Brick Walls

Summary: "But brick walls can always be knocked down can't they?" A Lucy one-shot. Takes place before, during, and after the WW scene. Edmund/Lucy sibling bonding fluff. Movie-verse.

A/N: I had this idea while watching Prince Caspian last night. Read and review!! :)

~*~

I stood in front of the How, fear and horror etched across my face. Out in front of me was the entire Narnian army, which consisted of fewer soldiers than it had before.

"What happened?" I choked out.

Peter's face was filled with hatred, and he jerked his head towards the young prince. "Ask him," he said with venom.

Susan frowned from behind the two boys. "Peter," she spoke warningly.

"Me?" Caspian whipped around, angry. "You could've called it off! There was still time!"

"No there wasn't, thanks to you," Peter snapped, his fists clenched. "If you had stuck to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now."

"And if you had just stayed here like I suggested they definitely would be!" Caspian shouted back.

My eyebrows knitted together with confusion. I looked to Susan, hoping to find an answer in her eyes, but her tense and weary gaze was fixed between the two boys in front of her. I couldn't see Edmund anywhere.

"You called us, remember?" Peter reminded the brunette, giving him a dirty look.

Caspian's jaw tightened and he gritted his teeth. "My first mistake," he replied, his eyes narrowed.

"No," Peter laughed grimly. "You're first was actually thinking that you could lead these people."

Caspian sighed exasperatedly and shoved past him, heading towards the entrance to the how. I stared at my brother glumly as he continued, "You, and him, your father!" Caspian suddenly skidded to a stop and his hand went to his sword hilt. "Narnia is better off without the lot of you!"

Caspian whipped around, his sword drawn and gave a cry of anguish, but Peter was quicker, and he drew his own sword. Both clashed against each other.

Then I heard the oh-so familiar voice scream, "STOP IT!"

The boys froze but did not sheath their swords. They, along with I, turned towards the voice.

Edmund and Glenstorm both carried the body of Trumpkin between them. They both slowly set him down on the cold stone. My gaze softened and giving a soft gasp I rushed towards him, my hand already at my cordial. I unscrewed the top and poured the liquid into Trumpkin's open mouth. He swallowed and his eyes fluttered open.

I gave a sigh of relief.

"What are you all standing around here for?" Trumpkin spoke gruffly. Susan laughed nervously beside me, drawing her hand away from Trumpkin's chest. "The Telmarines will be here soon enough," Trumpkin added.

Susan stood up and I put the cordial back at my side and began to stand up too. Trumpkin's hand flew to my wrist and I stopped and looked back.

"Thank you," he said softly. He smiled. "My dear little friend,"

I grinned and stood up to join Peter and Susan. I studied Peter for a moment. He looked weary and his eyes were slightly red as though he had been crying. Susan's were too. There was also something deeper behind his eyes – hurt, anguish, and failure. I glanced just in time to see Caspian march back into the how and sighed. Why couldn't we just all get along?

Off in the corner I saw Glenstorm and his wife and only one of his sons crying amongst themselves. I felt my heart melt into a puddle and I bit back tears, then followed Peter and Susan into the how.

Suddenly I remembered something a whipped around. Edmund stood, gazing up at the sky. "Ed?" I asked tentatively. I reached out to touch his arm and he looked down at me. His eyes were red too. "Are…are you going to come inside with us?" I asked.

Edmund sighed. "If Peter will stop being a jerk," he muttered bitterly, and he marched away. I stared after him sadly before sighing again and went into the how.

I found Susan and Peter in one of the rooms alone.

"…selfish," Susan was saying, tears in her eyes. "So selfish!" She screamed at Peter. "Caspian's right, Peter, you should've called it off!"

"You're only agreeing with Caspian because you like him!" Peter shot back.

"No I'm not, Peter," Susan retorted. "Caspian made a mistake too but blowing up at him didn't make it better because you're too blame too! Ever since we got back last time you've changed! You're acting like you're a king!"

"I am a king," Peter insisted.

"No you're not." Susan's voice shook. "None of us are! Caspian's the king now and you're treating him bad because you don't want to accept it! You're jealous, Peter, and you're too selfish to think about how you're hurting all of us! You did the whole raid for yourself!"

"I –" Peter began angrily, but Susan cut him off.

"I didn't see it then but now I know Lucy's right. You don't remember who really defeated the White Witch. It was…"

Susan went silent and shuddered. All of the sudden the two noticed me and I saw a tint of red creep into Susan's cheeks. "I-I'm leaving," she muttered bitterly, and marched out of the room, not even glancing back.

Peter looked at me. I felt tears forming already. Not wanting to look like a big baby, I marched off too.

The how wasn't very big. There was the training area, and a few "rooms", and then there was Aslan's tomb. Though I didn't really know why they called it a tomb. It wasn't as though Aslan had died there.

No, Aslan was completely alive. At least, he was to me. Ever since we had got there, all of us had been opening up to Aslan and letting a little of him into our hearts.

Except Peter.

I pushed back a sob and walked into the room that was right beside the stone table room and sat in the corner, tears streaming down my cheeks. I couldn't believe it…all of those Narnians, gone.

Suddenly I felt a cold sensation come over me. I hugged myself, shuddering. I hadn't felt this cold since…

My eyes grew wide and I leapt up. Suddenly I heard voices coming from the stone table room. Being extremely quiet, I tip-toed towards the room and stood by the doorway, peeking in.

I covered my mouth with my hand, muffling my gasp as I saw the scene before me.

Caspian had his sword pointed at a cloaked were-wolf, and a hag was standing not too far off. Nikabrik, the black dwarf that I had known to be suspicious of, was standing behind the future king of Narnia, grinning evilly.

"What you hate, so will we," the hag was saying in a scratchy voice. "No one hates better than us!"

"And…and you can guarantee Miraz's death?" Caspian's voice shook, and I could tell he was afraid. I couldn't blame him.

The hag bowed. "And more," she assured him, looking up at him with her menacing bug eyes.

Caspian didn't reply, and the hag took this opportunity. "Let the circle be drawn!" she commanded to the werewolf, who growled and nodded and began dragging his claw across the dirt floor to make a circle.

My face paled. I had read about this in the Narnian textbooks when my siblings and I had ruled. They were trying to bring back a witch.

And I knew exactly what witch that was.

I skittered off as quietly as I could, and as soon as I had turned the corner, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, ramming into Susan.

"Lucy!" she gasped. She grabbed my shoulders, setting me straight. "What is it?"

"Caspian…he…stone table…incantation…circle…bring…werewolf…" I panted.

"What?" Susan asked. She sighed impatiently. "What on earth are you talking about Lucy, I can hardly understand you! Calm down!"

I caught my breath. "You expect me to calm down when Caspian's in the stone table room with Nikabrik, a hag, and a werewolf and they're trying to bring back the White Witch?" I shrieked.

Susan paled and her grip around my shoulders tightened, her nails digging into my skin. I flinched and shook lose of her. "I'll go get Peter," she said, her expression grim. "Go find Edmund!"

I nodded and we both went our separate ways. I stumbled out of the how, screaming.

"Edmund! Edmund! Where are you?" I shrieked at the top of my lungs. "You've got to come here!"

I dashed into the woods, blindly stumbling around and raking bushes out of my way, still screaming my brother's name. Suddenly something grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and I screamed, about to punch the thing in the gut but the thing grabbed my fist.

"Lu, calm down!"

I looked up to see Edmund, his eyes even more red, looking down at my concernedly.

"E-Ed," I panted. "You've got to come quick. Th-there's – C-Caspian's in the stone table room with the black dwarf – N-Nikabrik. I-I ran as fast a-as I could! Th-they're trying to bring the White Witch back!"

Edmund paled, just as Susan had. His hand tightened on his sword hilt. "Th-that's impossible!" He muttered to himself.

"Do you want to try telling them that?" I demanded. I tugged on his hand. "Oh, c'mon, Ed, please hurry! S-Susan's getting Peter a-and it may be too late already!" My voice shook and tears formed in my eyes.

Without replying Edmund pushed past me and marched towards the how. I collapsed on the ground, tired, and felt tears streaming down my cheeks. I hurriedly wiped them away. What was I doing crying? I had to help too.

I scrambled up and dashed after Edmund. When I came out of the woods I found him no where in sight. I dashed into the how and hesitated in front of the long hallway leading down to the stone table room. What was I doing? I couldn't go down there! I'd get killed, surely!

But despite my fears, I took a deep breath and pushed on.

I drew my dagger and rushed into the room, immediately spotting Nikabrik in the corner. I rushed towards him and grabbed his shoulder, holding my knife at his throat. Taking a deep breath, I got ready to slit it, but to my horror I found myself spun around and my arm twisted. I screamed in pain and was suddenly shoved to the cold dirt floor.

I scrambled backwards, hitting a wall. I had no place to run. Nikabrik raised his knife, but then suddenly slumped to the floor.

I gazed in shock at Trumpkin, who held a knife right where Nikabrik's throat had been. "Th-thanks," I stuttered, staring at him with wide eyes.

Trumpkin, sweaty and pale, just nodded, and I saw tears in his eyes. I bit back my own tears and scrambled up. My hand was bleeding from being scraped across the floor. I wiped it on my dress and shivered.

"Stop!" I glanced up and saw Peter shove Caspian out of the way and I shivered harder. The White Witch seemed to float behind a block of ice. Peter stood in front of her, inside the circle, his sword pointed at her.

The witch recoiled, her smile sinister. "Peter, dear," she spoke with fake sweetness. "I've missed you." Her hand broke the surface of the ice again. "Come on," she coaxed him. "Just one drop," she insisted.

Peter's eyes changed. His fierce expression softened and he seemed lost in the witch's cold blue eyes. Don't do it, Peter, don't do it! I thought desperately, but I was too stunned to say anything. Slowly, Peter lowered his sword.

And then I saw it – an enormous crack in the middle of the ice. The witch glanced down, a surprised look upon her face. The crack grew wider and the witch let out a horrible scream as chunks of ice flew out. Peter used his sword to protect himself and Trumpkin and I ducked.

When all the ice had landed, I stood up to see Edmund atop the steps, where the block of ice had just stood, his sword raised as though he was stabbing the air. He lowered it.

Peter opened his mouth, about to say something, but Edmund cut him off. "I know," he muttered bitterly. "You had it sorted." Then he left the room without looking back.

Caspian scrambled up and stood beside Peter, staring around in awe. Suddenly the two turned around to see Susan, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She gave them an angry look and marched away from them. Caspian sighed in defeat and in unison both boys turned around.

The picture of Aslan filled the spot where the witch had previously rested.

I stood up and stood behind the stone table. "Peter?" I asked softly.

Peter turned around and noticed the angry looked in my eyes. "Lu, I –"

I felt my eyes fill with tears. "Just forget it," I muttered, and I, like the rest, marched out of the room.

~*~

I bumped into Susan on the way out, who had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Where's Edmund?" I questioned her.

"How should I know?" Her voice was bitter.

"Just asking," I replied in defense, and I walked past her and outside. I stood in front of the how for a moment, feeling the cool breeze. Despite the angry looking sky, it was quite peaceful out. Then I remembered I was looking for Edmund, and I knew exactly where to look. He would be in the woods again, of course.

It didn't take me long to find him. He was sitting on the lowest branch not too far away from the how, leaning his back against the trunk. He didn't even have to glance at me to know I was there.

"What?" He asked. He didn't say it angrily, nor did he say it softly. He said it with no emotion at all.

"What are you doing up there?" I called up to him.

He simply shrugged.

I sighed, and even though I knew it wasn't something to do in a dress, I climbed up after him.

"You shouldn't have fought," Edmund told me.

I shrugged. "I shouldn't do a lot of things," I replied.

Edmund smirked slightly.

"So what's up?" I asked him.

"What do you mean?" Edmund asked, still no emotion in his voice.

"Well it's obvious you're upset about something," I replied simply.

"I'm not upset about anything," he replied stubbornly.

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, Ed. I can read you like a book!" I nudged him, and then spoke softer. "Is it Peter?"

Edmund was silent before he sighed a long sigh. "I don't know what's gotten into him, Lu," he said in frustration.

"Neither do I," I admitted. "But I can't imagine it was hard for him to go from being a high king to just a regular boy."

"It was hard for all of us," Edmund said.

I nodded, silent for a while.

Edmund sighed again, before replying, "You know what really gets me most?"

"What?" I asked, looking up at him.

Edmund gazed at a bird sitting upon a tree across from us. "That not only is he not acknowledging us, but he's not acknowledging Aslan either." There was a troubled look upon his face.

"I know," I replied softly, frowning. "I know," I murmured again.

"And nothing we say to him will get him to stop acting the way he is," Edmund added. "It's like there's a brick wall between him and the rest of the world."

"Yeah," I agreed. "But brick walls can always be broken, can't they?"

Edmund was silent.

"How about we break some walls now?" I asked.

Edmund smirked. "It might be hard."

I jumped down from the tree. "Come on then."

Edmund smiled and he jumped down too, and together we went off to talk to Peter.

A/N: So, what do you think? I don't think I did a very good job on the ending. But I want your opinion! Review please! I'll give you cookies!! :)