StarLight

Chapter 35: Newcomers Are Always "Welcome"

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Skylar:
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Claire pushed her chair back, hitting Jim's desk as I sighed, casting a glance at Arya who shrugged in response.
"So, when are we saving my brother?" Claire asked, looking between me and Jim.
"We'll get him soon, I promise." Jim said softly, offering a smile.
My gaze narrowed.
"We can't just waltz in to the darklands like we can Disney Land." I spoke harshly.
I hated that we had to bring even more people into this.
"This is my brother and Not Enrique is driving me nuts. You know how many times I have to change him? He knows how to use the toilet. He chooses the diaper." Claire went on.
"Wouldn't it be strange if a baby started using the toilet suddenly?" Arya pointed out, causing me to nod in agreement.
"I get it, we'll get him back." Jim stated again.
"We just can't risk releasing Gunmar." I added, looking at Claire.
Claire huffed.
"Admit it, you're going back on your word." She spoke sourly before pulling her chair back forward and facing the front.
Jim opened his mouth to reply, but I placed my hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Let it go. If she wants to be a brat, let her. I am not going to deal with this shit this early." I muttered, causing him to frown.
The bell then rang, signaling the start of class.
"Okay, if it makes you feel any better, Blinky said we can bring you." Jim suddenly stated softly, causing Claire to look back at us excitedly.
"Since when did he say that?" I asked, looking to Arya who only shrugged in turn.
"To trollmarket? Seriously? When?" She asked, looking to Jim directly.
"Are we going now?" She then asked, ignoring my look.
"After school." Jim replied with a kind tone.
"But try not to let the whole world know." He added with a somewhat joking tone.
A sudden pain shot through my head, causing me to hiss before wincing.
"Woah, Skylar.  Are you okay?" Arya asked, catching Jim's attention.
"What's wrong?" Jim asked.
"Nothing, I've just been getting headaches and serious Deja Vu. Which is weird." I replied before shaking my head.
"Let's just focus on class." I then said, moving on.
Jim frowned at me as I focused on Coach Lawrence.
"All right! Butts in your seats. You too, Nunez." He stated, walking to the center of the front.
"Since Strickler's a no-show, I'm subbin' in. We got some book learnin' to do." He added.
A pause.
"Okay, people, who can tell me what happened in the year 1989?" He asked, causing me to shoot my hand up.
He turned to us having a dumb-founded look.
"Ms. Lake." He said, gesturing for me to answer.
"George Bush became president. There was an Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Loma Prieta earthquake, Galileo and its international upper stage booster was deployed by the Space Shuttle Alantis on the TST-34 mission and the United States invasion of Panama. In that order." I stated before frowning and looking to Arya as everyone began whispering.
"Haven't I said that before?" I asked in a whisper, causing her to shake her head in response.
My frown deepened before I looked back to Coach Lawrence.
"Sorry, I remember things easily." I stated.
He raised a brow before testing me for the rest of the class.

Once school ended, we headed to the Canals and I was going to open the gate for us before Jim suggested that we let Claire do it.
I frowned before reluctantly handing it over to the excited girl.
Toby then began to demonstrate how to draw the door as I stood behind, arms crossed with Arya next to me.
"Do you see this?" I asked, causing Arya to look at me.
"Why is he acting like he's in charge? And what is he thinking bringing Claire into all this?" I asked.
"She might be helpful?" Arya suggested, causing me to shake my head.
"He's been acting weird. Ever since I found the amulet, he was saying weird things. Something is going on here." I muttered, narrowing my gaze at him as he walked into the doorway after Claire.
"He seems to know when things are gonna happen... Like how he found us at the museum." Arya then stated, causing my eyes to widen.
"You're right." I admitted.
We exchanged a glance before walking through.
Apparently, Claire was racing ahead, too excited to reign in.
Vendel wasn't going to be happy.
A heavy sigh escaped me as another headache began to form.
My point was proven when she did run into the elder troll.
My eyes widened when she started speaking troll, quelling Vendel's irritation.
Of course she would win Vendel over.
Arya and I decided to head to the Heroes forge as the others walked around.
"What other reason would Jim have to go to the Museum? There's no way he would just expect us to be there at the point in time." I muttered aloud, causing Arya to hum in thought.
That's when I saw Draal.
I tilted my head, putting those thoughts on hold as I walked over.
"Hey, Draal." I greeted, causing him to turn and look at me.
"Skylar." He greeted with a small smile.
I was silent a minute as he returned to what he was doing.
"Is that your father?" I asked, tilting my head.
"It is." He replied, causing me to nod.
That's when I took notice of the new arm.
"How's that working for you?" I asked, meeting his gaze.
He flexed the fingers to demonstrate.
"It's alright." He then stated.
I opened my mouth to ask if he wanted any help, but something stopped me.
I frowned before looking to Draal.
Something told me he didn't want help with this...
"The heroes forge!" Toby then exclaimed, causing me to turn and look at them.
They continued to talk for a moment as Claire made her way around.
I was about to open my mouth to tell her not to pull the lever, but everything was quick to go haywire.
My armor equipped itself and I opened my wings, shooting into the air to avoid a swinging axe.
Jim and Blinky ran over as I was busy dodging everything, directly in the center of the chaos.
Draal was doing his best to shut it off.
Claire was fine, but Toby wasn't.
"This is why you don't go pulling random levers!" I shouted as Arya tried to help Draal.
Claire was suddenly sliding down a platform and I groaned.
Jim was able to shut everything off and I sighed, seeing Claire's sliding slow.
Slowly, I made my way down, my armor disappearing along with my wings when I had a few more feet to go.
I landed on my feet, bending my knees as I grunted from the impact.
I took in a couple breaths as everything turned off.
"For the love of everything that is holy, Claire." I began, turning to her.
She looked at the ground sheepishly.
"Next time, when going to a strange new place, don't go pulling levers unless you know what they do." I stated harshly.
Jim stepped in front of me. 
"Take it easy, she's just excited." He defended.
My blood began to boil.
"Jim, I am-" I was cut off by a glow catching my attention before surrounding me.
My vision went black.
When my sight returned, I was in a different place, everything seeming other-worldly.
"Hello?" I called out, looking around.
"She's useless." A voice spoke harshly, causing me to frown as I tried pinpointing where it came from.
"Unwelcome." Another voice put in.
"A mistake has been made."
"Leave this place." 
"This isn't exactly a picnic for me either." I spat out, glaring at the floating lights.
"She's but a child."
"A human, no less!" 
I felt a presence behind me, causing me to turn.
"Are you worthy?" The image of Kanjigar asked.
I barely registered the fact that I had blocked his attack.
He then turned into a blue orb, causing me to dodge to the side as he charged.
He reformed behind me again.
This went on for some time, and I was getting irritated quickly.
"Knock it off already!" I shouted, blocking his attack again.
However, that only allowed him to disarm me.
I breathed heavily, opening my wings and jumped up, catching the sword before retreating backwards a few feet and landing, keeping my wings partially open.
"Just explain to me what's going on without trying to fight me. You're all trollhunters too, aren't you? So why are you attacking me as if I'm your enemy?" I spoke up, making sure to take a glance at all the orbs floating around.
Kanjigar studied me for a moment.
"You are in the void. A place between worlds for the Trollhunter to receive counsel from those who came before. We've been waiting, watching. Growing restless until you've proven yourself." He spoke.
"So the arena going haywire wasn't just Claire's fault, but yours? You realize you could have killed someone, correct?" I spoke, glaring at him.
My eyes then widened before cringing.
"Also, what kind of stalkers are you guys? Do you understand how creepy that is?" I asked, taking another step back.
"There are no secrets here." He stated in response.
"I am a teenage girl. Privacy is a big deal." I stated lowly, sheathing my sword as I glared.
Suddenly, his hands evaporated, showing when I had killed Bular in a cloudy mist of blue.
"We've seen all your triumphs and your deceptions." He added before showing an image of when Jim was telling Claire  that we'd get her brother back, me agreeing in my spiteful way.
"We know what you plan to do." He then stated, causing me to turn and look at him.
"You court danger and death." He added.
"Ah, yes. My two closest allies now a days." I spoke sarcastically.
"This is no joking matter." Kanjigar stated sternly.
"You think I don't know that? I wouldn't be risking the entire world if it wasn't important. I was told that as the Trollhunter I had to keep all of humanity and trollkind safe? Does that not apply to the children the goblins have taken from their homes and replaced?" I asked, standing to my full height.
"To be a trollhunter is to make sacrifices! I had to distance myself from my son to keep him safe. Something you have failed to do!" He announced, his voice echoing.
"I may not be perfect, but neither were you or anyone else here! Maybe the amulet just chose me because it was convenient, but that doesn't matter, because I'm the trollhunter now. And it must mean something if I'm the only one here that is still breathing!" I shouted back, causing the previous trollhunters to gasp in shock.
"Blasphemy!" 
"She mocks us!
"Leave this place!"
"A mistake has been made."
"Like I actually want to be here. Last I checked, you're the ones that summoned me." I pointed out.
"You ridicule us?" Kanjigar asked.
"As if that isn't what you haven't been doing to me since the moment I stepped in here." I spat.
It was silent a moment.
I took in a breath.
"All of you may have made it to the books, but face it. You were nothing before the amulet." I stated.
"Then what does that make you?" Kanjigar asked.
My glare only hardened.
"We will not stop you from going into the Darklands, Skylar Lake. But know this. If you go in, the only way you will get out is if you kill Gunmar." He stated.
Before I could reply I began glowing, causing me to look at your hands.
My vision went black again before I found myself back in the forge.
"You're back!" Jim exclaimed, running up to me.
I took a step back away from him, gritting my teeth as I clenched and unclenched my fist.
"Wow, so trolls and ghosts exist. What's next? A midsummer's night dream? Fairies?" Toby asked, causing me to turn my glare onto him, not that he exactly deserved it.
"Fairies? Preposterous! Fairies lost the war to pixies centuries ago." Blinky stated before turning to me.
He seemed hesitant before speaking.
"What did they say?" He asked softly.
"Nothing of importance." I hissed out before taking in a breath to calm myself.
"They won't stop us." I added, knowing it's what they actually were asking about.
Draal frowned.
"What would my father stop you from?" He asked.
I took in another breath, unclenching my fists in order to avoid getting cramps in my fingers.
"From going into the Darklands. But if we're going, the only way to get out is if we kill Gunmar."
"And with Strickler gone..." Jim spoke, almost sounding disheartened.
"Then we stand a damn good chance." I replied.