Frodo's gaze shifted to what lay behind Snow White. No way. There was a large cave entrance, before a grey stone mountain. Should he enter the cave when his friends weren't looking? He knew before he was joking, but this finding… it just didn't seem worldly. It seemed otherworldly.
"Oh, this always happens to heroes," Jiminy announced, annoyed.
"How so?" Anakin asked, confused.
"They always have this tendency to run off," Jiminy said. Frodo shook his head. Knowing himself, Frodo had this feeling he would run into danger again, like usual. He looked back once to see Jiminy and the others following behind him. Had he missed something?
"All right, guys, look," Frodo said, stopping them. "I'm fine. I can do this on my own."
"That's why we're going with you," Jiminy said. "We're not about to lose the Ring-bearer, now are we?"
"It was his idea," Anakin said, pointing to the cricket.
"Of course it was," Frodo said, not surprised by Anakin's reaction.
"Frodo," Snow spoke up, "I know we just met and… could I come along?"
Frodo sighed. How could he put this? "How are you with danger, dark spooky places and horrors you haven't seen?"
"Not very good," Snow admitted. She perked up, "but I know that whatever lies inside that cave can't be dangerous. I'm coming with you."
"Naïve as ever," Frodo said, turning to the cave. He told his new friends, waving a hand forward, "Come on!" But when he entered the cave, he found it was a dead end. There weren't any tunnels, no passages that led further into the cave. It was just there, complete with piles of skeletons… and a computer? What was that doing along the wall? Only when he maneuvered around the skeletons, he was met by one figure. "You!"
"Yes," the Blue Fairy announced herself. "It is I, the Blue Fairy."
"This can't be right!" Jiminy declared, stepping in front of Frodo. "Last I knew, you flew away."
"Jiminy," said a second Blue Fairy, entering the cave. "There you are. There you all are. You know, the fairies have tried so many times to enter this story. But we didn't break through until now."
"Wait," Frodo was confused, "if you're standing there, then who is…" he turned around just as the first Blue Fairy transformed into… himself, but with black clothes. "Who are you?"
"The one who started this mess," said Frodo's dark half. He chuckled. "Did you really think it was all so simple? Messing up stories hasn't been so much fun before. But it is."
"You'll pay for your crime—" Jiminy choked. Frodo watched it happened in fright.
"NO!" Frodo screamed. He couldn't let another friend die. He pleaded with his dark half, "Please, let him go! Let him go!"
Frodo's dark half chuckled. "And what will you give me in return?"
"Me," Frodo said, bravely. "But I'm not letting you hurt my friends. Please, just let him go. Please."
"Frodo, you can't—" Snow was cut off, right as Frodo's dark half released Jiminy, leaving the cricket to cough and sputter violently. Snow continued to speak to Frodo, "Frodo, think about this. You're giving yourself up and—"
"You would do the same for your kingdom," Frodo told her. "But I won't let another story be overrun and changed, due to my dark half. It has to be me."
"I would have done the same thing," Anakin said.
Frodo smiled. "I'm sure you would."
"Frodo," Jiminy said, hoarsely, "I would have done the same thing, too. Be careful and save all of our worlds. Save us."
"Yes," the Blue Fairy said, facing the hobbit, "I think it's your job to save worlds. You've already saved yours, time and time again."
"Are we done here?" Frodo's dark half asked, annoyed. Frodo ignored him for a moment, returning his gaze to his friends.
"I'll be back. I promise," Frodo said, smiling at his friends. He turned to his dark half now. "I'm ready. Take me to your lair."
"Oh, it's not just my lair. It's the villains' lair," Frodo's dark half said. "Now that you've fixed some of the mess that I created, it's only fitting that you see what damage you did to the villains. Oh, how tragic that Sauron will be able to see you again." He chuckled evilly, "Oh, he'll be so delighted to finally meet you in person."
"Let's go," Frodo said, serious.
Frodo's dark half sneered. "Fine. I see how it is. Fine then." He held onto a lever. "And here we go."
Frodo watched the cave swirl out of picture. He was in a swirling vortex, moving and changing… until he fell down a rabbit hole and into the next picture. For a time, he couldn't see anything. The darkness was too great for him. Did he make it? Was he safe and sound at home again? He looked around. The place sure was dark, but then…
THWACK!
His head throbbed painfully. His eyes closed. He could barely remember anything… that happened to him… these last couple of days… he collapsed, remembering nothing further.