Chapter Text
Crumbling ruins of Arcadia float alone in the empty void. It was all that was left of Jim’s world, a world he was supposed to protect. Another loud crack and more rubble were separated from the shrinking island and decaying away. It was sad to be one of the ones to watch their timeline die away, but as one of those who caused this destruction, Jim wouldn’t trade the responsibility and force any of his friends to take it.
It started happening after going back in time after Toby died fighting the Arcane Order. Jim tried to save them, but he couldn’t so he went back again, and again, and again. The trollhunter went back so many times it corrupted and fractured not only his amulet, but the entire timeline itself.
He wasn’t the only one punished to watch it die and remain in darkness though. Most of his greatest enemies were there with him. In fact, Jim was in the middle of teaching Angor Rot how to play chess while Gunmar was busy talking with King Arthur of all people on top of the old high school. Even Merlin put aside the past and was talking with Morgana, and Jim could even hear the two laugh a few times. They were all that was left.
It'll be sad moment when the games they saved all turned to dust, leaving them with nothing to do but lay in complete darkness. ‘But this is the price their wars have chosen for them,’ Jim thought scratching at the cracks in the amulet that now glowed green, the same as the time stone. “Hey Angor, do you think we’d be playing chess still if I had given you your ring in the first run?”
“That would be most unlikely as I am only indulging you in this because there is no purpose for me otherwise,” Angor replied moving his queen forward. Despite resetting time so many times, some things didn’t reset. Like Angor’s missing eye, Gunmar has a scar from where Jim slayed him the first time, Morgana had her hand back, Merlin was still rude, and Jim….. Well Jim was perhaps the most damaged.
He could still feel the small presences of Morgana and Gunmar from the runs where he was possessed by them, though Angor’s own was much stronger than theirs due to the multiple curse marks the assassin subjugated on Jim during the few Seer runs. The two could have a conversation without uttering a single word and have often swapped souls to prank the others. There was the scar that ran right along the bridge of his nose; he couldn’t smell anything anymore. His right eye lost some of its sight to a claw to the face, and he had a limp in his left leg from being picked up by to many trolls and crushed.
“Must you think on such things hunter?” Angor interrupted watching as Jim took out another pawn.
The boy sighed, “Sorry Ang, it’s just I can’t stop thinking of the things I could’ve done differently.”
With an exasperated sigh Angor gently flicked the human’s forehead. “You can’t change it, so therefore do not think of how it could’ve been different. Your going to make this long existence in nothing unbearable not just for yourself.”
“You’re right. Also checkmate,” Jim set the chess piece in killing position. He missed playing chess with Strickler. Angor growled at Jim for the sad thought before stalking away grumbling. Jim sent an apologetic thought the troll’s way as he put away the game.
Loud, heavy footsteps that could only belong to Gunmar approached Jim. If it was in the past, Jim would be swinging around sword in hand in fear. But it wasn’t, the Gum-Gum was now a friend. “And what troubles the Trollhunter today to send the assassin growling away from another lost game?”
“Oh, the usual, thoughts of the many pasts,” Jim replied walking with the troll to the town center. The troll hummed in understanding as they sat down in their spot under the last tree watching the grey sun go down. “I wish we did something like this instead of fight all the time…”
“Unfortunately,” Gunmar sighed, “I would be too stubborn to make peace with you. And only something like this would convince me otherwise.” It was true, the black troll was perhaps the most stubborn troll out there. Maybe in another AU they became friends without the world ending. “Cheer up hunter and think not of our warring past and rest for a change.”
If only it was that simple. Jim curled up against the troll as the others came to join them for the night. As his eyes began shutting, Jim felt someone wrapping a blanket around him. ‘heh, despite technically not being a real sixteen-year-old they still treated him like a child.’
‘It is because you are a child hunter no matter how many lives you’ve lived.’ Ang’s thought rang through Jim’s head as the assassin finished turning him into a human burrito and began petting the child, inciting Jim to purr and slip into a peaceful sleep.
“Wake up James Lake!” Jim groaned curling up further in the blanket trying to ignore Merlin. “Let him sleep you old goat.” Morgana chastised the wizard. “The hunter hasn’t had any rest without nightmares for a long time and your first move is to wake him up?” Angor rasped in annoyance towards Merlin. “But time is of the essence! We have no time for him to be napping!” The wizard complained.
“No time for what Merl?” Jim asked groggily from under the blanket. “We have all the time in this nonexistent world.”
“In ours yes, but this other one no,” Merlin explained, which didn’t explain anything. Typical Merlin move, not give full information until Jim gave the wizard what he wanted. Which right now was to wake up from the best sleep he’s had in years.
The others groaned as Jim pushed himself out of the blanket burrito to glare at the wizard. “Okay I’m awake now, what is this about another one?”
“While we all know we’re not the only universe and there are other alternates of the original universe,” Merlin began explaining pulling out the Time Map. “It seems as though another universe is about to go down the same path as ours did.” The hologram of the map of Timelines and separate universe with their own timelines showed that there was one turning green like theirs. Most were blue or red depending on if they had a good ending or a bad one.
“And how is that a concern of ours?” Gunmar asked snorting in annoyance of disturbed sleep.
“Because that’s the original universe! If that one dies like ours, then every single other timeline and universe will cease to exist.” Merlin pulled the map to look closer at it, and it indeed was the center one with all the others, including theirs, connected to it.
“And what are we to do Merlin? That is not ours, there is nothing we could do save it,” Morgana pointed out looking sadly around them. “We were not even able to save our own branch let alone try to do so with the main one!”
“I agree with the witch, it’s not like we have much of an existence to look forward to anyway,” Angor voiced his opinion working on a carving of the second trollhunter he’d slain. “What say you King and hunter?”
They all turned to Arthur seeking the king’s opinion. The man sighed looking more his actual age every passing grey day. “We may not have been able to save ours, but that doesn’t mean we should give up on others. Not if we could do something about it.” The sword of Excalibur weighed heavy in his hands.
It was Jim’s turn now to voice his thoughts. Would it even be their right to fix it in the first place? “Do we even have a way to get there?”
“Yes, I know of a way to get you there, but…” Merlin began but faded off.
“But what,” Jim prompted the wizard to continue. Why did there always have to be buts?
Emotions ran through Merlin’s face, ones of regret, pain, and sadness. “It will require all the magic of a wizard and the soul of a divine king,” Merlin finally answered looking to Arthur. “I would have to be left behind without magic and Arthur would have to sacrifice himself…”
Silence became as loud as a cricket in the middle of the lonely night. How could they even ask that of any of them? They all agreed that they would be in this together until forever. “I’ll do it,” Arthur’s determined voice cut through the silence shocking the others.
Jim panicked at the thought of another friend dying. “But King Arthur-!” “No, lad. I must do this. And you must save that world and all the others,” Arthur interrupted with the commanding voice of a divine king. “This is what I must do to repay all I’ve done.”
“Are you sure about this old friend?” Merlin asked putting his hand on the king’s shoulders. A deep sadness filled the old wizard’s face, realizing that this time it would be him sending Arthur to his death.
“I should be asking you that question, old friend indeed. But I know you won’t allow Morgana to take your place anyway.” Arthur singled them all to stand around each other likened to the round table of old. “Before we do this we must make a plan.”
“The hunter obviously is going, but what of the rest?” Angor questioned still carving with such skill the troll didn’t even need to look at his hands and their work. An idea formed in Jim’s mind, drawing the assassin’s wide-eyed gaze. “You sure that would be a wise plan hunter?”
“It’s not that bad of a plan! Is it?” Jim defended. The others, used to the two’s silent conversations waited for them to voice this plan.
“I have always questioned your plan making skills hunter,” scoffing, Angor patted the human on the head as if he was a kitten having a hissy fit, which he was hissing.
“Care to share what this plan is with those who can’t read each other’s minds?” Gunmar grumbled getting annoyed with the two.
Jim not wanting a more than usual grouchy Gunmar quickly stopped hissing at Angor. “Right, my bad. So I was thinking what if we try to recreate what we have. Give your guy’s versions an example that you don’t have to take over the world!” He couldn’t help smiling at the thought of it happening. Morgana doesn’t think he’s smiled that way in a long time. “If we could get ourselves to stop fighting, then maybe they have a chance against the Arcane order and other me won’t reset time over and over again!”
Merlin hummed thinking through the plan looking for any holes in it. “It’s not a bad idea at all. But it would be hard to achieve, not that I don’t have faith in your capabilities to do it.” And now with a basic plan, they began planning the details of the plan.
It had been a long time since any of them felt this excited and hopeful and it was a nice change.
Everything was ready, all they had to do was say goodbye to Arthur and Merlin. Jim snuggled in between the old king and old wizard as they sat around a fire telling tales one last time to each other. They laughed, cried, hugged, and snarled at each other one last time fully together until the sun rose and it was time to go.
“Promise me, Jim, that no matter what happens in that universe that you won’t reset time,” Merlin demanded holding the boy’s shoulders in a tight grip. “The Time stone is still in the amulet therefore you can still use it. Just, remember why your even there and you shan’t use it.”
“I promise Merlin. And I intend to keep that promise this time,” Jim pushed forward into the old man for a hug catching the wizard off guard. Merlin sighed fondly patting the boy on the back.
“You’ll be alright trollhunter,” Merlin comforted the both of them as they separated. After all these years, Merlin was finally not a butt to Jim, and he had to say goodbye right after. It left a bitter taste in Jim's mouth.
Arthur hugged his dear sister tight knowing it was the last time. “Promise me sister, that you’ll save me from the Arcane Order?”
“There is no need to promise, I will always save you from them brother,” Morgana sniffled rubbing away the tears as they parted. “And I’ll be sure to reunite you with your sister of that world.”
The two trolls gripped the two humans by the forearm shaking it with respect before stepping to join the hunter and witch. It was time, and Merlin began the process. Jim couldn’t watch, burying his face in Morgana’s side, which she welcomed playing with his hair like his mother used to do. A strong wind began as Merlin incanted the spell and Arthur’s scream rang against their ears. Until finally a bright loud light and a shout from Merlin and they fell through the ground and into the other world.
For the good of All.