EPILOGUE

Fiona stood on the shore. Considering her options, go on alone, or risk having her Fools go insane, one by one.

'Wish the author hadn't included me in all of this, and I wish he hadn't dragged my beloved friends, Stan-Dumb, Dork, and Peepin into it either.' She thought to herself, but then she remembered what Goondolt told her that day in the underground city of the Mimes of Moria. It was: 'So do all who live in fantasy sagas that have been written since "The Lord of the Rings", and are filled with suspiciously Sauron-like villains, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to do is decide what to do with the time the author gives you.'

It was then, that she realized that she had to go on alone. She put the Embryo back into her pocket (which must have smelled awful by now), pushed one the boats into the water, and got in.

She began to paddle away.

Stan emerged from the treeline and cried out her name to get her attention.

"No Stan." She said.

He began wading into the water and catch up the boat.

"Go back Stan, I'm pompous enough to think that I can go anywhere without you." She said.

"Of course you are, and I'm coming with you." Stan declared.

"You can't swim." Fion yelled.

That didn't stop him, got to where the water was too deep for him to stand and he started to try to swim.

"Stan?" Fiona asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm coming, Fiona, I'm coming." He said, just before going under again.

'Dumb, dumb, dumb!' he thought to himself, 'Why didn't I just drop the pots and pans?'

A shadow fell over him, and he saw Fiona reach down and grab his hand.

She pulled him aboard.

"Stan, you dummy, you almost drowned yourself." She told him.

"But, I made a promise, Mrs. Fiona, a promise. 'Count your blessings, keep them sweet'." He said, "And I intend to, I intend to."

"Um, right, Stan." Fiona said, patting him on the back, "Come on, let's go."

With that, they paddled away to the other shore.

Meanwhile, Arrogant, Leggy, and Grisly shoved Boredom into a boat to give him funeral, Navy-style.

"Look, Fiona and Stan have reached the eastern shore." Leggy said, spotting the two Hobbiraptors on the opposite beach, walking away. He grabbed a boat and started to push it into the water.

"I don't intend to follow them." Arrogant said.

"Why not?" Leggy asked.

"It has all been in vain, the Fellowship of Fools has failed." Grisly said.

"Not if we hold true to eachother, we will follow the trail of critics and rescue Dork and Peepin." Arrogant announced.

"What would be the point of that, we'd be facing main group this time?" Grisly asked.

"We'll do it so that the irrelevant events of "The Towers of Redundancy", can take place before the actual plot picks up again in "The Return of the Foxworthy"." Arrogant answered.

Leggy and Grisly looked at eachother, then looks of determination crossed their faces.

"Yes!" Grisly laughed.

"Leave everything that we can spare behind, we'll travel light, let us hunt some Critic." Arrogant said.

With that, the three ran off in the general direction they last saw the army of Critics retreating in.

Fiona and Stan reached the top of rocky hill, overlooking the lands of Biosyn.

"Biosyn." Fiona said, "I hope the others find a safer road."

"Don't worry, they'll make another miraculous escape." Stan assured.

"I don't suppose we'll ever see them again." Fiona said.

"We may yet, God-willing, at the end part three." Stan said.

"Stan." Fiona said, "The audience-members that have read the books and I are glad you're with me."

She patted him on the shoulder and began walking down the hill. Stan paused a moment, then started to follow her.

END OF PART ONE