Me: I'm going to cry.

Jade: *silence*

Me: Which reminds me that Jade's in COSTA RICA! She's doing something really cool and when she comes back, she'll explain in. In the SEQUEL! It's coming in about a week, because the first chapter is already written. So you won't have to wait forever. Sorry about that. School and job hunting. *headdesk* Anyway, here's the last chapter.

Chapter 14

Child's eyes, lilies, hydrolight, and the-finding-of-the-book.

No one would let me near the liquid light. If the crew saw me with a bucket and rope near the side of the boat, they were to take it away. They enjoyed it thoroughly, even though the light water calmed them down. So I had to amuse myself. I took to practicing my swordsmanship and playing with the bo staff that had been surrendered to me. It felt natural in my hands and I wondered where this skill had come from. When I'd been on earth, there was no way I could do this and now it seemed like it had just come to me. Whenever I held it, I felt more balanced and at ease. I blame Narnia.

Then came the day they gave in. When they were drinking the water, they finally gave in and let me have a sip. I blinked a few times, then took another. To my pleasure, the crew members didn't wince but they smiled at my loopy grin. Do you remember what it was like to be five years old? To see everything as if you'd seen it for the first time. That's what the light did to me. Like the five year old, I wanted to talk about them; at all of the adventures I had without trying. I would spend hours trying to describe the taste of the air or the wetness of water (not the water we drank now, I didn't want to ruin that with words). Without shame, I would play with the simplest of objects and giggle at the sun. Everything was beautiful and the light was my favorite.

I made up songs that I couldn't remember minutes later so I would just make another one. I would sing songs I'd heard on the radio and dance. Not the dancing you would see in the news or on a reality show but the kind of dance you can't control. It was, in a word, wild. Instead of laughing at me, the men (and Jade and Lucy and Reep) would look at me with their excited eyes and smile. They didn't have to answer my questions when I asked them because I would just flow onto something different.

We never slept and that was fine.

It was all too beautiful.

One day, I was humming and skipping, and I heard Caspian start to speak to Drinian.

"My Lord, what do you see ahead?" The sound of another person's voice made me giggle and they just smiled.

"Sire, I see Whiteness. All along the horizon from north to south, as far as my eyes can reach."

"That is what I see too and I cannot imagine what it is."

I started jumping up and down, my hand raised, and Jaden suddenly came up out of nowhere to put a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and she shook her head. "Darn it," I said, but my disappointment was quickly wiped away as Drinian gave the order to slow down. Knowing what would come up, I ran to the bow. Caspian came up to me and asked me (very quietly, mind you) to remove myself from the front, just in case whatever the white stuff was solid. I shook my head and giggled, "Aslan will protect me Caspian." The statement seemed to shock him, but his face softened and I spread my arms out as if I was flying. The Titanic couldn't compare to the Dawn Treader. The air didn't taste of light. You can't describe the taste of light, by the way. It' just too…well…how about this.

It tastes like a song that makes you raise your hands, like tears that seem to both drown you and give you life. Light is smoother than water and is sharper than a diamond edged knife. It fill you but leaves you wanting more and more until you have to swim in it. Even that isn't enough. It tastes like rolling thunder closing around you in an embrace or a child's first laugh. It hurts more than anything you've ever felt but it heals everything all at once. It tastes like a love that sacrifices itself or the moment you realize that they aren't gone.

Exactly. Those aren't tastes, but it's the closest thing I can come up with.

Suddenly, I remembered that it was ending soon. Tears started to stream down my cheeks. There was no way that I could want to leave this place. The crew were like my family, my group of annoying big brothers and cousins and…friends. For the first time since we'd discovered the sweet water, I felt hollow. There was a closeness here that you couldn't find in our world of armor and walls that mask minds who forget what beauty lie behind them and exactly what they posses.

"I don't want to leave," I screamed. People stopped and Jaden and Lucy rushed to my side.

"Risa, what's this about?" Lucy asked in a whisper, her small hand in mine. I turned and gave her a hug, lifting her off the ground. Jaden stood behind me and I put her down, looking at one of my best friends. She knew exactly what this was about. Lucy, Edmund and Eustace were going home soon and it may mean the end for us. Neither of us wanted to leave. If the Pevensies were to old to go back, we had to be since we were older than both of them.

"I'm fine, Lucy. Or I will be. Something like that." I said quickly, turning back to the white stuff. We slowed and moved out of the current. I begged to by taken with Rynelf, but there was no such luck. I waited impatiently with the others, trying to listen to the people in the boat that had been lowered in the other boat.

"Lilies, your Majesty!" he shouted, I squealed and took a flower from Lucy. My attention faded from the others and when back to the bow of the Dawn Treader with it clutched in my hand. I wasn't going to miss anything now. We glided through the Silver Sea and I held the lily, the scent of it twisting in my brain and making it go on overdrive. All I wanted to do was swim all the way back to the island so I wouldn't have to leave. Ever. I could die here and would still be happy. I would miss my family, yes, but it would be horrible to leave.

After about a day of standing there, I remembered how long it actually took to get to where the Dawn Treader couldn't make it any farther. Never once did I drop that lily, though. Through my sword practice and bo staff twirling, I never drooped it. It stayed fresh through all of it, though, and I caught myself stroking the soft petals often.

I still sang, happy songs mostly because even with my sadness, I couldn't stop smiling.

Then the ship couldn't go farther and my heart dropped.

"Lower the boat, and then call the men aft I must speak to them." Caspian cried, and Jaden and I exchanged looks.

"I'm not going to lie, but I hate this part." I whispered, nowhere near any of the crew.

"Not a word, Risa."

"But-"

"No! It all works out, remember?"

"Yeah…" I sighed, holding the lily by my chest. Caspian came out and started his speech. I closed my eyes so no tears would make their way out.

"Friends, we have now fulfilled the quest on which you embarked. The seven lords are all accounted for and as Sir Reepicheep has sworn never to return, when you reach Ramandu's Land you will doubtless find the Lords Revilian and Argoz and Mavramorn awake. To you, my Lord Drinian, I entrust this ship, bidding you sail to Narnia will all the speed you may, and above all not to land on the Island of Deathwater. And instruct my regent, the Dwarf Trumpkuin, to give to all these, my shipmates, the rewards I promised them. They have been earned well. And if I come not again it is my will that the Regent and Master Cornelius and Trufflehunter the Badger and the Lord Drinian to choose a King of Narnia with the consent—"

The arguing began. I opened my eyes and the tears started to come. Both Jaden and I stayed silent and a few crew members noticed me. One, a man by the name of Kellen who'd had graying hair at the beginning who now had beautiful brown locks came up and put a hand on my shoulder. I returned the gesture with a weak smile.

"But sire, are you abdicating?" Drinian asked, and I heard the panic in his voice.

"I am going with Reepicheep to see the World's End." Caspian said, a resolute look on his face.

"No." I said through the murmer, my own face hard even though tears made paths down them.

"We will take the boat. You will have no need of it in these gentle seas an you must build a new one on Ramandu's island. And now—"

"No."

"Caspian, you can't do this." Edmund.

"Most certainly, his Majesty cannot." Reep

"No indeed." Drinian

"Can't?" The look on Caspian's face was terrible.

"No."

"Begging your Majesty's pardon, but if one of us did the same it would be called deserting." Rynelf.

"No."

"You presume too much on your long service, Rynelf." Caspian.

"No, Sire! He's perfectly right!" Drinian.

"By the Man of Aslan I had thought you were all my subjects here, no my schoolmasters!" Caspian

"No."

"I'm not and I say you can not do this!" Edmund.

"Can't again. What do you mean?" Caspian.

"No."

"If it please your Majesty, we mean shall not. You are the King of Narnia. You break faith with all your subjects, and especially with Trumpkin, if you do not return. You shall not please yourself with adventures as if you were a private person. And if your Majesty will not hear reason it will be the truest loyalty of every man on board to follow me in disarming and binding you till you come to your senses." Reep.

"Quite right, like they did with Ulysses when he wanted to go near the Sirens." Edmund.

Caspian put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"No."

"And you've almost promised Ramandu's daughter to go back." Lucy. The tears were running faster and my knuckles grew white

"Well, yes. There is that." Caspian's face twisted. "Well, have your way. The quest is ended. We all return. Get the boat up again."

"No."

"Sire, we do not all return. I, as I explained before—" Reep.

"Silence! I've been lessoned but I'll not be baited. Will no one silence that Mouse?" Caspian.

"No."

"Your Majesty promised to be good lord to the Talking Beasts of Narnia." Reep.

"Talking beasts, yes. I said nothing about beasts that never stop talking."

"NO!" The scream came from my lips as Caspian stormed away. Everyone look at me with my tears streaming down my face and the lily trembling with the rest of my body. This was my least favorite part; when Caspian had been turned into a mass of anger and selfishness. I was about to start screaming at the person that I'd claimed I was 'betrothed' to through the door when Jade clamped down on my arm.

"Risa, chill. It all works out." Jaden's voice was somehow stern and gentle at the same time. I want to learn how to do that. Maybe she'll take my money for lessons; she could make millions off of teaching adults how to do that.

"Still…" Lucy grabbed my hand in response. In that moment, I saw a caring queen instead of a mix of a queen and little girl. That's Narnia for you.

"Do not fret, Lady Risa. I trust the King will do the right thing." Reepicheep said. The trusting gleam in his eyes made me smile. I wiped my face on my forearm.

"I feel ridiculous."

"Only now do you feel ridiculous. Not when you were claiming that the stars were moving to mess with you or when you were singing to Pug and his men?" Jaden sighed.

"Wait, how do you know about what I did during out kidnapping?"

"You're not the only one who was there, Risa." She grinned and I shook my head. Lucy giggled. The mood was a bit lighter but the heaviness of Capian's outburst still weighed on our heads. Though it was hard, the ominous feeling did lift because we were surrounded by the taste of light and smell of lilies. It's hard to stay ominous when that happens, which seems like cheating but it was true.

When we finally did see Caspian again in a little while, my tears had disappeared and another draught of light water (which I am now calling hydrolight, because it's easier to say) had lifted my spirits. When I saw Caspian again, I wanted to glomp him so his face would regain color.

"It's no good, I might as well have behaved decently for all the good I did with my temper and swagger. Aslan has spoken to me." Everybody's face lit up and I was a half a second away from running into the cabin despite my knowledge. "No—I don't mean he was actually here. He wouldn't fit in the cabin, for one thing. But that gold lion's head on the wall came to life and spoke to me. It was terrible—his eyes. Not that we was at all rough with me—only a bit stern at first. But it was terrible all the same. And he said—he said—oh, I can't bear it. The worst thing he could have said. You're to go—Reep and Edumund and Lucy and Eustace and Risa and Jaden; and I'm to go back. Alone. And at once. And what is the good of anything."

"Caspian, dear. You knew we'd have to back to our own world sooner or later.

"Yes, but his is sooner." Caspian started sobbing and I stepped forward, putting an arm around Caspian.

"You'll feel better when you get back to Ramandu's Island," Lucy said and Caspian forced a smile but it was obvious that he wasn't okay.

After a while, he shrugged off my arm and forced himself to cheer up. Until two, that is. The parting was depressing, and Lucy and I were bawling. You could tell that Jade was holding it in because her eyes were too bright even with the hydrolight. Edmund was trying to be his Kingly self, failing a bit at that, and Eustace was looking down a lot. Only Reepicheep really had a truly brave face on it (though Edmund really tried). I hugged everyone, no exceptions. My hair would never be the same after all of the ruffling it received and my back will forever be in pain because of some of those hugs, but it was worth it. We were just about to get into the boat when I turned to Caspian.

"I hope you and Ramandu's daughter will be happy, Caspian. And I know you'll be a good King. Just keep your eyes on Aslan. Um…I'll miss you." I looked around, "All of you."

"The same goes for all of us," Jaden said, a sad smile on her face. Our adventure was ending.

"I know you're probably tired of this but…" I grinned, "I may not have the perfect voice, but I'll still sing at the top of my lungs."

The song I started was familiar and though we were all sad, we smiled together for the last time. Sing by The Classic Crime. Even Jaden started in with harmony, and I remembered how jealous I was of her harmony skills. I started crying again. I hate crying. Except out of happiness; that I'll accept.

Waving, I got in the boat and we started off. The Dawn Treader look amazing will all her flags and shields. I waved again, my lily still clamped in my other hand. Then we turned and started east. I and Lucy soon stopped crying, it was hard to stay sad. Everything combined was too exciting to feel the loss.

We didn't row at all. We just glided. For all of that night and the next day. Do I even have to tell you how fidgety I was? It was impossible to be bored with the lilies and the insanely bright light but I wanted to move and it was impossible with that smallish boat. So I made up poems and songs in my head, trying to prod the rest of the people in the boat into a game. Until we saw it.

The wave. It was a wonder I was not completely terrified. But when the sun came up and the colors came with it, all I could feel was awe. Especially when we saw what was beyond the sun. Mountains that held up the sky with forests and waterfalls. Then that sound. That sound. That. Sound.

It broke my heart. The light couldn't compare to that music. It hurt so much but that was because my heart was bursting with the overflow of it. I'd lost the ability to truly, really, live. Everything that I heard from then and loved was something that reminded me of that music. The music from Aslan's country beyond the End of the World. I wanted it.

The boat suddenly stopped and I watched and listened to Reepicheep. "This is where I go on alone."

We helped him. He flung his sword and I watched it shine. It's probably still there. He tried his best to be sad but that was hardly possible. I wanted to go with him, to be honest.

"Thank you, Reepicheep." I said, clenching my fists, "For everything. Your friendship is something I will treasure for forever."

He left. He went where I wanted to.

"You think we're supposed to follow him, Jade?" I whispered hopefully. I saw the same look in her eyes, but she shook her head and I sighed, following the others. We all held hands. The water ran up my shins as we waded through it. It was amazing and I was never tired, it seemed like they felt the same. Until we got to land.

Until the blinding white.

Until the Lamb.

I felt my entire body trembling in happiness now. I wanted to run to Him. To bury my face in His wool.

"Come and have breakfast." That voice was just as beautiful as the voice, but not as heartbreaking.

There was fire and there were fish roasting o it. Where the heck did that come from? I wondered but I sat down and ate.

"Please, Lamb, is this the way to Aslan's country?" Lucy asked.

"Not for you. For you the door into Aslan's country is from your own world."

"What! Is there a way into Aslan's country from our world too?" Edumund's face lit up and I smiled.

"There is a way into my country from all the worlds." The Lamb became the Lion. Light scattered from him man and I grinned, my face looking just like that light that had fallen from his beautiful mane. I didn't look away from him once. I didn't want to.

"Oh, Aslan! Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?" Lucy asked. I pressed my lips together so I didn't blurt it out.

"I shall be telling you all the time. But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder. And now come; I will open the door in the sky and send you to your own land."

"Please, Aslan. Before we go, will you tell us when we can come back to Narnia again? Please. And oh, do, do, do make it soon."

"Dearest, you and your brother will never come back to Narnia."

"Oh, Aslan!" Edmund and Lucy cried.

"You are too old, children and you must begin to come close to your own world now."

"It isn't Narnia, you now." Lucy was crying, "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you"

"But you shall meet me, dear one." Aslan said.

"Are—are you there too, Sir?" Edmund sounded hopeful.

"I am." My heart lurched in happiness, my entire body felt like floating. "But there I have another name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

That name he was talking about screamed within me and I was crying. By the sniffing alone did I know that Jaden was too.

"And is Eustace never to come back here either?" Lucy said.

"Child, do you really need to know that? Come, I am opening the door in the sky." Both Jaden and I stood up but he shook his head and we sat again, relieved.

"Goodbye." Jaden and I said in one voice. Aslan kissed them and they were gone.

He turned to us and there was a smile in his eyes.

"Aslan," we both said, and he came to us.

"Where is our door?" Jaden asked.

"I will show you that, dear ones." I saw the love in his eyes and nothing else mattered.

"Where are we going, Aslan?" I asked him. He lay down.

"Get on my back and I'll take you there." I squealed. I admit it. While getting on his enormous back, my shoulder brushed against the sky.

By the way, touching the sky is amazingly cool. Just saying.

He stood and leaped. Both of us giggled. He ran up the sky, which is a strange sensation, I have to tell you. He was running towards the sun.

As we went closer, we could see the valleys and mountains on the sun. That was as close as I'd though I'd get but he drew closer. He landed. On the sun.

My mouth dropped open. It was absolutely beautiful. There were birds everywhere. They bowed down as Aslan neared them and I smiled at them.

"It's beautiful, Aslan." Jaden said, looking around.

"What she said." I giggled.

"You're journey will be confusing, children. You must not let that confusion take hold or else it will not accomplish what I have planned for you." We nodded, knowing that even while we were on his back, he would know. "You must trust me with everything."

"We do. And we will." Jaden said. I nodded enthusiastically.

"Don't be afraid to be like children. It musn't take the hydrolight to let you cast your age aside." at the word hyrdolike, he looked at me and Aslan winked at me. Yes. That was the highlight of my life.

All of this time, we'd been walking through a great valley. There were lakes on the sun, if you didn't know. And trees. And bushes. It was comfortably warm, even though it was probably warmer than it we thought, and everything was full of light. Then we came to a gigantic tree with holes in the roots big enough to fit an elephant.

"Here is your door." He lay down again and we started crying as we slid off of his back. He licked those tears away with a lion's kiss. He nudged us with his nose and we walked into a root. The next moment, we were surrounded by light and the next we were in the museum. In one hand was clutched my book, in the other a lily.

"Oops." I said, breaking a silence as I held it up.

"I see you found your book." Jaden said, rolling her eyes.

"It turns out it was in my hand." I giggled, holding the lily to my nose. The scent wasn't as strong as it was in Narnia but it was still haunting.

We looked at each other, our eyes connecting. A silent idea passed between each other and I put both the lily and the book down on a chair. We held hands and thanked our best friend for the adventure.

AN: So it's ended. We'll be putting up a sequel...sort of. We still have no idea what to call it and as soon as Jade get's up here again, we'll get it up. Sorry for the huge wait.