Sorry for the short delay. This chapter took me time to think through, draft, and revise. Well, now that it's up, let's continue with the story. :)

*.*.*

The greenish-white light vanished, causing Frodo, Maranguan, Parker, and Ronnie to land in a decorated Christmas tree. For a moment, Frodo had become so small that he looked like a toy. Then his size grew larger as he tumbled towards the rug, where the wrapped Christmas presents were kept. He wasn't the only one who fell down the Christmas tree, for Maranguan, Parker, and Ronnie joined him, all their proper sizes again by the time they reached the bottom of the tree. Frodo's proper size returned, too. He looked at Parker as Maranguan patted his shoulder, drawing his energy into Parker until Maranguan disappeared. Maranguan was now united with Parker, as he looked around in horror.

"Oh no! You're a dragonoid," Frodo told Parker, shocking the light red dragonoid.

"Ah!" Parker gasped, as a swirling red mist entered his irises. He couldn't keep Maranguan contained. He tried to keep Maranguan locked inside of him. Somehow, it didn't work. Maranguan was too strong! Parker collapsed on the floor, too weakened by Maranguan's strength. How much stronger had Maranguan become? He seemed to remember Maranguan equaled him in strength, the last time they met.

Let me help you! I want to help you, Maranguan whispered in his ear.

"No!" Parker cried, trying to keep Maranguan inside of himself. "You're my problem. Not anyone else's!"

"Please! Let me help you!" Maranguan spoke aloud.

"No!" Parker groaned, struggling to keep Maranguan inside.

"Shh!" Frodo shushed him. "You can worry about this another time."

Parker hissed, his eyes turning red. "You're one to talk." He closed his eyes, growling as Maranguan shot out of him. Parker sighed grateful it was over. He felt his forehead, wondering what went wrong.

"We can't be inside each other anymore," Maranguan said, patting Parker's shoulder. "I'm sorry. It's just the way it has to be."

"Why couldn't I contain you? I was supposed to contain you. I didn't want you out of me," Parker hissed, snarling at him. "Why are you haunting me?"

"Because you can't keep your dark side inside yourself much longer. I am not dark, not anymore," Maranguan said, calmly. "If you want, I can keep watch of Frodo for you."

"What can you do for him?" Parker asked, confused as Frodo gazed at them in horror. "He looks scared. Are you frightened of me?"

Frodo nodded. "Maybe. Why am I here? Why are we here?"

"Shh! Someone's coming!" Ronnie said, poking his head out from behind the Christmas tree. To his surprise, the room was massive. There were so many men dressed up in tuxedos, while the girls and women were dressed up in elegant dresses. It was a ball to remember. A truly, wonderful ball. Ronnie looked at Parker and Maranguan, telling them, "Right. You two need to keep hidden, or else transform into hobbits or humans. We can't be seen like this. You know that. This isn't our world. This is…"

"Earth," Frodo said, gazing out from the Christmas tree. "We can't be here. Why are we here? What's going on?"

"It's the Four Realms. This house must be the gateway to the Four Realms," Parker said, calmly. He looked at Maranguan, saying, "Look, if you're here to help us, then keep quiet or stay hidden."

Maranguan nodded. "I'll watch over you both. All three of you." He said to Ronnie, vanishing a moment later.

"He's gone," Ronnie said, shocked.

Maranguan laughed in the air. "I'm always around. Wait and see."

Parker snarled, not liking this, "We need to change form. Any ideas?"

Frodo nodded. Ronnie sighed, telling them, "Well, whatever we gotta do, we better do it fast." He looked at Frodo and Parker, saying, "I have a plan."

"Great. What is it?" Frodo asked, curiously.

Ronnie looked at Frodo with intrigue. It was now or never.

.

Frodo and Ronnie climbed out from behind the Christmas tree. Their hairy feet were covered in black shoes, something that intrigued Frodo. He always wanted to try on a pair of shoes, or have shoes on his feet to keep them warm. Boots were what he wanted to try on most. He was jealous of the Stoors for wearing boots all the time. Boots was something he wanted to try on. Just once, he wished he could try boots on.

Frodo couldn't get over his grey socks. Why did he have to wear socks? At least, he and Ronnie were dressed up in black tuxedos, with bowties, and white flowing shirts. Now, all they were missing was a warm black coat, to keep them warm at night.

"Do these socks make my feet look big?" Frodo asked Ronnie, feeling the socks' wool itch against his skin. He reached down to scratch his ankles, embarrassing Ronnie at the same time.

Ronnie pulled Frodo up, telling him, "Guys don't ask guys that stuff, do they?"

"I rather doubt it," Frodo said. He was grateful Ronnie showed him the shapeshifter ability to transform their clothes into whatever they wanted to. It was convenient. It meant that Frodo could wander around in any world, looking like the locals. It gave him a chance to blend in. That was good, right?

It made him happy that Ronnie showed him this trick. Above anything, this trick was useful for their disguise.

Thump! Frodo and Ronnie turned towards the Christmas tree, watching Parker tumble from behind it, in his human/hobbit form. Parker was dressed in a black tuxedo, complete with a white flowing shirt and a stylish floral bowtie. Parker huffed, doing his best to keep calm. Was his foot twisted?

"Ow!" Parker winced in pain, managing to stand up, but with help from Frodo and Ronnie. "I'm fine! Where's Maranguan?"

"You're dazed. Come on. We should look for Drosselmeyer, if he's here," Ronnie said, catching a glimpse of an elderly man who resembled Drosselmeyer. "Look, there! That must be him!"

"Ow! Easy," Parker hissed, wincing in pain. He sighed in relief when his healing powers worked on his left ankle and his foot. It was such a relief to have that ability. "Good. Now, I can stand." He sighed in relief, feeling Maranguan rush back to him. He snarled, telling him, "What do you want?"

Drosselmeyer's here! Maranguan said to Parker, Frodo, and Ronnie. Maranguan pointed out an elderly man at the end of the hall, drinking his drink. Parker sighed. Perfect. Someone he could prank. Maybe he should talk to another elderly chap, who spoke to a young man.

"If you'll excuse me," Parker said, making his way over to the elderly gentleman. He noticed Frodo and Ronnie follow him, when he spoke to the elderly man, "Hey, you want to see a trick?" His face turned dragonoid, as he showed his red, angry eyes, scaring the man.

"By jove!" the elderly man said, collapsing on the floor.

Parker nearly stayed that way, when Frodo and Ronnie pulled him off to the side. Parker's human/hobbit features restored to his face, including his bright blue eyes returning to his irises yet again. Parker looked at the man, telling him, "Yeah! You better know what's good for you! The dragonoids will hear about this!"

"Parker," Frodo hissed, getting his friend's attention, "what is it? What's bothering you? Calm down."

Parker hissed, snarling at him, as he said, "You were gone for eighteen years. Maranguan vanishes within that time. Do you know what's it like not having your other half around? Of course, I act drunk." He sighed, admitting his faults, "I shouldn't have behaved that way. I'm sorry. It's just… with all that's been going on… I didn't know if I had it in me. Now, we'll never know."

"I forgive you," Frodo said, getting his attention.

"You do? But I thought… I thought I would have to go it alone," Parker said, shaking his head. "I don't want to go it alone. It's awful," he said, a few tears streaming down his face. He wiped them off, looking at the man again. "I need to talk to him, apologize."

Frodo nodded. "That would be wise. Just don't make the room forget what you did. That wouldn't be wise."

"I'm coming back," Parker said, approaching the man and telling him, kinder, "I'm sorry for what I did to you. That was awful. My dark half is still hanging around somewhere. I lost him for eighteen years. I haven't been myself since then. Can you forgive me?"

The elderly man, with help, got up on his feet again. He looked at Parker, straightening his tuxedo, as he said, "You've got some nerve coming here. You… You're Parker Dooley."

"How do you know?" Parker asked, cautious.

"Because I know a dragonoid when I see one. My mother was a black dragonoid. So, I know what they're like," the elderly man said, noticing a spirit wander throughout the house. He looked at Parker, who stared stunned at him.

"You're part dragonoid? I thought dragonoids didn't come to this world," Parker asked, cautious.

"I don't know what they teach you in that realm of yours, but yes, fantastic creatures are allowed to wander in this world. You just need to know where to look for them," the elderly man said with a warm, happy smile. He whispered to Parker, "I'm a shapeshifter, too. You're not alone in this world."

Frodo approached the man, with Ronnie following behind him. Frodo asked the elderly man, "How did you end up here?"

"It's a long story," the elderly man said with a smile. He whispered in Parker's ear, "I'm sure your father would love to hear from you. He's right over there."

"Holman's here? But he died!" Parker gasped, unsure what to make of this.

"Well, go and talk to him. He may know more about your situation than me," the elderly man said, looking at the light red dragonoid spirit, who wandered by the food tables.

Parker sighed in understanding. He looked at the elderly man, saying, "Thank—you." It was too late. The elderly man wandered off to speak to the younger man. Parker sighed, making his way over to his spirit father.

.

The second Holman met his living son's gaze, he stood there in shock and interest. Holman smiled at Parker, returning to the treats set up on the table. There were Christmas sugar wreath cookies, decorated in buttermilk frosting, as well as green and red sprinkles. There were also chocolate covered cherries next to the Christmas wreath cookies. Oh, there was so much to try here!

In time, Holman passed to Parker a Christmas wreath cookie, causing the lad to feel anxious, like he was his teenage dragonoid self all over again. Parker smiled, thanking his spirit father for the cookie, before munching on the cookie. The frosting's buttermilk flavor, next to the cookie's sugary surface delighted Parker's senses, but it didn't convince him that his father was here, as if he came from the Portal Realm to see him.

Parker waited until his cookie was halfway eaten, before asking his father, "Why are you here? How are you here? I don't understand—"

"Son," Holman placed a smooth, scaly, light red dragonoid hand on his son's human/hobbit shoulder, "don't worry. You still have your task to complete: to find Mother Ginger and the other Regents of the Four Realms and ask them about the curse, how to prevent it, or," he shrugged, "to allow it to complete itself. Aslan did leave a failsafe in the curse, didn't he?"

"He did. Well, I did. It's good to see you," Frodo said, announcing himself before Parker's father.

Holman smiled, saying, "It's good to see you, too." He sighed, facing Parker again as Parker finished eating his cookie. "Don't worry. I'm right here when you need me."

"Where's Drosselmeyer?" Parker asked, curiously. He finished stuffing his face with the cookie, munching it down, and finally licking his fingers of the sprinkles and frosting.

Holman turned around, showing Parker a man with olive skin and grey hair, dressed in a black tuxedo. "He's right over there." Holman smiled, patting Parker's shoulder, "Good luck. You may find what you need from him."

"Right," Parker said, gesturing to Frodo and Ronnie to follow him over to Drosselmeyer. "Come on. We'd better speak to him."

"Right," Ronnie and Frodo said, following Parker away from Holman, as the spirit dragonoid waved to them, before departing the room in a flurry.

Parker sighed, wiping his mouth, with his hand, of the cookie crumbs and frosting, before approaching Drosselmeyer. Drosselmeyer looked at the trio, intrigued by them. "Well, what do we have here? Frodo Baggins and his ancestors. What brings to my lovely abode?"

Frodo's eyes widened in fright, as he asked, "You know who I am?"

"I know all your names. Aslan declared that I know your names, before you got here. What seems to be the trouble?" Drosselmeyer asked, curiously.

Parker approached him, telling him, "We had a little trouble along the way. There's a curse coming. Maybe not on Earth, but it's coming soon. It's coming to our Universe, Frodo's Universe, Ronnie's, and mine. We need your help. We thought if we went to the Four Realms, it might solve our problems. There isn't trouble in the Four Realms, is there?"

"I'm afraid not. A curse. That's trouble. You can follow the rope. It'll guide you to the Four Realms, but know that if you go there, you may not like what you find there," Drosselmeyer said, revealing a gold rope for Frodo, Parker, and Ronnie.

"Thank you. Let's go," Parker said, following the rope, alongside Frodo and Ronnie. The rope stretched out to the outside snowy courtyard and into the next room of the house. He and his descendants followed the rope, determined to reach its destination.

Up the stairs they climbed, reaching a hallway or two with red wallpaper on the walls' surfaces. They had no idea where the rope ended until it stopped at a wooden door. That left them with a big question: should they follow the rope and see where it led? Open the door and continue from there? It would lead them to misery, if they found out what lurked beyond the door.

Parker looked at Frodo and Ronnie, asking them, "Are we ready to go?"

Ronnie shrugged, as did Frodo. Ronnie looked at Parker, telling him, "We're ready, whenever you are."

Parker nodded. "Right. Here we go."

"Oh, Mother Ginger, where are you?" Frodo asked, as Parker opened the door. He stared stunned at the snowy landscape that stood beyond the door. Frodo followed Parker and Ronnie through the passage, determined to reach their destination. However, they didn't reach the other side of the house. Instead, they were in a snowy area filled with tall Christmas pine trees.

Where exactly were they? Where do they go from here?