Eclipse: A TrollHunters Fanfiction

Chapter Ten: Bridge

Toby had the fetch over his head, calling for Jim in the DarkLands when he felt something shake his body from back in TrollMarket.  He pulled the Fetch off of his head, looking around.  Claire had left to go find Blinky, so he was all alone in the library.  He shrugged and went to put the Fetch back on when something shook the library again, knocking over the remaining pile of books and jolting Toby in his armchair.  He hugged the Fetch to his chest and hopped off of the chair.

"Blinky?  Claire?" He called.  He waited for a moment and sighed when there came no answer.  Toby grabbed his phone from where he'd left it on the table, tucking it into his pocket and leaving the library.  He held the Fetch underneath his arm.  "Where could they be?" He asked himself, just before the ground shook again, nearly knocking him over. Toby steadied himself, took a breath and his cell phone began to ring.  He glanced at the screen before answering it and was met with the smiling face of Claire's profile picture.  He hit the green button and held it to his ear.

"Hello...?" he whispered softly.  He jumped when Claire shouted.

"Get to the bridge chamber now!" Claire yelled. Toby groaned a little, that was clear on the other side of Trollmarket! "This is serious! And bring the Fetch with you!" The ground rumbled again and Claire hung up without another word. Toby held tighter to the Fetch and started running towards the Bridge Chamber, ducking and weaving through crowds of Trolls on his way there and almost trampling a few gnomes.

"So...so what's with...all the...rumbling?" Toby wheezed once he'd reached them, doubling over with his hands on his knees, letting the Fetch clatter to the floor.

"The Bridge is reconstructing itself, Tobias," Blinky said, never taking his six eyes off of the Bridge in front of him.

"But how is that shaking the-" Toby lifted his head and watched as a piece of the Bridge floated up, the stone surrounded in a glowing, blue mist as it hovered around in the air for a moment, before slamming down on the growing base of the bridge.  It sent out a shockwave that nearly knocked Toby over again, the ground heaving underneath him.  "Oh...that's how," Toby muttered after he steadied himself. Claire turned to him and held out a hand.

"Give me the Fetch, we have to see if it's Jim opening the Bridge, or if it's Gunmar." Toby picked the Fetch up from where he had dropped it and set it into Claire's hand. 

"I didn't see any sign of Jim during my shift," Toby said, though it didn't appear that Claire was listening.  Another piece slammed into place and shook the ground right as she slipped it over her head.  Toby sighed and looked over at Blinky.

"So what...what happens if Gunmar does get out?" He asked, nervously wringing his hands.  He didn't really want to think about it, but he had to acknowledge that it was a very big possibility.  Blinky sighed, eyes not leaving the Bridge.

"If Gunmar were to escape the DarkLands, he would first devour TrollMarket before moving to the upper world, summoning the eternal darkness, and devouring everything there.  All Trolls who are not killed by his original siege will be turned into Gumm-Gumms and join his army.  Though I fear the humans will not receive any such mercy." Toby shuddered softly.

"That's not very good," he whispered, hugging himself and looking down at the ground.  That...was not good.  Not good at all.  He would lose not only his life but everything he'd ever known.  His Nana and her cats.  Blinky, Draal, his home...everything.

"I know this, Tobias." Blinky sighed softly, watching as another piece slammed onto the growing Bridge base.  "This...is why I am hoping this is Jim's doing, not Gunmar's." Toby nodded slowly, rubbing his arms.

"Me...me too." He murmured.  It had to be Jim. It had to be.  It couldn't be Gunmar...or at least, he hoped it wasn't.  He prayed it wasn't.  Blinky put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.  Toby looked over, watching as Blinky opened his mouth to probably say something profound and encouragingly.  But his words seemingly died in his throat when he looked past Toby and to Claire, who's shoulders had slipped into the fetch.

"Fair Claire!" He shouted.  He pushed past Toby, accidentally knocking him to the ground.  He dove forward, landing on the ground and grabbing the Fetch just as it had slipped down her body, stopping it at her ankles.  He took a deep breath once he stopped it from falling, getting to his feet.  Blinky slowly pulled the Fetch up and over Claire's head.  Once she was back, Toby and Blinky found her crying and clinging to a torn up, blood-soaked jacket.  Or, what looked like a jacket.  Toby's eyes went wide and he took a slow step towards her.

"I-is that-" he didn't finish his sentence, stopping in front of her.  No.  He knew that jacket.  He'd seen it nearly every single day since he'd met Jim, he knew everything about it.  Every loose string, every hole, every stitch.  But now it was different.  It was so familiar but so distant.  IT was now torn, nearly shredded to pieces and nearly black from the blood it was soaked with.  Claire took a quivering breath.

"I-I...I found it..." she murmured, voice faltering and cracking.  She was struggling to speak, clutching the jacket to her chest.  "I-in...In a-a pool of...of blood,"   Tears started to fall down her face and she bowed her head.  Her shoulders began to tremble, a sob escaping her lips.  Toby moved to wrap an arm around her, gently rubbing her shoulder.  He was choking back tears of his own, but he needed to be there for Claire at the moment.  Claire's knees gave out and she slowly sank to the ground, hiccuping and sobbing.  "Jim...J-Jim's gone."

(Revised: 12/30/2019)