Gnome Your Enemy

## Plot

[1]Blinky begins to tell the story about the history of trollkind and how they came to Arcadia.

Years ago, the human and trolls worlds lived separated in peace, until their worlds came together and vicious trolls called Gumm-Gumms wanted to devour all of mankind and take their world as their own. Led by their leader, Gunmar the Black, the Gumm-Gumms went on a warpath for dominance of the surface world. Other trolls fought against him in the great Battle of Killahead Bridge (the portal to Gunmar's Darklands, led by Trollhunter Deya the Deliverer, who banished Gunmar and his army into the Darklands and sealed the bridge with the Amulet of Daylight. After which, the trolls torn the Killahead Bridge into pieces and hidden them across the globe. Then after, the trolls stowed themselves away on a ship called the *Mayflower* (along with gnomes for companionship and nourishment). They finally found themselves in the New World. They kept walking until they finally found a Heartstone underneath what would later be called Arcadia Oaks and settled for a new home called Heartstone Trollmarket.

When Blinky finishes his story, he finds Jim sleeping through the entire lecture (to his annoyance). After startling Jim awake, the exhausted Trollhunter explains that he's been up most of the night studying for his Spanish presentation and thought that his training would be more "active" than he expected if he was going to face Draal in a week for a rematch. Blinky explains that before a warrior fights, he must know *why* he must fight. Jim then complains that his Spanish teacher, Señor Uhl, is quite unforgiving and if he fails his presentation, then he would be grounded and he can't trollhunt, especially now that he has two lives to balance: his normal and trollhunting ones.

Just then, a female troll named Bagdwella hastily rushes into the Forge and exclaims that a rouge gnome was invading her shop.

Back at her shop, Bagwella explains that she couldn't find some items. Just then, a gnome comes through and trips her. She was using glue traps for them, but now they aren't working. She asks for Jim's help fixing it. He apologizes, but tries to say he can't fit it until Blinky reminds him he cannot refuse the call. A gnome pokes out, playing a stringed instrument. Blinky notes that the gnome is trying to distract them and says to hide any valuables. Toby isn't convinced and says the gnome can't be that bad. As he claps along to the music, a gnome comes up and steals his belt, then takes a candy bar from him. They all try to catch the gnomes, but the gnomes repeatedly escape their grasps. Jim then notices the amulet is gone as a gnome runs off with it into a hole. Jim fruitlessly reaches in the hole and tries to lure the amulet back. Blinky says the amulet will only make its way back to him if he's rejected it. If he'd read *A Brief Recapitulation*, he would know that already. Blinky encourages him to try to retrieve the amulet as Jim the Baby-Handed is not the moniker he wants. Jim says he can't fit in the hole, but Blinky says that's currently true. AAARRRGGHH!!! says it's a bad idea, but Blinkey presses on. Jim is concerned, but Blinky tells him just to tend to his studies while they watch over the hole. He can return tomorrow and deal with it.

As Señor Uhl writes on the chalkboard, Mary Wang gives a presentation, which is largely ignored by her classmates. Steve shows Jim a drawing he made of Jim crying with a cast on his foot and whispers that Jim broke his tooth so he's going to break Jim's life. He throws a paper at Jim, who looks bored. Señor Uhl then questions Mary about what she's been saying, humiliating her when she incorrectly translates a word. He tells her she hasn't mastered basic Spanish and if she can't even finish the exam, he'll have to fail her. She takes a tissue and runs away crying. The bell then rings, dismissing the class. As they leave, Señor Uhl tells Jim he looks forward to Jim's presentation tomorrow. Jim nervously says he's ready.

Jim goes to Claire and tells her he's looking for someone to help him out with his Spanish presentation. She just tells him she was looking for her scene partner at last night's rehearsal and starts to walk away. He follows her. She knows he has a lot going on, but the play is important to her. Her family is coming and she doesn't want him to make her look like an idiot. He apologizes and she tells him to be there tomorrow. Claire starts to leave, then turns around and says she knows Steve is a jerk, but there are better ways to end a fight than punching someone in the face. After she leaves, Toby joins him. Behind them, Steve laughs deviously to himself.

At the Museum of Arcadia, a security guard is startled by a noise, but sees nothing and moves on. After he's gone, Bular steps out from behind a sculpture. He goes to Mr. Strickler and suggests that building it right under their noses makes him a fool. Strickler says it's hiding in plain sight. They went the same thing. Bular doesn't like waiting, but it's taken time to get the pieces they need. As Bular releases him, Strickler's eyes flash orange. Bular opens a crate and says his father has waited ages. Now The Age of Gunmar is at hand.

Blinky presents the Furgolator to Jim. Jim is being closed inside as he asks how it's supposed to help him. Blinky says if the gnome won't come out, the Trollhunter must go in. They use the Furgolator to compress minerals. They've never done it on flesh and bone before. Blinky starts the Furgolator. Smoke forms inside and Jim starts to cough. Toby tries to get Jim out, but can't, so AAARRRGGHH!!! steps in and opens the Furgolator. Jim steps out and says it looks like it didn't work, so he hopes they have a Plan B. Then he realizes he's much smaller than before.

They place him in front of the hole as Jim complains about being shrunk. Blinky just tells him to fetch his destiny. Toby give shim a pencil to use as a sword. As he walks in, Blinky tells him the most important thing about working with a gnome is never touch its hat. Jim runs into a doll head and startles before walking around it. As he walks, he can hear the gnome laughing. Then he sees the gnome chattering with the skeleton of another gnome. He's using the amulet as a sort of table. The gnome then spots Jim and becomes angry. The gnome jumps at Jim, who holds out the pencil. The gnome simply gnaws at it, so Jim throws it at him. As Toby, AAARRRGGHH!!!, and Blinky listen from the entrance, Jim and the gnome fight. Jim is about to reach the amulet when the gnome pounces on him. In the struggle, the gnome's hat comes up and Jim realizes in horror what he's done. He turns around to see that under that hat, his head is the shape of a cone, pointed at the top like his hat. The gnome rants angrily, then charges at Jim, who tries to catch him in the hat. With the gnome distracted, Jim jumper for the amulet and gets his fingers on it just in time to say the incantation and be covered in armor. The gnome whimpers.

Toby wonders why Jim hasn't come out yet. Then they see the gnome marching out, still without his hat. Behind him, Jim is wearing the hat and leading him out with a sword. He drops the hat on the ground and Toby quickly sweeps the hat and the gnome into a bag. Jim asks when the shrinking will wear off and Blinky just tells him to sleep it off and he'll be good as new by morning. Now he's Jim "the Gnome Slayer." Toby plays the gnome's instrument and eulogizes him. Blinky then says the only thing left is for Jim to take care of it. Jim is confused and they tell him rule number two is always finish the fight. He realizes they mean to kill it.

The gnome sleeps in his bag on Jim's bed while Jim sits on the pillow and watches. He tells Toby he can't kill it. Neither of them is a killer. Toby says he is. Detective Snuggles. Nana told him not to leave his chocolate lying around, but it was just after Easter. He never thought the cat would find his stash. But he did and by the time Toby found him, it was too late. Death by chocolate. Worse, he never had the heart to tell Nana, so he covered it up by eating the cat food so it would look like he was still around. And he liked it. Toby starts to try. Jim says the both had a big day and now's not the time to deal with this. They can figure it out tomorrow when things are back to normal. He lies down on his pillow, but Toby reminds him he has his exam tomorrow. Jim still goes to sleep. Toby opens the sack with the gnome and sees him sleeping peacefully.

Toby takes the sack and tries to put it in a sink with running water, but hesitates.

Jim wakes up and rolls over to see a doll in his face. He's asleep in Nana's dollhouse. Toby opens up the house and Jim is upset to realize he's still small. Jim notices the gnome is missing and asks if Toby did it. Jim says he was supposed to do it himself. Jim then realizes he has school, but Toby says he'll have to call in sick. Jim knows it won't work on Señor Uhl. Then he realizes something and asks Toby to do him a a small, but huge, favor.

Toby jogs past Coach Lawrence. Lawrence asks why he's not in gym clothes and he says no gym today because he has shingles.

Señor Uhl checks his watch and calls for Jim, who's not there. As he prepares to move on, Toby comes in and sets up his computer so Jim can appear virtually. Jim starts his presentation. He's interrupted when Nana comes in to vacuum. Then she picks up a nearby cat carrier and Jim realizes in horror that the gnome is in it. Jim tries to continue his presentation, but is horrified when Nana opens the cage to let the gnome out. Jim hears the gnome moving around and tries to continue his presentation as he is attacked by the gnome. Jim hits the gnome with the tiny TV, then comes back and finishes his presentation. He's three words short, so Señor Uhl will have to fail him if he can't finish. Jim quickly finishes and is attacked again by the gnome. Toby moves to block the screen so no one else can see. Jim quickly finishes his presentation. As one kid claps, Uhl gives Jim a C+, then ups it to a B- when Jim cries out, thinking Jim's objecting when he's actually fighting the gnome again. Jim then realizes he's growing back to his normal size, so Toby closes the laptop and leaves the classroom.

Toby runs into the room and finds Jim sitting up. Toby says he's sorry he failed Jim and should have taken care of the gnome when he had the chance. Jim smiles and gestures to the dollhouse, where the gnome is calmly eating a chocolate bar. Jim says all he wanted was a home. He's made friends with the doll as well and is playing his instrument for her. Blinky said they needed to "take care of him," but Jim suggests just taking care of him instead. Toby is excited to keep him and suggests naming him Gnome Chompsky. Jim likes it. The gnome scoots closer to the doll, pretends to yawn, and puts his arm around her shoulder, knocking her over. Jim thinks he's done well for his first mission. Then he remembers he's supposed to be at rehearsal.

Jim enters the gym where Claire is rehearsing. She says her line and starts to reply, but then he hears Steve's voice. Miss Janeth informs him that his repeatedly tardiness forced her to take precautions. Steve is his understudy now.

Strickler brings another package to Bular. Bular opens it and adds it to the project. Killahead Bridge will soon be complete. Strickler says their man from Germany will arrive soon with more pieces. Then Bular's father will know freedom and glory. They're interrupted by the security guard, who runs away in horror. Bular asks if he was followed, but Strickler merely says he brought Bular a snack. As he munches on the apple he brought, Bular goes after the security guard.