Eclipse: A TrollHunters Fanfiction

Chapter Forty: Rage

Stepping onto the cobblestones of HeartStone TrollMarket was something James never thought he was going to do.  Even after deserting from the Janus Order, the creatures of TrollMarket did not trust him.  They didn't trust any Changeling.  Claire and Toby came out of the portal next, followed by Blinky and Arrrgh, the large troll cradling the still unconscious form of Jim in an arm.

"Woah..." James whispered as he looked around, eyes eventually landing on the giant heartstone in the middle of the market, filled with the colors of the sunset.  "Its more beautiful than I ever imagined." he whispered, eyes just wide as he looked around.

"We should take him back to my Library." Blinky sighed, moving in front of James to walk down the street.  James just stared at him in shock.  

"Don't you see how amazing this place is?  And you're just speedwalking through it!"

"We kind of have your son to worry about!" Claire shouted, and James jumped.  He looked at the disgruntled faced of both Claire and Toby, and nodded.

"Right.  Jim, yes.  We're helping Jim.  It's just I never thought I'd get to see the beauties of Heartstone TrollMarket, but yeah, it can wait." Claire was seriously thinking of slapping him with her staff.

"You know what?  We don't need your help.  Good luck getting home." Claire seethed.  Toby nodded, and the two teens walked off, followed closely by the trolls.  James sighed as he watched them go, and shook his head.  They didn't mean that, right?  They couldn't just...leave him.  This was Arcadia, his home was in Vermont!  Surely they weren't that cruel.  Right?  He shoved his hands into the pockets of the jeans he was wearing, shook his head, and went to go look around.

James had no idea where he was going, where the teens were going, or where he really was, but he didn't care.  He wandered around in his troll form, which luckily didn't get him very strange looks.  He fit in almost perfectly.  Though, somehow in his meandering, he ended up outside of Blinky's library.  He could hear the voices inside, and took a breath as his Troll form faded into his human one.  He didn't even knock before pushing the door open.

~~~

Barbara stared down at her son.  After they'd brought Jim back to TrollMarket, Blinky had called her to come down.  She was disappointed, to say the least, to see that his son was still turning into a Troll.

"I thought this 'amulet expert' was supposed to fix him." she sighed as she looked at her son laying prostrate on the air mattress she'd brought down for him to sleep on.  Blinky and Arrrgh exchanged a nervous glance.

"It...didn't quite work out that way." Blinky sighed.  He didn't want to worry Barbara anymore by telling her that the amulet expert had turned out to be her ex-husband.  "Though we...did make an interesting discovery." Barbara looked over at Blinky, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm listening." she folded her arms across her chest, and popped out her hip.  She was clearly very frustrated.

"Well..." Blinky sighed, clasping his four hands together.  "Do you recall Gunmar, the most evil troll in all existence?" she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yes?  The one that bit his arm off and then Jim killed him?" Blinky nodded.

"Well...the addition of the DeathStone, the only remnant of Gunmar seems to...be the problem.  It's...not just turning him into any troll it's...turning him into Gunmar himself." Barbara bit the inside of her lip, and looked back down at Jim.

"So...what do we do?" she whispered, arms unfolding as she moved to brush Jim's hair away from his forehead.

"I haven't the foggiest." Blinky whispered.  He didn't hear the door open, and didn't notice the changeling stepping towards them.

"We lock him in the DarkLands before Gunmar fully takes him over." James said with a shrug.  He hadn't noticed Barbara, but when his eyes landed on that ginger hair, before sweeping over her body, his jaw dropped and he hid behind Blinky.  She straightened.

"Who said that?" she asked.  Arrrgh grabbed James' arm and pulled him out from behind the other troll.  His face was bright red, and he managed a small wave.

"Uh...hey Barb." he chuckled dryly and rubbed the back of his neck.  "Long time no see...huh?" Barbara's face had turned as red as her hair, hands clenching into fists at her sides.  

"What are you doing here?" she spat, glaring over at Blinky.  "Why did you bring him here?  How did you even find him?!" she shrieked.

"I was unaware that the Changeling we sook was James" Blinky managed to squeak out.  Barbara's nose wrinkled, before she glared over at James.

"You're a changeling?" she whispered, absolutely seething.  James whimpered, and nodded.  Barbara stepped closer to him, and he was too scared to move away, feet seemingly glued to the floor.  She raised her hand, and slapped him across the face.  "That's for leaving me" she whispered, before slapping him with her backhand the other way.  "And that's for lying to me and our son." she spat every word she said.  She raised her hand again, and he winced.  

"Tell me why." she whispered.  He peeked and eye open.

"H-Huh?" she grit her teeth.

"Tell me why.  Tell me why you left.  Now!" he swallowed thickly, and looked at Blinky and Arrrgh as if for help, and they only shrugged.  His eyes slowly met the seething blue ones of Barbara Lake.

"I...had to." he managed to whisper, and a bark of laughter escaped her lips.

"Of course you did!  Of course!  You just had to leave on our son's birthday!  With no note, no explanation, no nothing!" she shrieked, and he bowed his head, refusing to meet her eyes again.

"If I didn't leave, the Janus Order was going to be breaking down our door-"

"I don't care!" Barbara shouted, throwing her hands in the air.  "I don't.  I don't care.  I don't care who was coming for you.  You could have given us some explanation.  Some warning!  But no!  You just ran!"

"Barbara-"

"You have no idea what I had to go through!  Being a single mother sucks!  Do you have any idea how hard it was to tell my kid who was so excited to get a bicycle for his birthday that his own father ran away and wasn't coming back?" James wanted to say something, but the words died in his throat.

"If you can't help Jim, then leave." she hissed.  "There's no reason for you to be here.  You came too late.  Ten years too late.  Now go back to your ski lodge or wherever you live in Vermont and have fun with your secretary." James looked helplessly at Toby and Claire, who looked away.  He nodded slowly, and took a step back.

"Okay.  I...sorry.  I'm sorry I couldn't help more.  Good luck." he moved to leave the library, knowing the fiery glare of Barbara was on his back as he left.

~~~

A/N

Alright!  Another Chapter down!  Hope you enjoyed!  More artwork is on the way, it just gets delayed because I have been working so much, but thanks for your patience!

Thanks for reading!

     ~TJ