Disclaimer: I do not own the Pevensies or Narnia. They are property of C.S. Lewis. Enjoy!
Susan, Edmund, and Lucy stood waiting for the train to arrive to take them to school. Narnia was a memory now-for awhile they had reigned as monarchs and then, just as suddenly as they arrived in Narnia, they were taken away. Much to Edmund's relief the curse never fell upon him, and he was quite done worrying about it when they got back to present-day England. After all, once back, they had other things to worry about, such as trying to act normal even though things were clearly different. Once more all four of them went to Narnia and back, and most recently Edmund and Lucy had gone and returned. None of the siblings were allowed to return anymore.
This in itself wasn't the worst thing, as Aslan had assured them He was in their world as well as in Narnia, and the siblings had each other-at least, until Susan started avoiding them and caring more about her friends and boyfriends (Peter refrained, with difficulty, from calling them 'suitors'). Still, Peter and Edmund and Lucy talked often about Narnia. Then Peter went off to University, and suddenly things seemed quite worse.
Which is why standing at the train station was such a miserable affair. Their parents had just left after saying goodbye, and the three stood together for a moment longer before Susan said, "I think I might find my friends."
"But will you sit with me on the second train?" Lucy asked, looking hopeful. Had Peter been here, Susan wouldn't have even left, but Peter was not.
"I'm not sure-it depends," Susan answered. Edmund opened his mouth to say something, but his older sister rushed away so fast that he couldn't even make a sound.
"She won't do it," Lucy said quietly. "Not without Peter around. I suppose I'd rather her do it on her own than by force, though…"
"It's alright," Edmund reassured her. "What would you two talk about anyway? I'll sit with you now, and perhaps you can catch up with your friends on the second train."
"Perhaps," Lucy muttered, but she didn't look as though she wanted to. Train rides to and from school had been, in the past, used as time to talk with her siblings. Now things were apparently different.
Before either of them had time to reflect further (and perhaps get angry at Susan), the train pulled into the station and Edmund and Lucy busied themselves with getting on and settled. This first train ride was the longest and took them to a mid-station, where they waited for two separate trains to take them to their separate boarding schools. The second train ride was shorter, and lucky it was, because it also was looking to be the loneliest one.
Once settled, Edmund leaned back in the seat and regarded his little sister. Lucy the Valiant, she was called. She had proved herself in Narnia many times as being Valiant, and he had no doubt she could summon that same courage here in England. At least, he hoped she would.
"Edmund, are you afraid of going to school without Peter?" Lucy asked suddenly, and it was such an odd question that Edmund frowned.
"Ah…why should I be?" he asked, because he'd never really thought about it before.
"Well, you two have been in school together for the longest," Lucy explained. "We've all been together in some way until now, come to think of it, and even if it doesn't seem like it I still have Susan. But Peter is far away."
"I never thought about until now," Edmund confessed, "but I don't think I'm afraid. I thought you might be, what with Susan having changed. I guess not, though." He offered her a small smile. "I shouldn't have thought it-you are the Valiant one, after all."
Lucy grinned back. "Thanks, but I might be a bit scared," she said. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to talk to her about everything I want to. I hate to admit it, but Narnia comes up a lot."
Edmund laughed. "What did she expect? It affected us all so much. We can't just forget it. If it helps, I'll write you often and you can write back. And if you ever need to talk to me, I'll be there. All you have to do is ask."
"I trust you," Lucy said, her smile widening. "After all, you were so wonderful on the Dawn Treader, although your patience was thin at times."
"I was dealing with Eustace!" Edmund laughed. Then the two lapsed into a thoughtful silence. Edmund turned to the window and watched the countryside pass swiftly through the glass. The rolling green hills and occasional forests so sparsely populated made him think…
"Doesn't this remind you of Narnia?" Lucy asked a little breathlessly, breaking the silence.
"It does," Edmund answered, knowing exactly what Lucy meant.
"Sometimes when I'm alone or lonely, I think of the nature in a Narnian way," Lucy said. "Or, to be more specific, I imagine I'm in Narnia itself. It makes me feel better. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my thoughts I expect the trees to start talking, or a faun to appear out of nowhere. Have you ever felt that way?"
"I've felt reminded of Narnia," Edmund said, "but not as intensely as you've felt it. It does help clear one's head, though."
"Meditating, almost," Lucy said. "I do suspect we'll both need a lot of head-clearing now. I don't know about you, but I miss Peter and Susan."
Edmund felt sad quite suddenly, and his voice was hoarse when he replied, "I miss them too." It was the first time either of them had acknowledged they felt Susan was actually gone, but when said out loud they realized it was true. She was gone, though not in the same way as Peter. For some reason, that was worse.
The general feelings between the two were rather melancholy when the train pulled into the mid-station.
"Want me to go get Susan for you?" Edmund asked Lucy tentatively as they sat on a bench, waiting for the first train-Lucy and Susan's-to come.
Lucy shook her head, watching Susan converse a short distance away with her friends. "She would only get cross with you."
Edmund sighed and also looked at his older sister. "Are you sure? I think I can knock some sense into her. I mean, she's not that far gone." An uncertain pause met his words. "Is she?" His last question was almost a whisper.
Lucy gave him a solemn look that startled him-Lucy was almost never really solemn. She nodded once, and before he could process this, the train pulled into the station and she stood.
Edmund stood as well and stepped towards her. He gave her a tight hug. "It'll get better," he murmured in her ear, though truth be told, he didn't exactly believe this himself. Lucy merely nodded and muttered, "Good bye, I love you."
"Love you too," Edmund said, and Lucy boarded the train. He sat down on the bench again, realized he hadn't said goodbye to Susan, and jumped up. But the doors to the train closed and Susan had already boarded. By the time Edmund forced himself back onto the bench the train was long gone.
Suddenly, Edmund felt the loneliest he'd ever felt before, barring the times he had been in the White Witch's custody. Peter was far away, and Susan was gone in her own right. Lucy's words popped into his head-he would be completely alone at school. This did nothing to improve his mood, and he wished for a distraction from his thoughts as he waited.
A light, cool breeze traveled through the station, but to Edmund it felt harsh and ice-cold. He shivered, the cold seeming to penetrate his very bones, and even after the breeze stopped the cold didn't go away. Wrapping his arms around his body, Edmund willed himself not to think of her, or Susan, or Peter even.
As the train arrived and Edmund boarded, he was still shivering. The cold that penetrated his body and the increased feelings of loneliness stayed with him throughout the whole ride.