The characters we are about to read come from the ABC television show "Galavant", and the animals from the 2003 Disney/Pixar movie "Finding Nemo".
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Frodo's ears picked up a new sound. It was the sound of boots crunching against the dirt and pebbles. It didn't take him long to distinguish the sound to the man with a grey beard zip past him. This man was heading towards the Lake.
Wait… the Lake? Why would someone want to travel to the Lake? Of course, Frodo concluded, to fish. How did he miss that? Just as he followed the man and the boots, the gentle-hobbit stopped mid-step in front of a very large group of men, donned in corsair clothes and sporting plume hats, complete with large feathers from all sorts of birds.
"Oh boy," Frodo said. No! They were pirates. What were they doing all the way out in the Shire? No. Wait… he was in the Prism Prison… or one of the prism prisons. No… wait. This was getting confusing. "So, I guess you're here because of the next task. To find the orange gemstone."
"No. That would make us gentlemanly," said the leader, who must have been the pirates' captain. "No. We're here to sing, and drink, and sing again."
"Right. About that," Frodo started. "Now where can I find the orange gem?" His eyes wandered for a moment… and then… "No way." The orange gemstone was attached to the feather of the pirate captain's hat.
"No way what, lad?" The pirate captain asked.
"I'd ask you the same question." Frodo asked in return, "What are pirates doing all the way out in Bywater? This is the Shire."
"This is the Prism Prison, lad," the pirate captain emphasized. "Now let us begin our song." And so he and his crew did, which sounded an awful lot like a pirates' tune.
Frodo was pulled into the musical number. He attempted to reach the plume hat, but lost it. He tried again when the pirates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Still no luck. On the last straw, he dived for the hat, only to be blocked and caught by the pirates.
"What's all this fuzz about, lad?" the pirate captain asked.
"Please let me see your hat," Frodo told him. "It has the orange gem."
"Aye?" The pirate captain pulled off the hat. In haste, he placed the hat over Frodo's head. "There, that suits you well. We'll chat later then."
Frodo collapsed on the floor as the pirates blew away with the wind. Now it was just him and the hat, which he tore off in a flurry. He examined the hat, hoping that… yes, there was the orange gem. Setting the plume hat down, Frodo slotted the orange gem onto his belt. There. Two gems down, five to go…
He crashed backwards, right into a wooden boat. No. He was out in the middle of Bywater's Lake… and the sky was yellow. Frodo extended his hand out a way, only to have his hand repelled back at him by a rippled, invisible barrier. But it didn't make much sense. How was he out in the middle of the Lake? Just like his… his parents. No. He couldn't have… could he?
"Mine," said a beaky voice.
Frodo froze. He cocked his head slowly at the white bird with the orange beak and webbed feet. Nay, it was a seagull. Wait… nay? Did he really use the word 'nay'? Maybe this was the Narrator's doing…
"Mine," said another seagull, landing right next to him.
Frodo watched in terror as the seagulls flew in. But there was something unique about these birds. Of course. Wrapped around their necks was an orange pendant on a leather chain. They all were donned with orange gems. But which gem was the right gem?
Frodo… take the gem… don't be afraid…
There was only one thing left to do. He dived under the boat as the birds pecked at him. His pointy ears hurt, but the pain was bearable. In fact, he didn't that much pain… if any pain. His ears were sore and throbbing, but they were all right. He teetered back slowly at first and then reclining back. He was so tired.
But the seagulls… they flew away. And all that remained was the orange gem pendant that plopped into his lap. He examined the gem for a moment, before slipping it out of its frame, cushioning the gem into a slot on the leather belt, right next to the orange and red gems.
Everything was spinning out of control. He lost his grip of the boat, landing him chest first on the cobbled stone and dirt floor. He moved slowly up. He wasn't in pain… still, it was a strange sensation. And yet, he had three of the gemstones. Four more to go, as the prism prison transitioned from yellow sky to green sky.