"In my start I am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."

Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

This story begins, as so many do, with children who are just a little bit lost. Each with their own troubles and concerns, but a single goal, survival. Forced to grow up, and yet not allowed to take charge. Such is the way of war. Little did these children know, together, they were each to begin a journey. A journey that would test them in ways they had never imagined and force them to face the troubles they had long tried to escape. For some are born great. Some achieve greatness. And others? They have greatness thrust upon them.

The scene is the heart of London in the middle of World War II. The Blitz of London was devasting. In 1940, the Luftwaffe (or the German airforce) bombed London for 57 consecutive nights. More than a million London homes were destroyed. In an effort to protect its children, the government of London decided to evacuate them all to the country, where the bombing was significantly less or non-existent.

For our story, we begin with the Pevensies of London, England, whose journey for greatness started with a wardrobe. Every story has the mundane information one must be told to understand, so I hope you forgive me my ramblings. But to understand these children, there are a few things it would be helpful to know.

Peter was the eldest of five children. He was a strong sort. Longing for glory and honor (as most boys do growing up). He had watched his father go off to war to fight for all that was right and just. Yet Peter was left behind. Too young to fight. Too old to be helpless. As the oldest male in the household, Peter was forced to grow up and help take care of his family. But growing up is difficult when one feels they are being held back.

Much like Peter, Alice, his twin sister, stood on the precipice of adulthood. Lacking the gentle nature of her younger sister Susan (who we shall get to shortly), Alice could neither act as a motherly figure nor be of any use outside the Pevensie home. Like Peter, Alice craved the chance to make a difference. Where Peter dreamed of daring feats of courage on the battlefield, Alice sought to help in any way she could. As a girl, she knew her options were limited. She begged her mother to allow her to work at the hospital and train to be a nurse, but Mrs. Pevensie feared Alice was to young to face the inevitable destruction of war. So Alice sat at home with a constant feeling of helplessness. And for any who have truly felt helpless, they will likely agree that it is a terrible feeling to experience.

On the other hand, Susan, Peter and Alice's younger sister, was a much gentler soul. She settled well into her role as assistant caretaker to her mother. Yet she lacked the patience and wisdom that comes with years of life. Susan sought to play the peacemaker in a family that was ready to boil over with the stress of war.

Edmund, like many young boys, felt pressure to live up to the example of his father and older brother. However, to be oneself while emulating another is difficult, particularly for younger siblings who often feel overshadowed. Edmund grew sullen. Wanting to be a man, and yet looked at as a baby in the family. Seeking to find his own way and prove that he could do anything just as well as Peter, even if he was a few years younger.

Lucy, the youngest of the Pevensie children, had the least to deal with in regards to the war. That is not to say she was unaffected. She worried over her father. The bombs of London terrified her. But she was well-cared for. All of her siblings looked out for her, to some degree, in addition to her mother. Lucy was the baby of the family and just wanted things to go back to the way they were before the war.

Armed with this knowledge, I can now tell you that our story begins with a catalyst. For without war, London would not have been bombed. Without the bombings in London, our children would never have left. And if our children had never left London, they never would have gone to the professor's house. If they had never gone to the professor's house, they would never have found the wardrobe. And if Peter, Alice, Susan, Edmund and Lucy had never found the wardrobe, I dread to think the consequence! But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Therefore, once upon a time…

Wow, so this is an old story I started forever ago and never really did anything with. Well, that's not true. I plotted out almost the entirety of Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe as well as Prince Caspian. But, as with many things, life got in the way and writing this story took a backseat. But I refuse.

Disclaimer, I can be a terribly procrastinator, if this story is anything to go by (I actually took a quiz on buzzfeed that said my handwriting implied I was a procrastinator!)

But I have so many stories in my head, and I want to write them down. If nothing else, but when people ask me to tell them my stories, I can just direct them to the written versions. I love creating OC and putting them in stories and seeing what kind of impact they would have.

Long story short, I am re-opening this project. But fair warning, I won't get much done this summer. I have a huge exam at the end of this summer that may be the biggest thing I ever do. If I pass, I'm done with school forever, can get a job, and proudly join the real world. If I fail...

Well, let's not talk about that.

But every once in a while, I need a study break. And study breaks are awesome when you can also do something productive. Makes you feel like you can do the hard stuff, too. Plus, practicing writing is always a good thing, no matter what form. I've never been good at writing my stories. I can never decide on the POV or how to tell it or word choice or action method or how much detail is required etc. So practice!

I've decided to basically start this story over. The work I had done (very little of it was typed and ready to go) is going to be re-done. It's been four years after all, and I think I've improved my writing skills, lol. Plus, I just didn't like the first chapter and it was too short.

Therefore, I posted a new prologue over the original first chapter and I'm in the process of rewriting the first chapter. I don't know when I will post that, but I will! (And if I don't, feel free to message me). I want to get that done, and, depending on how long it is, a second one written and posted before July. Come July, no offense, but I will ignore you all. Then back to work in August. Exam results take forever to come out, so I'll need the distraction.

Definitely interested in finding a beta for this story, if nothing else but to keep me honest and posting.

To those who favorited this story forever ago, I am incredibly sorry. I actually got positive reviews and favorites and just ignored you guys. I can't promise I'll be efficient with this story ala weekly updates. But I do intend to keep working! Hopefully you'll give me a second chance. If not, I totally understand.

But again, I am so sorry for abandoning you.

Lastly, I really want a new title for this story, but I lack inspiration for a good title. So I'm totally taking suggestions!

Sorry for the long A/N, but have a happy Father's Day weekend and an excellent summer!

~Dest