Likarian: You asked for more soon. This isn't really soon, but it is more! Thank you for leaving a review, friend. :]

So, admist the shit-show that's happening as I type this, I remembered that I've been so busy with birthday things that I almost forgot to upload. I'm sorry, chickadees. It's here now, though!

"Gandalf, the most curious letter just came for me, from Balin," Bilbo said as he walked back into Bag End. "He said that I need to get to Erebor as quickly as possible." The Hobbit chuckled for a moment, and then looked up at the wizard. "Isn't that funny?"

Gandalf sighed. "Did he ask if you knew where I was?"

Bilbo reread the letter, and his brow furrowed. "He did, actually," the Hobbit said. "What's so urgent that we both need to get to Erebor?"

"Bilbo… I should have told you before, but…" Gandalf glanced around for a moment, and then he gestured for Bilbo to step closer. The Hobbit did, hesitantly. "Cheyanne is ill."

Bilbo jumped backwards immediately, gaping at Gandalf in shock. "What? How do you know?"

"Do you really want to waste time asking questions like that?" Gandalf queried. "I feared that it was already bad, but I didn't think it could be. They need me to reach Erebor to see if I can help her, which I can." The wizard glanced down. "With the help of something else."

Bilbo continued to stare at him. "Well, do we have to go get this thing you need to help her before we got to Erebor?"

Gandalf glanced up at the Hobbit, seeming to consider it. Bilbo couldn't tell what was going through the wizard's mind, however. After a moment, he exhaled and shook his head.

"No," he said. "I will have a friend of mine fetch it for me. Are you prepared to leave?"

"Of course," Bilbo said quickly. He darted for his bedroom and returned with his traveling pack. He slung it over his shoulders as Gandalf hurriedly blew out the candles that were lighting the front hall. He then turned to face the Hobbit.

"Come on."

The two exited Bag End, Bilbo making sure the door was secure before he followed Gandalf down to the walk and down the road.

"Will it be safe, for you to tell someone else what it happening in Erebor?" he asked, glancing up at the wizard.

"Yes," Gandalf said. "The person I am going to ask for help from is also a friend of Cheyanne's. He should be more than willing to help, when he learns of how dire the situation is."

"Is… is Cheyanne in terrible danger, Gandalf?" Bilbo questioned weakly.

Gandalf looked down at the Hobbit, and let out a breath. "I hope not, Master Baggins," he said, "but I will not know for certain until I see her myself."

"Well, then let's hurry!" Bilbo said, picking up his pace. Gandalf sighed, and glanced upwards. The sun was halfway across the sky. He would have to wait until they rested that evening to contact the fellow he had in mind to fetch the thing he needed to help Cheyanne.

He just hoped that the lad didn't think him insane and refuse.

Gandalf, supposed, however, that the lad had experienced stranger things in his life.

He had, after all, been Cheyanne Phillips's best friend.

"Jon."

Jon Davenport shifted in his sleep, his brow drawing together as a familiar voice spoke his name into his ear.

"Jonathan."

He rolled over onto his opposite side, pulling his blanket up around his shoulders without opening his eyes. The voice was extremely familiar, but he was having a hard time placing it. It was like… a voice heard in a dream, but not thought of once you awaken.

"Jonathan Davenport, awaken this instant!"

Well, that was rude.

Jon popped open one eye and found himself in his darkened bedroom in his apartment. Groaning, he rubbed his other eye open and pulled himself into a sitting position. It took himself a moment to gain his bearings, and when he did, he blinked once, twice, to make sure he was seeing what he was really seeing.

There was a dark figure standing at the foot of his bed.

Jon let out a high pitched moan and scooted backwards into his headboard, beginning to paw around in his covers for his phone, which, much to his dismay, appeared to have fallen on the floor as it typically did.

"Look, buddy, I don't have anything of importance, but if you want my collection of priceless Star Wars bobbleheads, you have have them!" he said, putting his hands over his head. "Just don't hurt me."

"Jon, the last thing I want to do is hurt you, or take your bobbleheads." The same voice from before spoke again, and Jon opened his eyes. Slowly, he lowered his hands and watched as the figure walked to where the light switch was on the wall and flicked it on.

He blinked in the sudden brightness and refocused on the person. He found himself looking at someone he never thought he would see again, and his heart dropped into his stomach.

"G-Gary?" he managed after a moment of staring at the old man, his voice cracking like he was still a prepubescent boy. "What - what are you doin' here?"

"Cheyanne is in danger, my boy," Gary answered, coming back over to the bed. He sat down on the edge and watched as Jon's eyes grew even wider.

"Chey's in trouble? Wh-what are you talking about, G? I thought…"

Almost a year ago, Gary had revealed to them that Cheyanne had been a character removed from J.R.R Tolkien's book, The Hobbit. It turned out that the lucid dreams Cheyanne had been having were Gary's attempts at reintroducing her into the story, as Gary himself was Gandalf the Gray, and he wanted the story to end in the way Tolkien had originally planned it too. The last time Jon had seen either of them, Cheyanne was about to go into Middle-earth forever, and Gary was going with her.

And yet, here Gary was, standing in his bedroom at…

Jon glanced at the desktop clock beside his bed. 2:30.

… at two thirty in the morning, telling him that Cheyanne was in trouble. What was going on?

"She's beginning to remember her human life on Earth, and her dreams are bringing her back to it. She doesn't know which is real, and which is false when she awakens," Gary explained. "Her memories of both of her lives are twisting up into a dark form, one that she cannot pull apart. The others are terrified that her dreams are signs of her going mad."

Jon's barely awake mind was struggling to get this all straight. He stared at Gary. "So… hold on. You're telling me that… Cheyanne Baggins is starting to get Cheyanne Phillips's memories in the forms of dreams, and that they're freaking everybody out?"

"That's the shortened version, yes."

"And… what are we supposed to do about it?" Jon asked him.

"There is a book, one in Middle-earth, that we can use to dispel Cheyanne's memories from her mind entirely," Gary said. "I need you to retrieve it for me."

"Why can't you get it?"

"I am needed. Thorin called for Bilbo, and Gandalf is traveling with him."

"So it would be weird if Gandalf suddenly disappeared," Jon concluded. "Right." He let out a breath and studied his comforter. "Fine. Where is this book I'm getting, and how do I find you when I have it?"

Here, Gary frowned. "This is the part I'm worried about," he said after a moment. "The book is definitely not easily accessible, and you will be in danger."

Jon's eyebrows immediately came together. "Where is it? I swear to God, Gary, if you send me to the Misty Mountains or something -" He cut off at the expression on Gary's face, and he let out a groan, covering his head. "No… no, no, no… I can't. This is crazy. This isn't real. I'm dreaming. You're an allusion. Everything is fake."

"Jon." Gary took his hands and pulled them away from his face. "I'm afraid to say it, but this is real." Jon shook his head desperately, refusing to meet his gaze. "Jonathan, Cheyanne needs your help. She needs you. You are the only one who can do this."

"No… I can't. I'm not… I don't traverse to other worlds!" Jon exclaimed. "This is my home! I live on Earth. I'm not some character an author wrote out of a book, Gary!"

"No, but you can traverse to other worlds," Gary assured him. "You know that, don't you? You do it almost every night."

"Those are dreams!"

"Are they?" Jon opened his mouth to retort, but Gary cut him off. "What were Cheyanne's dreams?"

Jon didn't have a response to that, and Gary gave him a careful look. "Jon, you must do this. If you don't, Middle-earth will fall into ruin. Each and every character you've come to love from that story will be lost, along with your friend. You are their only hope."

Jon stared at him for a long moment. Was there really any affect on him if he didn't do what Gary asked of him? He wasn't in Middle-earth; he had nothing to do with any of it's inhabitants, aside from Gary and Cheyanne. Would he really care if it were to fall into ruin?

Yes, he thought a second later. Middle-earth brought you and Cheyanne together, Jon. If it's lost, you lose a part of yourself.

"Why does this affect all of Middle-earth?" he queried, looking at Gary.

"Cheyanne is the Queen Under the Mountain. If she is lost, Thorin will lose his mind. He'll do something terrible, like send his army to war with the Elves of Mirkwood, or with the men of Lake-town. All of Middle-earth will be drawn into the war, and it will eventually end in only ruin," Gary told him. "I know this, because John Tolkien wrote about it."

Jon groaned to himself. Always with Tolkien alternate realities that he just had to write. The man's imagination was too great.

Jon knew what he had to do, now, and why.

He bowed his head and let out a breath before nodding once. "What am I looking for?" he asked Gary.

"A very big and old book with a brown cover." Jon glared at him. "I didn't come up with it, Jon," Gary said. "I just know it has the incantation I need to help Cheyanne in it." Jon's glare faded, and Gary gave him a small grin. "I have faith in you, my boy. You can do it."

"Do you know where it is exactly?" Jon asked.

"I'm sure you'll find someone who does," Gary told him. Jon shut his eyes, and he felt Gary pat him on the shoulder. "Just remember Cheyanne needs you, Jon. It will give you the strength."

"Yeah, sure," Jon grumbled, wincing. "Just the fate of Middle-earth is lying on my shoulders, and all. You know, I'm bound to be a bit terrified." There was no response, and he opened his eyes to find Gary was gone. Jon let out a groan and buried his head in his arms. "Right."

Aw yeah, aw yeah, Jon's back. Heck yeah.

I missed Jon. I really did.