Requested by @EuphoricStrangeness

I'm sure everyone has already seen the disappointing film already, but... Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans spoilers ahead.

There was so much I expected when I first watched this film... and all of my expectations were pretty much spit on. Besides the spectacular animation, the film could've been so much better!

It could've been another show, for one. There was too much to unpack for just an hour long movie.

They could've not killed pretty much everybody off.

They could've not went back in time. That would've been great.

They could've NOT made Toby the Trollhunter. That was stupid.

To sum it all up, there was a lot that happened that most people didn't like. I forgot to mention Steve getting pregnant should've NEVER been a consideration when they were planning this movie.

Also, Aja basically attacking Jim was just annoying.

Toby dying and then getting the amulet, though? Totally contradicts episode eleven in S1 of Trollhunters titled, "Unbecoming." That whole episode was how Jim literally went back in time to basically rewrite his destiny, only to realize everything would result into chaos because he wasn't the Trollhunter.

More really disappointing factors: Strickler and Barbara being engaged only for them to kill off Strickler and leave Barbara and Jim alone AGAIN. Getting teased over Twitter that the movie would shed more light about Jim's father when really, we got NOTHING. Jim not saying "I love you" to Claire... and I'm sure there's more I could add, but then this list would be endless.

Anywho, this isn't exactly a 'rewrite'. It's just a snippet of my vision and how some things (or thoughts) should've been discussed. Don't worry, Jim stays the Trollhunter in this and no one dies.

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In a semi-alternate universe to defeating the titans, Jim struggles with self-identity when the amulet is destroyed. Thankfully, he has his friends to help him create a new one, and to remind him that he will always be the Trollhunter.

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Jim Lake Junior had plenty of reasons to believe that he was no longer exceptional. For one, the amulet of daylight had been smashed into bits by the Arcane Order, and without it, he no longer had the armor that had been worn for centuries by his predecessors, or the sword of daylight which had slain countless of evil lives all under the intensity of magic. Without the amulet, he was simply Jim again—the same boy he'd been in the beginning wishing for something more in life. The amulet had been the one to grant him that. The amulet had given him purpose.

So, what was his purpose now that it was gone?

Jim was back to square one. He was simply a weak, ordinary human being without his armor or the power of daylight in his hands. He couldn't even fight like he used to without acquiring some sort of new injury to grant him bed arrest.

That forced him to stay behind, much to his dismay. His friends insisted he should, as did Blinky, his own mother, and even Strickler. No one wanted him to get hurt, and they all agreed leaving him behind as they set off to save the world was the best course of action, and sure, logically it was, but leaving him behind only made Jim feel even more useless than he already felt.

Now he understood how Toby felt whenever the term "moral support" was directed at him. He didn't like just being the moral support.

Of course, his friends jumped at the excuse of moral support as an opportunity to insist that he didn't need to be by their side in order to support them, and although that was true, that didn't make him feel any better. It also didn't necessarily mean that he didn't try to object and argue. It was pointless though.  His friends rushed off into battle without him, leaving him with a book in his lap as entertainment—as if he could read and actually enjoy the book knowing that his friends were currently risking their lives.

Instead, he tossed the book aside and allowed his thoughts to consume him. While his friends went off to battle the Arcane Order, Jim could do nothing but reminiscence over the past. That, or wonder how he could have done things differently in order to avoid the mess they were currently in.

For starters, he wondered if he ever should have picked up that amulet in the first place. As bizarre as it sounded, perhaps it would've been better for everyone if he hadn't. He wasn't even sure if it would have worked anyways. After all, he had been through that before while trying to rewrite his past—an alternate universe to what would've happened had he never picked up the amulet. Draal ended up becoming the Trollhunter instead of him. Jim got to live a normal life without it. Everything was great as long as he pretended the trolls didn't exist.

But then Claire didn't remember who he was, and things weren't so great anymore. Not too long after, Bular was still let free and the eternal night was still conjured, and everyone he had ever known and loved ended up dying because of it.

He shuddered at the memory. Don't think about that. It didn't actually happen.

He tried to avert his thoughts to the first time he had ever laid eyes on the amulet, when it had called out to him, and he and Toby had thought someone had been playing a prank on them. It was that memory specifically that had him smiling. Back then, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into when they decided to pick up a random amulet out of a pile of rubble in the canal and take it home.

Then, his mind wandered to Draal. Once his enemy and then his friend, Draal once thought that a human wielding the amulet of daylight was absurd... mostly because, he always said humans were weak.

And he was right.

At least Claire still had her Shadow Magic and Toby still had his WarHammer, which overweighted the weakness both of his friends carried simply for being human. But Jim had nothing but his weakness.

And since he had nothing, all but the bedroom he was forced to stay in, that gave him plenty of time to wonder if he was truly still the Trollhunter, or if he was just a boy still trying to fit into the hero's shoes.

A soft knock on the bedroom door suddenly sounded. Already sitting upright against a pillow, Jim tried his best to further straighten his posture as the door opened a moment later, revealing Stickler in his troll form. However, doing so only further strained his bruised ribs, and a wince quietly left Jim's lips before he could even consider masking it.

Thankfully, Strickler chose to ignore it, and instead offered him a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Young Atlas, how are you feeling?"

Jim appreciated his concern, truly he did, but that question was the same question everyone tended to ask him when they set foot into this room. First his mother, then his best friend, then his girlfriend. It was getting annoying.

Nonetheless, he decided to indulge the troll with an amused smile. "Like a bus just rammed into my side, which hasn't changed since the last time you asked me."

Strickler chuckled, "Forgive me for pestering you like your mother does. It seems I'm developing some parental habits of my own from her."

Jim couldn't help but chuckle at that. Strickler sure was getting good at being a father for all those babies Jim had saved from the Darklands. Not only that, but Strickler was beginning to feel like a father to him too...

"How did the mission go?" Jim asked as to quickly avert the topic. It seemed to work when Strickler's smile quickly vanished, revealing the sudden seriousness that'd been hidden behind his eased smile.

"Not as well as we had hoped." Strickler answered defeatedly, "Everyone was commendable, but it seems the Arcane Order was still able to accomplish their goal. They've captured Nari, and they've unleashed the titans. It's only a matter of time before they start sprouting all across the world."

Jim slouched back into his pillow in defeat. Of course, the Arcane Order had accomplished their goal. It seemed no matter what they did, the Arcane Order always won. Now, instead of stopping them before they could release the titans, they would have to figure out how to defeat the titans, which was only another major problem to be added to the list.

Strickler cleared his throat. "I know... it's disappointing, and you probably feel annoyed about the outcome. Trust me, I understand."

"Do you?" Jim could hardly understand what he was feeling himself. Disappointment, definitely, but anger was more accurate. All he could think about was what if he had been there?  Maybe he could've prevented the Arcane Order from releasing the titans. Maybe if he wasn't sitting in bed already feeling so useless, he could've made a difference out there.

Jim turned his head to look over at the changeling who had once been his teacher, his enemy, and now his friend. Strickler may have been all of those things, but he wasn't Jim.

He couldn't possibly understand what Jim was feeling.

"Believe it or not, young atlas, I understand more than you might think." The changeling patiently said, "And with that understanding comes with the knowledge that I know you think you could've made a difference had you been there."

Jim's eyes widened in surprise at that. "How did you—?"

"Call it a parental instinct." Strickler winked. His teasing turned the corners of Jim's lips upward for a brief moment, but that smile didn't last for long.

When his frown returned, so did Strickler's. "Perhaps you could've made a difference, but not with that injury you're sporting," the troll gestured to Jim's ribs, which were wrapped in medical bandage courtesy of his mother. He wasn't wearing a shirt, so the wrapping was easily on display. "With three bruised ribs, you've got to take it easy for a little while."

"And how long exactly is a little while?"

"Definitely not long enough to consider joining the next line of attack."

Jim leaned his head back against the pillows, letting out a frustrated sigh through his nose. The old, white ceiling of Camelot's days greeted his line of sight.

"I understand your frustration, Jim." A dip in the bed insinuated Strickler had sat down as his feet. Jim craned his neck just so that he could meet the troll's eyes. "However, it is important to understand one's... limitations."

A moment of silence passed as Jim pondered those words. He already understood what the troll was implying. He knew it was a similar thought on everyone's mind, but it still hurt regardless.

"What are you saying?" Jim asked, a single skeptical brow raised.

"I'm saying you should take under consideration that you might have to do things a bit differently than what you're used to," Strickler cleared his throat again. "Which includes taking a step back when you're overextended."

"But I'm not overextended." Jim tried to argue.

"Jim—"

"I'm not, okay?" He insisted with a frustrated huff, his tone a bit snappy, he'd admit. Not expecting his tone, Strickler leaned back because of it. However, Jim wasn't ready to apologize, nor was he ready to hang up the towel. He was tired of feeling like everyone was rushing him to do so. Sure, not having the amulet anymore was a huge setback, but all he needed was a set of armor like Toby's and Claire's, a sweet new weapon with magical abilities, and BAM! The Trollhunter would be back.

Except, without the amulet, he still wouldn't feel like the Trollhunter. Not completely.

A soft knock on wood averted their attention. Claire stood underneath the doorframe of the bedroom, her smile a bit timid, almost as if she were hesitant to enter. Jim found his irritation fading into dust just at the sight of her. His eyes were so transfixed on her, he hardly recognized when Strickler stood to his feet.

"I'll leave you both to it then." The changeling said, his tone sounding a bit defeated. He turned on his heel a moment later and exited the room just as Claire entered.

Jim felt a little bit guilty as he watched him leave, but not enough to reach out and ask him to stay. Instead, Jim found his lips pulling into a genuine smile as his girlfriend walked into the room, smiling just as sweetly as he was.

"Hey." She greeted him.

"Hey." He slowly moved to lay down as she sat on the bed. Sitting up was nice and all, but he had to admit, his mother was right when she said he needed rest. His ribs were already aching just from sitting up too long. He was grateful when Claire climbed over him and laid down on the bed beside him instead, so that he wouldn't have to worry about any extra strenuous effort. She laid down on her back, and their heads turned to look at each other in sync.

Claire's eyes were searching his fondly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," he admitted truthfully, and he couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed that she too had asked him that same question. "Though I'm not a fan of these bruised ribs."

"At least they're just bruised." Her smile faltered slightly, and he knew, just with having searched her eyes, that she was once again worrying over his injuries.

His hand glided across the sheets in search for her own. Their fingers slowly interlocked.

"I'm okay." He assured her, and even gave her hand a light squeeze.

"I know..." Claire's smile didn't return fully, but it was enough to slightly reveal her dimples. One of his favorite things about her were those dimples. "It's just that... when Steve told me you fell into the taco truck unconscious from one of my portals, I was really worried."

"Yeah..." Jim chuckled sheepishly at that, though the topic wasn't really a laughing matter. He could've died, and yes, he was aware of that. "I lost the alien tec Krel gave me, but that wouldn't have happened if—"

"Jim."

The painful desperation in her voice as she whispered his name caused him to stop himself short. He was met with Claire's trembling lip, along with a look in her eye that practically spelled out her sympathy and apology.

He understood why when the next thing that left her lips was: "I think you should stay out of the rest of this fight."

Her words caused whatever thought he'd had at the tip of his tongue to immediately vanish. Jim's brows furrowed once the words processed, and a pang of hurt throbbed in his chest. Out of all the people he expected to still have his back on this matter, he hadn't expected Claire to agree with his mother, Toby, Strickler, and basically everyone else on their team.

"Not you too." He frowned.

Claire's eyes hastily conveyed her instant apology with a wan smile, but her response wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear. "I could've lost you today, Jim. Going out into battle without any protection is reckless... I know you know that."

He quickly pulled his hand away from hers, no longer feeling the comfort that her touch usually brought. Instead, he used that same hand to press against his ribs as he moved to sit up. There was no protest from Claire at his sudden movements. In fact, she copied him by sitting up too.

"Claire, please don't patronize me." He begged her. He didn't need to be lectured, and he certainly didn't need another person against him. "Yes, I knew the risks, but this is war, and in war, risks and even sacrifices have to be made. That's what the Trollhunter does."

By sacrifices, he was referring to when he decided to turn himself into a troll in order to defeat Gunmar or when he threw himself in front of his friends to protect them from Morgana's blow of magic. Even when the Green Night had pierced his heart with dark magic, Jim had sacrificed his sanity just so that his friends could make it out alive.

Because that was what the Trollhunter did. He protected no matter the cost.

Sometimes, Jim wished he was still a troll. At least, if he were still a troll, he could still fight without the amulet and not be weak.

Claire quickly matched his frown. "You don't need to make unnecessary risks or sacrifices to be the Trollhunter. No one wants to lose you."

"No one is going to lose me. I know what I'm doing."

His girlfriend sighed in defeat as she leaned back into the pillows he wasn't using. The back of her head hit the headboard of the bed with a soft thud, and with it, her eyes fluttered closed.

"No one is going to think differently of you if you step back." She said softly, "Maybe just... think about it?"

Somewhat annoyed, his gaze remained focused forward, intensely staring at the giant stained-glass window that occupied the far end of the room.

"I can't not think about it. Everyone keeps telling me the same thing." His frustration was seeping out again, and he really didn't want to unleash it out on Claire, but he couldn't help himself. She was supposed to be on his side.

Claire sighed, "That must mean something if everyone keeps saying it."

"Yeah?" A bitter chuckle escaped past his lips. "Well, maybe I was hoping you'd have my back on this one."

"I'll always have your back, but part of having your back is being honest with you and advising you." A small smile ghosted her lips even despite the tension the discussion brought. He glanced at her for a brief moment before he looked straight ahead again.

The lines in his forehead crinkled against his will. "So... you think I'm not capable of helping you guys anymore?"

Was he completely useless without the amulet? He wanted to believe that he wasn't, but everyone around him was making him feel like he was.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Claire sat up again by straightening her posture. Her eyes were fixated on him now, but he couldn't find it in himself to meet her gaze.

"I didn't say that—" She went on to insist.

He interrupted her with a loud scoff. "So then, what were you trying to say? That I should sit this out because of my injuries?"

"Partially, yes," Claire admitted. Her voice remained calm as she gave her explanation. "You're hurt, and you need to give yourself time to properly heal, but also because you're not who you were anymore. You're not the armored boy with a glowing sword of magic. You're just Jim Lake now—the boy who enjoyed cooking for his mom and who was obsessed with vespas—and that's not a bad thing, but if you don't recognize the change, you could get yourself really hurt."

His eyes lowered to his hands in his lap—his very human hands, which without the protection of his armor or stone for skin, was weak... but he knew Claire was right. He was just James Lake Junior now—a boy who'd just been lucky enough to stumble upon a magical amulet, an amulet that just-so-happened to choose him.

"Not anymore..." He simply whispered underneath his breath, but he knew Claire had heard them. Discreetness wasn't exactly a skill of his, sadly.

Those two words spoke many, though. As much as he knew her words were meant to encourage him, he simply couldn't believe them, because in truth, he wasn't the same person he used to be before discovering the amulet. Too many things had happened for him to ever be that same person again. He'd almost lost Claire to goblins and then to dark magic, almost lost everyone he cared about, really, to Gunmar, Morgana, and the Arcane Order. Since the amulet was gone and no one wanted him to be involved in Trollhunter stuff anymore without it, that meant he couldn't possibly be the Trollhunter anymore, and since he wasn't a troll anymore either, all that was left was the boy before he'd been thrown into a life full of magic... and what did Jim have before he'd discovered trolls?

All he had was his mom and Toby, and they both had new things in their lives as the result of being introduced into the same world of magic as he was.

He was the only one out of them all who no longer shared anything with the defenders of Arcadia and the world besides their friendship.

Everyone else still possessed something, but he possessed nothing.

Claire leaned over to place her hand on his cheek. "And that's okay."

It wasn't okay, and he wanted to tell her why he strongly felt that way... but Claire's smile stopped him from doing so. After the argument they'd just had, the last thing he wanted was to wipe that smile off of her face. So instead, he placed his hand over hers, and offered her a smile—a smile that hopefully conveyed he believed her. She leaned in to hug him, and he eagerly accepted the embrace. They simply stayed wrapped in each other's arms, savoring the touch their closeness brought that they rarely got to share nowadays.

Eventually, after a bit of persuasion on his end, Claire agreed to help Jim wander out of bed and greet his friends. The smiles and cheers they all offered him as he emerged into the large room brought a smile to his own lips, and that made him feel a little better. Claire slowly helped him lean and gain his support against the giant round table, where Blinky quickly rushed to his side to place a hand on his shoulder, concerned for his well-being. Despite already feeling a bit coddled, Jim appreciated his surrogate father's concern, nonetheless.

He was relieved to find everyone there, unharmed, despite the news Strickler had given him earlier about their defeat. He opened his mouth to welcome his friends back, but before he could do so, another shorter body rammed into his side, sending a wave of pain through his already sensitive ribs.

"TOBY!" Everyone in the room chorused in horror as Jim stumbled forward, catching himself on the edge of the table before he collapsed on the floor. That did not, however, help with the pain coursing through his ribs, and an agonized wince escaped past his lips as he struggled to straighten himself.

Claire instantly rushed back to his side to help him, and he offered her a fond smile as his form of thanks.

A few others stepped forward to help Claire. The ones Jim caught in his peripheral were Blinky and Strickler, both who wanted to help but seemed hesitant to do so. With a raised hand, Jim offered them the most convincing smile he could muster to assure them that he was fine.

Neither of them believed him, but they stepped back nonetheless.

"I'm so sorry, Jimbo," Toby said shamefully as he wrung his hands together nervously, "I...I was just really worried about you and got a little too excited seeing you up on your feet again."

"It's okay, Tobes," Jim replied hoarsely. It really wasn't—his ribs were currently throbbing, but the pain would subside eventually. "I'm glad to be up on my feet again."

"It's great to see you, Jim," Douxie said with a little too much enthusiasm for his taste. "How are you feeling?"

Jim couldn't help but roll his eyes. "The million-dollar question..." However, the words dryly rolled off of his tongue before he could even reconsider his response. Douxie's exuberant smile slowly twisted, revealing his unease for crossing an unknown line he hadn't even realized he'd crossed.

Quickly realizing his slip up, Jim offered his friend a smile. "I-I was playing, obviously. Just a joke haha. I'm fine, guys. Really."

Douxie responded with a single nod, but his smile remained unsure.

Toby, eager to deescalate the situation, cleared his throat, "So, Jimbo, I was thinking... before you think about getting back into the fight—"

"Don't worry, Tobes. Literally everyone has already told me in one way or another that I should take a step back, and I'm okay with that." Jim interrupted him, and of course, he was lying right through his teeth. However, it seemed Toby's plan to deescalate the situation actually worked, though. Everyone continued on with their chatter across the room, paying him no mind.

"Oh really?" Toby raised his eyebrows, definitely unconvinced, "So... that means you're not interested in the little project Krel and I have been working on?"

"What project?" Jim's eyes widened in curiosity.

"Nuh-Uh. You basically just said that you were totally okay with no longer being the Trollhunter—"

"C'mon, Toby. Now you have to tell me."

"Fine." His best friend eagerly rubbed his hands together. He leaned forward while he raised his hands to his lips. His next words were hushed. "Krel and I—well, mostly Krel, because I could never build anything in my life—but Krel and I are designing you a new amulet."

"What?!" Jim exclaimed underneath his breath. His eyes darted up as they did a quick sweep of the room, hoping no one had heard his hushed outburst. They hadn't. "A new amulet? How? How is that even possible?"

Jim didn't even think building a new amulet of daylight was even possible. The amulet was one of a kind, so he had always just assumed it would be impossible to create another. As far as he knew, they didn't have access to the blueprints of Merlin's original design, and they surely didn't have the same magic Merlin had used to forge it. So how could it be done?

"Krel was able to get his hands on the blueprints, courtesy of Douxie's connection to Merlin." Toby said with a wiggle of his brows. "The design looks great... except well... we're a bit worried it might not work. I mean, neither of us are Merlin."

"Right..." Jim sighed in defeat. Well, so much for being the Trollhunter again.

"BUT don't lose hope! Your new amulet is being crafted with alien tec, so that has to count for something!"

"Akiridion tec, you mean."

The two friends jumped in fright, finding Krel standing close by. He had an unamused brow raised and two of his arms crossed, clearly annoyed that the term alien was being thrown around when he considered it insulting.

"Right sorry," Toby rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

Jim perked up slightly at the Akiridion's presence. "How is the new amulet coming along? Does it seem promising?"

"I would say so," Krel said with a shrug of his shoulders. "It is pretty much done, actually."

"It is?" Toby questioned excitedly, "Why didn't I know that?"

"Because I did not say anything. But now I have."

"So... Jim can armor up?"

"Hopefully. It just needs to be tested first."

"So have you tested it yet?" Jim eagerly asked.

Krel shook his head. "I figured I would give you the honors, Trollhunter."

The Akiridion extended a hand, and in his palm, lay a newly crafted amulet.
Jim couldn't believe his eyes. As he took it from Krel and held it in his own two palms, he could hardly believe that he was holding a new and improved version of the one thing that gave him purpose. He was truly in awe.

"What do you think, Jimbo?"

Jim's head snapped up to meet his best friend's eyes. "This... this is amazing. I can't believe you guys did this for me."

Toby's smile was beaming. Krel flashed him a smile of his own and reached forward to place a hand on his shoulder. "I can tell you have been feeling lately like you are not the trollhunter anymore, and perhaps you might even feel like you are not a part of this team either, but you are. You are still the trollhunter."

Jim offered his friend a truly genuine and grateful smile. "Thank you for this, Krel." He held the new amulet to his chest. "This means more to me than you could possibly even imagine."

Krel offered him a nod and a matching smile. His brows furrowed slightly a moment later to reveal that he wished to keep their discussion discreet. "And I would prefer if you would not tell anyone about this just yet." He said behind his hand as if he were whispering a secret into someone's ear. "The probability of the reactions you might receive will be negative."

"I won't tell anyone either! You have my word." Toby said, determined.

"Don't worry," Jim chuckled and squeezed Krel's shoulder in return. He wasn't planning on telling anyone about this gift anyway until the time was right, and now surely wasn't the right time. The last thing he needed was for someone to lecture him for his recklessness. "I won't tell anyone for now."

And Jim stayed true to his word, even though he desperately wished to join when all of his friends left to enact the second part of their plan. They came to an agreement that their best course of action was to ambush the Arcane Order while they were in the midst of reciting the incantation, and with Douxie's hazy memory, Claire was able to portal them straight to their location.

With them gone, Jim remained alone, and that usually would've had him really bummed. But now, as he held the amulet in his hand, he couldn't wait to test it!

In the privacy of the room where he'd been sentenced to isolation for his recovery, Jim held the amulet in his hands as he eagerly recited the incantation. With wide, excited eyes, he waited for the magic of the amulet to transform him into the trollhunter again.

But when nothing happened, Jim's frown returned... and so did his disappointment.

His friends arrived a few hours later through a portal, defeat evident in their battered appearances. It seemed that they still weren't strong enough against the Arcane Order, and that the two demigods had succeeded in raising the titans after all. He vaguely heard Douxie explaining that Nari was now being controlled by Bell-Roc and Skrael and mindlessly operating one of the titans against her will. He seemed determined to save her.

Jim was too preoccupied trying to pull Krel aside to pay much attention to his friends' defeat, nor did he notice the strange look Claire directed at his retreating form as he hauled Krel behind the hidden safety of the hallway.

"The amulet isn't working."

Krel's already defeated expression fell even further. With a grimace, he held out his hands, and Jim gently placed the amulet into his open palms. "You made sure to say the new incantation, correct?"

"Yes, I said the incantation correctly. More than once."

"I am just making sure considering it has been changed."

With a thoughtful hum, Krel then began to examine every crevasse of the amulet. But it seemed even he had no idea why it wouldn't be working when he shrugged his shoulders. "I am not sure what went wrong... perhaps I missed a step in the blueprints? But I double-checked—"

"Or maybe it's missing the magic," Jim realized suddenly. His eyes widened. "Merlin's magic! That's it! The stone inside the original amulet was forged with Merlin's magic!"

"That must be it!" Krel snapped his fingers at that. His excited smile fell, however, when another thought occurred. "But how are we supposed to get some of Merlin's magic? Merlin is gone, and so is his staff."

Jim pondered over that for a moment. Then, he snapped his fingers when an idea came to mind. "But not Excalibur." His smile widened as the possibility of bringing the new amulet to life became clearer. "The stone in Excalibur's hilt holds some of Merlin's magic."

"The sword, of course!" Krel shot an excited finger gun at him. "That should work perfectly! I shall go retrieve it immediately—!"

"Retrieve what immediately?"

The two friends froze in place as a new voice entered the scene, belonging to none other than to Claire Nuñez. She was already staring at her boyfriend with narrowed eyes when their gazes locked, and her hands were already on her hips. Out of instinct, Jim shot her a sheepish smile, which he was sure Krel matched. But their façade would be of no use. The amulet was still out on full display in Krel's hands, and Claire's eyes were already on it before either of them could hide it.

With a gasp, Claire hands rose to cover her gaping mouth. "Is that what I think it is?"

Jim and Krel exchanged a nervous glance. Neither of them knew how Claire would respond to the possibility of him truly becoming the trollhunter again. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Jim nodded, "Yeah—"

With a smug smile, Krel placed a hand on his chest. "I built it—"

"But it's missing Merlin's magic." Jim explained with a nervous chuckle. He searched Claire's expression carefully as he went on. "We were talking about getting it from Excalibur's handle, so that's what you heard—"

"I'll help." Claire instantly said. Jim's eyes widened at her response, his expression entirely bewildered by her offer. That was the last thing he'd been expecting considering their earlier conversation.

"Really?" His brows shot up in surprise at that.

Claire offered him a confused frown. "Why do you sound so surprised? Of course I will."

"I don't know," Jim shrugged his shoulders, glancing down at his shoes for a brief moment. "I just figured after that disagreement we had—"

She stopped him right there when he felt her hands reach up to touch his cheeks. His eyes shot up in surprise, mostly because he hadn't even noticed she'd moved towards him. "Oh Jim..." She chuckled fondly with a playful shake of her head. She offered him a wide grin. "I want more than anything to be able to fight by your side again. I'll do anything to help you get daylight back."

A smile slowly tugged at the corner of his lips. One of his own hands came up to rest against her own. "Thank you."

She responded to that with a slight nod. Then her eyes drifted over Jim's shoulder, finding Krel's still uncertain gaze. "I'll help you get Excalibur. Two sets of hands are better than one."

Krel arched a single brow. "I already have two sets of hands."

"You know what I mean."

Their alien friend chuckled. His expression only sobered slightly to reveal his seriousness. "We should continue to keep this mission of ours a secret. Toby is the only other one who knows besides us, and that is enough."

Jim wanted to object—seeing as there really shouldn't be a need considering Claire already knew—but Claire quickly beat him to it, and more surprisingly, agreed with Krel. "I agree. We don't need everyone's opinion on this anyway."

"I don't understand." Jim turned to her with his brows furrowed. "Why do we need to keep hiding it? If you and Toby were both thrilled about this plan, why wouldn't they be too?"

The emotions swirling in her irises when she met his gaze was filled with sympathy. "I wish that were true, but Jim, some people are actually relieved the amulet was destroyed."

His brows instantly furrowed deeper, revealing his building anger. "Who?"

"Well, your mom, for starters," Claire said as if it were obvious. She waved a hand at that though. "But she's your mom, so I feel like any parent would be relieved to see their child out of immediate danger, but she's not the only one. Blinky seems to think the situation you're in is best, and Strickler agrees too."

"Strickler?" Jim spat out the name with disgust—an emotion he hadn't felt towards the changeling since he found out Strickler was working for Gunmar. "Why would Strickler care about my safety? He put a knife to my throat several times in the past."

Claire shrugged. "I don't know, but it doesn't matter what they think, because we're doing this regardless."

"What are you going to tell the others?" Jim questioned in concern. "I'm sure somebody has already planned to go after the titans, right?"

"Douxie thinks that's the best course of action, yeah." Claire said.

"Does he? Or is he only focused on rescuing Nari right now?"

Brows slightly furrowed, Claire opened her mouth to respond, but Krel quickly beat her to it. "I do not think that is it. We need Nari on our side. The only way to do that is to go after her titan. Douxie thinks he can snap her out of it."

"And what if he can't? What if we already lost Nari?"

Neither Claire nor Krel had an answer for him. In truth, no one knew if they could save Nari. It was possible that they could, but it was also a possibility that they couldn't—that she was too lost under Skrael and Bell Roc's control to come back to them. Nonetheless, Douxie had a strategized plan underneath his belt that he was already sharing with the team whenever Claire, Krel, and Jim returned to the round table where everyone else was gathered.

Toby slinked towards him. "So... what's the plan?" He whispered lowly enough, making sure his words were only audible enough for Jim to hear.

"Pretty sure Douxie is telling it right now."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. I'm talking about the amulet. Did it work? Are you coming with us?"

"No, and no." Jim sighed defeatedly, "The amulet didn't work. We think it needs some of Merlin's magic, so Krel and Claire are going to go get Excalibur—"

"Wait wait... Claire? You told Claire?"

Jim arched a confused brow at his best friend before shaking his head. "Well... not exactly. She ended up finding out on her own, but why does it matter if she knows?"

"Because this is a secret." Toby said as if it wasn't obvious. "No one else was supposed to know about it."

"Okay..." Jim could agree with that. After all, he already knew his mother and Strickler were the ones who were practically glad to see him in bed arrest rather than fighting the Arcane Order. If they found out he was in possession of a new amulet, they would surely be livid, and he wouldn't give a damn. What he didn't understand, however, was why it mattered if Claire knew. Claire was part of their trio. The three of them shared everything when it involved trollhunting. "But it's just Claire, and since when do we not share everything with each other about trollhunting?"

Toby folded his arms across his chest. "Since Claire was one of the ones who thought it would be best for you to sit out on the sidelines."

"Yeah, because I didn't have any armor or magic, and she was just concerned about my safety, but I've got the amulet now."

Toby didn't seem convinced, and Jim was in no mood to continue arguing. He was tired of doing that. Instead, Jim turned his gaze away from his best friend, hoping Toby would get the silent hint.

He did. Huffing, Toby sauntered away, annoyed.

Jim didn't understand why it bothered him so much that Claire knew.

A few minutes later, the plan Douxie had concocted was set. Everyone had their assigned mission. Jim watched silently out of the corner of his eye as Claire and Krel discreetly slinked away. He turned his gaze away from them, only to find his mom and Strickler sharing a brief hug. As he watched them reluctantly part, he couldn't help but furrow his brows at the changeling. Knowing Strickler wasn't exactly on his side at the moment didn't exactly win him any points.

"Jim?"

He tried to hide his frown as quickly as possible, but his mom saw it before he could mask it. He tried to put on a smile as she approached, knowing fully well that it probably looked incredibly fake.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, her face clouded in concern.

"I'm fine." Jim tried to assure with a smile, but it was no use. He couldn't stop thinking about what Claire had said earlier, and because of that, his smile turned wan. According to her, his mom was relieved the amulet had been destroyed and so was Strickler. A part of him was tempted to bring it up now and ask her why.

The emotion that suddenly flooded his mother's features had him frowning again. It was the look of sympathy. He loathed that look. "I know it must be hard seeing everyone go off to fight the bad guys—"

"Mom, really, you don't have to give me this speech—"

"But I just want you to know that you're still a big help to the team."

Jim couldn't help but roll his eyes. He didn't feel like much help at all, especially when all he did lately was sit in bed.

Again, the desire to confront her sat on the tip of his tongue, but he hesitated. Across the room, Strickler was standing nearby, not being discreet at all as he watched them out of the corner of his eye. Jim instantly deflated. The last thing he needed was to get into an argument with his mom while Strickler was nearby and on guard to defend his girlfriend.

So, Jim simply sighed, and tried for his best most convincing smile. "I think I'm going to try getting some rest. I feel like I won't be getting any once the team returns."

"Right." His mom stepped to the side and allowed him to pass, despite her uneasy smile. "I'll wake you up once everyone gets back."

Jim offered her a thankful smile, but he didn't bother to mention that she wouldn't need to, because he wouldn't be able to sleep no matter how hard he tried.

_______________

Hours passed before Krel and Claire returned. Jim was both relieved and excited to see that their secret mission had been a success. Claire proudly presented the glowing, green jewel to him as she explained the process of retrieving it, and he only had a second to ogle in fascination over its bright magic before Krel was snatching it out of her hand, insisting he needed to get to work on the amulet as soon as possible. Jim found himself laughing and was a bit surprised by how genuine it sounded. He couldn't really remember the last time he had ever laughed and meant it, or when he had been that happy about something.

Claire was also surprised and turned her wide eyes to his. The look in her irises only revealed her fondness. She was just as happy as he was.

When Krel left the room to continue rebuilding his amulet, Claire stayed behind to keep him company. With her right by his side, sitting in bed for hours didn't seem half as bad. They talked mostly and sometimes laughed. They even read a book together. Eventually though, Jim started to dose off, and Claire was quick to help him lie down. He ended up falling asleep despite thinking he wouldn't ever be able to, with Claire nestled into his side and her head resting on his shoulder.

He was awoken hours later when someone gently jostled his shoulder. When he peaked an eye open, it was Claire who was looming over him, just as sleep ridden as he was. When he noticed the worried look on her face, no words needed to be said for him to know that the team had returned... and that something was wrong.

The sun had already set as Claire helped Jim walk into the main room. The team was surrounded around the table again, talking back and forth with different conversations floating in the air—none of which he was able to grasp onto. He noticed very briefly that most of his friends had battered bruises and limps as they moved around the room. Blinky, specifically, had one of his arms in a sling and a black eye.

The sight only heightened Jim's anger. Once again, they were unsuccessful, and instead of being out in the fight like the Trollhunter was supposed to be, his friends were all taking the hits for him. As if Claire could read his mind, she gently squeezed her shoulder. He appreciated it more than he could explain, and he wanted to find comfort in it, but he couldn't.

"This plan clearly is not working." Aja projected from one end of the room. Everyone turned their attention to her and hushed their voices. Aja's eyes were on Jim from across the room as she released her information. "We tried it Douxie's way, and it did not work. He could not telepathically connect with Nari despite casting that spell he did to buy us some time, and we could not get close enough to the titan to reach her physically."

"I really thought it would work since Nari and I have a connection!" Douxie quickly interjected to defend his case.

"We almost lost some of our friends." Aja sternly turned her gaze towards the wizard for a brief second. It was enough to silence the room to crickets.

Douxie simply swallowed. Nothing could be said to make the situation seem any better. According to Aja, several people in this room had almost died tonight, and from what Jim could survey of his friends' outwards appearances, almost everyone was sporting a new injury.

"Where's Toby?" Jim asked the room when he realized his best friend was missing from this meeting.

"Getting ice for his bruised lip." Barbara replied when no one else seemed to know the answer.

Jim licked his lips, unsure of what he should say next. Every single one of his friends looked absolutely hopeless surrounding this table. At one point, they had all been extremely confident in thinking they would be able to take down the titans. Now, it seemed like no matter what they tried they didn't stand a chance against them.

It seemed like their last hope was the amulet... if Krel could get it to work.

Aja turned her sights to Jim, worry in her irises. "What is our next move, Jim?"

Jim considered her question briefly in silence. His first thought wandered to his new amulet, which he was relying heavily on. He planned to use daylight to kill both of those gods. But first, they needed to get Nari back. Considering she was their friend, the last thing Jim wanted to do was hurt or even kill her. But they couldn't jump into battle if Nari was still being controlled by Skrael and Bell-Roc. They needed to separate her from her titan, but how?

Perhaps Douxie had the right idea. After that little spell Douxie had concocted, him and Nari did have a connection. But maybe telepathy wouldn't reach her.

Maybe they needed to destroy her titan first so that she had nothing left to control. Then, perhaps Douxie could reach through to her to break her from her tie to Skrael and Bell-Roc.

"We reach through to Nari like originally planned." Jim answered sternly. His eyes moved to Douxie. "By destroying her titan."

Several voices rose around the room. Most of his friends seemed to agree with his plan. However, there were a few who didn't.

"You want to destroy her titan... while she's still attached to it?" Douxie asked, sounding extremely appalled. "What if we hurt her?"

"There's no other way." Jim insisted. "We've already established that trying to reach Nari while the titan is still active is extremely dangerous. I'm not about to ask anyone in this room to put their lives at risk again for a plan that already failed."

Douxie clenched his jaw, but there was no objection.

"I agree with Jim." Aja stated firmly. "We should destroy the titan."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Blinky asked.

As if on cue, Krel slipped into the room unnoticed... except Jim caught him out of the corner of his eye. Krel made his way over to him, grinning widely. In his hand, he had something bundled underneath a brown cloth. It was clearly the amulet, and from the way Krel was smiling, it seemed to be that he was finished with it.

Jim knew he was supposed to keep the new amulet's existence a secret. Not everyone on his team seemed to be in favor of daylight's return. However, there were concerns about Jim's plan, mainly because they had no idea how it would be accomplished. Jim, on the other hand, was going to rely on daylight, and for that reason, he needed to come clean to the room and explain what he and some of his friends had been up to.

"I was planning to keep this a secret until I felt it necessary to share, but..." Jim's eyes were focused on Krel's. The Akiridion's eyes widened in horror when he realized what Jim was planning to say next. "Krel has been working on re-creating the amulet and has succeeded."

There were several different reactions. For one, Krel was horrified that everyone was aware of his secret project now. Aja looked absolutely thrilled and clapped all four of her hands in celebration. Claire was smiling, truly happy with whatever decision he made. Douxie was shocked. Steve and Eli cheered.

And his mom, Strickler, and Blinky all looked absolutely terrified.

"What?" Barbara was clearly distraught. She was looking at him as if her world had been shattered right in front of her. "Why would you do that?"

"Why wouldn't I do that?" Jim countered more out of curiosity than he did in irritation. He already knew his mother would be against this. What he couldn't fathom was why. "I'm the Trollhunter. Until I die, it's my job to wield the amulet and protect both humans and trolls alike. If there's still something out there threatening our world, I have to protect it."

"I know that..." his mom still looked troubled. "But I just thought that..."

She hesitated, and that caused Jim to be impatient. "Thought what?"

Her and Strickler exchanged a silent look. Jim watched the exchange skeptically. He didn't know what it meant, but he was determined to find out.

"I just thought you were done with risking your life." His mom admitted eventually. "I mean, every time I knew you were going out there to fight, it always made me so worried. When the amulet broke and you couldn't risk your life anymore like that, I-I was honestly relieved."

"Mom, I'm not done until the world is at peace, and right now, the world is far from peace."

"It is on the brink of destruction." Aja interjected, siding with him. "We need our Trollhunter."

Jim uncovered the newly crafted amulet as he flipped aside the brown cloth. The amulet, almost identical to the last, stared right back up at him, pulsing with new energy. He couldn't help but grin down at it, truly delighted. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so purposeful. As if the amulet had reconnected with him again and could somehow read his mind, it pulsed in his hand, illuminating just a tad more brightly than before.

Jim's smile widened. The amulet was just as ready to jump back into action as he was.

"Perhaps you should reconsider, Master Jim." Blinky proposed carefully. "You're still injured."

"And when has that ever stopped me before?" Jim lifted his gaze to Blinky's, a quizzical brow raised. This certainly wouldn't be the first time Jim would be headed off to save the world with a few prior injuries underneath his belt. He had done it plenty of times before he even told his mom about being the Trollhunter.

"It hasn't." Blink answered solemnly, "I only ask that you take extra precautions."

Jim offered his surrogate father a half-smile. Despite knowing that Blinky disagreed with this plan and the fact that Jim was able to armor up again, he was glad that the troll still intended to support and follow him until the end.

Jim looked down at the amulet in his hand again and smiled. This was it. This was what he had needed. His purpose reinstated.

"For the good of all, daylight is mine to command!"

__________________________

I feel like Barbara and Strickler telling Jim about their engagement during the whole battle was really bad timing. I also feel like, with them trying to start their new life and Barbara wanting a fresh start, she would have been relieved with Jim no longer having to risk his life (at least in my opinion.)

Same goes for Strickler considering (I think) he sees Jim as a son, and also the same for Blinky—even though I'm certain Blinky would always follow Jim until the end.

Anyways, thanks for reading! See you in the next one (whenever that may be!)

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