save me some gas."

Jim doesn't know whether to laugh or blush, but Liz doesn't notice as she turns her motorbike around to head back. Before she decides to speed off into the night, Liz looks over her shoulder at Jim. "If you happen to have free time, take a look at the Brief Recap book Blinky assigned to you. I know it's quite long, but it will help you in the future, no doubt. And if there's anything in there that you cannot read, use your amulet. Oh, and one more thing...." Liz revved her engine. "We forgot our rehearsal with Ms. Janeth tonight, so be ready to face her wrath when we return to school."

Instantly, Jim's face turned pale, making Liz chuckle.

"Get some sleep, Romeo. I'll see you in the morning."

Jim Lake Jr. POV

After sneaking back into his room, Jim plopped down onto his bed, his eyes gazing towards the ceiling. In his mind, he processes everything from the moment he and his best friend broke into the museum to last-minute training with Liz. Too many things have happened tonight. At first, he had Bular and his match with Draal to worry about. But after tonight, it seems there are more significant problems to deal with: the Killahead Bridge, the changeling, and the possibility of more of them walking among them. He needs to show Blinky proof that what he and his friends claimed is true. If he survives the match first, that is. Jim exhales a long, shaky breath. Guess he better start writing his farewells just in case...

As Jim sat up from bed, muscle aches coursed through his body, making him groan in pain. Slowly, he moves his right arm around, hoping to relieve some tension from his back and shoulders as it reminded him of his last-minute training session. Remembering Liz's words, he felt his anxiety over the match with Draal dim. If it were not for her, he would have been utterly restless by now, and perhaps...maybe, just maybe, he can survive through this.

Then, he also remembers his close proximity with Liz, making Jim flush in embarrassment. Why is he reacting this way? He only met her a few weeks ago, but it feels like he knew her forever. Maybe his past feelings for his lost childhood friend are getting to him. He rapidly shakes his head. No way. I can't do this to Liz. She does not even remember her past or him.

Jim moves over to one side of the bed, his gaze wandering across his bedroom until it zeroed in on a picture frame displayed on his bookshelf. Getting up from the bed, he makes his way toward it. Looking at it closely, he notices the layer of dust disturbed on its glass surface as though someone had picked it up recently. Maybe it was his mom.

Carefully, Jim removes the frame from the shelf, wiping the entire surface to reveal the picture underneath, and his mouth turns into a soft smile. He remembered how this picture was taken. It was the last picture taken of them together before – his smile droops slightly – his father left, and Lizzie and her parents went on their weekend picnic trip, never to be seen again. But now, Lizzie - Liz, he corrected himself - has returned, but she doesn't remember the past.

Jim releases a sad sigh, placing the picture frame back in its original spot. He stood there, staring at the picture for a silent moment, his hands gradually clenched against his sides as a thought came to mind. He should tell her. It's the least he could do. After all, he did promise to help recover her memories.

Then, with a small nod, he heads over to his desk and begins to write his letters.

***

Morning finally came as indistinct voices echo across the Hero's Forge as trolls gather into the arena, their heavy footsteps trembling the ground as they make their way to the enclosed balconies.

Gazing at the crowd from behind a wooden gate, Jim mindlessly fidgets his hands. Hearing the crinkle of paper, he looks down and notices the envelope wrinkled in his hands. Attempting to straighten it, he glances at the name labeled on the front and looks up at its owner a few feet away from him as she stands with arms crossed over her chest, her eyes staring out at the crowd.

Taking a deep breath to calm the nerves, Jim pockets the letter and walks over to Liz. Noticing his approach, she relaxes her arms against her sides and smiles. "Are you ready, Jim?"

Stopping beside her, he shrugs but offers a smile of his own. "Ready as I'll ever be."

She nods. "Just remember everything Blink and I taught you and apply them when you're out there. Draal may have the most fighting experience, but there are some things he lacks."

"Like the amulet?" Jim answered with a small grin. Liz chuckles, rolling her eyes playfully. "Obviously, Trollhunter. What else?"

"Patience? Humility? His sense of—" Jim began listing. Raising a hand, Liz stops him. "Okay, I'll stop you there. Those are correct, but there's one thing that is most important."

"And what is that?" Jim asked her. Then to his surprise, Liz steps closer to him. His breath caught in his throat when she hovers a hand over his chest, where his fast-beating heart lies beneath undetected as she finally answers. "A human heart."

"A...human...heart?" Jim repeated breathlessly. Liz nods, withdrawing her hand from over his chest as Jim suddenly finds himself breathing again.

"Yeah. It is said that a true hero is measured by not the size of his strength but by the strength of his heart. That is why you were chosen, Trollhunter. Not because of your strength, but because of your heart, Jim. That is the difference between you and Draal. That is your key to winning."

Strength of the heart. Jim repeated to himself, absorbing her words. So it wasn't a coincidence. He wasn't chosen because he was there at the right place and time. He was chosen because he has what it takes.

"Exactly." Liz's voice pops in, jarring him from his thoughts as he realizes he spoke them aloud.

"I'm glad to hear that." Jim rubs the back of his flushed neck. "I've been thinking whether or not I have what it takes to win – to be a Trollhunter."

"You do have it. You just have to see it in yourself, as I see in you." A faint blush crosses over her cheeks a second later before she corrects herself, gesturing to the gang behind them, who are busy talking amongst themselves. "I mean as we see in you."

Jim smiles at her flushed reaction, taking solace in her words. "I think I just might."

Liz's turquoise eyes fell from his gaze, hiding behind long dark lashes when something caught her eyes. "What's that?"

He looks down and notices a white corner of an envelope sticking out from his jacket pocket. Taking it out, he straightens out the wrinkles before handing the letter to Liz. "This is for you."

Liz analyzes her name written across the envelope before looking up at Jim. "What is this for?"

"It says everything I want to say and — remember when I said that I would help you recover your memories?" Jim asked. Liz nodded slowly, a look of confusion settling across her beautiful face. He sighs, continuing. "The answers. It's all in there."

Liz blinks, seemingly trying to process his words. "I-I don't understand. The answers? To my memories? How would you –"

"I know it sounds confusing, but just in case I don't make it, at least I wrote what I know," Jim responds, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What you know...." Liz repeated nonchalantly. Jim waited, observing her, feeling the wheels turning in her head as he wondered what could be going through her mind. Did she realize that perhaps he knew her in the past? Does she find him familiar somehow? Is she upset with him for not saying anything to her until now?

"Liz, I – " Jim began.

"Gathered trollkind!" Boomed Vendel from the enclosed balcony above, interrupting him. "The Trollhunter has laid a challenge before the son of his predecessor, and you shall bear witness to the ensuing battle, which will be one for the ages."

The audience applauds loudly across the Hero's Forge, the battle soon in their midst. Jim shudders slightly, then takes a small step backward. "I-I gotta go. I need to give something to Toby."

Before Jim could entirely turn around, he felt a hand grasp onto his wrist, making him pause. Confused, he glances back at Liz, who looks up at him with a determined gaze. "You promised me you'll help me with my memories, and since you said you have the answers, then I'd rather hear it from you personally."

"But Liz, what if I – " Jim started, but Liz raised a hand to stop him. "I believe in you, Jim. You can do this. Just promise me that when you're out there, you will believe in yourself and fight with your heart, okay? Promise, Jim?"

A little girl's voice echoes in his mind. "Promise, Jimmy?"

Not wanting to let her down, Jim nodded with a small smile.

"Promise, Lizzie."

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the second part of Episode 6! If you are interested in reading more, click on the links provided below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#tales of argante #tales of arcadia #trollhunter #trollhunters #fanfiction #tumblr #ao3 #guardian #tales of arcadia fanfic #jimlakejr #talesofargante #my oc story

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Wulgaria ‘Elven Ocean’ Collection [x][x]

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Stars… must put stars in all the things ⭐🌟✨

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Sword Illustrations by Ma-Ko (2018-21)

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The Guardian of Trollhunters Episode 6: Part 1 - Trouble Brewing

Pairing: Jim Lake Jr. x Liz Walker (OFC)

Words: 3.3k

Warning: mentions of death (if I miss any warnings please lmk)

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Liz Walker POV

Inside Barbara's car, Liz casually rests against the back seat, her eyes closed and arms crossed over her chest, tuning out the blaring sirens to listen to the conversation between Barbara and Strickler from outside in front of the police station.

"I can't thank you enough for coming to the station. They are so lucky she didn't press any charges." Barbara said in gratitude.

"Ms. Nomura is a personal friend. She agrees with me that this was nothing more than a reckless youth run amok." Strickler replied.

Before she could hear more, Liz felt a slight movement beside her. She opens her eyes to see Toby perked up from his seat, leaning forward to peer through the front windows.

"I mean, who else do you think is hiding an evil troll face? Coach Lawrence? Steve?" Toby let out a small gasp. "What if Strickler's one of them?"

"Strickler's been teaching history at Arcadia Oaks High since the dawn of history. If he's one, I'm one." Jim replied in earnest. However, Liz wasn't convinced as she turned her sight onto Jim through the side-view mirror. She saw Jim catch the suspicious eyes of Toby, watching Mr. Strickler with an untrustful look. Jim scoffed, rolled his eyes, and pushed Toby back, grabbing the phone and finding the picture that Toby had taken of the bridge, yet the symbols were barely visible as the image was blurry with flares of light.

"I know where I've seen this bridge. It's the same one that Blinky was talking about." Jim recalls.

"What? The Killa-thingy Bridge? That's, like, ancient history, right?" Toby questions, prompting Liz to speak up. "You mean the Killahead Bridge used during the Battle of Killahead Bridge as a portal to exile Gunmar and his army to the Darklands."

Toby glances at Liz. "Yeah, that one."

"They're trying to break Gunmar out," said Jim in dreadful realization, turning his head to look Toby and Liz in the eyes. "This is bad, guys. Like, "Goodbye, Arcadia" bad. As soon as we get home, we're going to Blinky."

Suddenly, the driver's side car door was pulled open with Barbara's voice startling the boys back into their seats in panic. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble, Mr. Strickler."

Jim quickly handed Toby's phone back, hiding his hands as his face had held many emotions. Strickler appeared in the passenger window, startling Jim as he spoke suddenly. "Please, "Walter." I'm sorry we had to meet under this unfortunate circumstance."

"There must be some way I can repay you. Coffee? Dinner? Appendix removal?" Barbara suggests, making the boys' eyebrows raise in shock as Liz struggles to hide her chuckle.

"I-Coffee would be a delight. And a rain check on the appendectomy." Strickler simply replied.

"Looking forward to it, Walter," Barbara said, making Liz want to cringe at that point. Though she found it amusing at first, she did not want to stick around and listen to it any further, wishing to be somewhere else.

Glancing at Jim, Mr. Strickler warns his student. "Watch yourself, Young Atlas. Next time, the consequences could be more severe."

With that being said, Strickler left as Jim turned to look at his mom. "Did you actually just ask my teacher out on a date?"

As soon as Jim asked that, everyone flinched back at Barbara's raised tone of voice. "Don't you make this about me. You guys broke into a museum!" Then, Barbara picks up a Chubby Tracker, continuing her scoldings. "And for this? You are grounded until you apologize to that woman."

Dropping the tracker, Barbara started the car while Jim let out a large exhale before his mother pointed her finger at him again. "You got me?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Yes, Dr. Lake."

"Yes, ma'am."

All three teenagers mumbled in reply. Turning on the ignition, Barbara turns her head to Liz. "Where do you live, Liz?"

***

Right after getting dropped off at the main entrance of her apartment, Liz waited until Barbara's car turned from the street out of sight before walking to her motorbike parked a few lots away.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Taking it out, a picture of herself and Claire with poorly attempted Leia buns appeared on the screen, calling her. Instant realization crossed her mind. The rehearsal! I completely forgot!

Tapping the green button, Liz brings the phone to her ear. She faked a cough as she answered. "Hello?"

"Liz! Where are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago. I got called by Ms. Janeth to practice in your stead as an understudy." Claire said.

Again, Liz faked another cough, trying to make her voice sound hoarse. "Sorry, Claire. I wasn't feeling so good after work that I went straight home and was knocked out. I think I caught my coworker's cold."

Claire gasps. "That's terrible, Liz! Don't worry. I'll let Ms. Janeth know and practice in your stead until you get better."

"Thank you, Claire. I owe you one." Liz replied in gratitude.

"No problem. Get some rest and call me if you need anything." Claire replied. After exchanging goodnights with one another, Liz hangs up and pockets her phone away.

Hopping onto her motorbike, she speeds out into the night, the engine roaring behind her like a pack of demons giving chase as it echoes her turbulent thoughts of her now chaotic mind.

How did these troll shapeshifters and goblins escape from the Darklands? Could there be a loophole somewhere? How long have they been walking amongst humans without anyone's knowledge? Who else could be a troll shapeshifter in disguise - besides the museum curator - in this small human town? And what is her connection between herself and the legendary Killahead Bridge?

***

Liz's thoughts continued to consume her mind by the time she reached Trollmarket alongside Jim and Toby, only to calm when she entered the pub gradually. Inside, Blinky and AAAARRGGHH sat at their usual table, drinking and chatting until they took notice of their human friends.

"Aha! There you three are! We've been waiting for hours," Blinky calls them out, waving the trio over to the table. The three teenagers each took a seat, their unsettled expressions drawing Blinky's full attention. "Hmm. Judging by your faces, something has happened."

Liz nods. "Jim and Toby found the goblin's den at the museum, but there's more. Last night, while all of you were investigating the goblin in the neighborhood, I went to the museum--"

"Whoa! Hold up. Are you telling me that you broke into a museum? Not just once, but twice?" Toby interrupts, flabbergasted. Liz groans, not entirely understanding why everyone is making a big deal of breaking and entering - despite her history of doing so more times than she could count - when there are worse things to worry about. "Yes, I did though I wouldn't call it breaking in. It's more like sneaking in, and I don't see how that matters now since we all did it. May I continue, please?"

"Uh...yeah," Toby said as Liz sighed. "Thank you. As I was saying, I went to the museum that night because, during our school field trip there, I felt traces of magic."

All of Blinky's widened, but thankfully he did not interrupt, listening intently.

"Come to find out, it was the Killahead Bridge that was emanating magic. It felt like I was led to it like I was meant to find it." Liz continued, unaware of the glances exchanged between Blinky and AAARRRGGHH. "Then, Nomura - the museum curator - appeared. I assumed that she was some unlucky human threatened to help Bular in rebuilding the bridge, but I was wrong after witnessing her transformation into a troll."

Blinky's and AAARRRGGHH's mouths drop open at her words.

"So you knew?" Jim interrupted this time, Liz's gaze turning towards him. "You knew about the bridge and that troll. Why didn't you say anything to us before we went into the museum?"

"Because no one would believe me unless I had proof, but I was on the verge of getting caught by that shapeshifter, so I escaped before I could gather any, and besides, I didn't think you and Toby would trace the goblin's den to the museum. If I had known, I would have stopped you both from going in, but I was too late."

"Hey, at least we made it out alive. And speaking of proof, you're in luck, my friend, because I do happen to have it in my very hands," Toby said as he pulled out his phone from his pocket, waving it in the air. "Behold! The evidence that proves the existence of the magic bridge!"

Toby brings up the image into full screen and hands it to Blinky. "Are you certain? Are you unquestionably, unequivocally..."

"I'm certain," Jim said affirmatively.

"Could be anything," AAARRRGGHH said before Blinky spoke up again, his eyes squinting at the blurry image of a glowing, half-completed bridge. "I concur."

"Tobias' photographic skills are less than exemplary," Blinky commented, making Toby's eyes roll. "Okay, it's a little blurry! You try taking a picture while hauling butt, mister!"

"Okay, well, what about the curator? How could a person just change like that?" Jim quietly asked as Blinky waved over a waiter, grabbing a drink off the tray as AAARRRGGHH communicated in troll language. "Could it be a Changeling they are referring to?"

Liz perks up at the familiar term as Blinky responds in troll language. "I fear as much, but perhaps, they may be wrong."

"It is a Changeling! I know what I saw. It may be my first time seeing one, but there's no mistaking it." Liz argued in troll language, making the trolls blink in surprise, forgetting for a moment that she can also understand and speak their native language.

"What? What is it?" Jim asked curiously, his eyes switching between the three, lingering on Liz the most.

"Changeling," AAARRRGGHH said simply, and perhaps a little too loud for comfort, making Blinky's eyes widen with shock, spitting out all the liquid that he hadn't swallowed as gasps filled the pub. With a quick movement, Blinky tried his best to cover AAARRRGGHH's mouth with only one of his hands. Every troll that had been relaxing in the bar turned to the table that had spoken that name. In response, Blinky let out a nervous chuckle and patted the smooth stone of AAARRRGGHH'S face, gesturing that his friend must have been drunk as the trolls turned around and conversed like usual.

"Not helping," Blinky scolded. AAARRRGGHH apologized. "Sorry."

Liz, Jim, and Toby leaned in closer, Blinky's voice dropping as he cupped his mouth with his hand, hiding the conversation from others. "Changelings haven't been talked about in quite some time."

While listening, Liz notices a troll, recognizing him as he stops behind them, eavesdropping. "Do you mind, Schmidt?"

"Whatever," said the eavesdropping troll, rolling his eyes as he moved away. Blinky started again. "In the Old World, Gumm-Gumms..."

The same troll stopped on the other side, peeking behind AAARRRGGHH, yet no one had missed his hulking figure. This time, Blinky threw him a threatening glare. Again, Schmidt rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Finally, after Schmidt leaves them to their little secret, Blinky continues. "...Stole our young and did something unnatural to change them. Their sole purpose...."

"To spy on the world above," Liz concluded.

Toby was intrigued. "What did they do to them?"

"Nasty business. Very messy." AAARRRGGHH replied, shaking his head, disturbed at thought.

Blinky waved Liz and Jim over, knocking a cup off in the process but caught it with his other hand and set it back on the table before leading the two protectors away. The three passed by as trolls played darts, using gnomes.

"These are the very reasons I doubt your certainty. I don't question you saw a bridge, but Killahead? It would take years to collect all of the stones. Decades, even. You would need an army of changelings." Blinky said in concern.

"I know what I saw," Jim said with certainty. "But if you can't take my word for it, then at least take Liz's. She knows about this kind of stuff more than I ever will."

Liz nods as they climb a set of stairs. "I understand that you are careful, Blink. But I swear that what we saw is real. I don't know why I was drawn to the bridge or made it glow, but I know for certain that it's Killahead."

Surprise flickered over Blinky's face. "You made it glow?"

Liz raised an eyebrow, wondering what Blinky knew. "Yes, when I made contact with it. And not only that, while I was fighting off the changeling, she admitted that she was not working alone. They're out there walking amongst us for who knows how long, and there is no doubt in my mind that they are close to finishing what they started."

Pausing at the landing, Blinky glances between Liz and Jim. "These are serious accusations, Master Jim, Lady Liza. Without proof, absolute bedlam will ensue."

Blinky continues ahead of the two protectors as Toby pops around the corner behind them. "Well, we have to tell someone. This is our city, too."

"Who? Our court-appointed psychiatrist? They're never going to believe us." Jim added, looking a bit defeated. Before Liz could say anything, a giant blue troll blocked their path. It was Draal, smiling with excitement as he stared down at his opponent. "Well, if it isn't the piece of flesh I'll pound into pancakes tomorrow. I look forward to your pain, and I'll drink to your death."

Jim's face turns pale, turning around to look at Blinky and Liz. "Death? What is he talking about? I thought this was only a rematch."

The cat is out of the bag. Liz thought to herself as she sighed. "To challenge a troll's honor can only end in ruin."

"It's all right there in chapter three of A Brief Recap – " Blinky stated before a disappointing realization crossed his mind. "You still haven't read the book."

"Now, hold on. This fight, I don't know, maybe we can, um, postpone it?" Jim said, even though he hadn't much hope that he'd get a positive answer.

"Postpone, you say? What a trainer! Does everyone in your company forget how to fight?" Draal chuckled in mockery. As AAARRRGGHH growls in response, Liz steps forward, glaring at the troll. "It seems your memory is getting dull, Draal. Perhaps I need to sharpen it for you."

"I'd like to see you try, princess," Draal scoffed. A steely glint flashed in Liz's turquoise eyes upon hearing that nickname. She recalls the past when Draal used to call her that. Whether endearing or not, he knew that she dislikes it and would sometimes use it to either annoy or distract her during their duels. Throughout her training, she learned not to react and simply ignore it, keeping her head straight in a fight. However, that does not mean she would let her opponent go unscathed.

With a menacing grin, Liz takes another step forward and speaks in troll language. "That can be arranged, old-timer."

Draal's eyes widened at first, almost forgetting that Liz could speak his native language, but then his expression turned into a sneer. Noticing the tension and a potential storm brewing, Jim intervenes, stepping in between the two and placing a hand on Liz's shoulder as he looks up to Draal. "There are things that have been brought to our attention. Things that have serious implications."

Blinky panics. "No, no, no, Master Jim! Shh!"

"By Kanjigar's honor, I would have made your death swift and painless, but, for that act of cowardice, I will show you no mercy when I take back what's rightfully mine." Draal growls at Jim. "Bid farewell to your loved ones, Jim "the Dead Meat.""

With that, Draal grunts and walks away, leaving Jim to process the information as Liz and Toby give a comforting hand.

"I'm going to die tomorrow," Jim said as he and his best friend sighed in defeat. Liz nudges her arm against Jim, gaining his attention.

"You won't die tomorrow, Jim. You will live to see another sunrise. I'll make sure of it. Now come on, Trollhunter. You still have training left, and there are a few more things I need to teach you before the night is over."

***

At the Hero's Forge, the Trollhunter stood in the center of the arena, his armor donned and sword in hand. A few feet away from him, Liz walks around him in a circle, her hands clasped behind her back. Toby and AAARRRGGHH sat down on the sidelines as Toby rambled on how he fought with the goblin and got his Chubby Tracker back. Blinky was not with them at the moment, perhaps in his study, contemplating the disturbing news they brought.

Stopping in front of Jim, Liz glances down at her watch before looking up and setting her hands on her hips. "Alright, since we got less than 12 hours before your fight, I'm going to teach you a few things I've learned that will help you defeat someone like Draal."

"You fought Draal?" Jim asked with wide eyes. Liz nods. "Multiple times though never to the death. Only for training purposes." She shrugs. "And for fun."

"I don't see how any of this is fun," Jim grimaced. Liz smiles. "You'll enjoy it once you get the hang of things."

"Now, what did you notice about Draal during your spar with him," Liz asked as she paced around Jim in a circle.

"He's an arrogant jerk." Jim bluntly stated, making Liz crack with laughter. "That I agree, but I'm talking about strengths and weaknesses, Trollhunter."

"Oh, umm..." Jim thought to himself for a moment. "..he has brute strength and – can curl himself into a ball and roll around with his spikes on his back to defend himself against enemies."

"Good! So, what about his weaknesses?" Liz questioned.

"Hmm. I – can't think of one other than his arrogance." Jim answered. Liz nodded as she continued to walk around him. "Okay. You're right about his arrogance. It can cloud one's judgment during a fight and ultimately lead to defeat if not controlled. Again, as I mentioned before from your first training session, arrogance gets you killed. Besides that, Draal has another weakness. A common blind spot that most trolls have. Can you guess where it is?"

Jim's eyebrows scrunch together as he thinks carefully to himself. His gaze wanders around the arena, settling on his friends, chatting on the sidelines. Watching AAARRRGGHH nodding his head to Toby's words, Jim realized something he had never noticed before. "His back. He cannot look over his shoulders."

"Bingo," Liz said, startling Jim at the sound of her voice, seemingly closer to him than usual. He snaps his head to see Liz standing next to him with a beaming smile as she continues. "If things get out of hand, just kick him in the gronk-nuks and get behind him."

Jim blinks, feeling his face warming at her closeness. "R-Right. G-Good idea."

"Great!" Liz clapped her hands. "Now that we know Draal's strengths and weaknesses, it's time that you learn how to use them and your surroundings to your advantage. After all, this training ground is where you'll be fighting tomorrow."

Leaving Jim standing at the center, Liz walks to the edge of the arena and whistles loudly to Toby and AAARRRGGHH across from her, gaining their attention. "For your safety, I suggest you both step back a bit."

After complying with her warning, Liz taps her foot on the floor, activating the mechanical obstacles. Feeling the ground tremble beneath their feet, Jim's eyes widen, his hands clenching the handle of his sword in front of him nervously as Liz casually stands with a smile.

"Let's begin."

Hello there!

I hope you enjoyed the first part of Episode 6! If you are interested in reading more, click on the links provided below!

This fanfiction story will be posted on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Tumblr. However, Wattpad will serve as the original site for this story, so the latest updates will be there.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Happy reading!

- Miss_Nightingale

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