Midnight

63 - He's Still Jim; Stone or Flesh

[ Another long chapter. Remember: take a rest in between and refresh your eyes. Don't want you going cross-eyed ~FiatheDemon ]

Blake groans and twists her head around and her bones crack as she moved her neck around. She takes a look around and found Merlin in front of her, back towards her, and he was stirring the items they acquired earlier today. And an unconscious Jim beside her.

Merlin looks up and stops stirring for a moment, "I'll get straight to the point. I didn't want to see the Midnight Amulet, I wanted to destroy it but the Gummgumms somehow took it from me and used it to slaughter innocent trolls. I couldn't do anything - it was a success, but it was a failure. But, you... I didn't expect you to change its ways of my mistakes..." Merlin says, "the darkness tried to consume you, and the other incantation that wasn't written on the amulet, you somehow figured it out. I must say, I am impressed..." Merlin mutters. Blake listened and looked at the Amulet on the counter.

Merlin sighs, "you were supposed to be my champion..." Merlin stated.

Jim tries to get up and get his Amulet, "you tied me up?!" Jim growls. Merlin blocked out his anger and started to give him serious talk. He wanted Jim to see the bigger picture. Jim compared Merlin to Gunmar but Merlin does care, he just sees the bigger picture. It wasn't a wild goose chase he sent them on, the ingredients were for a greater purpose.

Merlin leans down and reads the blender's name, "'Food Magic 3000'?" Merlin read as he presses the button, it started to whir and mix the ingredients, "ah! That really is magic," Merlin laughs slightly as he looked at the blender does its work. He continues to mix the ingredients, but Jim wondered what it was for, "to turn you into a troll?" Merlin answered.

"You want to turn me into a troll?" Jim questioned.

"Actually, half-troll," Merlin corrected himself, "consider this recipe my way of evening the odds," Merlin extends his arm out with the jar in his hand. Jim refused to drink that, "oh, you won't be consuming it. If this old man could overpower you, what do you think Gunmar or Angor Rot will do? You must pour the elixir into water. Submerge yourself in said water and, presto! You will be born anew!" Merlin explained with a smile.

"But why Jim? Why not me?!" Blake exclaims, trying to take his place.

"His heart. I once had a heart as pure as his, I believe. In my rest, I saw a way to finally end this stalemate. To win this war, I must have a champion with a foot in both worlds," Merlin reminisces. Jim thought he had a choice. He did. He just needed to become more than human, "part of you will remain Jim, but the other part will never be the same. If you really want to save your mother, your friends, this world you call home..."

"You're asking me to leave it all behind?"

"I know this is the greatest call anyone has ever asked of you..." Merlin says. Jim's and Blake's hand were now untied. They were confused, "I never tied you. I was opening your eyes. I said the choice was yours and there it lies. This is that choice," Merlin places the jar on the counter. The elixir was neon green but it started to become black.

Blake stood quiet, she had no idea what to think. Jim gets up and slowly heads upstairs with the elixir in his hand. Blake followed him but didn't say anything. Jim started to fill up the bathtub with the elixir. Blake began to let out stifled cries. Jim hugs Blake, as he was hugging her, he was looking back into his life of being the Trollhunter. When he first became one, the people he met and fought alongside with. On the other side of the door was Barbara, Mr. Strickler, Claire, and Toby trying to get into the bathroom.

"Jim! What's happening? Please let us in!" Barbara cried. As Blake and Jim heard the cries, Blake started to sob. Her eyes became red and the mascara she was wearing began to trail down her pale cheeks.