Sorry for the long delay. I was updating my fanfics. Enjoy! :)
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"Stop!" Frodo cried, slamming his hands on the barren dirt ground. He breathed heavily, doing his best to gather his thoughts.
No. He wasn't awake. He was still trapped in a coma, a coma he couldn't seem to shake. What was going on? Why did he behave like this?
All trace of his life before seemed to go nowhere. He stood up, walking across the barren landscape. He looked up at the sky, noticing it had an orangish-yellowish tint to it. The sun creeped out from behind the dark clouds, giving an ominous feeling to the barren landscape, which chilled Frodo to the bone.
All around him, portals appeared and disappeared, floating in the air and sometimes stationary. He didn't know where he was. Was this the Netherworld? Was he dead? Or was he still alive? Some part of him believed he was dead, and yet, he wasn't. There was just something about this place that he couldn't shake.
He blinked, hearing screams here and there from times past. He jumped, seeing flashes stretch across his gaze, forcing him to collapse from the outbursts of cries. Frodo found himself on his knees, unable to keep the flashes from stopping across his vision. He looked up in time to see the golden-brown Lion Aslan face him.
"Why do you run?" Aslan asked, calmly. Frodo glared at him, not knowing what to do. "Why do you flee? You know who you really are, why you're here."
"Will I come here again?" Frodo asked the Great Lion, cautious.
"I believe so. Your journey is not yet done," Aslan said, blowing on him. "For now, you need to see this. You need to see the past, if you are to understand the future." He gazed at a large portal, shocking Frodo with images from the past.
.
The first image showed a perfect, bright, happy world known as the First World. There was a Dalmatian blessed by Aslan. Her name: Janus, and her tale was already beginning. Frodo watched Janus as she and another Dalmatian, who went by the name of Jock, married and were blessed with a baby girl named Janet. The family grew up fast, with Janet leaving the First World, right before the world exploded.
"Ahh!" Frodo jumped at the First World's destruction. It was almost as if he was there, with hot flames scorching his arms and legs. He spun around, the pain vanished, as he caught a glimpse of another portal that showed him events after the First World and the beginning of the Universe.
He was shown Janet with another hobbit, Tobias. No. Frodo thought he knew everything there was to know about his past. What were these images he was shown? And there was Tobias telling Parker that he would see lookalikes of themselves. No. Did that include Frodo? He wondered that as he sat down, witnessing Terrence Dooley, another lookalike, save Kyrria from Sir Edgar, Prince Charmont's uncle before he was poisoned.
"Stop. Make this stop," Frodo said, jumping again upon seeing another of his lookalikes, Delphi and Dalpha, slain by their mermaid wives, in an attempt to save their sons. Their sons Andalis and Andalas, who looked just like Frodo, building up their new kingdoms in the Land of Talking Animals and the Land of Merfolk and Sirens.
No. Frodo needed to leave! He needed to find a way out of this coma!
He stood up again, determined to make it back to the waking world. Each step took a toll on his energy, sapping it dry before he could wander too far across the barren landscape. He collapsed, wincing in pain. He looked up, spotting another family, a family of cats and unicorns coming together by a union. A wedding ceremony. Among them was an Oriental Cat who beat up Parker Dooley, the light red dragonoid who Frodo knew and trusted as a father-like figure to him.
A tear shed down Frodo's face. He hardly noticed it as he watched the Oriental Cat's descendant, a shapeshifter and who could transform into a unicorn at will, roam about the Land of Unicorns in her foal year. Frodo looked up as the Oriental Cat looked at him with confidence.
"Now, you will witness my family unite with your family," the Oriental Cat named Jine said with a mischievous smile. "That time has come and your memories will be completed soon enough." She disappeared, leaving Frodo stunned as he attempted to grab her tail. He couldn't reach her. What sort of a coma was this?
Frodo looked up, spotting his lookalike in the shadows. This lookalike was new, nobody he recognized. He stood up, asking the figure in the shadows, "Who are you?" The shadow figure said nothing as he approached Frodo, pressing his thumb against Frodo's forehead.
Frodo closed his eyes, feeling like he was going to fall over.
"It's time to wake up. You'll see me soon enough," the shadowy figure said, mentioning his name was Roger, the lookalike who Frodo would meet in his memories.
.
Frodo awoke. He looked around, finding he was inside a room with square, white walls, as well as a black television box sitting inside a brown television desk that was opened, complete with its own set of dresser drawers. Various green plants were nestled in a corner, while a couch with soft floral-patterned cushions were nestled on the couch. He looked around, spotting Parker fast asleep on the couch. It was just as well. The light red dragonoid did enough for him already.
Frodo felt his head, remembering he would be crowned king, but king of what? Was he ready for that? Oh, he felt so amnesic right now.
"What happened?" Frodo asked, groggily. He looked at Parker as the light red dragonoid woke up. Was that surprise he saw? Frodo shook his head, trying to recover from the memories that were now stored in his mind.
He remembered the Chesapeake Manor. He remembered seeing the Scissors Lady coming towards him, about ready to strike him. She wasn't evil. What was she?
"You're awake!" Seraphina said, stunning him when she came into his room wearing a blue summer's dress and blue jeans. "Finally! I was concerned about you."
"About me?" Frodo asked, concerned. He looked at her, wondering what it was about her that he couldn't pin down. Her expressions, her personality. Sure, she was reckless, but… why was he drawn to her?
"Ahem!" Parker cleared his throat, getting their attention. He turned to Frodo, telling him, "You've been out for three days. We were getting worried." He looked at Seraphina, raising an eyebrow in her direction.
"Yes, it was awful," Seraphina said, getting Frodo's attention. "I may have snapped at you before. Parker's been nothing but kind to you." She huffed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here." She walked out of the room, stunning Frodo and Parker.
"What's her problem?" Frodo asked, concerned about her.
"I don't know," Parker said, just as confused.
.
Seraphina leaned back against one of the hallway windows, sighing in despair. She didn't mean to be so rude. Looking back, it seemed like her life was filled with ups and downs. With Frodo, she just didn't know. She felt this intensity for him that she couldn't ignore.
She couldn't leave him alone! She cared about him. When Cyndera's armory got burden down, Cyndera suspected Frodo was responsible. And yet, Frodo was dismissed of all those charges.
Then there were Seraphina's friends. Her Dalmatian friend Jane, always so bright-eyed and motherly towards her. She was the mother Seraphina wished she had. Then there was her other friend, her lover Cooper. They fought all the time, but Seraphina felt like she was the weaker of the two. Cooper always straightened her up, seeming to know her actions all the time. It was getting annoying.
And yet, she felt better being around Frodo. He just made her feel more complete. Who could she choose? Was it Cooper or Frodo that she loved? She sighed, unable to seek solace from her grief. It was just as well these things happened to her. She couldn't quite comprehend how she was supposed to choose! It was a nightmare!
She looked up as Cooper approached her. She smiled, grateful to see him.
"Hey," Cooper said, delighted to see her.
"Hey," Seraphina said, gazing at him. She smiled as they kissed. It had been too long since they kissed like that. And yet, her heart didn't feel right. She sighed in relief the moment they released, not knowing what else to do.
"This doesn't feel right," Cooper said, realizing their love wasn't meant to be.
"You felt it, too?" Seraphina said in understanding.
Cooper shook his head, staring at her in wonder. "You love him, don't you?"
Seraphina nodded. "I care about Frodo, it's true. I don't want you to feel left out. It's for the best, you know."
"No, it's not," Cooper said, shaking his head again. He sighed, telling her, "You don't need to stay with me, especially if our hearts are meant to be with someone else. I'm sorry. I think it's time for us to move on."
Seraphina gasped lightly. She felt waves of relief rush through her veins. She didn't know why this was, but it was and it felt right Frodo.
"I'm sorry to have given you such grief," Seraphina said in understanding.
"Don't be. You've been more than a friend to me. It's just not enough," Cooper said, shrugging.
"Good luck," Seraphina said, calmly.
"I know Frodo will make a better king than me," Cooper said, looking at her last, "Good luck. I hope you make the right choice." He looked at her one last time, walking away from her a moment later. Seraphina watched him leave, feeling relief wash over her again.
So, that was it. Her relationship with Cooper was over. She sighed, heading back into Frodo's room and kissing him square on the lips. Frodo stared at her wide-eyed, surprised Seraphina would do this. In seconds, his eyes closed, leaving him return to the world of dreams, where he heard Seraphina's voice cry out to him in despair, even as her voice moved further and further away into the distance.