Author's Note :

Heyo. Another chapter ! Yay me ! ( Remember, London from ' The suite life of Zack and Cody ' used to say that ? ) I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. If you have any questions about the story, you can PM me anytime. And I'd love it if everybody who reads this ( Yes, you ! ) drops a review because they really help me with my writing and plot and self-confidence. I know I don't update alot ( Don't hate me ) but I'm planning on finishing this fic so I'll be posting more often. Promise. If you notice any mistakes, point them out. I check for mistakes but there's always that one teency one that remains uncorrected. So, here you go. CHAPTER 10 . ( I still can't believe it I've made it this far ).

Beware Of the Shadows

Hands shaking , I placed myself on the ground. I have to think. Or it will devour us too. Just like Edmund.. and Lucy. Edmund was the most vulnerable of us because he had a disturbing past. Whatever the reason that brought it up in his mind , in this exact place and that exact moment , it revealed his dark side. Meaning , the part of him that he's ashamed of and regretted since he led Jadis ( The White Witch ) to his family.

The being that was playing this cruel game with us was not human. I was sure of it. And it made sure we knew its presence. Dozens of disfigured shadows darted around us, In the tents , behind stands and flitted across the broken rides. The circus was alive. But in a more discreet way.

Lucy was taken from us. That poor, poor child. Her heart cheated over her mind when she saw the toy doll. I saw it in her eyes. I saw it in her eyes when she looked at Susan. She wished she could be as beautiful as Susan. Or as perfect as a doll. She had all the right reasons. Being the youngest , I doubted that Peter and Edmund would've allowed her to be around boys her age. And when Susan courted many Lords and Knights, I suspected her heart lurched for attention too. She was a girl, after all. I'm glad I didn't see Lucy break down into tears. Susan did and she didn't understand it. Susan said Lucy was clutching the doll and backing away to the tent, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. I was glad Peter didn't see it. He didn't have the heart to see her sister cry. And that's why when Susan started sobbing silently, he took her into his protective arms and rocked her. We were aware of the shadows, just too depressed to acknowledge them. We mourned Edmund and Lucy. In our hearts we knew this was our end too. But I wouldn't let this happen.

" Peter and Susan, now listen to me very carefully. You have nothing to hide. Nothing to confess. You are King and Queen. You said so yourself. You will act like one and nothing , I repeat , NOTHING is going to faze you guys, you're badass, ok ? You have nothing to be ashamed of , the past is what made you what you are. Do not let your suspicions and fear and insecurities overtake you. Please. You're all I have... ". I said to them , trying to make them understand that we were not being targeted physically. The Shadows fed on our insecurities. Edmund had not reffered to me earlier, he hinted us even though he was being devoured inside out. The sly smile he gave us before disappearing into the tent was a huge giveaway that it wasn't him anymore.

Peter took me in his embrace and curled a hand in my hair. Susan hugged me from behind.

" Don't give in. " I whispered to them.

I don't know how long we sat there. Our blank eyes surveying the tents and the abandoned yard. The sky , as black as ever. The only milky light came from the greyer clouds. The shadows danced . We succeeded in avoiding insecure and questionable thoughts. Only letting our minds wonder about Lucy and Edmund and their whereabouts. We didn't leave the abandoned site because we had hope we would find them. We can't just leave them behind.

Susan was the first to stand up and search the tents from inside. Then Peter. I finally stood up and made a pathetic attempt at searching a tent, my heart thumping loud in my ears. All forbidden thoughts rushing back into my mind. I didn't last in the tent 10 seconds, I came out of tents like I'd just run a marathon. Breathless and frazzled. Thoughts all over the place. The shadows followed us , tent after tent. Peeling paper signs after decaying metal stands. I had never been so afraid in my life. My eyes twitched when ever I saw a Shadow, my breath hitched and my heart strangled out beats. Susan was fear less. She threw open a tent curtain after another, muttering curses.

Peter was braver than I had pinned him for. Spending whole minutes in tents and coming out unfazed. Its like how Edmund told me once,

" Once a king or Queen of Narnia. Always a King or Queen. "

I was witnessing something mystical yet elegant. I was witnessing Royalty.

I joined Susan at a tent far ahead from the stalls. We both looked at each other and then took deep breaths. We raised the curtain. Empty tent. A mixture of relief and sadness passed over Susan's face. We moved to the next tent, this time Peter joining us. We looked inside the tent and found a grey puddle of something on the black ground. I don't why but Peter drew his sword. Susan tentatively took a step forward. We neared it cautiously. It was just a patch of grey nothingness. Peter tried to poke it with his sword but the sword went right through, like it was a portal. The greyness shifted. It was somewhat familiar.

" What is it ? " Peter finally asked.

" Portal ? " I offered. Susan shook her head.

" Portals can only be opened with clean magic, not the dark one that flows through here. " Susan muttered darkly.

" If I was being my random , crazy self , I'd say it was the sky. " I said , as I watched the greyness shift like clouds.

Susan scoffed.

" The sky ? On the ground ? Be serious Riva. " Susan said in an annoyed tone. I rolled my eyes. Peter looked at me funny and then he was looking at me wide-eyed. Oh-kay. This was awkward.

" Are you Okay , Peter ? " I asked, getting worried.

He grabbed my shoulders excitedly and planted a kiss on my left cheek. Now I was the one looking at him wide-eyed.

" Riva ! You're right. It is the sky. Look. " He said , signalling behind me where there was big hole in the tent. The view was the sky which had a small and distinct black hole in it. Like a piece of it was missing. I looked at the sky and the grey clouds around it. And then at the ground where a piece of the sky was beside my feet.

" What ? " I scoffed with disbelief. I grinned at Peter and he grinned back. I felt like Sherlock Homles and Peter was my John Watson. Being ridiculously happy over a devastating discovery. So Sherlock.

The sky was on the ground. Get serious.

" That isn't possible , you two ! " Susan brought us back to the situation.

" But it is. Just look. " I told her.

" I refuse to believe it. It isn't logically possible . " Susan declared.

" In case you haven't noticed , tents swallowing up people isn't logically possible either. " I retorted.

Susan's eyes turned dangerous.

" Calm down , you both. Fighting will get us nowhere. Lets just get out of this tent. " Peter said pulling me and Susan by the arms and out of the tent.

" I refuse to believe it. " Susan muttered bitterly, getting out of the tent.

" So do I "

I turned to look at Peter. Was he mocking Susan? Speaking in a feminine voice. But my puzzeled look quickly turned into a fearsome one when I realised Peter hadn't said those words. He was looking at the tent now , like me. The voice had come from the tent. But there was just a piece of the sky in there. Jesus , I sound insane.

Susan rushed past me and Peter and opened the tent curtain with a flourish.

My mouth hung open. Peter's hand slipped into my waist and he pulled me close. Tightly. He didn't believe it either. We went into shock.

Another Susan stood inside the tent. Our Susan outside it , holding the curtain. Susan looked at Other Susan. Susan almost had a panic attack when Other Susan spoke again.

" You don't believe those two idiots do you ? " Other Susan asked Susan.

" I... I.. " Susan stuttered.

" Excuse me ? " I managed to say.

" You don't actually think there's a piece of the sky in the ground , right ? " Other Susan only talked to Susan. Susan was gobsmacked, staring wide-eyed at her replica. Same clothes, same blue eyes and same black hair.

" Yes , yes. I don't believe any of this. " Susan chanted.

" What ? And you believe that there's another YOU standing in that tent ? " Peter asked Susan angrily. trying to bring sense into her.

" Come in here, you. " Other Susan said and smiled like the devil. Then she yanked Susan into the tent before Peter could grab her. Peter ran after her into the tent , I could hear a sorrowful scream echo around us.

" No-ooo! " It was Peter.

I didn't go into the tent. Peter came out , he was a mess. His blond hair all over the place. His face stained with tears and his blue eyes, bloodshot.

" I only saw a Shadow. " Peter told me in a strained voice and I nodded curtly. Susan was gone too. The horrible thing was that this time, The Shadows manipulated their victim. There was no screaming and crying this time.

Just pure evil.

Peter came to me and hugged me. A needful hug. Not a protective one or a warm one. It was a vulnerable one. He cried into my neck, snuggling due to my short height. My body going into instant hysterics but I ignored that and returned the hug. Peter pulled back and slipped his hand into my brown hair. He looked at me with a broken look on his face.

" Don't leave me. " He whispered. I placed my hands on either sides of his cheeks.

" I won't . " I told him with all honesty. I did not pity this man before me. Our feelings were mutual. We were scared silly.

" I knew there would come someday when I wouldn't be able to protect them. I knew I wasn't fit to be a king after all. I'm not worth it. " Peter whispered quickly . He was looking behind me.

" What are you- " I started but he cut me off.

" I didn't deserve the title. I'm not the Magnificent. I'm the pathetic. I can't even take care of my own family. " Peter shook with rage as said this. His grip on my hair tightened. Instinctively I slipped out of his grip and pushed him. I was scared of the look his face had taken upon. But I didn't see what I actually did.

I pushed him towards a tent.

He staggered back and I ran to bring him back .

I was too late.

Edmund was gone.

Lucy was gone.

Susan was gone.

Peter was gone.

I was counting them off in my head. All of the Pevensies were gone. The shadows all around me started flitting quickly. This tent to the other.

I was alone. All alone.

I walked into the tent. Maybe I'll find someone there. I can't be alone.

Author's Note :

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