Disclaimers: I do not own The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Snow Queen, The Unicorn Chronicles, "Star Wars", "Moana", and Disney Princesses. They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Hans Christian Andersen, Bruce Coville, George Lucas, Bioware, and Disney. All other canon material belongs to their respected owners. All original material, including original locations and original characters, belongs to me, the authoress of this fanfiction story.

Inspiration for Fanfic: Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella", especially the ballroom scene. Enjoy! :)

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Welcome back to my Long Series and Origin Series! :) And so, we've come to the second part in my fanfiction mini-trilogy, Roger and the Shadow People, which is part of my Origin Series and my Long Series. :)

Once again, we have another party/ball fanfic for my Origin Series. :) This one should be interesting. :D We'll see how my OMC dragonoid, Parker Dooley, reacts to this ball/party. :)

This first chapter was also brutal on me during drafting and revision. So, for those who were wondering why it took me so long to post this fanfic, this is why. I hope the rest of the fanfic isn't like this. :( Hopefully, it turned out great for everyone. :) So, there's hope there! :)

That said, enjoy! :)

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Parker Dooley slammed against one of the castle's wooden doors. He banged on the wooden surface, hoping someone would hear him. His stomach growled, demanding food. Well, he wanted food. Hopefully, the servants would give him something to eat.

Some yummy, meaty sausages or pork ribs lathered thick with barbeque sauce, just the way he liked it. He licked his chops. Oh, the very thought of food drove him crazy! Would someone just feed him already? He was starving!

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Parker was a one-hundred-and-forty-year-old dragonoid with a thin, muscular frame, a humanoid, lizard-like body, and a dragon-like head. His scales were smooth and light red. His snout was short with a tipped end pointed up towards the skies. His eyes were yellow and cat-like, but showed he had lived through traumatic times. He had three-fingered frills resting on the sides of his head, with black tips at the ends of the frills' fingertips. His ears were long, furry, and red, while his pair of horns were grey, curvy, wavy, and short. His black claws were extended, but that was due to not eating lunch for the day. He was a very hungry dragonoid. As for his black spikes, they ran from his back down to his medium-sized tail, which curled around his feet.

As Maranguan, Parker's evil/neutral half, had reddish eyes with pinkish hues in the whites of his eyes. Burns, bruises, and long jagged cuts protruded from his scaly, light red skin, giving him the impression that he had seen rough times.

As he became whole again and good again, the yellow in his irises came back, as did the whites in his eyes. The burns, bruises, and cuts also faded, leaving his skin clean and new. However, there was a twist: during his transition from good to bad to good, swirling red mist protruded in the yellow of his irises, reminding Parker of what he had become.

The reason Parker became whole again was due to his daughter-in-law, the human Anabeth, and Anabeth's mother, the human Janet, retrieving an icicle from the Ice Queen's lair, on their journey throughout the Four Seasons. Only, when Anabeth jabbed the icicle into Parker's back, making him whole again and good again, it cost Parker his human wife, Eliza Bowler-Dooley, as well as Janet, their lives. It was the Sith Emperor Vitiate who used his Force Lightning against them, killing them both instantaneously.

Parker wouldn't forget what Vitiate did to his darling wife and his sister-in-law. He also did not forget that his Dark Half Maranguan was now working with Vitiate, or in this case Valkorion. How could Parker forget? Valkorion was due to return to the Third Age, alongside Maranguan. Parker wouldn't be able to contain Maranguan much longer, no matter how hard he tried to keep Maranguan repressed inside himself.

Parker hoped he had the strength to face Maranguan and Valkorion/Vitiate again, when that moment came to pass.

In Parker's human-hobbit form, Parker resembled his descendant, the hobbit Frodo Baggins, as well as Parker's brother-in-law Tobias, and Parker's other descendants Terrence Dooley, Delphi, Dalpha, Andalis, Andalas, and Roger. In Parker's human-hobbit form, Parker had bright blue eyes, a cleft in his chin, pale skin, fair elvish features, short pointy ears, and soft, thick, curly locks of dark brown hair resting on his head and the tops of his feet.

Today, Parker wore a red jacket, a white dress shirt, a pair of red pants, and a pair of black boots. His clothes transformed with him, whenever he shapeshifted into another form. That was one perk of being a shapeshifter, which he admired greatly.

The other perk was his powers. Not all shapeshifters were healers, but some healing powers were passed down to different family members from time to time. Some shapeshifters were born with healing powers, while other shapeshifters had to learn the ability. The same with any other powers the shapeshifters possessed. In Parker's case, he not only had healing powers, but he also had the ability to read minds and transform peoples, animals, and creatures into other forms. He didn't recommend doing that, for it was dangerous to transform peoples, animals, and creatures, who were not already shapeshifters, into whatever form they wished.

He couldn't forget transforming the rogue dragonoids into Kakamora. The Kakamora were intent on destroying him. He hoped to seek reason with the Kakamora, but knew it was futile. What business did he have with angry coconut men anyway? He was the one who doused the Kakamora's sacred fire. But still, it was the right thing to do. He should apologize to the Kakamora, but would they listen to him? He doubted it, but it was worth a try.

After all, he did see Space Kakamora in the Galaxy Far, Far Away, when he failed his solo mission: to retrieve the silver bars on the planet Makeb and keep them safe. It was what Aslan sent him out to do, before he failed this mission, getting caught by the bounty hunters in the process.

Now, on the planet Ilum, the Great Lion from Narnia sent Parker on a new mission: to go back to the Land of Talking Animals and assist his descendant Roger with returning to Aster Castle, to reunite with their family, before Roger married his betrothed. It was just… Parker didn't plan on his family betraying him, uniting with Jine's family, connecting the two bloodlines through an arranged marriage.

So, who was Roger marrying? Why, Felicity, the daughter of the Ambassador to the Unicorns, Syrena, and Syrena's husband, Prince Lockslear of the Land of Talking Animals. Parker had been to Syrena and Lockslear's wedding in the Land of Unicorns. He knew well enough that Syrena had married a direct descendant of the Oriental Cat Jine, the same cat who beat Parker up when she thought he was a threat to her. So, why were Felicity and Roger caught up in an arranged marriage for? Was it truly for the sake of reuniting the two families, bringing the bloodlines together through an alliance through marriage, assuring that Lockslear regained the throne and be part of the royal bloodline again?

Parker didn't know. All he knew was he had an oath to keep with Jine. He just hoped his family made the right decision. If their plan didn't work, then Parker was certain Aslan would find a new way to bring his family and Jine's family together.

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Parker slammed the wooden door one final time. It wouldn't open. He had enough already! He wanted food, and would do anything to get it! He just didn't expect to hear noises on the other side. Were there people working on the other side of the door?

"All right! I'll get it!" a woman's voice chimed in on the other side of the door. Parker took a step back, surprised when a large, pale-skinned woman with brunette hair tied back into a ponytail, while she wore a tan dress and a dark tan apron, stared at Parker in bemusement. "Oh, a dragonoid! You're not the servant we asked for."

"No, I'm Parker Dooley. I was in this world before," Parker said, calmly.

The woman's mouth gaped opened, smiling in recognition. "Yes, the Princesses told me you were coming. They said to invite you in," she looked him over, admiring him, "My, you haven't aged a day."

Parker's stomach grumbled loudly. He whimpered, desperate for something to eat.

The woman stared in realization, helping him get inside. "Oh yes, you're hungry! We'll get you some food."

"Thank you," Parker said, making his way inside. He waited until the woman returned, after closing the front door, before telling her, kindly, "I haven't eaten anything since breakfast. I'm starving!"

"Don't worry. We'll make sure you get a full meal. Now, you sit there, and I'll find you some food," the woman said, leading Parker over to a covered table, before she disappeared into the kitchen in search of food.

Parker sat down, not knowing what to expect. It was clear he was a guest here and the Princesses spoke gladly of him. Was Aslan responsible for this? It was hard to say. All Parker knew was that if he didn't keep his wits about him, rumors would spread, and he didn't want that!

He looked up at the servers, as they returned to the table with stacks of pork ribs cooked just right and lathered in barbeque sauce, meaty roast beef cooked to perfection, plenty of cheese to go around, bread that was nice, crisp, and golden-brown around the edges, but soft and yummy inside, plenty of fruits and vegetables available, which had been recently picked by the grocers, and a large jug of whole milk just come out of the refrigerator.

Parker licked his chops, wasting no time digging into the ribs. Oh, he was in heaven! He couldn't stop eating, now that he was on a roll. To his surprise, the servers passed to him a nice stick of butter on a butter dish, something that he used to his advantage, when spreading butter on thick slices of bread, before munching down on the bread to his delight. He smiled, feeling loads better. His black claws retracted, glad to have gotten what he needed for the evening.

"Thank you, all of you," Parker said, remembering where he was and the fact that the woman, as well as the servers, were in the room. "This is divine. I feel better now."

The woman chuckled. "My name's Maybeth. I supervise in the kitchens and will show you to your room."

"My room?" Parker asked, burping.

"Oh yes, this castle was made especially for you," Maybeth said in delight. "You are an emperor, right?"

Parker stared at his food, quizzical, between bites. He hadn't thought of that, but then he did revoke his title when he passed the Shadow Empire over to Qua'ra. Did this mean he was still the Emperor of the Shadow Empire, an empire that was now gone? Maybe he was. He didn't think Aslan would give up his, Parker's, title so easily.

"Aslan," Parker said in understanding. Yes, he felt sure Aslan had something to do with this! Whatever the case, it seemed he couldn't give up being an emperor after all. Oh great! He stared at his food in recognition, right as his stomach grumbled again. He belched, doing his best to remember proper manners, but to no avail, for he was still a very hungry dragonoid. He dug into a second pork rib, delighting in its chewy, meaty texture and the way the barbeque sauce drizzled over it… oh, it nearly made him forget his place in the castle.

Still, he turned to the woman, asking her, "So, I'm an emperor, according to Aslan, right?"

"Well, yes, I suppose you are," Maybeth stated with candor. "You may have revoked your title as Emperor of the Shadow Empire, but when it fell, Aslan restored your title. You are still royalty, and Aslan doesn't let royals give up so easily."

"I didn't think of that," Parker said between bites. He swallowed his rib meat, reminding her, "but surely Aslan knew all of this. Why didn't he tell me this before? It would have saved a lot of time!"

"Well, I suppose he was waiting for the right moment to tell you," Maybeth said with candor. She sighed, instructing him, "When you're done eating, I'll show you to your room. You have the biggest chamber in the castle! And my room's next door, if you ever need anything."

"Thank you," Parker said, watching the woman walk away, grabbing some dinner for herself. He sighed, eating his food again. He supposed this was the way of it. But then, why didn't he see this coming? Surely Aslan would have told him sooner! Oh well. He would ask Aslan about it soon enough.

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Parker finished eating an hour later. He patted his stomach, exhausted but happy. All that food he scarfed down eased his mind. He sighed, wondering where his chamber was, so he could go to bed.

He looked up at Maybeth, as she returned with the servers, who gladly took Parker's dishes. She looked at him, telling him, "Well, if you're ready to go, we'll head out to your chamber."

"Good," Parker said, standing up and making his way over to the sink to wash his hands and his mouth. By the time he was done, he followed Maybeth out of the staff room.

His mouth gaped open at the sight of the foyer. All the beams were decked out in red cedar, while the floor was tiled gold and white. He peered at the high ceiling with candor, watching the grey stone walls as they kept the castle stable. He hadn't expected a palace to be so huge, nor the sight of the dragonoid statues lurking everywhere. It made him question whether or not he truly owned this place.

He looked at one of the statues standing in the centermost part of the foyer. This statue looked just like him. The statue also carried a sword, while it leaned against a spear. The way the statue looked relaxed made Parker feel better. He wondered what else this castle had to offer.

"Ahem!" Maybeth cleared her throat, getting his attention. Parker looked up, following her up the stairs and onto the second floor. Their walk was brisk and short, for once they reached the end of the hallway, Maybeth turned towards a white door, opening it for Parker. "This is your chamber." She said, showing him the chamber's hallway.

"For me?" Parker asked, making his way inside the hallway. He looked back at the door in interest, wondering if Maybeth would follow him. She didn't, to his surprise. He hoped she would follow him, giving him a tour of his chamber. It didn't happen, which was a shame.

"I'll be around, if you need anything. Aslan should be here soon," Maybeth said in delight.

"Thank you," Parker said, smiling at her.

"You're welcome," Maybeth said, closing the door behind her.

Parker sighed, taking a look at the bathroom, which stood out in one of the open doorways in the hallway. The bathroom was so huge, complete with a bathtub and a shower. He sighed, wondering when he would get to use it. He couldn't take it anymore! He rushed inside the bathroom, closing the door behind him, as he did his business.

By the time he was done and washed his hands again, Parker made his way out of the bathroom, through the opposite door, in which he entered a large bedroom filled with red rugs, a king-sized four-poster bed covered with red covers and white sheets, as well as a sitting room next to the bedroom, which was decked out in furniture, a table and chairs, and dragonoid statues. There were even a few tapestries, revealing dragonoids and unicorns doing battle, before they were reunited at last.

This tapestry reminded Parker of his own family and Jine's family. Would he see them again? Or was his staying at this castle permanently? He didn't know. He yawned, too tired to do anything else. He made his way over to the dark oak dresser, pulling out some night clothes in the process. He made his way into the bathroom with his night clothes, changing in there.

By the time he left the bathroom, he jumped upon seeing the golden-brown Great Lion of Narnia enter his bedroom. "Oh, Aslan! You scared me."

"Surprised?" Aslan asked, curtly.

"N-No," Parker hesitated. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were settling into your new castle. I must say, it's impressive," Aslan said with a warm-hearted smile.

"What do you want? I've got to go to bed," Parker said, making his way over to the king-sized bed, surprised at how soft it was. He sighed, grateful to have such a comfortable bed to sleep on. He chuckled warmly, turning to Aslan, who only looked at him in confusion.

"Parker, you are the emperor of this realm. That is your new title, as is your title of Emperor of the Shadow Empire. No, I did not give up on this title, for you shall always be royalty to me, Parker," Aslan spoke in turn.

"Then I trust there's not much I can do, is there?" Parker insisted, softly.

"This is important. You'll only be here for one day and one night, tomorrow, but this castle and this realm are your new home. Make use of it," Aslan said in turn.

"You know, I didn't ask for this. I just wanted a normal life," Parker said, calmly. "Isn't that enough?"

"Parker, you were never normal. You are a dragonoid, who can relate to humans," Aslan said, bluntly. "You are meant to rule this land. You always will. Don't think too badly of yourself. Don't judge yourself either. You might be surprised."

"Then I suppose I have to rule this land, too, don't I?" Parker asked, hesitantly. "Me as an emperor… that was Maranguan, not me."

"He's a part of you," Aslan said, calmly.

"What would you have me do? Rule this land and these people? How would they take a dragonoid? You disguised me as a human on Earth, a hobbit, and now you expect me to rule a land I don't know. How can I do that?" Parker asked, concerned.

"You won't be here for long. You have work to do in the Land of Talking Animals. Afterwards, after this mission is complete and Eliza's wishes are settled, we can begin anew." Parker stared at the floor in confusion. Eliza was in on this? He nearly protested, when Aslan spoke up again, "Once this is done, I want you to return to the Portal Realm. We have business to discuss," Aslan said, making his way towards the door.

Parker sighed, deciding not to go against Aslan's wishes. "Yes. But I don't understand how I'm still an emperor. I gave up the Shadow Empire. I should no longer be called an emperor."

"And yet, you always were an emperor. You always will be. No more, no less," Aslan said, walking out of the room. "I'll see you soon. The princesses will want to see you, too, tomorrow."

"Yes, Aslan," Parker said, softly, not knowing what to do. By the time he looked up, Aslan was gone. He sighed, deciding this was for the best. He settled down, laying down on his bed, dreaming of nothing else except Eliza, his dear Eliza. He didn't expect Eliza's arms to wrap around him at midnight.

He smirked in his sleep, missing her touch. He hoped to see her again, but how would they meet? What would he do or say to her, if they met up again? Well, he hoped she wasn't too angry with him for kissing Zam Wesell… oh boy! What had he done?

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Thanks for reading. :)