Eclipse: A TrollHunters Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty-Four: Renaissance

"You talked to the TrollHunter?" Nomura asked, bright green eyes wide as she walked around the room.  "Why?" Strickler swallowed hard.  Last time he had seen Otto, or any of these changelings, they were all turning against him.  They'd dismissed him as leader, and left him to die at the hands of Angor Rot.

"His mother thought that I-" Nomura laughed, and Otto chuckled.

"You lose sight of the mission, Stricklander." Otto said, pushing his glasses up to where they were supposed to be on his nose.  "You were not meant to befriend the TrollHunter or his Mother." Strickler sighed.

"I know, but-" he jumped when Nomura held the blade way too close to his face for comfort.

"You're lucky we even let you back in here." Nomura growled, pulling her blade away with a satisfied grin on her purple face.  It was always fun to make other people jump.  Otto folded his arms, and leaned against the wall, Fragwa standing at his feet like a very ugly dog.

"It is very important, and if you would just let me finish, you'd understand why." Strickler watched as Otto and Nomura exchanged glances.

"Fine." Nomura eventually growled.  Strickler sighed.

"Thank you." Strickler straightened his suit coat.  "I think that the TrollHunter may have killed Gunmar." Otto raised an eyebrow.  "I know I am no longer included in the Janus Order's line of control, but I must know if the Dark Lord is still alive." Otto pushed away from the wall, and sighed.  Nomura shifted back into her human form.

"We have not heard from Gunmar in a month." he whispered.  "We thought he was scheming, or fighting the TrollHunter.  We didn't think the human child could have possibly prevailed." Strickler swallowed hard.

"Then what do we do?" he nearly squeaked.  Otto smirked a bit.  

"There is no longer a 'we', Stricklander.  Nomura, escort him out." he wanted to protest, to try and fight to get back into the order, but he knew it would all be in vain.  Otto was bent on alienating him.  Nomura grabbed him by the arm, a little roughly at first at pulled him out of the room.

"...do you really think that the TrollHunter killed Gunmar?" she whispered, and Strickler shook his head. 

"I don't know." she took him to the elevator, and let him step out of the door once they were back on the main floor.

"Well...we'll just have to see." Strickler waved, and the door shut.

~~~

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" Toby ran around in a happy circle.  "I still can't believe we're getting Arrrgh back!" Claire giggled a bit.

"Me neither!" he smiled at Jim's face on her phone screen.  "I can't believe you saved Arrrgh and Enrique!" Jim chuckled a bit.

"Just a day in the life of the TrollHunter." Claire rolled her eyes a bit, and looked up when a loud, cracking noise filled the room.  Toby stopped his running and chanting, clasping his hands in anticipation as he watched.  The hard, rocky surface that was seemingly encasing Arrrgh began to crack and fall away, like a bird hatching out of an egg.  Claire held her breath as the chunk that had Arrrgh's stone eye fell away.  Underneath was a closed eye, but it soon opened, revealing a deep green iris that Toby had missed so much.

"Wingman!" he shouted, and the eye turned to look at him.  They heard a grunt, as Arrrgh freed his hand from its stony prison, using it to tear away the rest of the rock that was encapsulating him.  Claire switched the phone around so Jim could see.

"Arrrgh!" he yelled, laughing happily.  Arrrgh finally managed to tear away all of the stone, stumbling out of the rocky boots that had been covering his feet.

"What..." he looked around, a little dazed.  "Where..." Blinky rushed forward.

"You came back from the void, my friend!" he shouted, face wide in a smile before he hugged Arrrgh's broad chest.  Arrrgh still seemed a little dazed, but he placed a large hand on Blinky's back nonetheless.  Toby couldn't help the tears that ran down his face, running forward as well, standing beside Blinky.

"I missed you, Wingman!" he wailed.  Claire decided to hang back for now.  Arrrgh let out a low grumble, pulling them both close.

"Sorry." he whispered, closing his eyes.

"Don't apologize!" Toby yelled.  "I'm just glad you're back!"  Arrrgh hummed a bit.  He looked over at Claire, who was choking back tears as she held up her phone.

"Jim?" he whispered, and Jim laughed sadly.  "Yeah, buddy.  It's...It's me.  It's good to see you again." Arrrgh tilted his head like an adorably confused puppy.

"How did you get trapped in small box?" Jim laughed a bit. 

"I'm not trapped, I just...can't come down to TrollMarket right now." Arrrgh hummed a bit, and Blinky and Toby pulled away.

"I'm afraid you have missed out on a lot while you were gone." Blinky whispered, his two sets of hands clasped in front of him.  "We have much to discuss." Arrrgh nodded solemnly.  He moved a little slow at first, when he tried to walk, but slowly got back into the rhythm.

"It's good to have you back, buddy." Jim said happily as the group left the bridge chamber.  He nodded a bit.

"Why not in TrollMarket?" Jim sighed a bit, moving the phone.  

"Well..." the screen centered on his missing arm.  Arrrgh's eyes widened.

"What happened?!" he yelled, voice loud enough to shake the ground they were walking on.

"After you died I...kind of went into the Dark Lands by myself." Arrrgh just stared at the screen as Jim moved the camera to center on his face.

"He had his arm bitten off by none other than Gunmar himself." Blinky whispered, voice still having an airiness to it like he didn't quite believe what he was saying.  Jim smiled nervously.  Arrrgh looked down at the floor shaking his head a bit.

"Not a good choice." Jim laughed a bit.

"Yeah...I know.  But now we have you back, yeah?" Arrrgh nodded a bit.

"Is Gunmar..." he trailed off.  Jim swallowed hard.

"Well..."

~~~

A/N

Alright!  Another chapter down! I know it released a day early, but I figured no one would complain and it's possible that I'll forget to update it tomorrow.  So...you're welcome?

So to be honest, I have no idea how long this story is going to go on.  I don't want to make it into one of those that will never end, but I'm not quite sure how to finish it.  So if the writing gets worse or the book just feels...improvised and rushed, that's because it kind of is.  Thank you for your patience, your reads, your votes, and your comments.  It all truly means a lot.

Thanks for reading!

~TJ