Author's Note: Okay, I have reread the Narnia series-the unabridged version-just a few days ago. And a scene in the Last Battle-specifically, a single line-has inspired me with this creepy plot bunny. So tell me what you think!
Disclaimer: ...if I owned Narnia, this would be canon.
My Choice and My Reward
A Chronicles of Narnia oneshot
by Marikunin/GirlWaterShaman
The creatures came rushing on, their eyes brighter and brighter as they drew nearer and nearer to the standing Stars. But as they came right up to Aslan one or other of two things happened to each of them. They all looked straight in his face; I don't think they had any choice about that. And when some looked, the expression of their faces changed terribly - it was fear aend hatred: except that, on the faces of Talking Beasts, the fear and hatred lasted only for a fraction of a second. You could see that they suddenly ceased to be Talking were just ordinary animals. And all the creatures who looked at Aslan in that way swerved to their right, his left, and disappeared into his huge black shadow, which (as you heard) streamed away to the left of the doorway. The children never saw them again. I don't know what became of them.
-The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis
As soon as I walked into Aslan's shadow, I saw the flash of fire and heard the screams of agony as my eyes widened in horror. This couldn't be! As I fell, I remembered how I had gotten here, in the darkest of dark places.
I suppose it started when the Talking Ape, Shift, said that he knew Aslan. I remember being in the throng of other Talking Beasts, dwarves, fauns, and so on as we crowded around the Stable. I remember the four legged creature that Shift had brought out. The fire light was poor, and Shift had kept the creature from a distance. But I was able to see the silhouette of a mane and a strong, powerful body. So of course I brought into it.
Of course, now I see the folly of this. Of believing in something without even looking into it properly. But I digress.
For the next few weeks, I went along with everyone else to the Stable each time Shift claimed to have gotten a new revelation from the Great Lion. I remember only briefly wondering why the Lion did not speak himself, but shrugged it aside. He had not appeared in many years. Perhaps he was too weary from his journey across the sea to speak.
I remember being shocked when Shift accepted the Calormenes. I remember wondering why all of a sudden Shift began to talk with Ginger, the Talking Cat. Or I should say I was surprised at how quickly Shift accepted him, having struck down so many others with words and actions before.
But when Shift began to say that Tash, the accursed demon "god" of the Calormenes and Aslan, the Great Lion that we all knew and loved was the same...
...I couldn't say anything. Was it true? Was all the stories I had heard when I was young all lies? Unfortunately, I had ignored the twisted, dark feeling I got when Shift first said this. I shoved that gut feeling aside and allowed myself to believe the ape's words. He had said some strange things before, but didn't he have all of our best interests at heart?
For awhile, this was the routine. We lived our normal lives, only breaking the usual flow when Shift had an announcement. But it all changed that one night. The king of Narnia, Rilian and human children from the other world attacked. Shift was killed and Ginger had somehow lost his ability to Speak. We were all afraid.
I remember there was a unicorn. He was the cause of my death. I remember him goring me with his horn.
I lay there, blood spilling the ground. I knew I was to meet my end soon. But then I heard the Call. Somehow, I was able to make it to the Stable Door. But I was not alone. It seemed that everyone in the world had come with me.
The only thing I really remember seeing was him. The Lion. I had looked at him with hesitant eyes. He was so large and frightening...and I couldn't take it. Something in me was repulsed by his very presence, his existence. I didn't know why-obviously this was Aslan, the Lion that I had grown up believing in. But what had happened?
I remember loving Aslan when I was a child, when my parents taught me about him. But...somewhere along the way...my faith had died. And now all I felt was hate.
He looked at me with sad, wise brown eyes that really I cannot describe. The emotions in them were so numerous I couldn't identify them all. Somehow I knew to go left. The Lion's shadow was huge, seeming to encompass an entire world on it's own.
Silently I walked towards it. And then I saw fire. I was falling down, with so many others. It was so dark. And very very slowly, I realized just where I was. And I screamed.
Below me stood a creature. I already knew who it was. My parents had told me about him-the enemy of Aslan and the demon idol of the Calormenes. Tash.
He stared up at me, at all of us falling. His eyes were so terrible and ruthless. I remember a dead, mangled Calormene man at his feet.
But as I fell, Tash chanegd. The feathers fell off, as if the evil creature was molting. He grew, a tail emerging from behind him and horns growing from his head, as a large gaping mouth opened to swallow us all whole.
I had lost my faith in the one true God.
I had made my choice.
And this was my reward.
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment.
-Matthew 25:41-46
End Note: Well, there you go. The last 3 lines had been seared in my head the moment I read the above lines from the Last Battle a few days ago. I don't know why, but I had to write this. Please review.