Previously on…

The Origin Series: Stage 2

.oOo.

Before the First Age Anthology

Janet and the Druids Trilogy:

Moondust

Ashes flew out. Tobias held the stone urn out in the direction of the sea. Janet watched in agony as Tobias did this honor. It was the right thing to do. She hoped Halfbern did find peace at last.

"Goodbye father," Tobias said, choking up tears. "You were good to me."

"Goodbye Halfbern," Janet said, struggling not to cry again. "We'll miss you."

-x-

"Tobias?" She [Janet] repeated, hoping for an answer.

"Your parents want us to marry," Tobias spoke, softly. "In light of what's happened, they find it better that we do."

-x-

Janet and Tobias lit the candles next to show their unity. They drank the red wine afterwards, before putting on their wedding rings and completing the ceremony.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Jock turned to Tobias, as Janus chirped a little in excitement.

-x-

Janet couldn't believe what she was seeing. First, her parents turned doggy and now her husband was a wolf! What utter nonsense!

-x-

Tobias sniffed the potion. It looked delicious. He licked the bowl, tasting the herbal mixture. It wasn't the best potion, but if it made him a hobbit-man again, then he would drink it all. And he did, licking the bowl clean.

When he was done, he felt so strange. He wobbled until he finally collapsed on the wood-planked floor. Grey smoke enveloped him, causing his limbs to grow smaller and his nose to return to his hobbit size. The fur was leaving him, the pale skin returning. His clothes were back, but in tatters. He stayed on the floor for a couple of seconds, before his wife sat next to him in tears. He chuckled, looking at her brown eyes in delight.

"I'm glad to see you, too. Come here," Tobias said, leaning in and kissing her on the lips.

-x-

"Janet, Lehon is not our home. Our home was the First World and you saw how well that world was kept safe," Tobias said, standing up. He fumbled on his next words, "We don't… have a home… to go back to. The life we once had there is gone. We're just going to have to accept that and move on."

Janet huffed, nodding in understanding. "Okay. If that's what you want." Tobias knelt beside her, as she spoke, "But you did just kill all those Rakata soldiers. How can we go back? We'll be wanted for murder."

"Just me, Janet," Tobias said, calming her down. "Remember, I was a wolf once." He sighed. "But that doesn't excuse me for my actions."

-x-

"Wait. Something doesn't add up." Janet asked the Lion, confused. "What happened to my parents?"

"They're here," Aslan said, showing her the Dalmatian couple, now rushing towards Janet and Tobias. Janet laughed, petting the non-talking Dalmatians. "The cycle is now complete. Now, we can start again."

~o~

Paranor

"It's important that this child lives." Brona gestured to Janet's slightly round stomach. "I fear if the child dies, the fate of the worlds will be in danger."

-x-

"It's a girl!" the healer said, a moment after another healer, who entered the room now, cut off the umbilical cord.

"Can I see her?" Janet asked the healer, watching him. "Can I hold her?" She had seconds to see the wrapped bundle, cleaned and washed before Brona took the child. Her happy smile turned to sorrow and confusion. What was Brona doing?

"She's a wonder to behold," Brona said in awe. He told the two expectant parents, "We will name her Anabeth."

"Anabeth?" Tobias asked, moving away from his wife in shock. "You couldn't wait for us to give her a name?" He said, referring to himself and Janet.

"That is not your decision to make," Brona said, casually. "This child has a future. I will see to it that she is trained by the druids, until further notice."

-x-

"Janet, don't cry," it was her mother's voice. It had been years since she heard it, but it was her, loud and clear. Janet jumped at the sight of her mother and father, staring at her family with youthful eyes. They were ghosts, weren't they? They looked alive.

"Are you… are you dead?" Janet asked, already knowing the answer.

"Why yes, we are," Janus said, smiling.

-x-

"I know. You told me how the First World ended, due to that rose. I've heard this tale so many times," Anabeth said, shyly.

"Well, that wasn't the only thing that happened that day." Janet said, getting her daughter's attention. She pulled out a panpipe, allowing her daughter to hold it. "It's yours now. After my mother went looking for Cerberus, she was given this panpipe. It belongs to Pan, the God of Nature. Now, it's a part of our family. I want you to have it. Keep it close. You never know what might happen here."

Anabeth nodded, stowing the panpipe on her belt. "I'll look after it. Thank you, mother, father."

"You're welcome," Tobias said, holding onto his wife and his daughter's hands, not letting them go.

~o~

Rise of the Warlock Lord

"Anabeth, wait! Anabeth—" Tobias ran in-between Anabeth and Brona. However, it was too late! Brona waved his hand, shoving Tobias backwards through the air and up against a wall, falling unconscious in a matter of seconds.

"No!" Janet rushed over to her husband, watching him wake up in a weakened state.

-x-

Tobias rested his hand on Janet's shoulder. "Don't forget about me. I will always be with you."

"It is time," Aslan said, showing the brown-haired hobbit another portal, where his parents and Janet's parents waited for him. "Come."

"Yes Aslan," he nodded, facing his family again and kissing them on the foreheads. "This isn't over. We will be reunited." He walked away, heading for the portal, but not without looking at his wife and daughter, sighing and grinning. He walked away, rushing towards his father and mother, before the portal closed.

~o~

Origin Tales: Parker Dooley Mini-Series:

Dragon's Keep

"Elizabeth, are you coming?" Miss Harbinger said, shaking her head upon seeing Elizabeth's clothes. "Oh Elizabeth, you're seventeen! If I were you, I would wait for a suitor to come and marry you." She tugged at the teenager's puffy sleeves. "It'll have to do. Now, come on!"

"Alright," Elizabeth sighed, following her nanny outside the cabin. She looked back, surprised to see a strange creature looking her way. It looked like a lizard but with a dragon's head. It was… almost human with black spikes and black claws. The way he looked at her was uncanny as if he wanted something… until he saw her, too, and vanished. "What?"

"What?" Miss Harbinger got her attention again.

"I thought I saw… a dragon. Well, he looked like a dragon." Elizabeth said, curious.

-x-

"Are you Parker Dooley?" she repeated, shakily.

"I am," Parker said, intrigued. "I'm sorry about all of that. I've just been through a rough spot with a bunch of boys and a whip! Only, they decided to whip me."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Elizabeth said, concerned. "Are you hurt?"

"Physically, I'm healed," Parker said, hesitant. "Mentally is another tale. Treating me like an animal—" He slammed his fist on the table, not too loud enough for anyone except Elizabeth. He looked away, pained. "I'm sorry. My relationship with humans is a bit testy."

"Oh," she said, saddened by this news.

-x-

"Miss Harbinger?" she [Eliza] asked her nanny, concern dwelling in her eyes. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in England."

Amanda hissed, brandishing her dagger. "She's not who she says she is!"

"What?" Eliza asked, stunned.

"I'm afraid, my dear, that your dragonoid friend is right about me." Miss Harbinger waved her hands in front of her, moving upwards until she changed form. She was no longer human. She was a purple dragonoid. It was the same dragonoid Eliza remembered seeing in Uncle Benjamin's drawing room!

The female purple dragonoid said, confident and bold. "You may find that Miss Harbinger was my human alter ego. My name is Helen the Shapeshifter."

-x-

"Will I go with him?" Eliza asked the Lion, curious.

"Not today," Aslan said, looking at her keenly. "But someday, you will be traveling with Parker again and his family. The Dooley family." He added, curtly, "This must be done, and unfortunately, you both will be split up." That shocked Eliza and Parker. They were going to be separated? How could this happen? Aslan spoke again, uninterrupted, "As Eliza walked through a window, you, Parker, walked through a portal. You both will be traveling back in the same way you came."

"No." Parker rushed towards Eliza, embracing her. "I can't let you go."

"We have to," Eliza released him. "We'll meet again. I promise."

"I don't know how we met in your world," Parker admitted, curtly. "But if I find a way to do it again, I will look for you." He added, smiling, "Or better yet, I'll surprise you. Don't worry. I will find you again! We'll be reunited soon!" He ran through the portal, rushing up to his family and embracing them. The portal closed, leaving Eliza alone with the Great Lion.

~o~

The Encrusted Jewel

"And so, we leave you with one task," the chieftain said, smiling at the red dragonoid.

"What is it?" Parker asked the chieftain, nervous.

"We want you to use your power to turn us into little men," the chieftain said with a smile. "Go on, Parker! You have the ability to manipulate objects, people, and creatures. We've seen you do it before!" The chieftain demanded. "Turn us into the meanest little coconut creatures you could ever come up with! Go on! Transform us into little men!"

"Go on! Go on!" all the maroon dragonoids chanted, taunting the red dragonoid.

Parker looked at Eliza with uncertainty. He cocked his head, turning to all the maroon dragonoids gathered. He remembered this kind of power. It was dangerous. Any side effects could be disastrous! He stood up, waving his hand at the maroon dragonoids.

Fog engulfed the area. Parker coughed, as did Eliza, Darron, and Turen. Honestly, this was not what he expected! By the time the fog cleared and his senses returned, Parker jumped at the little men looking at them. They were donned in coconuts. The men didn't speak, with the exception of their drums. In the process, they drew angry faces on their coconut armor.

Parker realized it was time to let them go. "Go away!" He blasted a strong wind at the coconut men, dowsing their sacred fire in water. He chuckled, stunned for a second when the coconut men tried to attack him. The wind pushed the coconut men back, driving them through a portal and out of Beleriand. He sighed in relief, knowing what to call them. "Those maroon dragonoids are the Kakamora. Well, let's hope being pirates will do them some good."

-x-

"Not by a long shot—" She [Helen] jumped at the sound of another blade. Blood oozed out from the wound in her stomach. She chuckled, collapsing on the sand, just as the blade came out, revealing Turen standing behind her.

Parker was shocked. "Why did you do that?"

"You would have done the same for me," Turen said, still holding the jewel.

"No," Parker told him, calmly. "We're not the same. Now, why did you do that?"

"I didn't want to see you get hurt again. She was trying to kill you anyway," Turen told him, firmly.

"Miss Harbinger!" Eliza cried, rushing over to the purple dragonoid. The dragonoid didn't transform. She was still in the same form but looked motherly towards the girl.

"Oh, child. You will do great things one day." Helen told her, resting her scaly hand on Eliza's cheek, as the girl wept. "Do not worry for me. My task is done. Someone else can look after the jewel now." She sighed, drawing her last breath. Her eyes dimmed. She was gone.

-x-

Aslan approached the Dooley Mansion with ease. It had been too long since he'd been at this house, and yet he was keen on seeing where the Dooley family was at this point. He heart filled with joy at seeing the wedding take place.

There was Parker's father, giving the ceremony and pronouncing Parker and Eliza as husband and wife. Aslan smiled, grateful to see the couple, see Parker in his human form, kissing, sealing their marriage. However, he knew there was more at stake here than just a wedding. He hoped to tell the happy couple about the new events unfolding before their eyes.

~o~

Parker's Random Adventure

"What happened in the First World?" Turen asked, suspicious. "Is it true what they say? That I was born from a different nest?"

"You were born from evil dragonoids," Holman told him, uneasy. "Your egg was dropped into your brothers and sisters' nest. Your egg sat next to Parker's, corrupting that pure, innocent heart. I warned your mother not to let those eggs be parted, but as soon as you were born, you threw Parker's egg into a portal, forcing him to live alone on Oz. Your mother and I still love you."

Turen's eyes turned yellow. "What? This whole time you could have told me!"

"We're sorry, but you are our son," Holman said, resting a hand on Turen's shoulder.

"Get off me!" Turen jerked his father's hand away. He walked out of the vault, telling his foster father. "I will find my real family. Mark my words. And when I do, this family will fade! I'll guarantee it!" He left the vault and the Dooley Mansion behind. The second he found his speeder, a motorized floating bike, he sped off across the Land of Dragons.

He'd find his real family soon enough. Just wait and see.

-x-

He [the evil dragonoid chieftain] said, gathering the rest of the dragonoids. "Lads, tonight, we burn the Dooley Mansion down! Wipe out as many of them as you can but keep Parker Dooley alive!" He faced Turen with ease. "Let this be the day when we rule the Land of Dragons together!"

-x-

"Turen isn't here. It's too quiet," Parker admitted, calmly.

"He'll be here," Eliza said, confused.

"Maybe," Parker said, not liking this. "Or maybe he went home." He walked towards the bedside table, with its red cushion embedded to the dark oak frame and sat down. He told Eliza, feeling more confident, "No matter what happens, we'll find each other. I won't give up on us, but I fear the darkness will return. I'm not sure what'll happen next, but let's hope we'll be together in the end. Promise me."

"I promise," Eliza said, meaning every word.

Parker nodded in reassurance. "Good."

~o~

Youth and Beauty

"I'm going to find Turen and free our mother, Tresh," Parker said to his sister, releasing Eliza. He saw one of the speeder bikes, with its dual fins, parked next to the shed. He approached it and turned it on. The engine roared to life with a light hum. In seconds, he was off, darting across the grasslands to the plains. He'd find his brother and end all of this, once and for all.

-x-

"No," Parker said, misunderstanding. "No, she's can't die!" He looked at Turen in fright. "Brother, do something! Please?"

But Turen stood still. Parker couldn't believe this. His brother wasn't going to help him, help them save their mother! This was embarrassing! Parker returned his gaze to his and Turen's mother. She placed her scaly hand upon his cheek, smiling at him. She was at peace now. Parker could see that.

"Mama, please don't leave!" Parker cried, softly.

"I love you," Cinthia said weakly, drawing her last breath. The light left her eyes and her head fell limp in his arms.

"Mum?" Parker cried, the tears dripping down his face. "Mama, come back! No!" He wept, unsure what to do.

-x-

"Are you sure you won't stay?" Tresh asked, curious.

"No. My place is at Dragon's Hallow," Parker said, curtly. "Where else am I going to go? Stay here while the memories are still fresh?" He added, calmly, "No. I think it's time I moved on, find my family a more stable home, give my son a chance to have adventures of his own."

Tresh hugged him. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Parker said, releasing her.

-x-

Parker didn't want to answer. Every fiber in his being knew it would be wrong thing. But he had to tell her and Maxin, so his conscience could be clear. At last, he faced Eliza and their son, telling them, bluntly, "The vision showed my future. I get burned. Corin survives. He will be my undoing."

~o~

The Dark Dragonoid

"This is most disturbing," Godric said, shaking his head. He asked the red dragonoid, "Have you noticed a pattern? With these visions, I know I'm beginning to see a pattern."

"They all end the same. Someone suffers, goes through pain, and then either dies or is badly injured," Parker said, trembling.

-x-

"Well then, welcome to the Sith Empire," Vitiate said with a smirk. "We shall begin your training at once."

"Thank you," Parker said, his heart filling with rage. "Thank you, Emperor Vitiate. This means the world to me."

"Rise and join the ranks of other Sith Hopefuls." Vitiate said in triumph, watching Parker do as was asked.

-x-

"But if we work together, leave this place with the Emperor knowing, I can grant you a new friend. Me! Now, how does that sound, Mr. Dooley?" Qua'ra said, pleased.

"No. Not Parker Dooley. Not anymore." Parker walked towards his bed, looking at it, enraged. "I have a new name now."

"Oh really? What?" Qua'ra asked, impressed.

"Maranguan." Parker said with ease. "My new name is Maranguan."

-x-

"You did this?" Maranguan asked, snarling. "You turned her away from me!"

"You did that yourself," Corin said, rationally.

Maranguan glowered at him. He would have his revenge yet! His eyes turned red. Anger boiled up inside him. He really wanted to take down this lion, no matter what! "What have you done?" He brandished his sword. "I'll kill you, Corin! I'll kill you!"

"Yes, I suppose you will," Corin inched closer to the wicked dragonoid. "But you don't want to. Think carefully on your decision. Is this really what you want?"

Maranguan snarled, growling at him. He screamed, sheathing his sword. This wasn't over! Not by a long shot. "I'm leaving you. All of you! I don't care anymore what happens to you! Don't follow me. I made a promise. I intend to keep it. If you find me, don't turn me. I've already done enough damage here." He waved his hand in the air, forming a spinning portal. He snarled at Corin, glared at his wife, and took off through the portal. The portal vanished, leaving Eliza falling to her knees in horror.

Corin stared at the spot where Maranguan had disappeared. He asked himself in shock, "What have I done?"

*.*.*

References:

Rakata, their planet Lehon, the Sith, and Vitiate come from the "Star Wars" galaxy. Brona | Warlock Lord comes from Terry Brooks' book series, The Shannara Series. Oz comes from L. Frank Baum's book, The Wizard of Oz. Godric Gryffindor comes from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series.