Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon Stories: Neverending Story: Bobby's World

Note: The Chapter title has nothing to do with the Harry Mandel series of the same name.

With a flash, the soft glow became a blinding, roaring inferno, complete with searing flames and blistering heat. It was burning him, and there was nothing he could do to stop the pain and horror. Why was he on fire? And why'd Sheila have to push him into the portal?

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the screaming vortex became a soft glow interspersed with random colored blurs. These blurs soon took vague shape then solidified into poor imitations of mythical beasts. Bobby became aware that he was sitting in the front seat of a six-person roller coaster car, and he was alone. The track before him ended in a dark panel, which slid back to reveal daylight and shouting, laughing teenagers.

Stunned, it was a full minute before Bobby became aware of the harassed attendant calling for him to get out of the car so someone else could have a go. The eleven-year-old... no, doing a double take, Bobby realized he was almost nine once more. The three years in the Realm had never happened... here. Bobby stood and slid unsteadily from the car, frowning at the emptiness of the other seats.

As he made his slow way down the exit ramp, harassed by several older kids who wanted him to move faster so they could get to another ride, the child thought over what had happened. He stopped just off the ramp and to the side, ignoring the flow of screaming teens that passed. Sheila had pushed him into the portal before it closed, sending him back home.

He was home! Bobby let out a sudden whoop of joy and jumped in the air, his fist flying high with his momentum. He grinned, laughed, and skipped around in an insane display of jubilation. Those passing him smiled in indulgence at the excited kid. However, the joy didn't last as he turned to call out to his friends.

They hadn't come home with him. Not even Sheila had returned. He was here and they were there. Anger and hurt welled up as suddenly as the elation of a moment before. They had sent him home like a little baby! He wanted to rave, to cry, to kick and scream, but he knew that would only prove their decision was right. He had to get back. Sheila would need him, he was certain.

Turning around, Bobby started shoving desperately through the crowd, trying to get back to the entrance ramp. He'd get back on the ride and go back to the Realm, and then they'd see he was determined to help them. They'd stop treating him like a baby, stop being over protective and let him do his share of the work. He would be the Barbarian again.

As he waited in line, foot tapping impatiently, Bobby stretched to peer around the older kids. Sure, there were littler kids in the park, but they weren't on this ride; in fact, Bobby had barely met the height requirements himself. He wanted to catch a glimpse of the front of the line, trying to determine how long before he could go join his friends once more. The eight-year-old was three people away from the cars when the unthinkable happened.

With a cry of protest, ignoring the kids who disgustedly pushed back down the ramp to find a more promising ride, Bobby ran towards the operator. "It can't shut down. I have to go back in there. Please? Just me... then you can close, 'kay? Just, I gotta get in there; my sister's in there..."

"Don't worry kid. The ride'll be back up and running by tomorrow. Just routine maintenance, you know. And the kids inside are being led out, so your sister will be at the other end in a minute. Why doncha go over there and meet her." He gave him a toothy grin and turned to answer a hail from a mechanic just climbing onto the track.

Bobby tried to protest, but the operator turned, looking annoyed. "I said wait for your sister at the other side. I'm not allowed to start this thing back up until it's fixed. One of the cars broke down and it stops the whole ride, get it? Now scat, kid." He glared once more, then hopped down to meet the mechanic, complaining how little kids were so rude now-a-days.

Dejectedly, worriedly, Bobby headed back down the entrance ramp and towards the exit, even though he knew Sheila wouldn't be there. None of them would. He was trapped at home while they needed him in the Realm. With a shake of his head, the blond realized that he had just thought of being home as being trapped. With a snort, he moved off into the crowd, planning on coming back after school the next day. They couldn't get too far ahead of him... right?

With determined stride, Bobby headed for the park exit, ignoring the calls from others to come join the ensuing fun. The park wasn't fun anymore. It was something that had pulled his life apart twice. He wouldn't look at amusement parks the same way again.

The schoolyard was a buzz of activity as people went over the news, shocked at how anything could happen in their small, peaceful town. Five teenagers had turned up missing. It was splashed over the papers and even made the locale news on television. The rumors abounded, some placing the kids as runaways, some saying they were some sort of cult, and others claiming that a horrific child stalker was out on a serial kidnapping craze.

Bobby knew otherwise. He'd nearly been forbidden to come to school that morning; his parents were so distraught over Sheila's disappearance. He'd tried to explain about the ride and the Realm, and all he'd gotten for his troubles was a ban on watching television or playing fantasy games for awhile. It was the fact that he said he had several tests that day which made his parents relent and send him to school after all. However they told him he couldn't go to the Amusement Park as he'd planned. They wanted him home on the bus, safe and sound.

That irked. After all, how was he to follow his sister and bring her back if he wasn't allowed out of the house? His parents had quickly gotten over their annoyance at Sheila for bringing Bobby to the park without prior permission... their anger had turned to worry, then down right fear, as the hours ticked by and their teenaged daughter hadn't come home. Then they had asked Bobby's story and banned him from anything fun! He wasn't allowed to have anything to do with fantasy... and they wouldn't even let him go out to play with his friends, afraid he'd be stolen away as well. He'd think of something. He had to. Sheila needed him; they all did.

With a sigh, he accepted the stares and whispers concerning his missing sister and friends. Normally he'd have lost his temper or tried to explain, but he was too busy plotting to bother. That made people talk all the more. Volatile Bobby O'Neil was ignoring people? Something must be horribly wrong. The eight-year-old didn't care about their talk, though. He figured it wasn't important at the moment.

Slipping into the building, other kids running down the halls calling out to each other about the incident, Bobby headed directly for homeroom. He glanced up once at the sympathetic, nervous teacher then sat at his desk. Taking out a notebook, he started writing down the names of every person or creature they'd helped in the Realm. Once he got back in, he'd need help finding the others, so it never hurt to have a list of friends to call on.

Suddenly, he stopped writing and stared in surprise at the paper before him. A slow, wide smile spread across his tanned face, and he let out a whoop much like the one from yesterday. Jumping up, startling the teacher and the few students who'd come inside early, Bobby grinned and thrust his fist in the air. "Yes! All right!" Then he laughed, gathered his stuff up, and headed for the door.

The teacher shook his head in sympathy at the boy's antics, thinking he hadn't yet realized that his sister was in danger wherever she was.

Sprinting out the door, grinning at people as he ran past, Bobby darted around the side of the building towards the other door. That one had a covered walkway, and was normally used for a main entrance, but this time people had been at the side door to get a glimpse of Bobby and anyone else who knew the missing teens. Thankfully, that meant the main door was relatively free of crowds.

Bobby skidded to a halt and leaned happily against one of the tall stone pillars that supported the roof. He reached for the locket hung around his neck, fingering the delicate heart, unaware for the moment how odd it looked for a stocky boy to be wearing such a feminine bit of jewelry. He knew it was only a matter of time before the first friend would show up, the first person that could help him on the road to his sister.

Dragging her feet in dejection, Terri headed out of the vast school building. Kids were running and screaming, laughing and talking, all around her. It had barely been noon when the Principal announced that the school was being closed to relieve the staff in an effort to aid the search for the five missing students. However, when she'd asked their names, people had either ignored her, or couldn't remember them. They were High School kids, after all, and most of the little kids didn't really know them.

Thus, her first day in a new town, in a new school, Terri found herself alone and with nothing to do. Her parents would be getting the house in order and would be exasperated to have her under foot. She had no friends and didn't know where anything was, so she couldn't keep herself busy, either. School was done for the day, before it had half finished, so she didn't even have that refuge. She felt isolated and unwanted.

The cheerful call startled her and she stopped walking to glance up, hope in her eyes. She knew that voice... and yes... she knew its owner, too. "Bobby!" Dropping her books, she launched herself into a hug. Bobby O'Neil caught her, the delicate locket still clutched in one hand, a huge grin splitting his face. Just like in her dream.

"Oh, Bobby! You're home! And I'd nearly forgotten the dream... and didn't recognize that this was your school." She smiled happily, her long black ponytail swinging with her enthusiastic movements. "Oh, and today was looking so bad until now"

Bobby laughed, swinging her around then putting her down. He had always been a strong boy and Terri was pretty light. "Well, I'm here now, kid, so stop looking so sad. Let's go to my house." He grinned and scooped up her books, without really looking at how much damage he might be doing. She didn't care, walking side-by-side with her closest friend.

With a small tilt of her head, Terri studied the boy next to her. He looked younger than when she'd seen him in the Realm... but then again, she was younger, too. They'd de-aged once they'd returned, it seemed. Well, that meant more time here to get to be his friend. She smiled.

The blond turned and grinned again at her happy look. "So, I expected you to come out, but I thought I'd be waiting until three. Why'd everyone get let loose so early?"

Terri sighed. "They wanted the teachers to help search for some missing kids. Do you know who they are? No one else can seem to tell me, Bobby... they're teens... maybe your sister knows them?"

"My sister's one of them." Bobby's smile had disappeared and he sighed. "I got back, but the others are still in the Realm, and I'm having troubles getting back. Mom and Dad won't let me go to the park, so I can't get on the ride like last time. And the whole town thinks they've been kidnapped or runaway or joined a cult or something odd..."

The girl turned to stare at Bobby in surprise. "You got out of the Realm?” Without realizing just how obvious her comments were, Terri rambled on. “Oh, that's great. That means the others can find a way, too, right?" She wanted him to look on the bright side, her reunion with him making everything look better.

"No. I don't know. See, they had the chance, too, but some of them wanted to stay. Right before the portal closed, Sheila pushed me through, but none of the others came through. So they're over there, and I'm stuck here, trying to get *back* over there."

"Oh, but why would you want to go back, Bobby? They obviously wanted you here to stay safe, and now you don't have to worry... Sheila will get back, and so will the others." She wanted desperately for him to change his mind, stay and be her friend, selfish as that was. Terri wanted Bobby to stay home with her.

He shook his head, however, and grimaced. "They need me, Terri. I want to stay, really, but I've gotta go back and help Sheila." He turned equally desperate eyes on his friend. "She needs me."

Terri nodded slowly. "Oh... okay... Bobby..." She tried not to be upset, truly, but it was so hard. She'd had a horrible time in that place, and finally she had one of her best friends back, and he wanted to return to that nightmare all over again. It was difficult to accept.

Their walk to the O'Neil house was finished in deep silence, both trying to think of ways to solve their dilemmas.

"Oh, man! This is the end!" The seventeen-year-old slammed his hand down on the metal roll bar, much to the annoyance of the attendant. At a glare from the slightly older teen, the blond stood up and climbed out of the aging metal coaster car. He was followed by his slim, black-haired companion.

"Bobby, calm down. You've tried every day you could get here, and the portal's never reopened." Terri glanced over her shoulder, wincing as she saw Jimmy Whittaker following them a bit too closely, smirking at her discomfort. "Come on, let's go somewhere more private."

The youth sighed and nodded, grabbing her arm to propel her towards a boat ride. It was quiet and slow, but no one was standing in line due to the chilly air of the fall season. Soon the park would close and school would start. Without a word, the boy led his companion into the sea-monster shaped boat, ignoring the exasperated look from the operator, who'd hoped to be able to call it an early day.

"Okay, we're private, Terri, now can I get upset?" He was being unreasonable, he knew, but the continued failures over the past eight years angered him. He felt helpless, desperate to aid his friends, and knowing that he probably should have given up years ago. "The portal won't open for me, is that it? You're saying by going through that other one eight years ago, I'm not gonna be able to return to the Realm?"

Terri bit her lip, her blue eyes sad as she nodded her confirmation. She'd never wanted to go back to that place, but had been there every time Bobby had tried. Yes, that meant going back, but she didn't want to leave Bobby again. It was frightening sometimes to think that she cared more about him than she did about her own parents, but that was how things stood. And so, she'd risked it every time... risked going back to that place of danger and death, all for the sake of Bobby.

And his continuing failures to get back were wearing down his normally sunny temperament. He was getting more withdrawn, more sullen by the week. Everyone had noticed. Instead of jumping into fights, he was picking them. Instead of participating in sports, he was cruising the streets, almost as if he was looking for trouble. Instead of trying to get into a college and start a life of his own, he was rehashing every moment of his time in the Realm, to the point of obsessing over it.

The thing that terrified her the most, however, wasn't the anger and hostility; he never turned them on her. It was the notebooks. Books and books filled with minute details about his life in the Realm. As if he hadn't had enough in that first three years, he kept writing, then rereading, the events that had occurred. And he brooded over them.

She was beginning to think she might lose him completely to the dark world he kept retreating to. It was more and more obvious that he was blaming himself for not being able to get back, beating himself up inside for not being there to protect his sister, even though she had others looking out for her. Soon, he might immerse himself so fully in his memoirs that she might never get him back... and that was worse than losing him to the Realm.

And so, every time he made the attempt to find a portal, she was by his side, encouraging and guiding him. She researched in the dustiest, oldest books, searched in the dingiest shops, and talked to the oddest people. The more time that passed, the more she feared they'd never find the solution... and the more she feared they would. She was afraid that they already had the solution to Bobby's problem: that he wasn't allowed back into the Realm. That would kill Bobby.

Blinking, wondering what she'd missed, and worried he'd try something without her, Terri turned to her companion. "What are we going to try?"

Bobby turned to her, running a hand absently through too long blond hair. "Me, not you. You're not trying it out, Terri. I'm gonna try it on my own." His voice was soft, but firm, as were his blue eyes.

She shuddered. "But, I'm coming with you, Bobby. We're both going back to the Realm... together... right?" She touched his arm, hoping he'd say she wouldn't lose him again.

The shake of his head made her heart fall, even as he replied, "no. That's the problem. It might not be me that's being refused entrance, Terri. Maybe it's you. Dungeon Master sent you back because you didn't belong. But me, he gave a choice to. Sheila took that choice from me, so I'm thinking I'll be allowed back in. But you? Maybe you're not allowed."

Opening her mouth in protest, Terri was aware that she felt suddenly cold and numb. It seemed to sing through her this is truth... he is right. She shook her head, and willed herself to remain calm. "Bo... Bobby? What if it's you that's not allowed, and me that is?" She hated the idea of going back alone, but she couldn't take back the words now.

Bobby turned his head sharply and narrowed his eyes. Then, a very slow, oft unseen, smile crossed his features, lighting up his eyes and entire face in a once familiar sunny way. "Terri, if I can't get there, then you can try, but I'll bet you'd be just as glad if we neither of us tried again." He took her hand and turned to watch the water, still smiling, as if for some reason his cares had been temporarily lifted. It was several long minutes before he spoke again, just as they were pulling back to dock. "Thank you for putting up with my shit all these years, Terr. You know... I love you."

He glanced at her, smiling wider, then tugged her unresisting from the boat. She was too stunned, her heart singing as her mind tried to sort things out, to protest even that minor rough handling. Instead, she nodded dumbly and allowed herself to be manipulated. She was still dazed, her mind whirling, as they approached the Dungeons & Dragons ride once more.

It was when he tugged her onto the entrance ramp that her euphoric state evaporated. "Oh, Bobby, now? We've already tried today... can't... can't we try tomorrow instead?" She wanted time with him, now that he'd admitted his feelings. She wanted time to savor it, to enjoy him.

The seventeen-year-old shook his head. "I'm gonna go alone, Terri. If I don't make it through, we'll give up entirely, okay? C'mon... what're the odds?"

"Too good..." muttered Terri as they moved up the line towards those horrible, old coaster cars.

They finally made it, and Bobby climbed into the car, asked the operator not to let anyone else on with him. The guy glared at him, but as Bobby was a daily regular, he finally nodded and let the car go off with its lone passenger, much to the annoyance of the waiting crowd. Terri watched it go with her heart in her throat and fear in her eyes. She knew that this time, he'd not come out the other side.

To Be Continued in Chapter Three: Diana's Dilemma

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