Chapter 9: Welcome to Narnia!

Susan and Edmund now ignored Lucy and Madison completely. This was fine for both of them. Lucy had now taken up residency in Madison's room, which was fine by the older girl. Peter tried to spend time with everyone, which usually obviously didn't work. It had been a week since Edmund went into the wardrobe and little did anyone know; they would be getting an adventure out of the next one.

"Pay attention," Peter called to Edmund, who looked annoyed and was nursing his newly bruised thigh

Edmund stopped rubbing his thigh. "I was. You just threw it too low," Edmund wined. Madison and Lucy both sighed and rolled their eyes at the boys. Peter had decided that they should all play a game. So here they were; out on a sunny day playing cricket. "Can't we go inside?"

"No, it's a sunny day and who knows when we will get another day like this," Peter objected. "Get ready Ed." Peter pitched the ball, which Edmund hit this time. The ball went soaring and broke a window. "Great!"

Madison and Lucy looked at each other. "Boys," the two said at the same time.

TP

"I hope Mrs. McCready doesn't find it before we can clean up the mess," Susan said as they quickly went up the stairs. All of them had left the field and were trying to locate where the ball had landed.

"She was downstairs in the kitchen last time I saw her," Lucy piped up.

Edmund snorted, "That was more then an hour ago. She has probably moved on." Peter suddenly stopped, which made Madison run into him, this made Lucy run into her, and then made Susan almost trip over Lucy, who crashed into Madison, which made Edmund crash into Susan. In conclusion: everyone ended up on the floor.

"Why did you stop?" Madison asked Peter, trying to control her temper at the boy. Someone had gutted her in her stomach!

"Did you see that?" Peter asked, looking a bit frightened.

"See what?" Madison spat and started to untangle herself from the group.

"There was a lion right there, and it roared," Peter said, pointing at a bare strip of wall.

"There is nothing there," Madison grunted and helped Lucy up.

"Maybe you're the one who needs glasses," Susan said coldly. Peter glared at Susan but didn't say anything to retort. A series of footsteps sounded and the odd group of five looked at each other.

"McCready. We better get out of here," Lucy clung to Madison's hand.

"Come on," Madison said and started to run. Something was pulling her, where she didn't know, but it was certainly there. Something was pulling her. Peter, Lucy, Susan and Edmund were right behind her. She opened up a door to a spare room and saw the wardrobe. The wardrobe that had led Lucy, Edmund and Madison into Narnia. "Hurry up!" Madison and Lucy quickly got into the wardrobe, Edmund not too far behind.

"No-" Susan started, but was pushed by Peter into the wardrobe, who followed Susan and closed the wardrobe, but left it a crack open.

"Who stepped on my foot?" Edmund asked.

"I did-" Susan started, but landed face first into snow. She lifted her head and looked around. "What?"

Madison was standing up, with a small smile on her face. Lucy clapped happily and started to jump around in excitement. "Welcome to Narnia," Madison said brightly and caught a snowflake in her hand.

"But this is impossible," Susan murmured as she got up.

"Do we need to start that debate again?" Madison asked. She really was getting tired of Susan and all of her logic and illogical talk. Madison noticed Lucy bending down and starting to pack some snow. An evil smirk on her face as she got up, putting the snowball behind her back while winking at Madison.

"I supposed sorry isn't enough," Peter asked as he turned around and gave an apologizing look to Lucy and Madison.

"No, but this might," Lucy threw her snowball at Peter, hitting him in the head. Snow got into his blond hair.

"All right," Peter bent down to make his own snowball.

"Snowball fight!" Madison yelled. She quickly made a snowball and threw it at Peter at the same time Lucy threw hers. "Two for the Madalu."

"Madalu?" Susan yelled as she threw a snowball, her aim was bit off and it hit Edmund in the thigh.

"Ow! Stop it!" Edmund whined. Everyone stopped and dropped their snowballs. He turned to look at two mountains. "She said to go this way," he murmured and started to walk in that direction.

"You liar," Peter said and quickly stopped his brother and turned him around to face Madison and Lucy. "Since you have obviously been here, apologize to Lucy and Madison!" Peter ordered. Edmund didn't say anything. "Apologize!" Peter bellowed.

"All right. I'm sorry," Edmund whined, but didn't sound very convincing

"That's okay. Some children just don't know when to stop pretending," Lucy said. Madison had to struggle to make sure her lips didn't form a wicked smile at the boy. But her mind was confused. Why did Edmund want to go that way? Who is this 'she'?

"Very funny," Edmund muttered to Lucy. "Why don't we go over there?" Edmund pointed to the way he was originally going.

"I think Lucy and Madison should decide," Peter said, looking over at the two.

"Maddy, can we-"

"Yes, Lucy we can go see him," Madison cut in.

"We want you to meet Mr. Tumnas," Lucy said, giving a full-blown smile. Her eyes once again sparkled in merriment.

"Then Mr. Tumnas it is," Peter declared

"Shouldn't we get some coats or something?" Susan then shivered as if to prove her point.

"All right," Peter shrugged and took out five coats from the wardrobe. "We'll just take these. I'm sure the Professor won't mind." Peter said as he started to pass out the coats. "And logically, were not even taking them out of the wardrobe." Peter said, glancing at Susan, while she glared back. Madison thanked Peter for the coat and put it on.

"That's a girl's coat," Edmund moaned at the coat Peter had given him.

"I know," Peter, replied back, his face neutral. He then pushed the coat into his brothers' reluctant hands. "Which way do we go Lu? Maddy?" Madison glared at Peter when he said her nickname. "Madison." He corrected himself. Madison could tell he was trying not to be upset about it, but failed. Susan gave him and 'I told you' look.

"Lu, you lead. You know the way better then I do," Madison said.

"Okay," Lucy said excitedly and the group started to head off towards Mr. Tumnas' house. Madison looked around and actually took in her surroundings. The trees were layered with snow and reached up into the sky. She had once been to a place like this many years ago. With her family. Tears started to prick the back of her eyes.

"Maddy, are you okay?" Lucy asked quietly, taking Madison's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Yeah," Madison said, she blinked and the tears were gone. Madison could see out of the corner of her eye that Peter was giving her a worried look, not believing that she really was okay. Unfortunately, he was right. Narnia made Madison remember all the winters she spent with her brother and sister. Playing games, racing, and being a family. It reminded her that she was never going to see her family again. And that made her more upset then anything.

Peter gave a small smile and rushed a bit ahead while falling in the process, and then rolled down the hill. Lucy giggled and Madison gave a small smile. Peter also smiled once Madison did, then got up and brushed the snow away from him. Madison looked at Peter in concern. Not because she was worried about him being hurt. But because he did that for her. Madison knew Peter loved her but she couldn't return the feeling. She couldn't love anyone after her family died.

Madison started to get a headache and she rubbed her forehead. Where is your family when you need them the most? Madison pondered.

"No," Lucy said, her voice sounding terrified. Madison broke out of her reverie to notice that they were a few feet from Mr. Tumnas' front door. Or where the front door should be. The door lay off its hinges almost like it was rammed down by something big and heavy repeatedly. Lucy quickly darted forward, quickly followed by Madison who was then followed by Peter, Susan and Edmund.

"Oh god," Madison said, as she entered the house and looked around to see it ravaged. Books, dishes, blankets, pictures; everything was laying on the floor in a mess. Furniture was spewed and torn up all over the floor. Deep scratches were evident on the wooden floor and door. Madison noticed some parchment with writing on it, lying on the floor. She bent down and picked it up.

"What happened here?" Peter asked as he looked around. A confused expression on his face.

"Maybe this will tell us," Madison pushed Peter and Susan out of the way and went outside, so she could read it. Lucy was right behind her. Madison took a deep breath and read the parchment, her voice ringing over the clearing.

"The former occupant of this premises, the Faun Tumnas, is under arrest and awaiting his trial on a charge of High Treason against her Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, Chatelaine of Cair Paravel, Empress of the Lone Island, etc., also of comforting her Majesty's enemies, harboring spies and fraternizing with Humans.

Signed MAUGRIM,

Captain of the Secret Police,

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"

"All right, now we really should go back," Susan insisted and tried to take the parchment from Madison's hands. Madison just spun on her heel.

"Secret police? Sounds more like the damn Gestapo to me," Madison muttered and ripped the parchment in half.

"But what about Mr. Tumnas?" Lucy asked, sounding frantic.

"If he was arrested for just being with a human, I don't think there's much we can do," Susan stated.

"They don't understand, do they," Lucy asked and looked toward Madison, who shook her head sadly.

"We're the humans," Madison said strongly. She crossed her arms over her chest. "She must have found out about us, particularly Lucy."

"Maybe we can call the police then," Peter suggested.

"These are the police," Susan retorted.

"They are the Gestapo is what they are." Madison murmured, but everyone heard. "There has to be a reason. There is never coincidence, only necessity. Why are we here? Some things may not be logical, but there is a reason. Stuff doesn't just happen; there is always a reason for it to happen. Whether good, bad or just doesn't make sense, there is a reason."

Lucy started to cry. "Don't worry. We'll think of something," Peter said when he noticed Lucy's teary-eyed face. Madison had to admit, he cared a lot about his family, and he just didn't know how to show it at times.

"Why?" Edmund asked. "I mean, he's a criminal."

"Psst," someone said. The group looked around. "Psst," It sounded more urgent now and it sounded like it came from above them. The group looked up to see a bird. The bird looked at them, "Psst." It said.

"Did that bird 'psst' us?" Susan asked.

"If a fox can talk, why not a bird?" Madison shrugged and approached the bird. The bird went back one branch. "You want us to follow you?"

The bird gave a little trill. Madison nodded her head and took a few steps forward, followed by Lucy, who once again held her hand. The bird moved down a few branches. "What are you doing?" Susan asked.

"Following the bird. What does it look like?" Madison said and went further in. Peter went after the two. Followed by the reluctant a Susan and Edmund. "It looks like a robin." Madison stated to Lucy.

"I think you're right Maddy," Lucy replied. The robin then took off. A scuttling of noises was heard to the right and everyone started to look around. Peter, Susan and Edmund all quickly hurried to Madison and Lucy. The scuttling noises seemed to be circling them.

"Whoever's there, you better show your self," Madison said in a strong voice, her flashing emerald eyes looking for any sign of attack, just like how Tom showed her when she was younger. She was up on the balls of her feet, her knees bent to make it quick to attack or doge something, just like her father told and showed her to do when she was a preteen. Wishing she had her saber with her or some type of weapon to protect herself and the Pevencies with; for she did not know if the thing making the noise was a friend or foe.

A/N slight cliffhanger. : D Got this out sooner then I thought. One good thing about not having school all day is I get more time to write. Please review.