FALLEN ANGEL

This was based off a terrible dream I had the other night, in which I'd lost my entire family, save for my sister and my yet-to-be-born niece. I can't remember all the details anymore, but it was awful, and it took me a minute after I'd woken up to calm down. But as soon as I started breathing freely again, the idea for this story came to mind.

It was all so vivid and clear; I had no trouble transferring it to paper.

Listening to a heartbreakingly sad cello piece, titled "If You Are My Love" from the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, also helped me to set the appropriate mood.

Brace yourselves. This is gonna be one heck of a tearjerker.

Characters (except Terence) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media

Terence and Story © unicorn-skydancer08

All rights reserved.

PART 1

An atmosphere of grief shrouded Castle Cair Paravel like a cold gray mist.

Lucy Pevensie, also known as Queen Lucy the Valiant, the youngest and most beloved of the Four Monarchs of Narnia, was dead.

The girl had been dangerously ill the last few days with a fever, and she'd passed away peacefully in her sleep. Her sister Susan had come in to discover her lying very still, her skin ghostly white and unnaturally cold to the touch, and Lucy never awoke when Susan tried to rouse her. In sheer panic, Susan had fetched her brothers and a number of people, but it was too late. Several renowned physicians were summoned, and they all examined Lucy thoroughly, and they all came to the same sad conclusion: there was nothing to be done.

The Valiant Queen was gone.

Everyone in the Cair mourned her loss.

The dogs and wolves sent up a continual chorus of woeful howls to the heavens; the tigers, bears, lions, and leopards roared their lamentations; the griffins shrieked and ripped their feathers out; and all who had the capability of shedding tears shed them freely. Even the soldiers, including General Oreius, wept like newborn lambs.

They mourned not only the death of a queen, one who had reigned over them with a fair and virtuous hand, but also the death of a sweet, pure-hearted girl who loved them and had served them as much as they'd served her. Lucy had been good and kind to everybody and everything. She was a rare rose in a sea of flowers…but now that rose had withered and died.

Out of Lucy's three siblings, it was impossible to tell who was affected the most by her death.

She had been Susan's only sister; Susan remembered how they'd used to play together as children and have great fun together. Though they did not always get along when they grew up, and Susan was frequently annoyed by her sister's childish nature, that sisterly bond between them always remained strong and intact.

Edmund had used to tease and torment Lucy unmercifully in their childhood, but after they'd come to Narnia and were anointed the Four Kings and Queens, they became the very best of friends. Edmund remembered how they would cuddle each other late at night, and how he would often be the first one that Lucy came to when she had a problem or needed advice.

Peter, the eldest of the lot, often considered Lucy his most favorite sibling. He remembered the day she was born, like it was yesterday; from the moment he'd held her in his arms and gazed into her big, beautiful brown eyes, he was in love with her. As the years went by, Peter was often a father figure to Lucy, when their real father couldn't be with them. Of course, there were times when he got a little dominant and overprotective—but he'd always genuinely cared about her, and he was willing to sacrifice his throne, and his very life, to keep her safe.

When Lucy's death was confirmed, Susan screamed as she'd never screamed before, and Edmund fell to his knees with his face in his hands, while Peter fled the room in an agony of tears.

The Beavers, who'd also served as parental figures to Lucy, grieved for her as they would have grieved for their own little kit. Mrs. Beaver shed so many tears that her sleek fur coat was ruined in no time, and Mr. Beaver was at an utter loss of how to console his wife; all he could truly do was put his paws around her and let her weep, while his own heart broke.

Perhaps those on whom Lucy's death had the severest impact were her two dearest friends in Narnia: Tumnus, the faun, and Terence, the white-haired boy with the heart of a unicorn.

The two young men were especially affected, because they were both deeply in love with Lucy.

Terence, who'd never told Lucy how he felt about her, knowing Tumnus was the one her heart truly belonged to, was the first to find out about her death. At first, he refused to believe it. But when the truth sank in at last, it shattered him. His knees gave way beneath him, and he dropped to the ground, face in hands, and lapsed into a flood of bitter tears.

He wept and wept, for what must have been an hour, maybe an hour and a half. When he managed to get some hold of himself, the white-haired youth struggled to his feet, and though his legs could barely support him, he somehow managed to make it to Tumnus's chambers to reveal the bad news. Terence knew this would kill his mate, and every step he took pierced him like a physical wound. When the boy finally reached the appropriate chamber, he paused at the door briefly, drawing in shaky gulps of breath as tears continued to leak down his face.

Oh, Tumnus, his heart bemoaned. My poor Tumnus…

How the unicorn youth prayed this were not so. He would give his very life to not have to convey the terrible truth to his sweet brother.

But Tumnus would undoubtedly find out, one way or another, if he hadn't already.

It was impossible for something as grave as this to remain a secret.

When Terence mustered the courage to open the door (which had been left unlocked), he found Tumnus sitting alone on the edge of his bed. The faun was bent forward, his elbows resting against his haunches and his hands covering his face. When Tumnus looked up and saw Terence before him, one look at the young man's countenance told everything.

The faun arose to his hooves, not wanting to believe it, every fiber of him praying that there might yet be a thread of hope.

"Lucy," he said, in a weak, scarcely audible voice. "Is she—?" He couldn't give voice to the dreaded question, but Terence understood, and nodded but once in reply.

Tumnus knew Terence to have a prankster's streak, but he would never joke about something like this. For a moment, the poor faun could neither move nor speak, at a loss of what to do or what to think. All time seemed to have frozen in that room. It was as though Tumnus were a statue in the courtyard of the White Witch all over again.

Then, very slowly, like thawing snow, the shock melted away.

Tumnus's china-blue eyes filled to overflowing, and his whole frame began to tremble. "No," was the only rational word he could get out. "No…no…"

He started to collapse, but Terence caught him in midair and gently lowered him to the floor. On their knees, all Terence could do was hold Tumnus and sob with him.

Deep down, Tumnus had known all along that Lucy was gone. He had felt it in the inmost depths of his soul.

Yet it was a crushing blow all the same.

Clinging fiercely to Terence, the faun buried his tormented face in the youth's chest and let loose. He wailed like a lost soul, and his tears stained Terence's fine clothes, but Terence could have cared less. The white-haired youth only tightened his grip on Tumnus until it hurt. He twined his fingers in the faun's honey and cinnamon curls, while the faun wadded the boy's rich blue garment in his rigid fists. Together, they shed so many tears that it seemed their eyes would never be dry again. Neither knew how long they stayed in that spot, but when their intense weeping had subsided somewhat and they were looking properly into one another's glistening faces, Tumnus said thickly, "I want to see her."

Terence repressed the desire to ask, "Why put yourself through more pain?"

Instead, he quietly helped Tumnus to his hooves once more, letting his mate lean on his shoulder for support, and the two made the slow, sad procession to Lucy's chamber.

They'd left Lucy lying on her bed.

She lay on her back, her luxurious red-gold hair fanned out in all directions. Her hands were folded demurely at her waist, and her expression was oddly peaceful. The girl looked to be merely sleeping, as if waiting for some magical prince to come and awaken her with a kiss. Tumnus tentatively approached her, leaving Terence at the door.

Tumnus knelt down on the scarlet rug beside Lucy, and took one of her small, slim hands in both his own. Her skin felt velvet-soft, as always, but very cold. He brushed his fingers ever so tenderly over the back of her hand, willing her to react to his touch, but she never did. "Lucy," he whispered, the name like a prayer on his lips. "Oh, my Lucy…"

Without a word, Terence backed out of the room, gently closing the door after him so that Tumnus and Lucy could be alone. No sooner was the door closed all the way than Terence slumped back against the heavy wood and slid to the floor. The youth drew his knees to his chest and crossed his arms together on top of them, and let his forehead drop against his arms. How could this have happened, he couldn't stop asking himself? How could someone like Lucy be gone forever, just like that, like a candle snuffed by the wind?

What would they do without her?

Though Terence's love for her went unrequited, she'd been the sweetest friend he could ever ask for. She was like the sister he'd never had.

And Tumnus…what must he be going through? Terence knew how much Lucy meant to Tumnus, too; his devotion to her was as plain as the broad daylight. The romantic relationship between them was the exceptional kind, one that far too many people let go to waste. How cruel it was to have such a beautiful romance end so soon, so tragically.

Fresh sobs arose in Terence's throat, but he didn't even try to fight it. Brokenly, unashamedly, the boy wept.

In the meantime, on the other side of the door, Tumnus stayed close to Lucy's side, unaware of anything else aside from the angelic face before him. Absently, the faun brushed his fingers over Lucy's cool face, tracing her features, smoothing her silky hair. He half-expected Lucy to open her eyes on the spot, to smile up at him and reach out to embrace him.

But the girl's beautiful eyes remained closed, never to behold the world again.

Never again would Tumnus hear her charming voice, or feel her warm touch, or taste her sweet kiss. She was lost to him, and he could never get her back. Never.

He didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

Tumnus felt the warm trickle of new tears on his cheeks, yet he made no attempt to wipe them away or stem the flow. He bent down and bestowed one last kiss on Lucy's rosy mouth, some of his tears falling onto her face as he did so. "I love you," he whispered passionately into the girl's ear, notwithstanding Lucy was long since beyond hearing.

It was too much. Despair engulfed Tumnus like a tidal wave, pain such as he had never felt or would have believed possible.

With his arms folded on the edge of the bed, the faun buried his face in them and allowed himself to grieve over his fallen angel, without the least degree of restraint.