Moonlight (Draal x OC)

42: Parental Guidance

Third person:
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Barbara was in the basement, painting her latest piece, a boy in armor and a girl with wings, standing side by side in the golden light.
She put her hands on her hips, studying it before dipping her brush back in the paint, adding one more touch.
She frowned, running the brush across the canvas one last time.
She squnited her eyes, studying it, a familiarity of it forming in her head.
She spoke her childrens names, gasping.
She stepped back, looking to the painting off Strickler.
All of her memories hit her at once.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sighed as we were making our way home calmly.
I was skating slowly next to them.
"C minus!" Toby said with a uppity beat.
"C-plus. What di you get, Jim?" Claire asked.
"D, and probably summer school." Was his reply before they turned to me.
"Skylar?" They asked.
"An A." I replied, making them almost crash into eachother.
"How'd you get that?" They asked.
I shrugged.
"I found time to study." I said.
"Senor Uhl said that next week's Spanish final counts for twenty percent of our grade." Claire stated.
We turned and I caught my bored bringing it in.
"Yeah, let's bring our books to training. Cramming couldn't hurt." Jim stated as we walked in.
We spotted moms bag, causing Jim and I to exchange a look as I set my stuff down, keeping my bag on.
"Mom, are you home?" Jim asked.
"In here kids." Mom replied.
We walked in, seeing Claire's parents and Toby's nana.
I sucked in a breath.
"She knows." I whispered.
"We need to talk." She stated.
"Those four words are never good." Toby stated.
I sighed, leaning against the wall.
Chairs were pulled up for the other three as I stood.
"Barbara, what's going on?" Mrs. Nunez asked.
"This is bad." Mr. Nunez stated.
"On the phone, you said our children's lives were in trouble." Mrs. Nunez went on.
"My Toby-Pie would never be in trouble. He's an angel." Toby's Nana put in.
"Actuall, Mrs. Domzalski, I'm afraid they're in serious danger, but it'd be best if they explain." Mom stated.
"Kids?" She asked, raising a brow.
The three chuckled nervously as I rolled my eyes.
"I don't know what she's talking about." Claire stated, looking to her parents.
"Neither do I." Toby stated.
Toby then elbowed Jim.
"Jimbo, maybe you can help us out." Toby said.
"Um..." He trailed off, seeing everyone's expectant looks.
I sighed.
"It's the drugs, isn't it?" Mr. Nunez asked, standing up again.
I looked away, laughing slightly before clearing my throat, looking back to them.
"It's not drugs, it's trolls." Mom stated, making Claire, Toby, and Jim gasp as Mr. Nunez sat back down.
"The internet! I knew it." Mr. Nunez stated.
Oh man, this guy's funny.
"Not internet trolls, real trolls." Mom insisted, making the other three adults laugh.
Jim, Claire, and Toby then joined in the laughter as I raised a brow.
"Trolls? Barbara..." Nana sipped her tea before continuing, "Are you on the drugs?" She asked.
"No. There are these creatures that live beneath us. It's not entirely clear in my head, but our kids are helping them and fighting them." Mom explained.
"Oh, no. It is the drugs." Mr. Nunez stated, whispering the last part... He's bad at whispering.
"I believe you, Barbara." Mrs. Nunez stated.
"You do?" Mom asked.
"I, too, have dealt with stress and anxiety and have the number to an excellent therapist." Ms. Nunez stated.
"She doesn't need to see a therapist." I spat, catching her attention.
Mom turned to me.
"Skylar be nice. It's not stress Ophelia." Mom stated, making me roll my eyes.
Toby then laughed, very fakely.
"Trolls living beneath us? What? That's crazy town banana pants fosters." Toby stated, making Claire force a laugh.
"With extra nuts." She stated.
"Jim, Skylar. Tell them. Please." Mom pleaded, looking between the two of us.
Jim resituated in his chair as I looked away.
He then sighed.
"The hospital asked her to take some time off." Jim stated, making me growl as I looked away from everyone.
I understand why he did it, but it still made me mad.
"Oh, no." Mr. Nunez stated.
"Oh, dear." Nana stated.
I could feel the look on mom's face, making me close my eyes.
I sighed looking back, not meeting her eyes.
"What?" Mom asked.
She looked to the others, anger filling her.
She then grabbed our bags.
"Look in the'r bags. Search them." Mom said, throwing the bags to the respected parents/guardian.
"What?" Toby asked.
"I'm sure you'll find a few surprises." Mom said loudly, digging through Jims bag and pulling out his amulet.
She then searched through mine, finding nothing but books and school work.
She looked to me, frowning before looking to the others.
She threw Jim's amulet on the table.
"Mom." Jim said.
"That's an invasion of my privacy." Claire defended.
"Nana, don't." Toby pleaded running over to her.
She pulled out his portable warhammer.
"Oh, my." She stated, adjusting her glasses.
"I don't know what's going on, by what do you call this?" Mr. Nunez asked, pulling out a protractor.
"That's a protractor dad." Claire stated, putting her hands on her hips.
"I think he meant this." Mrs. Nunez said, pulling out her shadow staff.
"Uh..." Claire said.
"Isn't it clear? Your son stole these artifacts from the museum." Mrs. Nunez stated, making me scoff.
"Then why isn't there a complaint about missing artifacts?" I asked as mom walked up.
"It was in your daughter's bag." She said.
"How dare you accuse my daughter?" Mr. Nunez asked.
"Excuse me?" Mom asked.
An arguement broke out.
I stayed where I was, making sure not to draw attention to myself.
"We confess!" Claire suddenly said.
"What?" Jim asked.
"We confess. We're... LARPers." She said.
"We're LARPers. Live Action Role Players. We play a fantasy game during lunch time." She stated, making me nod.
"It's great, complete fun." I added.
"Yeah." Toby put in, chuckling.
"She's a sorceress, that's her wand." Toby explained, gesturing to what Mr. Nunez was holding.
"And I'm a war king. That's a thing, right? And Jim as a metal... He's a metalizer. And Skylar, Skylar is our War Angel." Toby stated.
"It's worse than we thought." Mrs. Nunez said.
Mom scoffed.
"They're lying. This is not make-believe." Mom insisted as Jim slipped away.
"I think I saw this in..." I slipped away, following Jim downstairs.
"-at are you doing here?" I heard Jim asked as I walked down the stairs after him.
"Forgive me for using the tunnel, it is urgent." Blinky replied, grabbing Jim as I leaned against the beam.
"This is neither the time nor the place, Blink." Jim replied.
"If you don't listen to me, there will be no time or place." Blinky stated.
"We know the reason for Arrrgh's absence, though I'm still unsure if I should trust it's source, which I'm thankful for Skylar coming down here." Blinky added.
Dictatious then walked out from behind a painting, fumbling around.
"Allow me, brother." He said.
"Dictatious?" Jim asked.
"Gunmar has taken Arrrgh captive and is en route to resurrect Angor Rot." He stated, making me growl.
"Oh dear... Is Skylar here?" He asked, looking in my general direction.
I walked up to him, putting my hand to his head.
"He's telling the truth." I stated, moving away.
I scoffed.
"I'll kill Angor Rot." I stated, turning to Jim, making him nod.
"But shouldn't that be impossible? We smashed him." Jim said, thinking.
"There is but one being witht the power to resurrect him." Dictatious replied.
"I fear we already know her name. Morgana." Blinky said.
Jim frowned.
"Jim? Skylar?" We heard mom ask from upstairs.
"Hide." Jim ordered.
They struggled for a moment, one of them being blind and all...
Blinky hid Dictatious behind the painting of Strickler, falling back when he saw the painting of Angor Rot.
"Speak of the devil." He stated before hiding behind the painting of himself.
"Are you two hiding down here?" Mom asked, coming down.
"No." Jim and I replied.
Jim looked around.
"Uh,,, We were looking at your paintings." Jim explained.
"You have quite the imagination." He added as we moved closer to the stairs.
"Don't you walk away from me." She ordered as we started up the stairs.
We both stopped, turning back to her.
"You both made me look crazy up there." She stated, walking over to the painting of Jim and I.
"Do all Troll knights and Night angels let their mothers be humiliated?" Mom asked, gesturing to the painting.
Jim and I stared at the painting.
I sighed.
"Trollhunter, mom." Jim corrected.
"Nightwatcher." I then corrected.
Mom then turned back to the painting.
"I know we've had this conversation." She said.
"We didn't want to drag you into this again." Jim explained.
"So instead you dragged your friends?" She asked.
"Toby was there when Jim found his amulet, Claire got dragged in because of circumstances." I explained.
Mom sighed.
"We're parents. It's our duty to know if our children are in trouble." She said.
"Trouble?" Jim and I asked.
"This isn't trouble. This is real danger." Jim stated, gesturing to the painting of Strickler.
"Genuine life-threatening stuff." Jim added.
"We almost lost you." I put in.
"But you also saved my life." She stated.
"That much I do remember correctly." She added before sighing, taking off her glasses.
"Listen. I'm a doctor. I know saving lives isn't easy work. I'm not trying to stop you. I'm trying to help you." She explained.
"But with danger this close to home, their parents should know." She added, Blinky peeking out from behind the painting.
"Uh..." Jim said, bringing attention.
Mom turned, gasping.
"Hello." Blinky greeted.
"Barbara." He added.
Mom screamed, again... making me sigh.
"Oh, I knew it! That's Mr. Blinky." She stated, putting her glasses back on, pointing to him with excitement like a little kid at an amusement park.
"Blink-heh." He corrected.
Dictatious then walked out, grunting.
"I can't see. Is this a joyous occasion or a terrifying-" He was cut off by Blinky putting his hand over his mouth as he held up his tied hands.
"I don't remember this one." Mom said.
"We wanted to tell the truth, but what if their parents don't understand?" Jim asked.
"If they get in the way, our friends, human and troll, could die." He explained.
"And if there comes a day when your friends don't come home, what will you tell their parents then?" Mom asked, making Jim look at the ground.
Jim leaned against the pipe as I looked around.
"Jim, Skylar... we're here to support you, no matter what the problem is. If it's school, if it's girls, if it's boys, if it's... trolls. Especially trolls. But if we don't talk, how are we supposed to help?" Mom asked, making a good point.
Jim and I shared a look before we both hugged mom.
"Oh, I see. It's a heartfelt occasion." Dictatious stated, making me smile slightly at the bad timing.
"Shut it, you blind bat. You're ruining the moment." Blinky stated, elbowing him.
We then pulled apart, Jim and I nodding at eachother before all three of us walked up stairs.
The adults were still arguing.
"I have something to say." Jim stated, walking forward.
"What are we doing here, buddy? We're not really gonna, you know..." Toby asked, trailing off as he walked over to us.
"Doubling down on the LARPing?" Claire asked, walking over as I leaned against the wall behind them.
"I'm good if you are." She added.
"We're doubling down on the truth." Jim and I replied.
"Our parents deserve to know what we do at night." Jim added, catching everyone's attention.
"What do you do at night with my daughter?" Mr. Nunez asked, making me hide my smile, clearing my throat.
"We fight trolls." Jim replied seriously.
Mr. Nunez sat down, letting go a breath of air.
"Well, at least that's better than the alternative." He stated, his wife hitting him.
"What?" He asked.
"Everything our mother said is true." Jim stated.
"I am-- I mean we are Trollhunters. And my sister is the Nightwatcher." Jim stated.
Claire chuckled weakly, looking to her parents.
"Ta-da." Toby said awkwardly doing jazz-hands.
A moment passed before Mrs. Nunez stood up.
"That's enough of this nonsense. We are leaving." She stated.
"Kiddo's, maybe you should show rather then tell." Mom suggested, throwing Jim the amulet and making me shrug.
"I'll show if they show." I stated.
We all exchanged looks and Toby walked over to his Nana.
"Nana, you may want to turn down your hearing aid." Toby stated.
She put her tea down and turned it down.
"And could you pass me that thingy?" Toby asked.
"Here you go, war king." She stated, chuckling, tossing it to him.
Toby picked it up from where it landed.
He was the first to show, letting the hammer pull him into the air, making everyone gasp.
Claire then hummed, throwing her hand out.
"Azazazuth-Kinekh-Thoon!" She chanted, her staff flying out of her dad's hands and into her's.
She turned as she caught it, letting it open and she opened a portal, making the three gasp again.
Jim and I exchanged a look and he nodded, making me sigh.
I pushed off the wall, moving behind the three so I had enough room.
I let my wings open fully as I summoned my swords.
The gawked.
"For the glory of Merlin, daylight is mine to command." He spoke, his armor equiping, making the cookies float.
Mr. Nunez started clapping as Nana's mouth hung open, holding a cookie.
"Still better than the alternative." He stated, chuckling.
I then folded my wings, letting the swords disappear as Toby lowered.
"Uh..." Jim chuckled.
"Who wants coffee?" Mom asked.

Mr. Nunez was studying Jim's armor as Toby's Nana pet my wings, making me sigh as I held one out to her.
Ms. Nunez then started dialing a number.
"Who are you calling?" Mom asked.
"The Mayor. I have him on speed dial." She stated, putting the phone to her ear.
"Ophelia, you can't." Mom stated.
"Mom, what are you doing?" Claire asked.
"Besides showing your age with the phrase 'speed dial'?" Toby asked through his teeth.
"Oh, what's a speed dial?" His nana asked.
"If an apocalypse is brewing under my city, it's my responsibility to stop it." She stated.
I flicked my wrist, her phone rushing towards me and I caught it, hanging up.
"Yeah, not happening." I stated, setting the phone down just as Blinky and Dictatious slammed the basement door shut.
We looked over, Dictatious on the floor.
Mrs. Nunez started screaming.
"They're hideous." Mr. Nunez stated.
"We could say the same of you." Blinky replied.
The phone then started ringing and Claire picked it up.
"We love what you're doing, Mayor. Keep up the good work. Thanks, bye." Claire stated, hanging up.
"Mrs. Nunez, he's good... The other one, not so much." Jim explained.
"Hey." Dictatious defended.
"Master Jim, Lady Skylar, apologies for interrupting, but we have a little problem." Blinky explained, making me sigh.
"Goblins?" I asked as he was then hit back to the floor, due to the force they were using on the door.
White goblins then crawled out, sniffing and growling.
I sighed.
"Look's like I was right." I stated.
"Oh geez. These guys are the worst." Toby stated as I summoned my swords.
"We gotta get out parents outta here." Jim stated.
"Are those the trolls?" Mr. Nunez asked.
"They're not trolls, they're goblins." Jim and I stated.
"Oh, so many kitties." Toby's nana stated, making me roll my eyes.
Mrs. Nunez screamed as they came closer.
"Stand back, sweetie. I got them." Mr. Nunez said.
Claire then flipped in front of her parents, hitting the first three goblins as Toby's nana fed some cookies.
I sliced some as they cornered me.
Mom started encouraging Jim and I as we kept the goblins back.
"Mom." We said, embarrased.
"Sorry, kids. Habit." She stated as I sliced another one.
"They're coming from outside. We have to seal all the windows." Jim stated.
"I'm on it." Mom stated, running up the stairs.
I sliced two at a time.
I saw mom and I ran foward, slicing two goblins as Jim tackled the one with a crossbow.
Claire ended up going into one of her portals.
Jim then shot the goblin into the blender.
"B is for Blender, furball." Mom stated, blending the goblin.
She chuckled.
"And you say I'm hopeless in the kitchen." She stated.
Jim chuckled, obviously scared.
"Hey, Jim! Now we know where I get all my scary mojo from." I stated jokingly.
We then made our way to the living room.
"Not another step, vermin!" Mom shouted, tossing the goblin mess out of the blender, the eye rolling towards them.
They all gasped and Mom turned on the blender.
They then started running, making me smirk as I let my swords disappear.
The two Nunez parents were hugging eachother.
Just then a portal opened and Claire jumped out.
I groaned, holding my head as Angor Rot flashed in my head.
Mrs. Nunez then grabbed her phone.
"Mom, you can't tell anyone." Claire said.
"I'm an adult. You don't tell me what to do." She replied, making me roll my eyes.
"Claire's right. You can't tell anyone." Jim stated as she put the phone to her ear.
"If anything stops us from defeating Gunmar, it's not just us in danger, it's everyone." Jim stated.
"And Jimbo's the only one who can stop him." Toby added.
"With our help." Claire put in.
Mom then walked forward.
"Listen. I believe in my children and I need you to believe in yours. We have to protect them the way they are, not the way we want them to be. We don't have ordinary kids." She stated, putting a hand on Jim's and my shoulder.
"Listen, I know this sounds crazy. I know this goes against evey parental instinct. But we have to trust them, to protect not only us, but the fate of the world." Mom went on.
"Thanks mom." Jim and I stated.
"Oh, my Toby the Trollhunter." Toby's nana said, grabbing his cheek.
Claire then hugged her dad before walking over to us.
"Claire, are you okay?" He asked.
"Jim, I saw something in the Shadow Realm. It was like seeing memories from Morgana." She replied, trying to explain it.
"You mean you saw another magic Morgana memory?" Toby asked.
"I saw... I saw your amulet and a staff." She stated, making Dictatious gasp.
"She had visions." He stated.
"What sort of staff?" Blinky asked, shrugging Dictatious off.
"It had a green gem." Claire stated.
"Staff of Avalon." Blinky stated.
"Legends say it's in Merlin's Tomb." He added.
"I also saw..." She trailed off.
"Angor Rot." I stated, gritting my teeth as my eyes flashed white.
She nodded in my direction.
"Angor Rot?" Jim asked.
"He's back and he's after you." Claire stated, pointing to me.
I smirked, my eyes flashing red.
"Can't wait." I stated.
"Are you serious?" Toby asked.
"Did you see anything helpful in those visions of yours?" He asked.
"Yeah." She stated, turning to Jim.
"I found a way to Merlin's Tomb." She stated.
"That's helpful." Toby stated, chuckling.
"But, Jim, to find Merlins Tomb, you're gonna have to destroy your amulet." She added.
"Not helpful." Toby stated.