This chapter features the song "Finale: Children Will Listen" from the musical Into the Woods

AN: Yay! A new chapter! I don't know when I'll have the next chapter up; it depends on how long it takes me to write it.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I don't own. Bonus points if you catch the random references in this chapter! ;)

Chapter 5: Children Will Listen

Careful the things you say

Edmund was sent out of the healers' tent just as dawn broke by a young hare and an elderly tortoise who were apparently the camp healers come to look in on their patient. "We need privacy to heal your friend, young Sir," said the elderly tortoise.

"Besides," added the young hare, "Aslan is waiting outside for you."

Edmund looked at Remus, worry in his dark eyes. "Go on," said Remus, waving him out. "Everything will be okay." Edmund left, his pace slow, looking back only once before closing the tent flap behind him.

Once Edmund was gone, the young hare spoke, "My name Lola and this is Stefan; he trained me and my mother before me in the healing arts. You are in good hands, Son of Adam. May we proceed?"

Remus nodded his acquiescence and the pair got to work. The poking and prodding was familiar to Remus; he'd been to St. Mungo's more times than he cared to think about in his eleven short years. The soft back and forth too was familiar, as was his lack of understanding of the subject matter. He was well and able to heal small injuries that he inflicted on himself during the moon, but anything bigger than a sprained ankle or dislocated shoulder was beyond his grasp. He caught words like "curse" and "lash" as well as "broken" and "shattered," but that was all.

The trouble started when Lola the Hare went to remove his shirt to tend the wounds on his upper body. "Stefan," she said, staring blatantly at Remus' bite scar, "what do you make of this?"

Stefan slowly stepped up and took a look. He blinked and narrowed his gaze at the wounded boy. "Lola, go and fetch General Oreius here," he said, his voice slow and steady.

Lola ran out of the tent at top speed and Stefan sat down on a small wooden stool by the end of Remus' bed. He rested his chin on the gnarled walking stick he carried, never once taking his eyes off of the boy. He made no move to speak, neither did Remus. He'd seen the quick look of knowledge that had passed through the aged tortoise's eyes when he'd looked at the scar. Stefan knew what he was.

"What is this all about, Stefan?" The being that entered the tent was a large centaur with bronzed skin and a dark brown horse half. He carried a sword strapped to his back and bore himself with a warrior's grace.

Stefan lifted one clawed hand to point at Remus. "He bears the mark of a dark creature," he said, his gravelly voice surprisingly strong.

The centaur stepped toward Remus with Lola, who pointed out the scar to him. Anger flashed through the proud creature's earthy brown eyes. "This is grave news indeed," he said. Remus closed his eyes and prepared himself for the worst.

Children will listen

Lucy, who had always been a light sleeper, was woken just after dawn by the soft sounds of conversation not too far from the tent entrance. She opened her stormy blue-grey eyes and glanced around the tent to make sure that Peter and Susan were still asleep. Satisfied, she climbed off her pile of blankets and snuck silently out of the tent.

In the dusky light of early dawn, she could just make out the form of Aslan walking off to the edge of the camp beside a smaller, vaguely human figure. In the direction they had come from, she could make out a hushed conversation coming from the cross-marked tent that had been pointed out to her as the healing station. Curiosity getting the better of her, she ran over and sat herself down right outside the tent. She was nearly bowled over moments later by the panicked hare who came rushing out of the tent.

The tent was quiet now and Lucy was beginning to lose interest. She was just about to leave to wake her siblings when she saw the same hare that had left the tent returning with a familiar face; General Oreius. She quickly ducked around the side of the tent, hoping against hope that she hadn't been spotted, and settled back down to see what was going on that required the stern warrior's attention.

Careful the things you do

Lola the hare ran out of the tent ahead of Oreius, who was dragging Remus along by the arm, his scar exposed for all to see. Stefan the tortoise followed along behind them at his own steady pace. As they made their way to the center of the camp, they drew quite the crowd as all manner of creatures rose to greet the day. Most simply stared curiously at the spectacle, but did nothing to either help the boy or hinder the general.

"What's going on here?" The large beaver was the first to say anything as he stepped into General Oreius' path.

"We have been tricked, Mr. Beaver," said the general, his voice full of contempt. "We have in our midst a dark creature; one of Hers. We are lucky that Stefan discovered this snake in our bosom when he did. Who knows what evils he might have done had he been left unchecked."

"He's just a boy, General," said a smaller beaver, her voice soft and motherly. "Surely there must be some mistake."

"No," spoke Stefan, finally catching them up. "I saw the mark myself." The Beavers' looks turned to horror and they edged away.

"We must act!" shouted someone from the growing crowd.

"Purge this evil from our midst!" shouted another.

Oreius threw Remus to the ground. The boy let out a half cry, half sob as he hit the sold earth hard, his bad leg buckling beneath him. "Please," his plea came out as a choked whisper and fell on deaf ears. The roar of the crowd as they bayed for his blood grew louder.

Children will see

And learn

Lucy had run off to wake Peter and Susan as soon as she saw Oreius leaving the healing tent with the injured boy in his grasp. "Peter! Susan!" she called, pulling aside the tent flap and allowing the growing light of day to illuminate their sleeping faces.

Peter groaned and opened bleary blue eyes. "What's the matter, Lu?" he asked.

"We have to do something," she cried desperately. "They're going to hurt him!"

"Who's going to hurt who?" yawned Susan, sitting up on her nest of blankets and pillows. "You're not making any sense, Lucy."

"Just come with me," she said impatiently, tugging on Peter's arm as he attempted to put his boots on. "This can't wait."

Children may not obey

The children made it to the crowd just in time to see Oreius throw the boy to the ground. Lucy pushed her way through the assembled creatures and threw herself on Oreius, staying his hand. "What are you doing?" she cried. "Leave him alone!"

"You don't know what you are saying, Daughter of Eve," said the centaur general. "This thing is not a boy; he is a dark creature, one of the Witch's."

"I-I'm not," the boy on the ground protested softly, rising to his knees. "I-I'm not Hers."

"Still your tongue, beast," snapped the general. The boy lowered his eyes to the ground and hunched into himself at the harsh words.

"This is madness!" said Lucy, stomping her foot angrily.

"Lucy!" cried Peter and Susan, finally making their way to the center of the crowd. They grabbed their sister and Susan pulled her close.

Peter looked down at the boy on the ground; a boy about the same age as Edmund. "This is wrong," he said. "Why do you treat this boy like a criminal? What has he done?"

"He's a dark creature, Son of Adam," said Stefan calmly. "That is enough of a crime."

"You would turn on this boy simply because of something that he can't help?" said Susan incredulously.

"He's not a boy," snapped Oreius. "I don't even know why we continue this pointless discussion; you wouldn't understand. Dark creatures are not like us, child. They are evil and soulless; they care for none but themselves and their ilk. They are all servants of the Witch. This beast should be put down before he has a chance to hurt any of us."

"I-I'm not—"

"Silence!" Oreius punctuated his command with a sharp whack from the hilt of his sword. The boy whimpered, but said nothing more. "I have had enough of this." He raised his sword to strike the small boy, curling into a protective ball on the ground. Susan hugged Lucy close, burying the younger girl's face in her chest. Peter clenched his fingers, itching to do something.

"Stop!"

But children will listen

"Stop!" cried Edmund, running into the midst of the crowd. He had just finished a long and comforting conversation with Aslan and had been looking forward to seeing his friend and reuniting with his siblings when he heard the commotion. "Don't hurt him!" He flung himself between the centaur's sword and the shaking Remus.

Upon seeing his little brother step into the path of a sword, Peter acted. He drew the sword he had been given by Father Christmas and used it to block the general's blade. "You will not hurt my brother or this boy," he said, his voice even and strong.

Edmund knelt down and pulled Remus' arm over his shoulder, struggling to help him stand. "He's not a beast or a monster or any kind of evil being," the dark haired boy snapped at the centaur. "He's just a boy like me and if you're going to hurt him, you'll have to go through me first."

Oreius paused, struggle visible in his dark eyes. In his moment of hesitation, Susan stepped over to stand next to her brother, an arrow knocked to her bow, ready to fire if need be. Lucy used her small stature to slip around to the other side and helped Edmund hold the swaying boy steady. "That goes for us as well," said Lucy, glaring fiercely at the centaur.

Children will look to you

For which way to turn

"From the mouths of children oft comes the purest kind of wisdom." The crowd as one turned to face the new arrival; Aslan himself padded toward the children with purposeful strides. "Stay your blade, Oreius," He commanded, his voice deep and powerful.

"My lord, this is—"

"Just a boy, Oreius," said Aslan, stopping before the five children. "A boy who feels and loves as all children do, who has been cruelly abused by the White Witch, and who is braver than he believes and stronger than he thinks. Do not be so hasty to judge others, Oreius; things are not always what they seem to be."

The four Pevensie children gazed at Aslan in wonder while Remus continued to stare at the ground. "Do not judge a book by its' cover," said Susan softly.

"Wise words, Daughter of Eve," said Aslan. He then turned his honeyed amber gaze on Remus. "Why do you hide your face from me, Son of Adam?" he asked kindly.

Remus was visibly trembling. "Please, sir, y-your majesty," he stammered, "I kn-know I'm not worthy to be granted your m-mercy. I kn-know I'm just a m-monster, b-but I d-don't want to d-die. P-please."

Aslan stared at him impassively. He did not speak for a moment. "Look at me, Son of Adam," He said, His voice permitting no argument. Remus slowly lifted his head and turned his dull amber gaze on the great, golden lion. "Why do you call yourself a monster, young one?" He asked.

"B-because th-that's what I am," he said softly, fighting the urge to lower his gaze.

"Who told you this? Your parents?" There was a knowing sort of look in His gaze as He met Remus' eyes.

"N-no," he admitted. "They always tell me that I'm a normal boy with a special condition. B-but the books…"

"Do you always believe everything you read in books, mate?" asked Edmund.

"W-well n-no…"

"Then why would you believe those that say you are a monster?" said Aslan, a knowing look in His eyes.

To learn what to be

"I-I'm not a monster," said Remus, as though the thought were occurring to him for the first time.

"Definitely not," said Edmund with a grin. "You're far too nice."

"Monsters are scary," piped in Lucy, standing well below the tall boy's shoulder as she held him steady by his waist. "You're not."

"You see, my child?" said Aslan. "You must learn to listen to those who love and care for you, not the words written by men who know only their own prejudice. You must learn to listen with your heart and not your head."

"I-I'll try," Remus said.

Aslan smiled at him. "I know you will, my child. Having friends with whom you may share your burden, your secrets, will help as well. Now, dear Lucy, I believe you can help your brother's new friend to heal."

"How—Oh!" Lucy pulled a small diamond bottle filled with a red liquid from a beaded pouch hanging off her belt. "My cordial!" A wide, sunny smile broke across her pale face like the dawn. "Thank you, Aslan, I had almost forgotten."

Careful before you say

"Listen to me"

The children followed Aslan back to the tent Peter, Susan, and Lucy had been using. Edmund and Lucy helped Remus to limp there, his shattered leg unable to hold his weight. Susan and Peter followed behind them, ready to defend the younger children if need be.

"Lay him down gently, Edmund," said Aslan as the six entered the tent and Peter and Susan took up posts guarding the entrance. "Do you remember what Father Christmas told you, dear one?" He asked Lucy.

Lucy nodded her head. "He said that one drop would heal almost anything." She walked over and stood by Remus' head. He opened his mouth and she squeezed a drop of the precious liquid on his tongue.

It was like nothing he had tasted or felt before. It was sweet and spicy, almost like cinnamon, but it went down smooth and warm like hot chocolate. He could feel it working as it entered his bloodstream, his leg almost instantly feeling like a leg again and the pain on his face gradually lessening. "Thank you," he said, a smile crossing his face.

"You're very welcome," said Lucy, smiling back at him. "Oh…Aslan?" The smile fell from her face.

"Your cordial cannot heal every ill, dear one," He rumbled.

"It's my face, isn't it?" said Remus, reaching up to touch the cut there. It no longer hurt and it now felt like a scar rather than a fresh injury, but it was still there. "That knife…it was silver, wasn't it?" There was a resigned note in his voice as he spoke.

"I am afraid so, my child. You shall always bear that scar, but remember that it does not define who you are." He turned to look out the entrance. "Now I must go calm the masses. Children, remain here for the time being, please."

"Of course, Aslan," the five children chorused.

After Aslan left, Susan and Peter closed the tent flap and joined their younger siblings at Remus' bedside. "I'd like you to meet my friend Remus," said Edmund, addressing his siblings. "Remus," he added, "this is my sister Lucy." She waved and flashed him a huge smile.

"Thank you for healing me, Lucy," he said.

"You are very welcome, Remus," she replied, tucking her chin-length brown hair behind her ear.

"This is my brother, Peter," said Edmund. The older blonde boy smiled softly at Remus. "And this is my sister, Susan."

Remus turned to look at the brunette girl smiling brilliantly at him. "Thank you for taking care of our little brother," she said.

Remus opened and closed his mouth, his brain forming no words. That face, that voice—he would know those anywhere. And yet, he'd never seen her so utterly young and carefree. He finally found his voice. "Y-you're welcome," he said, his voice rather harsher that he would have liked. He studied this girl (who was no more than a year or two older than him) from head to toe; the same chestnut curls, the same icy blue eyes, the same smile, the same freckles, the same everything. There was no denying it now; there, standing right in front of him, was a younger version of his mother.

Children will listen

AN: I hope I did Aslan justice; this is actually my first time writing him.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! I love hearing what you think of my story. No flames though, please.