Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

45: Parental Guidance

Barbara stood in her basement, painting a picture of a boy with jet-black hair in a knight suit. The more she looked at him, the more he looked familiar.

"Jim..."

She started remembering a few things.

"We have to get to the hospital," Jim said. "Can't," Strickler coughed. "Our wounds won't be healed by modern medicine."

"You're going to be okay, Barbara," Blinky said as he carried her through Trollmarket.

"You were always my hero," she said to Jim. "My beautiful boy."

"For the glory of Merlin," Jim said. "Daylight is mine to command."

She dropped the paintbrush and looked at the painting. "Oh, no," she said. "Jim!"

***

The three Trollhunters rode their bikes home from school. Toby put his hands in the air. "Woo! C minus!" he said. He put his hands back onto the handlebars before he fell off. "C plus," Claire said. "What did you get, Jim?"

"D," he said. "And probably summer school."

"Senor Uhl said that next week's Spanish final counts for 20% of our grade," she said as they pulled up into Jim's driveway. "If you ace that..."

"Yeah, Jimbo!" Toby said. "20% is the difference between life and death. I mean, academically speaking."

They walked into Jim's house. "Yeah," Jim said. "Let's bring our books to training. Cramming wouldn't hurt."

He saw Barbara's purse hanging from the stairs. "Mom?" he called. "Are you home?"

"In here, kids," They heard Barbara from the living room. They walked in and saw her standing in front of Claire's parents and Mrs. Domzalski. Mrs. Domzalski smiled when she saw them. "Hello!" She waved with a plate of cookies in front of her.

"We need to talk," Barbara said.

Toby came out from behind Jim. "Well, those four words are never good."

***

Bagdwella searched through a dumpster in a dark alley. She picked up a fake arm and heard something behind her. "Who's there?" she asked. "I'm armed!"

A hooded troll came out from behind a small trash can. "I beg of you," he said. "You must take me to my brother."

"I don't know your brother and I don't know you. Now shoo!"

"Please!"

He walked closer to her and she slapped him with the fake arm. He grabbed onto it. "Take me to Blinkous Galadrigal," he said. "The fate of the world depends on it!"

***

Usurna walked through Trollmarket until she reached the Goblin Bar. It was filled with goblins washing cups, dancing to the music, swinging from the lights. "Which one of you things is in charge?" she asked. They all pointed to a mustached goblin with a helmet and a talking kid toy. "Do you know who I am?" she asked him. He pressed a button on the kid's toy. "Q is for Queen."

"Clever. I need you and your friends to track down a troll named Dictatious Galadrigal and kill him. Understood?"

He pressed another button. "Y is for Yes."

***

"Barbara, what's going on?" Mrs. Nunez asked. "On the phone, you said our children's' lives were in trouble."

"My Toby Pie would never be in trouble," Mrs. Domzalski said. "He's an angel."

"Actually, Mrs. Domzalski," Barbara said. "I'm afraid, he's in serious danger. But it would be best if they explain," she turned to the Trollhunters, who were now sitting in chairs. "Kids?"