Disclaimers: I do not own The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, "Star Wars", and "The Shannara Chronicles". They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, George Lucas, Disney, Terry Brooks, MTV, and Spike. All other canon material belongs to their respected owners. All original material, including original characters and original locations, belongs to me, the authoress of this fanfiction story.

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Welcome to the first part of my Moral Compass mini fanfiction series, part of my Origin Series and my Long Series. :)

This is the last mini-series for my First Age Anthology, before we move onto the Second Age Series, which could wind up being another Anthology. :) My OMCs Parker Dooley and Alindor will unite in this mini-series. Expect to see OCs and canon characters in this series, too, just like in my previous fanfics. :)

Enjoy. :)

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Hours Before Alindor Enters the Portal Realm…

Parker Dooley slept peacefully next to his spirit wife, who was alive in the Portal Realm, Elizabeth Bowler-Dooley, more commonly known as Eliza for short by her darling dragonoid husband, Parker Dooley.

Parker was a light red dragonoid with a thin, muscular, humanoid, lizard-like body, no wings, and a dragon-like head. He had a short snout with a tipped end that pointed up towards the sky. His eyes were yellow and cat-like. His ears were long, red, and furry, protruding next to his short, curvy, and wavy grey horns. He had three-fingered frills residing on the sides of his head, with black tips at the end of the frills. His fingernail claws were black, resided on his fingers and his toes, and were often retracted unless he was in a battle against some foul creature or enemy. His spikes were black and ran all the way down his back to his medium-sized tail, which curled around his feet.

As Maranguan, Parker earned red eyes with pinkish hues in the whites of his eyes. As Maranguan transformed back into Parker Dooley, his eyes were yellow, less pink in the whiteness of his eyes, but with a red swirling mist in his yellow irises. Scattered about his scaly red body and head were bruises, burns, and jagged cuts.

In his human-hobbit form, Parker resembled his hobbit brother-in-law Tobias, his hobbit-shapeshifter great-grandson Terrence Dooley, and Frodo Baggins, who he only just met at the Chesapeake Manor, upon which Parker put Frodo into a sleeping trance, where the poor hobbit woke up not remembering Parker, Terrence, or even how he got to the Chesapeake Manor in the first place.

Parker, in his human-hobbit form, had bright blue eyes, a cleft in his chin, pale skin, fair elvish features, and soft, thick, curly dark brown hair resting on his head and the tops of his feet. Parker had to admit he liked this form tremendously. If there was one form he could settle into, then it would be his human-hobbit form, should there be a final time in which he made a last shapeshift into whatever form he chose.

Parker wore a white shirt, long brown breeches, tan suspenders, and a blue cloak, which kept him warm while sleeping inside the gazebo. Next to him was his wife, Eliza, and she was lovely. Eliza had a thin frame, pale skin, brunette hair, and green eyes, the greenest eyes Parker ever witnessed. She still wore the same dark green dress that she wore when she met with Parker Dooley in Kyrria, showing him his present, where Parker learned, after meeting with Tobias, that he needed to leave Kyrria and head back to the Portal Realm, should he wish for his great-granddaughter Autumn to live.

It was one night that changed him, made him believe the spirits knew what they were doing, including Maranguan, his mysterious evil/good/neutral self. Maranguan told him he would return and that Parker couldn't contain him forever. Ever since Parker Dooley's failure against battling the Sith Emperor Vitiate, Parker kept Maranguan locked inside his heart. It was the only way he could be good and still maintain control of his mysterious dark half.

Now, now it just seemed like he would soon fail to keep Maranguan locked in his heart forever. Was there any hope he could survive this? His wife died because of Vitiate because Parker had to save his wife from Vitiate's Force Powers and failed to do that! Now, Eliza was dead and it was all Parker's fault! It was all Vitiate's fault, too, since he was the one who killed Eliza, and yet someone else killed Vitiate. Parker didn't know who killed Vitiate, but they must have had a very good reason for doing so.

Parker wouldn't know until he looked up Vitiate's fate on a holoterminal. For now, with Autumn Dooley, Parker's great-granddaughter, was safe and sound, Parker could live on knowing his family bloodline would survive for another Age. Only time would tell where the spirits would send him next, but he would be ready for anything.

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Parker awoke, feeling a sense of calm and peace. The dream he had was so vivid, almost as if he was there!

There was the Portal Realm, the realm he was currently at, with its vibrant colors brown, blue, purple, green, and yellow rippling across the grassy landscape and its gigantic mountainside. A purplish-dark blue sky loomed overhead, welcoming the calmness of the realm. There were portals with their colorful rims. These portals changing shape and size, their mirrors rippling like glass, water, or covered in a misty surface.

Parker looked at one portal, revealing the hobbit Frodo Baggins, the hobbit who resembled Parker's hobbit-human self, wandering about in a cave. Something was chasing him, but what? Parker didn't understand. The light red dragonoid tried calling out to his descendant, but Frodo couldn't hear him. Parker had no choice. He would have to enter the portal and prevent Frodo from running into any trouble.

"You can't help," Tobias, the hobbit who resembled Parker's human-hobbit self and Frodo, approached the light red dragonoid, forcing Parker to look at him. "You see the memory that has transpired, but hasn't come to pass yet."

"What's going on? What's about to happen here?" Parker asked, confused.

"Don't worry. You'll see. Visit the Chesapeake Manor after your exploits with Alindor are over," Tobias said, touching the light red dragonoid's shoulder. "For now, wake up and start the day knowing Frodo won't come to harm… yet."

That was how Parker woke up. His first sensation was peacefulness, but that slowly changed to doubt. He didn't know why Frodo would show up in his dream, but it had to mean something. Maybe they would meet again at the Chesapeake Manor. Maybe they wouldn't.

Who knew, right?

Parker pressed a gentle scaly red hand against his wife's cheek, giving it a soft peck that turned into a much longer kiss. He released her, gently, causing his wife to giggle and open her eyes.

"We've been sleeping in the gazebo, haven't we?" Eliza asked, jolting awake upon realizing they had been outdoors the whole time. "What?" She looked around, frightened, while Parker chuckled. "It's not funny, Parker."

"What? We've only been asleep for two hours," Parker admitted with a smirk.

"Have we?" Eliza sighed, warmly. She rested her head against Parker's shoulder, breathing in his scent of beef and charcoal. He sure smelled soothing. "I hardly noticed."

"Well," Parker grinned in satisfaction, "I'm grateful to have fallen asleep in your arms, Eliza. For once, I nearly forgot all the dangers in my life and what awaits me."

Eliza looked up at him, kissing him on the cheek. "You'll always be my husband." She smirked. "I still can't believe you chose me. Your wife, who is also a spirit now."

Parker met her gaze. She was so beautiful, it made him blush.

"I will always choose you," Parker said with a smirk. "That's one thing Tobias has forgotten about dragonoids. We choose our mates. Our life mates. That's who we choose and who we stay with, whether they're a spirit or not." He added, serious, "I mean, I could choose to date, be with someone else, but it won't be the same," he looked at her sincerely, kissing her forehead, "because I choose you. I can't let you take that away from me. We're meant to be together. Of course, you knew that, too."

"Oh. I didn't know it was permanent," Eliza said, kindly.

"Oh, trust me, it is permanent," Parker said with a sigh. "I mean, I'll date like you wanted," he shrugged, facing her again, "but I will always choose you in the end."

Eliza smiled, massaging his muscular arm, and resting her head against his shoulder once more as he wrapped an arm around her waist. Parker didn't want to be away from his darling wife for long. Did he have to leave her again? Hopefully, once the Shadow Empire was taken down, things would go back to normal. Or would they?

If Qua'ra was still alive, she'd be left homeless. Where would she go? Was she as bad as everyone said she was? She did want the throne and became Empress. Did it go to her head?

"Come on," Eliza said, kissing him on the cheek and making him blush. "We should head back. Tobias and Aslan must be worried about us. We've been gone for too long."

"Well," Parker pulled her back down to him. "I'm sure they can wait. I mean, we can sleep in longer. How about that?" He grinned, mischievously.

Eliza giggled again. Oh, he loved making her smile! It was the best thing in the world!

"No, seriously." Eliza kissed him twice more on the cheek. "We should go."

Parker sighed. He hated moments like this.

"All right. We'll do things your way," he said, not wanting to argue with her.

"Great!" Eliza said, taking his light red scaly hand and leading him out of the gazebo, where their muscles aching, after sleeping on the gazebo's floor for two hours straight.

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Parker followed Eliza to a stone basin, where Tobias, who resembled Parker and the hobbit Frodo Baggins, poured crystal-clear water into the basin. The golden-brown Great Lion of Narnia called Aslan observed Tobias do this, before grinning from ear to ear at the sight of Parker and Eliza together.

"Welcome back, Parker and Eliza Dooley!" Aslan said, joyously.

"What's there to celebrate?" Tobias asked, shrewdly. He stopped pouring water into the basin, observing Parker and Eliza in his own way. "You two have been gone an awfully long time!" He smirked. "We don't have houses in this Portal Realm. At least, not yet we don't. Tell me, what have you two been doing for the past three hours?"

"Dancing," Parker and Eliza said in unison.

"Kissing," Eliza added, smiling at her dragonoid beau.

"And sleeping together," Parker said with a smile. "Well, that's all we were doing was sleeping together. Nothing happened."

"Well good," Tobias said, annoyed. "I'm glad nothing happened, but then…" he looked on at the dark-haired lass wearing a white dress, waving at him. It was Janet. Oh, his lovely Janet! He smiled and waved at her, before looking around and facing Parker, Eliza, and Aslan again. "What?"

"Nothing happened between you two? You and Janet, Tobias?" Parker asked, teasingly.

"Ha ha ha! Very funny, Parker!" Tobias said, shaking his head.

"Alright," Aslan said, calmly. He turned to Parker, noticing the light red dragonoid's happy expression turned to calmness and worriment.

"Aslan, what is it?" Parker asked, concerned.

"There is a task I need you to perform," Aslan said, still calm.

"What? Are you taking me back to the Land of Talking Animals? Is Alindor expecting me?" Parker asked, wondering if he would really have to go back to the Land of Talking Animals.

"No. No, you are not going to the Land of Talking Animals yet. Alindor is expecting you, but your time to meet him will come soon," Aslan said with confidence.

Parker nodded silently. He couldn't expect anything less. "Then where are you sending me? Where do I have to go? Who do I have to meet?"

"Your old friend, Qua'ra Holdo," Aslan said, sincerely.

"Qua'ra? I thought she was dead! Unless my great-grandson Terrence was correct. I… I don't know what to think." Parker shook his head. The shock of hearing his old apprentice and best friend, Qua'ra Holdo, still alive spelled doom for him. He looked at Aslan with serious eyes. "I cannot believe she's still alive. What if she hurts me or my friends? What if she does that?"

"Parker," Aslan said, calming the dragonoid down, "in order for you to understand, you must look beyond what the rumors say about Qua'ra. There will come a time when the Shadow Empire will fall, and you will see that it does happen."

"But how am I to know when that is? What do I get out of this, Aslan?" Parker asked, concerned.

"Only time will tell. The truth will reveal itself to you, in good time," Aslan said, blowing on him and allowing a gold-rimmed portal to reveal itself in front of the basin. "Now go, and waste no time. Learn what you can about Qua'ra and report it back to me. You will have another chance to face Qua'ra after this meeting is finished. I promise you that. Go. GO!"

Parker jumped in angst. He looked at Eliza, kissed her on the lips, released her and let go of her hand, before departing through the portal, leaving Eliza and Tobias alone with Aslan.

"Now, we wait," Aslan said, as the portal returned to its normal state.

Eliza looked at the portal, hoping Aslan was right.

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References:

Vitiate comes from the MMO video game, "Star Wars: The Old Republic".

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Thanks for reading. :)