This is the last chapter for this story. :')

*.*.*

Parker looked at the group sitting before him. It had been minutes ago since he led Andalis and Melissa into their room, and already Parker guessed the couple would stick together now. Nothing could keep them apart, much like Parker and his darling human wife, Eliza Bowler-Dooley, who was in the spirit world and the Portal Realm waiting for him to return.

Oh, how he missed Eliza and how he wished she did not have to die by the Sith Emperor, Vitiate's Force Lightning. True, Parker did find the Hero of Tython or rather the Hero of Tython found him. It was this man, this Jedi Knight, that defeated Vitiate and who Parker thanked for his actions, even if the light red dragonoid could not defeat the Sith Lord himself, at the time when Parker became whole and good again, thanks to an icicle that his daughter-in-law Anabeth and her mother Janet retrieved from the Ice Queen, on their journey through the Four Seasons.

So much happened in Parker's life, so much he wished he could take back and see his family was safe and sound again. Sadly, this was not the journey that Aslan nor the spirits wanted him to take part in. Now, he was here with Andalis and Andalas, the two cousins who lost their fathers, no thanks to their mothers killing them after their infant sons were taken away from them. Parker could have suspected Aslan for causing Andalis and Andalas to disappear that day, but Aslan did warn Delphi and Dalpha not to enter Sera and Mara's rooms, when they should have listened to the golden-brown Lion in the first place.

Parker returned his gaze to the room. There were five beds in this room, as well as five oak dressers standing next to the beds. A wide window stood out at one end of the room and a wooden door at the other end. He looked at Andalis and Melissa, watching Andalis sit on his bed next to Melissa, keeping his arms wrapped around her. Parker grinned, hoping they were happy. They seemed happy, and yet Parker's attention was drawn elsewhere, the moment Andalas woke up and Frodo approached him.

"Oh good. You're awake!" Frodo said to Andalas, as the poor hobbit rested his head on the pillow. Frodo chuckled, telling the lad, "Ah, you can sleep. You'll be fine!"

"Thank you, Frodo," Andalas said, drifting off to sleep again. He awoke again the second he heard Parker speak again.

Only this time, Parker shook his head, telling Frodo, "We have to move out. Mara and Sera already knows we're here. It's not safe for Andalis and Andalas anymore."

"Those elderly folks had a bathtub filled with water. I went in it, saving Melissa," Andalis said, softly. He looked at Andalas, noticing his eyes were open. Andalis continued his explanation. "As soon as I kissed her, my merfolk bloodline got cut off. I don't know if I'll ever get it back."

Parker sighed, telling him, bluntly, "There are some things that do come back."

"Some things don't come back," Frodo said, seriously.

"But some things do come back," Parker said, facing Andalis again. "Yes, you may be separated from your bloodline with your mother now, but it will come back. I don't know when or for what purpose, but bloodlines don't easily break." He sighed. "Aslan will allow it to return. You won't be split up from your mother's bloodline or the fact that you can shapeshift into a merman, too, for very long. But you do have the ability to shapeshift into what sort of creatures you want, Andalis… and Andalas." He looked at Andalas with candor, before facing Andalis again. "You both have it in you to shapeshift. It's in your blood."

"How?" Andalis asked, concerned. "I don't know how to control it."

"The best thing you can do with shapeshifting is to embrace it, to let it to come naturally. Just close your eyes and focus on what you want. Then allow that creature to take over, and then transform back into a hobbit again," Parker said, calmly. "It should cure your mother's bloodline, if you transform into a merman again."

"But what if I don't want to transform into a merman?" Andalis asked, not wanting to be associated with his mother.

"You have to," Parker said, causing Andalis to look away in horror. "I know, it's hard to explain, but you cannot change who your family members are. That's a much harder task."

"So, you mean he can transform into a merman at will?" Melissa asked, watching Andalis close his eyes, transforming into a merman with green skin and gills, before transforming back moments later into a hobbit. A rippled light ejected from him, causing his mother's bloodline to resurface.

So, Parker was telling him the truth.

Andalis lowered his head in shame. A tear trickled down his face. This was the last thing he wanted, and yet what more could he do? He was not his mother or his aunt. He looked at Andalas, watching him transform into a merman and back into a hobbit. Parker wanted to say something, but Andalis stared at him, sharply.

"Don't! Don't say it. I am not my mother and Andalas isn't his mother either," Andalis said, serious. "And I don't plan on becoming like them either! They killed their lovers! I'd rather not do such a thing." He caressed Melissa's shoulders, resting his head against hers. "I won't hurt you, Melissa. I promise."

"Let's hope so," Melissa said, kissing him gently on the cheek, right as he kissed her forehead. She smiled, wondering if that was good.

"What do you two know about our parents?" Andalas asked Parker and Frodo, curious about what they knew, what they researched about their parents.

Parker smiled. He looked at Frodo, watching the gentle-hobbit as he spoke to the group again, "We do, actually," Frodo said, facing the light red dragonoid, admitting bluntly, "In fact, Parker knows the story better than I do."

Parker nodded. "Yes, I know it. Frodo and I met Delphi and Dalpha, your fathers Andalis, Andalas, at the Chesapeake Manor. Delphi was all right, kind even, but Dalpha seemed a little mad. They were good hobbits, by the way, but Dalpha always jumped first before Delphi ever could. Well, Sera and Mara came to the Chesapeake Manor during my rapid shapeshifting, which occurred the day after Frodo and I stayed there. It was on this day that a ball was held and Frodo and I passed out from eating jello the merfolk fed us.

"Sera could have killed me that day, but Aslan saved my life. The guests weren't so fortunate, but Frodo was kept safe, too. Delphi and Dalpha married your mothers, then they gave birth to you both an hour later. It was only after Aslan warned Delphi and Dalpha about what would happen next, that they went into your mothers' rooms. You two disappeared, Sera and Mara got angry, and killed their husbands. Whether it was out of shame or revenge, I do not know. It could have been because you two disappeared as well."

Parker sighed, adding one final detail, "Frodo and I spent the next nineteen years researching Sera and Mara's family tree. We found out they, too, were also born from royalty. I used to be an emperor of the Shadow Empire, before I gave up that title and position, before the Shadow Empire fell and the planet Zafna became the barren, broken landscape Teremode. That still doesn't mean there isn't royal blood in my family tree or Frodo's for that matter. Now, it's official. You two, Andalis and Andalas, are from royal blood. Your home lies out in the Land of Merfolk and Sirens, unless you plan on settling elsewhere."

"We have a choice?" Andalas asked, curious about this new endeavor.

"That means we can make that school dream come true!" Melissa told Andalis, smiling as he kissed her forehead again so affectionately.

"A school dream?" Andalas asked her, confused.

"It's a long story," Andalis admitted with a smile.

"Well, now that we've come from royalty, if we weren't already, I suppose that's what you want to achieve," Andalas said with a warm-hearted smile. He grunted, telling them, "Well, I won't stop you two from living out your dreams. Where are you heading?"

"To the Land of Talking Animals, to start a new life there," Andalis said, curtly.

"That land doesn't normally allow humans to enter their lands… I mean, it does, but as dignitaries, visitors. It's a land for talking animals alone," Andalas said.

"Says who? Shouldn't all lands have a variety of creatures, not just singling out one group over another, putting them in their own lands. There's not even a land for humans here, in this world. They're spread out all over this world," Andalis said, quizzical. He looked up at Parker, telling him, "Isn't that right, Parker? Something needs to be done."

Parker nodded in agreement. "Yes, it should. So far, the dragons have their own land, centaurs have their own land, unicorns have their own land, the merfolk and sirens live out in the Sea and on the beaches. I think it's time we changed those rules."

"If you can do that," Frodo said, knowing Middle-earth did the same thing, with hobbits having their own land, but often mingling with the humans in Bree-land. But still, he had to agree it was time to change the rules of this world, even if only one land agreed to these wishes, "Then you're going to be the ones to change it. Andalas and I will head out to the Land of Merfolk and Sirens. If there's hope of finding Sera and Mara, change the rules of that land, then I'm sure we can do that. But I doubt all lands in this world will agree to what you two have in mind." He said, pointing to Parker and Andalis.

"We have to try," Andalis said.

"Then I'll take Melissa and Andalis south to the Land of Talking Animals," Parker said, curtly. "When we're done there, we'll head out to the Land of Merfolk and Sirens, which is not that far from the Land of Talking Animals or other lands in this world."

"Andalas and I will head north. I kind of want to see the Land of Elves and Fairies, while we're here," Frodo said.

"We'll search for clues about my parents, too," Andalas said, curtly. "I'd love to find out what they were doing in this land, in this world."

Melissa nodded. So, it was agreed then. They were going their separate ways, and yet she had no idea what awaited them outside the Land of Hobbits and Dwarves. She just hoped that she had the strength to journey for miles on end, even if it meant sticking with Andalis like glue until their deed was done.

*.*.*

References:

Vitiate and the Hero of Tython come from the MMO video game, "Star Wars: The Old Republic". The Four Seasons comes from the 2002 movie, "Snow Queen".

-x-

That's it for the first part in my fanfiction mini-trilogy, The Green Ring, part of my Origin Series and my Long Series. :)

Thanks everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to read this fanfic until the end. It is much appreciated. :)

This one took me a while to write and rewrite chapters, since the same thing happened when I worked on the draft version of this fanfic. Hopefully, I'll have less rewrites in the sequel to this mini-trilogy, in which our heroes go their separate ways and on their separate journeys. Will Andalis and Andalas ever be reunited? That remains to be seen.

Until then, I'll see everyone in the next story. Bye! :)

~Aria Breuer