This is the last chapter for this story.

*.*.*

Maranguan awoke the next morning with a light headache. He felt his forehead. It was hot, but not burning up. Good. Still, a wave of emotions struck him hard. Anger. Anger over everything he'd done. Anger over Vitiate's lies and for listening to him. If it weren't for that, Maranguan wouldn't have been so messed up, like he was now. He still clung to the darkness, which had a strong grip over his heart.

These were the first thoughts the protruded in his mind. Oh, how he wished he could take them all away. He looked over his shoulder, surprised to see a long blue tunic, blue trousers, and a long blue jacket spread out on his cushioned black bedside bench. He managed to get up and observe the clothing. Somehow, he found it soothing, comforting. One step closer to his journey towards the light. The darkness stayed within him.

How could he hate the darkness and yet draw himself back to the light? Was he afraid of the darkness? Was he not willing to embrace it and the light as well? It was just as the Matriarch said yesterday. He needed to embrace both, in order to get around in life. She was going to show him how.

Wasting no time, Maranguan fled into the bathroom with his clothes. As soon as he got out and did his business, he dressed in these clothes. He set his dirty ones in a wicker hamper. Whether he had to do laundry or not remained to be seen. Still, he wouldn't mind doing that for a change, if it kept his thoughts busy. One could hope, right?

He entered the kitchen now in search of food. The second he opened the refrigerator door, he jumped in amazement at all the various meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and other dairy products, as well as a small amount of sweets. He shrugged, laughing for the first time since yesterday. It was a joyous laugh, one he didn't expect.

"Well, a lot has happened recently," he said, pulling out the donuts and eating one. By the time he finished the chocolate-covered donut, he reached for the whole milk and doused half of a half-gallon, before picking out an orange and peeling it back, taking in its juicy smell. He looked up when the front door opened. The Matriarch walked in, smiling at him.

"I see you're a picky eater," the Matriarch said, crossing her arms, "or rather a messy one."

He gulped. "I'm sorry. A lot has happened lately." He admitted, "I had a small meal on Qua'ra's ship, but it's been almost a full day since I ate anything. I need this." He munched down on his orange.

"You sound more like yourself," the Matriarch said, giddily. "Not the self we spoke of yesterday. Your normal self. The self that is Parker Dooley."

Maranguan hesitated. He no longer wanted to get rid of that name, and yet he wasn't ready to take it back. He knew right now he was too conflicted to go back to his old life, even though he wanted to do so.

"I know." The Matriarch got his attention. "It's a lot to take in. Sooner or later, you'll have to accept your old name and your new one. They are you, Parker Dooley. You know that to be true."

Maranguan slammed his fist on the table. "I don't want to hear that name!" He admitted, first hand, "Qua'ra was wrong. I did evil under this name, not my previous one." He said, shrewdly, "Even if I could go back, I'll regret this name, and vice versa." He asked, promptly, "How can I go live like this? Two lives stuck in my head. Forever." He said, "Vitiate's going to know me as Maranguan. That's the name I chose, when I was in his service. I'll use that new name as a cover, until this is over. I'll journey back to the light. I promise."

"You see, you're missing the point. Avoidance isn't going to get you anywhere," the Matriarch said, curious. "You are Parker Dooley and you're Maranguan."

"How can I accept myself as Parker Dooley. I don't know live up to that name anymore," Maranguan said, calmly.

"We have to find our place in the world. Yours is learning to both embrace the light and the dark," the Matriarch said, watching him eat the rest of his orange. "One day, you will understand."

There was a pause, one that gave Maranguan some thought. Maybe there was hope. Maybe he could live up to both names, but how? He'd be trapped with two lives in his head… then again, he was already there.

"Maybe I will accept my old name, my true name," Maranguan said, feeling himself become Parker Dooley. "I am Parker and I'm also Maranguan. I want to go back to being Parker Dooley and take on an apprentice."

The Matriarch smiled. "Come with me when you are ready. We need to discuss your training at the gazebo." She walked out of the house, leaving Maranguan – now Parker Dooley – alone.

~o~

Parker left his temporary house, stunned at how he had only half of his scars on his body. The scaly red skin that didn't have scars were new, clean skin. His eyes were yellow with swirling red in the irises. He didn't know why this was happening, but maybe it was because Maranguan wouldn't leave him be.

He sighed, wondering if his wife would understand. Maybe she could forgive him. But could he forgive himself? That was the question he had to ask himself.

At last, he approached the gazebo. It was a fairly large enclosure with open windows. And there, sitting on a purple pillow was the Matriarch, already in meditation. He joined her, sitting across from her on a red pillow. He was amazed at how soft it was, almost comforting.

"Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and think of nothing else but your breathing," the Matriarch said, slowly. Parker closed his eyes, doing as she said. "Now, think of an ocean and a beach, far away with strange creatures donned in brown and blue clothes. Do you see them now? For it was a family that came there from escape pods, after leaving the First World behind. That is your next destination, Parker, but it will be your mind's journey. Not a physical journey."

At first, Parker saw nothing, heard nothing. The sound of waves drew closer. He opened his eyes, surprised he was now sitting on his pillow, in the middle of a white sandy beach. A crystal ocean moved nearby. The waves crashed and the seafoam formed, drawing in merfolk. Merfolk? There wasn't any merfolk on this planet.

He knew the planet's name. "Lehon. You've taken me to Lehon." But the Matriarch wasn't there. He was indeed alone.

He stood up, drawing closer to the water. Something pulled him away. Invisible hands. He turned around, stunned to see the one creature he hadn't expected to see for a long time. It was the golden-brown Lion and ruler of Narnia.

"Aslan, what are you doing here?" Parker asked, concerned.

"I would ask you the same question," Aslan approached the half-scarred red dragonoid. "I know we haven't met as often as we would like. I am sorry for not being there when you turned dark. That was my fault. It won't happen again."

"How can I face him? Vitiate? I'm not that strong," Parker said, curtly.

"In time, you will find strength you need to move on, to get out of this place and leave Zafna," Aslan said, calmly. "Your strength lies within you. The fact that you touched both light and dark, as well as your mysterious good-and-evil half, depends greatly on your success." He sighed. "Maranguan is not all that he seems. He may be good, he may be bad. What you do now is up to you.

"Craft your empire. Let it be not of light, nor of darkness, but something in-between," the Great Lion said with confidence.

"I don't know how," the half-scarred red dragonoid said, confused.

"You're already doing it," Aslan said. "Think back on what Maranguan said. The light and the darkness coexist. In time, you will find others like you who are governed by their intuition." He added, "If you truly wish to become that, there is an icicle that Janet and her daughter Anabeth are searching for now. It will help you with this task. It will be scary, it will be dangerous, but I know you can do it."

"I'll try," Parker said, uncertain about this.

"I know you will," he said, calmly. He blew on the dragonoid, forcing Parker back into the folds of his mind. When the dragonoid awoke, he felt better, if not more so. Both he and Maranguan's thoughts were in line now.

Nothing else mattered but this moment, and it made the red dragonoid relieved to find himself again.

~o~

Three months passed.

Parker looked at the pearly white temple being built in his honor. He adjusted his grass hat a little, hoping it would stay on this time. When the hat started tipping off of him, he removed it, setting it down on his lap.

He couldn't believe it. The Matriarch was letting him become Emperor of this new empire. The Shadow Empire, as it was called. A beacon of light in the darkness, and vice versa. He sighed, hoping no evil would attempt to enter the temple. But who was he kidding? They were practically allowing the darkness to take hold amidst his good deeds.

What was the point in hoping for a better future, if things were going to get worse?

"You cannot deny me," Maranguan's voice ran through Parker's thoughts, "even you cannot escape your darkness or your light."

"I will find a middle ground!" Parker said in a hushed voice. "You wait and see!"

"Oh ho!" Maranguan was impressed. "Even after all this time, your inner thoughts understand you more than yourself. I will be back and this time, I will guarantee you learn a valuable lesson."

"Go away," Parker said, shooing the voice away.

"This isn't over." Maranguan glided away, leaving Parker alone.

"It's beautiful here," Qua'ra said, joining her half-scarred red dragonoid companion. "I'm surprised we're staying, building this empire. I think the name Scar-ra is growing on me after all." She shrugged, smiling. "Perhaps I'll use it one day."

"Do you want to become my apprentice?" Parker asked her, curious. "You don't have to! It's a suggestion." He admitted, "The Matriarch has been teaching me about the balance in the Force, the balance of the Universe. We could need that in this war to come."

Qua'ra smiled at him. "I'd like that." She added, patting his leg. "We're united."

"One can hope so," Parker said, believing that now, more than anything. Everything was going to turn out okay. Just wait and see.

*.*.*

References:

Aslan, the Great Lion, is from C.S. Lewis' book series, The Chronicles of Narnia.

~o~

That's it for the first part in my fanfiction trilogy, The Maranguan Chronicles. :)

Thanks goes to the following people who favorited and followed this story: Arianna Le Fay. Thanks everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to read this fanfic until the end. It is much appreciated. :)

This wasn't the ending I expected, but now we have both Parker Dooley back and Maranguan still inside him. So, these next two parts in this trilogy should be interesting. :)

Thanks for reading. :) I'll see everyone in the next story. Bye! :)

Aria Breuer