Timmy opened his eyes. In front of him he could see rolling green fields, some with sheep grazing peacefully, some sown with healthy crops. He looked down, and saw his clothes were different. He was wearing an old-fashioned waistcoat over a white shirt, and strangely enough he wasn't wearing shoes. He looked past his feet and saw he was standing on a dirt road. His eyes followed the road and saw it led past houses built into the side of a hill, each with neat little gardens in front.
"Good, isn't it Timmy?" said Cosmo from behind him. Timmy yelped and spun around. His godparents were grinning at him, obviously pleased their wish granting had worked so well. Cosmo was wearing much the same type of clothes as Timmy was, and Wanda had on a medieval style dress.
"Where are we?" asked Timmy, continuing to look around.
"Inside the book," said Wanda. "Just like you wished for.
"I'm in The Lord Of The Rings?" said Timmy incredulously.
"Well, near enough," said Wanda.
"You're in our version," explained Cosmo. "It's much like the original book, but far less vulnerable to copyright laws."
"Oh," said Timmy, some what in awe of his surroundings. Then he looked back to his godparents. "Shouldn't you two be hiding or something?"
"We don't need to here," explained Wanda. "Technically we aren't even fairies anymore."
"We don't even have wings!" said Cosmo, turning around and pointing at his back to prove it.
"But you still have your magic, right?"
"Well…" they both started to say, but were interrupted when Timmy's parents joined them.
"Mum? Dad? You're here too?"
"Not for long!" said Mum, sounding extremely happy. "We're retiring!"
"Retiring from what?" asked Timmy.
"Retiring from being your parents, silly!" answered Mrs Turner.
"You're old enough to be on your own now," explained Mr Turner.
"Wow, really!" said Timmy excitedly. "No babysitters, no child minders, nothing? Just me?"
"Sure, why not!" said Dad. "We've just got to give you your inheritance before we go."
"My inheritance?" repeated Timmy, his eyes beginning to shine.
"Sure! You inherit everything Timmy. If you didn't, it would all go to Dinkleburg."
"Why would it go to Dinkleburg?" asked Timmy.
"Because he's my second cousin once removed on my mothers side, obviously," said Dad. "But thankfully I have a son, and you get everything."
He pulled out a list from his pocket, putting on his glasses. "Let me see… you get the house, the pony, all our money that we haven't spent or plan to spend, plus all the furniture, including our surround-sound entertainment system."
"You're forgetting something honey," reminded Mrs Turner.
"Am I?" He gasped with horror. "You don't mean I have to give him my gold tea strainer!"
"No sweetie," sighed Mrs Turner. "I mean that ring thing you obsess over."
"Oh, right, my ring," muttered Mr Turner, reaching hesitantly into his pocket. "You get my ring as well."
"I didn't know you had a ring Dad," said Timmy. "Apart from your wedding ring."
"No, I have this one too. Surely you know about this ring?"
Timmy shook his head, looking blankly at his father.
"Oh. Well, there's no time to explain how I found it now. You'll just have to read about it in the book I wrote; How I Went There, And How I Came Back Here Again, also known as The Idiot. You should really read it some time Timmy. Well, if that's everything, we should probably be off."
"Uh, Dad, the ring," said Timmy, holding out his hand.
"Ah, yes, of course," muttered Dad. "But you probably don't want this ring. Maybe I should just keep it…"
"Just give Timmy the ring," snapped Mrs Turner. "Our horses leave in two minutes!"
"Of course honey," said Mr Turner, and dropped the ring into Timmy's open palm. "Bye son!"
"Bye Timmy!"
Timmy watched as his parents linked arms and trotted happily down the path, calling "Mountain resort, here we come!" When his parents had disappeared, Timmy turned slowly to his Fairy Godparents. "What are my parents doing here?"
"Well, you wished there was some way you could understand the books better…" began Cosmo.
"And what better way to make it relevant than to incorporate people you know into the story!" concluded Wanda.
"Well, how many are going to be in it?" asked Timmy. Cosmo and Wanda glanced at each other. "We don't actually know," admitted Cosmo. "We just waved our wands and left it to chance."
"Okay," said Timmy. "So I'm here in a strange land with my Fairy Godparents, and my real parents have just given me my own home and left me to my own devices." Timmy started to grin. "Guys, there's some fun to be had here."
"Well, what do you want to do first?" asked Wanda.
Timmy thought for a moment. "I don't know! There's so many things…so many…I don't know what to do first!"
"Well, why don't you start out small?" suggested Cosmo.
"Good idea! Now what have I always wanted to do that my parents haven't let me?" Timmy thought for a moment. "I always wanted to eat a bowl of icing… I wish I had a bowl of chocolate icing!"
"Uh," said Cosmo and Wanda, looking at each other.
"'Uh' what?" asked Timmy suspiciously. "Make with the icing already!"
"Timmy, we can't," explained Wanda. "We don't have our magic anymore."
"What!" exclaimed Timmy.
"Magic doesn't exist in here like it does in the real world," explained Cosmo. "We're basically powerless."
"You mean I can't wish for anything? I can't…I can't even wish myself out?"
"Sorry sport," said Wanda apologetically. "You're stuck here until the end."
Timmy sighed. "Now you tell me."
"Cheer up Timmy," said Cosmo. "We can still have fun, even if we don't have our magic any more."
"Yeah, I guess," admitted Timmy. "I still want my icing though."
"Wanda can make it!" said Cosmo happily.
"What!" exclaimed Wanda. "No I can't! I don't know how to!"
"You'll learn, Wanda," said Cosmo with a gentle smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You'll learn."
A very happy week passed for the three friends. Wanda did learn how to make icing, and Timmy learnt never to eat so much of it again. Timmy had been left an awesome house from his parents; like all the rest, it was built into the side of the hill. They had been worrying about where their food would come from, until they found the well-stocked pantry's Timmy's parents had left behind. The cakes had been the first to go, along with fruit pies and candies. Timmy's teeth had hurt a lot, but that didn't really stop him. But being able to eat whatever he wanted wasn't the only benefit to living without his parents. He could stay up as late as he wanted, then play all day when he woke up. It was the best week of his life, and having his godparents around him all day without having to worry about anyone seeing them was great.
Right now they were all lying outside in the front garden under a gentle sun, listening to the birds chirp around them.
"Wanda, I'm hungry," complained Timmy.
"Well, I think there's some broccoli left," she said.
"I'm not that hungry."
"Wanda, I'm hungry too," whined Cosmo.
She sighed. "I'm not here just to feed you two, you know."
"Wanda, pleeease," begged Timmy. "I'm soooo hungry. I'm starving."
"Me too," added Cosmo. "I'm skin and bone over here!"
"Alright, alright, I'll go and see what I can find." She got up from the grass and went into the house.
"Thankyou Wanda," Timmy called. He sighed happily and smiled. "This is the best wish I ever made."
"Why?" asked Cosmo.
"Because I've had so much fun here, even though there isn't any TV or video games. It's perfect."
"Oh sure, it starts out nice," said Cosmo. "But it gets real scary later on."
"How do you know?" asked Timmy curiously.
"Wanda read me the book once," explained Cosmo with a shrug.
"What happens?" Timmy asked nervously.
"I can't tell you," said Cosmo. "One, because it's against 'Da Rules', and two, I don't remember."
Timmy was stopped prevented from asking any more questions by Wanda emerging from the house. "I've found some sausages. Will that do you?"
"Yes thanks," answered Timmy.
"Good." Wanda came and lay back down. "Now Cosmo can cook them."
"You're going to let Cosmo cook them?" Timmy asked.
"I can handle it Timmy," said Cosmo. "Wanda, what do I cook them on?"
"The stove, Cosmo," she sighed.
"Oh, right. Of course. That's the big wooden one, right?"
Wanda sighed again, this time with a touch of annoyance, and got up. "I'll do it." As she stood up she looked down the road, and saw a figure walking along it towards them. She frowned curiously but thought nothing more of it; they probably weren't coming to them anyway.
Cosmo and Timmy continued to lie on the grass after Wanda had gone, and looked for shapes in the clouds.
"That one looks like a rabbit," said Cosmo.
"Yeah, and that one looks like an elephant," said Timmy.
"There's a monkey!"
"That one is the Crimson Chins head!"
"And that one looks like Jorgens head!" said Cosmo happily.
"Which one?" asked Timmy. He looked over at Cosmo and yelped. "Cosmo, it is Jorgen!"
"Yes, it is I, Jorgen von Strangalf, strongest wizard in Middling Earth," growled Jorgen, looking up from where he had been leaning over Cosmo. "I have been searching for you, Timmy Turner. I have much to discuss with you."
"Like what?" asked Timmy.
"No! Not out here! There are spies of the Enemy everywhere!" Jorgen glared distrustfully at the bushes. "We must go inside." He yanked Timmy up from where he was sitting on the ground and planted him firmly on his feet. "In!" Timmy was marched indoors, with Cosmo trailing behind them.
He led Timmy into the sitting room, and sat. "We have much to discuss," said Strangalf.
"Yes, you've said," responded Timmy. "What do you want to discuss?"
Jorgen opened his mouth to reply, but Wanda entered the room at that moment.
"Who is this?" growled Jorgen, eyeing Wanda distrustfully.
"This is Wanda," said Timmy. "She's my friend, and not a spy for the enemy."
"Who are you meant to be?" Wanda asked Jorgen. "And what are you doing here?"
"I am Jorgen von Strangalf, strongest wizard in all Middling Earth. I have much to discuss with Timmy."
"Well then I'm sticking around to hear it," said Wanda firmly, and sat down in one of the chairs. "Cosmo, go and turn the sausages."
"But…"
"Go!"
With much grumbling and complaining Cosmo left the room.
"Now what is it you wanted to discuss with Timmy?" Wanda asked, business-like. Jorgen opened his mouth and was about to answer when a screeching howl came from the direction of the kitchen. "Not with your hands, Cosmo," Wanda sighed to herself. She quickly left the sitting room and hurried to her husbands aid.
"I am glad she is gone," said Jorgen. "Now we can finally talk. I believe you have inherited something from your father, Timmy."
"Blue eyes? Short attention span?"
"No!" roared Jorgen. "A ring! You inherited a ring!"
"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Timmy, pulling said article from his pocket. "He gave me this."
Jorgen looked at the ring with a mixture of curiosity, fear, and awe. "The ring," he breathed. His sharp blue eyes focused on Timmy, making him flinch. "Do you know what this ring is?" Jorgen asked Timmy.
"A ring?" he guessed. Jorgen let out a harsh laugh,
"It is far more than a ring, Timmy Turner. It is the Ring."
"The Ring?" repeated Timmy, puzzled. "Well, what's so special about the Ring."
"It is the Ring to rule over Middle Earth," explained Jorgen sombrely. "It was created by the Dark Lord Sawon, and has powers the other Great Rings have not. It was lost from Sawon, until it was found again."
"Well that makes sense," said Timmy.
"He seeks for it now, and he must not be allowed to find it!"
"Okay, but why are you telling me all of this?" asked Timmy.
"Because, Turner, the Ring must not stay in Shireton. It has to leave and journey to Riverdwell."
"No problem," said Timmy, stretching. "I'll take it."
"Brave, Turner," mocked Jorgen. "Or incredibly stupid. You don't know the dangers that await you."
"Oh please," scoffed Timmy. "It can't be that dangerous. I'll be with Cosmo and Wanda; we take the Ring to this Riverdwell place; no problem."
"Riverdwell is a long journey from here," warned Strangalf. "The way will be…"
"Dangerous, yeah yeah," said Timmy, sounding bored. "What is Riverdwell anyway?"
"It is a home of elves," explained Jorgen. "Elfrond is the head of the house, and he is wise, and old by your standards."
"How old?" asked Timmy.
"Thousands of years," answered Strangalf.
"Ah," said Timmy. "That is fairly old."
Jorgen stood up. "You should prepare for your journey, Timmy Turner."
Timmy sat up a little straighter. "What, now?"
"Yes, now! The enemy is drawing closer and to wait here any longer would be a mistake. It's not like I would expect you to wait years and years before I see you again, finally alert you to the danger, then let you sit here for months after!" Jorgen said with a laugh.
"Riiight," said Timmy. "So, I guess I'll tell Cosmo and Wanda we're going." Timmy sighed. "I finally get to have some fun and it all ends."
While Timmy was saying this Jorgen had crept over to the window. His sharp ears had heard something rustling the plants outside. With a swift movement Strangalf put his arm out of the window and pulled up a squealing, struggling figure that looked a little like…
"Tootie!" exclaimed Timmy, leaping up from his seat. "Don't tell me you're here too!"
Tootie immediately stopped struggling. "Hi Timmy!" she said breathlessly, grinning at him.
"Be quiet!" snapped Jorgen, shaking her a little. "What were you doing outside the window?"
"Not stalking Timmy!" she said quickly. "I was, uhm, picking flowers?" Tootie held up a few rather sorry looking dandelions and grinned hopefully.
"I do not believe you!" shouted Jorgen, pulling Tootie into the room. "You are a spy!"
"She's not a spy," sighed Timmy, embarrassed at the thought he was standing up for Tootie.
"Are you sure?" asked Strangalf, glaring at Tootie suspiciously.
"Yes, I…I know her."
"Very well," said Strangalf sternly. "But she still knows too much to be left here. So as punishment for eavesdropping, she will go with you."
"Go with me!" repeated Timmy with alarm as Tootie cheered with joy. "Who are you punishing, her or me?"
Tootie barely heard him as she rushed over to Timmy and hugged him tightly. "Timmy! My one true love! No we can finally spend some quality time together!"
"Tootie, let go!" said Timmy, trying to pry her strong grip from around his body.
"Tootie?" said Wanda from the doorway, having returned from the kitchen. "What's Tootie doing here?"
"Tootie's here?" said Cosmo, coming in behind her. "Wow, you must be happy about that Timmy!"
Timmy shot Cosmo a look before finally managing to wrench out of Tootie's grasp.
"Guys, there's something important I have to tell you," he said.
"What is it, Timmy?" asked Cosmo.
"Let's just say you might want to make those sausages to go."
